We need to promote greater tolerance and understanding among the peoples of the world. Nothing can be more dangerous to our efforts to build peace and development than a world divided along religious, ethnic or cultural lines. In each nation, and among all nations, we must work to promote unity based on our shared humanity.

I think that these flows of refugee are the inevitable counterparts to the flow of capital and goods. In other words, they too are by-products of globalisation.

We have seen recently, almost every major head of state goes to India and says, we believe India should be in the Council. They go back home and do nothing about it. But this cannot be sustained for long. If they want to keep the UN as a global forum where they discuss incidents and take some meaningful decisions, they should [reform].

If our hopes of building a better and safer world are to become more than wishful thinking, we will need the engagement of volunteers more than ever.

If information and knowledge are central to democracy, they are the conditions for development.

The invasion and occupation of Iraq is illegal.

Access to safe water is a fundamental human need and therefore a basic human right.