The UN’s survival for 80 years is not, by itself, proof of success, and now, the institution must confront painful truths if it hopes to rebuild public trust, said Khalilur Rahman, president of the General Assembly’s 81st session on Tuesday.
Acknowledging the UN’s failures – including the unresolved Palestinian question and ongoing wars in Sudan, Gaza, Ukraine, Myanmar and across the Middle East – Mr. Rahman balanced this with lesser-known successes.
He cited the return of nearly five million people to their homes in Iraq, ongoing delivery of aid in Haiti despite security challenges and the work of peacekeepers described by one war-torn nation’s representative as builders of “roads and communities”, not just “Blue Helmets”.
