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because we are committed to the UN that we have worked hard to support the management-effective management of this body.

But the United States also has the responsibility to equip the UN with the resources it needs to be effective. As I think most of you know, I have strongly supported the United States meeting all its financial obligations to the United Nations, and I will continue to do so. We will do our very best to succeed this year.

When the Cold War ended, the United States could have chosen to turn away from the opportunities and dangers of the world. Instead, we have tried to be engaged, involved, and active. We know this moment of unique prosperity and power for the United States is a source of concern to many. I can only answer by saying this: in the seven years that I have been privileged to come here to speak to this body, America has tried to be a force for peace. We believe we are better off when nations resolve their differences by force of argument, rather than force of arms. We have sought to help former adversaries, like Russia and China, [become] prosperous, stable members of the world community, because we feel far more threatened by the potential weakness of the world's leading nations than by their strength.

Instead of imposing our values on others, we have sought to promote a system of government, democracy, that empowers people to choose their own destinies, according to their own values and aspirations. We have sought to keep our markets open because we believe a strong world economy benefits our own workers and businesses as well as the people of the world who are selling to us. I hope that we have been and will continue to be good partners with the rest of you in the new millennium.

Not long ago, I went to a refugee camp in Macedonia. The people I met there, children and adults alike, had suffered horrible, horrible abuses. But they had never given up hope because they believed that there is an international community that stood for their dignity and their freedom. I want to make sure that 20 or 50 or 100 years from now, people everywhere will still believe that about our United Nations.

So let us resolve in the bright dawn of this new millennium to bring an era in which our desire to create will overwhelm our capacity to destroy. If we do that, then through the United Nations and far-sighted leaders, humanity finally can live up to its

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Appendix 2

Principal Organs of the
United Nations

General Assembly

The General Assembly is composed of all 188 members of the United Nations. As of December 31, 1999, they are:

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The 53rd regular session of the General Assembly, which had been suspended December 18, 1998, held resumed sessions during 1999. The session was formally closed on September 13.

The General Assembly held its 21st special session, June 30-July 2, 1999, devoted to implementation of the Program of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development. The 10th emergency special session met in February to discuss illegal Israeli actions in occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territory.

The 54th regular session of the General Assembly convened September 14, 1999, and was suspended December 23, 1999.

The Assembly elected Theo-Ben Gurirab (Namibia) as President and the Chairmen of the Delegations of Algeria, Bolivia, China, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, France, Grenada, Iceland, Iran, Iraq, Lithuania, Monaco, Nigeria, Russian Federation, Seychelles, Tajikistan, Thailand, United Kingdom, and United States as the 21 Vice Presidents.

The Chairmen of the six Main Committees, on which each member may be represented, were:

First Committee (Disarmament and International Security)-Raimundo Gonzalez (Chile)

Second Committee (Economic and Financial)—Roble Olhaye (Djibouti)

Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural)—Vladimir Galuska (Czech Republic)

Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization)—Sotirios Zackheos (Cyprus)

Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary)-Penny A. Wensley (Australia)

Sixth Committee (Legal)—-Phasiko Mochochoko (Lesotho)

The General Committee (steering committee) is composed of the President, the 21 Vice Presidents and the Chairmen of the 6 Main Committees of the General Assembly.

Security Council

The Security Council is composed of 5 members designated in the Charter as permanent and 10 members elected by the General Assembly for 2-year terms ending December 31 of the year given in the heading:

Permanent Members: China, France, Russian Federation, United Kingdom, United States

1999: Bahrain, Brazil, Gabon, Gambia, Slovenia

2000: Argentina, Canada, Malaysia, Namibia, the Netherlands

On October 14 the Assembly elected Bangladesh, Jamaica, Mali, Tunisia, and Ukraine as members of the Security Council for 2-year terms of office beginning January 1, 2000.

Trusteeship Council

The Trusteeship Council is composed of the United States and the other four Permanent Members of the Security Council (China, France, Russian Federation, United Kingdom).

In 1994 the Trusteeship Council adopted an amendment to its rules of procedure stating that it will meet in the future only on request. The Council did not meet in 1999.

Economic and Social Council

ECOSOC is composed of 54 members elected by the General Assembly for 3year terms ending December 31 of the year given in the heading:

1999: Cape Verde, Chile, Cuba, Djibouti, El Salvador, France, Gambia, Germany, Iceland, Japan, Latvia, Mexico, Mozambique, Republic of Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Zambia

2000: Algeria, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Comoros, India, Italy, Lesotho, Mauritius, New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Saint Lucia, Sierra Leone, United States, Vietnam

2001: Bolivia, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Indonesia, Morocco, Norway, Rwanda, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Kingdom, Venezuela

The General Assembly elected Angola, Austria, Bahrain, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Fiji, France, Germany, Greece, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, Sudan, and Suriname for 3-year terms beginning on January 1, 2000. All were elected on October 29.

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