President Dalia Grybauskaitė representing Lithuania at the General Assembly of the United Nations underscored that U.N. reform was unavoidable and necessary.
According to the President, the largest international organization established after World War II in 1945 operates in an outdated fashion, fails to meet the challenges of the time and address global problems in a timely and effective manner.
According to the President, this is especially evident now when it fails to ensure effective solutions for regulating conflicts in Syria and Ukraine and curb the tension raised by North Korea. Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council abuses the power of veto for covering authoritarian regimes, gross violations of international principles, unlawful occupation and aggression against sovereign states.
Dalia Grybauskaitė underscored that the United Nations could no longer remain only passive observers as they risk becoming meaningless. Failure to act and inability to give a timely and appropriate rebuff compromise the entire international system and encourage aggressor to proceed even further.
The declaration is supported by all EU and NATO members, more than 120 world states in total. The members of the United Nations that signed the declaration commit to provide comprehensive support for the efforts of U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres to reform the organization and ensure its effective and transparent functioning.
