UNITED
NATIONS
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Remarks
by Dr. Han Seung-soo,
President of the UN General Assembly
at the Acceptance of the Declaration of Religious Leaders
7 May 2002
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In accepting this declaration, I wish to express my deep appreciation for the commitment of the world’s religious communities to the rights and needs of children.
On the occasion of the UN Special Session on children, we are once again reminded of the difficult, and often unacceptable, conditions in which a large portion of the world’s children are forced to live. It is this situation that the Special Session sets out to change.
Over thousands of
years and in countless communities religious bodies have borne the primary
burden of providing basic social services to those who need them most
and can least afford them – above all, children. Thus, we look to
the world’s religions to give us guidance and inspiration as the world’s
leaders assemble here to address the overriding issue of children’s welfare.
Your declaration does precisely that and serves as a compelling and timely
reaffirmation of the global religious commitment to helping children.
Thank you again and,
finally, let me congratulate you on the excellent work.