Literacy is, finally, the road to human progress and the means through which every man, woman and child can realize his or her full potential.

We need to think of the future and the planet we are going to leave to our children and their children.

National markets are held together by shared values and confidence in certain minimum standards. But in the new global market, people do not yet have that confidence.

It is extreme arrogance for one to think he...and it's usually he, is the only one who can govern his country and nobody else can do it.

Good, healthy democratic societies are built on three pillars: there's peace and stability, economic development, and respect for rule of law and human rights. And where all three are present, you stand a very good chance of making a go of it.

The [UN Security Council] P5 ought to be dissuaded from using their veto power, which can paralyze the United Nations. The country blocking action ought to have to explain its decision and propose an alternative solution. It has been suggested that a veto only becomes effective if the vetoing state has the support of two or three other permanent members.

For too long the development debate has ignored the fact that poverty tends to be characterized not only by material insufficiency but also by denial of rights. What is needed is a rights-based approach to development. Ensuring essential political, economic and social entitlements and human dignity for all people provides the rationale for policy. These are not a luxury affordable only to the rich and powerful but an indispensable component of national development efforts.