Does anyone seriously contend that any nation can fend for itself?

As one of my predecessors said, our objective is not to take people to heaven, but to prevent humanity from going to hell.

The United Nations is proud to have the Adopt-A-Minefield Campaign as a partner.

We tend to look at countries in terms of failed states and functioning states, which is rather simplistic.

Like any large organisation, public or private, the UN is a complex machine.

It's always a difficult time to be secretary general.

It may seem sometimes as if a culture of peace does not stand a chance against the culture of war, the culture of violence and the cultures of impunity and intolerance. Peace may indeed be a complex challenge, dependent on action in many fields and even a bit of luck from time to time. It may be a painfully slow process, and fragile and imperfect when it is achieved. But peace is in our hands. We can do it.