U.N. Millennium Assembly OpensThe 55th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, known as the Millennium Assembly, opened at the U.N. headquarters in New York Tuesday, with dedication to meeting the challenges of the new millennium.President of the 55th General Assembly Harri Holkeri of Finland promised to "make every effort to guide the work of the assembly in an effective manner." To be effective, he said, the assembly must be "transparent and understandable." He believes that the assembly must address "in a focused, meaningful and timely manner" the challenges of globalization. Holkeri, former Finnish prime minister, said multilateralism is a means to promote greater social equality, sustainable human development, alleviation of poverty and combating global environmental threats. During the opening session, Tuvalu, a Pacific island country, was accepted as a new U.N. member, expanding the 55-year-old world body to a membership of 189, compared to only 50 when it was formed in 1945. The significance of the session is marked by the Millennium Summit scheduled for September 6-8 to be attended by over 150 heads of state or government with the role of the U.N. in the 21st century as its theme. Poverty and development, conflict prevention, environmental protection and strengthening the role of the U.N. are expected to be major topics of the discussions. |
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