In the past we could afford a long gestation period before undertaking major environmental policy initiatives. Today the time for a well-planned transition to a sustainable system is running out. We may be moving in the right direction, but we are moving too slowly. We are failing in our responsibility to future generations and even the present one.

If the United Nations does not attempt to chart a course for the world's people in the first decades of the new millennium, who will?

The World is not ours to keep. We hold it in trust for future generations.

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

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.

My intimate knowledge of the [UN] system allowed me to get things done despite the many obstacles.

To educate girls is to reduce poverty.