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The general secretaries of eight regional ecumenical bodies and of the World Council of Churches (WCC) have sent a letter to UN secretary-general Kofi Annan "reaffirming the deep desire" of their organisations and member churches "to support the United Nations"and the person of its secretary-general "at this critical time onthe world scene".
"We believe that the UN remains the indispensable instrument of the nations of the world if they are to remove the scourge of war from the earth and to establish the conditions for peace, notably: observance of human rights, a just sharing of the earth's resources, eliminating poverty and all forms of discrimination," states the letter sent from Nairobi, Kenya, on 4 September, 2004.
Signed by the general secretaries of regional ecumenical bodies from Europe, USA, Canada, Africa, Middle East, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Pacific, and the WCC, the letter highlights the "deep respect and trust" that the UN secretary-general deserves among the organizations' constituencies. The signatories assure Annan of the "spiritual support" and "prayers of countless people of faith and goodwill around the world".
The letter also suggests that "the inherited structures of governance of the UN do not adequately reflect the present realities and needs of the world as a whole," particularly for "many peoples and nations, especially outside Europe and North America". The 60th anniversary of the founding of the UN, it says, presents an opportunity to appraise its role since the Second World War and to make "an examination of how it can be adapted to fulfill more effectively its role in a world which has changed so much in sixty years".
Full text of the letter is available at:
