As Assembly adopts reform proposals, member states agree UN financial problems need to be addressed, make suggestions.

• Position: General Assembly 52 - Includes related article on the sentiments of various diplomats

The urgency of reforming the United Nations and, in particular, the importance of adopting the comprehensive reform package presented by Secretary-General Kofi Annan highlighted the general debate at the General Assembly's fifty-second session. During these two weeks, speakers from 176 countries presented their Government's views on a wide range of issues. In the course of 24 plenary meetings, 18 Heads of State or Government addressed the Assembly - six more than the previous year. Statements were made by one Crown

Prince, 14 Prime Ministers, 16 Deputy Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers, 111 Ministers for Foreign Affairs, and 16 other heads of delegation.

The importance of the United Nations reform was underlined by the fact that, for the first time in history, the Secretary-General addressed the Assembly at the outset of the general debate. In stressing the urgency of advancing the United Nations reform in order to resolve the Organization's financial crisis, Mr. Annan called for the current session to be remembered as "the reform General Assembly".

Although a number of speakers did suggest that certain reform proposals required further consideration, the Secretary-General's reform efforts obtained strong political support, with virtually all Member States welcoming his strategic leadership and calling for the endorsement of the reform package in principle.

The deepening financial crisis of the Organization gave the deliberations on the future role of the United Nations a new seriousness and a sense of urgency. Andorra proposed to pay an additional 10 per cent of its annual assessment to the revolving fund, on the condition that debtor countries paid their past dues in full. Japan advocated investing the savings of the United Nations reforms to be accrued for reforms in the development programmes. However, although many Member States felt that the financial problems urgently needed to be addressed, there was no consensus over the ways in which the crisis could best be resolved.

Much attention was also devoted to the reform of the Security Council. Virtually all Member States felt that an expansion of the Council, in terms of both permanent and non-permanent membership, was urgently needed to strengthen its equitable representative character to reflect the new global and regional realities in a changing world. India, supported by Mauritius and Bhutan, stated that it was willing to accept the responsibilities of a permanent seat. Italy...