7 July 2010
Queen Elizabeth II hails UN’s leadership in ever-changing world
Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly yesterday, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II praised the UN for its many achievements and expressed hope that it will continue to lead global efforts to secure peace and prosperity for all.
The Queen, who last addressed the Assembly more than 50 years ago, said “in my lifetime, the United Nations has moved from being a high-minded aspiration to being a real force for common good. That of itself has been a signal achievement.”
She highlighted some of the UN's "remarkable" achievements, such as tackling poverty, helping to reduce conflict and providing humanitarian assistance to millions of people, as well as the Organisation's ability to adapt to an ever-changing world. But she also said that much remains to be done, from achieving the Millennium Development Goals (the UN's flagship anti-poverty initiative) to dealing with new and emerging challenges such as climate change and terrorism.
Noting that the world had witnessed tremendous changes during her reign, she pointed to the enduring aims and values of the UN Charter: to promote international peace, security and justice; to relieve and remove the blight of hunger, poverty and disease; and to protect the rights and liberties of every citizen.
In her closing plea for global unity, she called on the UN to "continue to show this clear and convening leadership while not losing sight of your ongoing work to secure the security, prosperity and dignity of our fellow human beings.”
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called the Queen "a living symbol of grace, constancy and dignity", and expressed his gratitude for her dedication to the common values, embodied by the UN.
Queen Elizabeth is the Head of State of 16 of the UN’s 192 Member States and head of the Commonwealth of 54 countries. She last addressed the General Assembly in 1957 at the age of 31, four years after she was crowned queen. At the time of this first address, the number of UN Member States was less than half of what it is today and just 10 of these states were Commonwealth countries.
Click here to watch the Queen's 2010 address to the UN General Assembly
Click here to watch the Queen's 1957 address to the UN General Assembly
Click here to read a copy of the Queen's speech to the Assembly in 1957
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