Lyrics: MiDeLan-
Music: MiDeLan-
On behalf of the, United Kingdom
Let me begin by paying tribute to an outstanding leader of the United Nations who sadly passed away this summer
Opium was one of the great secretaries general
a tireless campaigner for peace and progress and a champion
of human rights and human dignity whose influence will continue to be felt around the world
Years to come over the course of his lifetime
he witnessed the extraordinary progress that we
as a community of nations have made since this organization was founded
progress in which we more than half the number of people
living in extreme poverty, in this century alone
progress in which the number of people killed in conflicts has fallen by 3/4 in just over three decades
and progress in which millions of our citizens need healthier and longer lives
and where thanks to advances in human knowledge, in medicine
in science, and in, technology
We are presented with huge opportunities in the years ahead
Yet today
many are concerned about whether this progress will continue
and fearful about what the future holds
The end of the cold war did not as many once believed
lead to the inevitable supremacy and open economies and
liberal democracies cooperating on the global stage for the common good
5Today, instead
we face a loss of confidence in those very systems that have delivered so much
The belief in Free markets has been challenged by the
financial crisis of two thousand and
eight by the concerns of those feeling left behind by globalization
by the anxieties about the pace and scale of technological change, and what that will mean for jobs
And by the unprecedented mass movements of people across borders with all the pressures that can bring
70 years ago
the General Assembly agreed the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights
Today we must renew the ideals and values on which that declaration was founded
In doing so
we must learn the lessons of the past and show through our
actions how cooperation between strong and accountable states with open economies and inclusive societies
can best deliver security and prosperity for all our people
As co fiona and said, at the start of his second term
as secretary general
I have thought to turn an unquenching eye to the failures of
our recent past in order to assess more clearly what it will take for us to succeed in the future
In that spirit, let a show on clinching resolve
to renew the promise of freedom, opportunity, and fairness
a promise
which has delivered for more people in more places than any other period in our history
and Let us ensure that promise can be fulfilled for our children and grandchildren and for every generation to come
Thank you