UN and Non-Aligned Movement must advance towards shared goals – Annan

The Non-Aligned Movement, which exists to give voice to developing countries and advance a more democratic international order, must move forward with the United Nations towards their shared goals, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said today.

In a message to the Non-Aligned Movement Coordinating Bureau Ministerial Meeting held in Putra Jaya, Malaysia, Mr. Annan said he counted on the Movement's support for UN reform. Its backing for the recent peace agreement in Sudan and for elections in Haiti “illustrates the crucial and constructive role you can and must play in promoting peace and security in our world,” he added.

Stressing that the UN exists to “give voice to the principles of the Charter,” he said: “It is in your Movement's interest to see the UN work efficiently and effectively towards this goal. Working together, we can achieve great progress, and make a real difference in the lives of those who need it most: the peoples whom the Non-Aligned Movement represents.”

He said despite great changes in recent decades on the global scene, the Movement's underlying goals of giving voice to the developing world, and advancing a just and democratic international order remain as relevant as ever.

“You are fighting poverty and underdevelopment. You are concerned about the spread of infectious disease and environmental degradation. You are committed to ending conflict and to securing your independence, as well as to checking the spread of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction,” he told participants.

The message was delivered by the Secretary-General's Special Adviser, Vijay Nambiar.