In the rush for justice it is important not to lose sight of principles the country holds dear.

We need to ensure the poorest in the planet - who will be hardest hit by the financial crisis - are not forgotten.

Education is the great equalizer of our time. It gives hope to the hopeless and creates chances for those without.

In fact UN is more of a galaxy of organisations and agencies than one machine.

To look into some aspects of the future, we do not need projections by supercomputers. Much of the next millennium can be seen in how we care for our children today. Tomorrow's world may be influenced by science and technology, but more than anything, it is already taking shape in the bodies and minds of our children.

Under international law, the responsibility for protecting civilians in conflict falls on the belligerents. Under military occupation, responsibility for the welfare of the population falls on the occupiers.

Beneath the surface of states and nations, ideas and language, lies the fate of individual human beings in need. Answering their needs will be the mission of the United Nations in the century to come.