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19.

The United Nations –
Fifty Years in a Changing World

ARTICLE
OF THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS OFFICE
AT GENEVA
МR. VLADIMIR PETROVSKY
ON THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNITED NATIONS
IN GENEVA

November 1994

N ext year, the United Nations wil1 commemorate its 50th Anni-
versary. Given Geneva's rich religious and political history -
specifically as it relates to the United Nations -- it is appropri-
ate that many events are being planned to observe this milestone.

Why is this event important? Today the World Organization stands at а
crossroads of history when international relations and the whole paradigm of
world civilization are being re-evaluated and reconsidered. The United Nations
is facing new challenges in the maintenance of peace and security, the pursuit
of justice and protection of human rights, the improvement of living conditions
of peoples throughout the world, and global governance. In this context, the
50th Anniversary gives us an opportunity to reflect on the past, take stock of
the present, and prepare for the future.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Dr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali,
places great emphasis on the commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the
United Nations. The Secretary-General has stressed that during the Cold War
the United Nations faced а crisis of credibility; today, it is faced with а different

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