Any society that does not succeed in tapping into the energy and creativity of its youth will be left behind.

Microfinance recognizes that poor people are remarkable reservoirs of energy and knowledge

If tolerance, respect and equity permeate family life, they will translate into values that shape societies, nations and the world.

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

I have often said that we have two UNs; the UN that is a Secretariat, that implements the mandates handed over to it by the General Assembly and the Security Council, and the UN that is the member states who sit in the Council, take the decisions, hand over the mandates, or take decisions in the General Assembly.

I urge the Iraqi leadership for sake of its own people... to seize this opportunity and thereby begin to end the isolation and suffering of the Iraqi people.

Often, we take stability - peace in terms of security and economic activity - to mean a country is doing well. We forget the third and important pillar of rule of law and respect for human rights, because no country can long remain prosperous without that third pillar.