3 April 2001

The President said today that he could not give an estimate as to when the talks on the reform of the Security Council of the United Nations would be concluded. Mr. Holkeri was asked today during three separate interviews with the Japanese media about his views on the process of discussions in the working group, chaired by the President, on the reform of the Security Council. Responding to the questions, Mr. Holkeri stated that one could not give an estimate as to when the discussions would be concluded or a comprehensive agreement reached. The reason to this was the remaining disagreements on issues such as the handling of the veto power or the scope of the enlargement of the Security Council. However, he emphasized how important it was that the process of discussions be kept going.

In the midst of the series of media interviews, the President attended the opening ceremony of the UN Gallery in Tokyo. The gallery is located in the UN House in downtown Tokyo that serves as the headquarters of the United Nations University (UNU), and is designed to show various activities of the United Nations and its agencies to the people of Japan. The first exhibition of the gallery is the award winning photographs of the environmental issues organized by the United Nations Environmental Programme. At the ceremony, the President gave a short remarks notimh that: "Fittingly, this first exhibition reflects the message and purpose of the Gallery. These photos show the diversity of the environment and the people of our planet. They also tell the story of some of the global challenges that the United Nations system deals with. The message is clear - this diversity and these great challenges before us require the participation and support of people in all parts of the world in order for the United Nations to be successful in its mission. In this exceptionally beautiful and at the same time very thought provoking Uniten Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Photographic competition, eight Japanese photographers received honorary mentions. This demonstrates a great talent, but it also reflects the wide interest and support amongst the Japanese people for the work of the United Nations. I welcome this support and hope that this Gallery serves to make it even stronger."

Mr. Holkeri also attended a luncheon hosted by UNU for the representatives of the local United Nations organizations and agencies and in his remarks he emphasized the importance of cooperation and teamwork within the UN system. The full text of his remarks is available on the "Statements and Messages" page.