RIVISTA
2000
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MILLENNIUM SUMMIT
GROUP PHOTO - LIST OF PARTICIPANTS |
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First row (left to right):
1. Olusegun Obasanjo, President of Nigeria
2. Alyaksandr Lukashenka, President of Belarus
3. (Ali Abul Ragheb, Prime Minister of Jordan)
4. King Abdullah II Bin Al Hussein of Jordan
5. Heydar Alirza ogly Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan
6. Robert S. Kocharian, President of Armenia
7. Tony Blair, Prime Minister of United Kingdom
8. Jacques Chirac, President of France
9. William J. Clinton, President of United States
10. Tarja Halonen, President of Finland and Co-Chair of the Millennium Summit
11. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations
12. Sam Nujoma, President of Namibia and Co-Chair of the Millennium Summit
13. Jiang Zemin, President of China
14. Vladimir V. Putin, President of Russian Federation
15. Fernando
de la Rúa, President of Argentina
16. Thomas Klestil, President of Austria
17. Sir Orville Turnquest, Governor General of Bahamas
18. King Harald V of Norway
19. (Jens Stoltenberg, Prime Minister of Norway)
20. Kim Dae-jung, President of the Republic of Korea
21. K. H. Abdurrahman Wahid, President of Indonesia
Second row (left to right):
22. Denis Sassou Nguesso, President of Republic of Congo
23. Andrés
Pastrana Arango, President of Colombia
24. Antonio Mascarenhas Monteiro, President of Cape Verde
25. Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah of
Brunei Darussalam
26. Festus G. Mogae, President of Botswana
27. Flt-Lt (Rtd) Jerry John Rawlings, President of Ghana
28. Gerhard Schroeder, Federal Chancellor of Germany
29. Harri Holkeri, President of the fifty-fifth session of the General Assembly
30. Louise Fréchette, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations
31. Theo-Ben Gurirab, President of the fifty-fourth session of the General
Assembly
32. Yoshiro Mori, Prime Minister of Japan
33. Fidel Castro Ruz, President of the Council of State and Ministers of Cuba
34. Alija Izetbegovic, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
35. Petar Stoyanov, President of Bulgaria
36. Thabo Mbeki, President of South Africa
37. Ricardo Lagos Escobar, President of Chile
38. Colonel Azali Assoumani, President of Comoros
Third row (left to right):
39. Eduard A. Shevardnadze, President of Georgia
40. El Hadj Omar Bongo, President of Gabon
41. Teodoro
Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, President of Equatorial Guinea
42. Gustavo Noboa Bejarano, President of Ecuador
43. Ismail Omar Guelleh, President of Djibouti
44. Jean Chrétien, Prime Minister of Canada
45. Glafcos Clerides, President of Cyprus
46. Miguel
Ángel Rodríguez Echeverría, President of Costa Rica
47. Crown Prince Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud of Saudi
Arabia
48. Prince Moulay Rachid of Morocco
49. Marco
Antonio de Oliveira Maciel, Vice-President of Brazil
50. Stjepan Mesic, President of Croatia
51. Václav Havel, President of Czech Republic
52. Giuliano
Amato, Prime Minister of Italy
53. Hipólito Mejía Domínguez, President of Dominican
Republic
54. Francisco Guillermo Flores Pérez, President of El Salvador
55. Isaias Afwerki, President of Eritrea
56. Colonel (Rtd) Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh, President of Gambia
57. Alfonso Portillo Cabrera, President of Guatemala
Fourth row (left to right):
58. Joaquim Alberto Chissano, President of Mozambique
59. Leo A. Falcam, President of the Federated States of Micronesia
60. Cheikh El Avia Ould Mohamed Khouna, Prime Minister of Mauritania
61. Alpha Oumar Konaré, President of Mali
62. Bakili Muluzi, President of Malawi
63. Valdas Adamkus, President of Lithuania
64. Teburoro Tito, President of Kiribati
65. Nursultan A. Nazarbaev, President of Kazakhstan
66. Carlos Roberto Flores Facussé, President of Honduras
67. Bharrat Jagdeo, President of Guyana
68. Bernard Dowiyogo, President of Nauru
69. René Préval, President of Haiti
70. Ferenc Mádl, President of Hungary
71. Daniel Toroitich arap Moi, President of Kenya
72. Vaira Vike-Freiberga, President of Latvia
73. Didier Ratsiraka, President of Madagascar
74. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, President of Maldives
75. Kessai H. Note, President of Marshall Islands
76. Ernesto Zedillo, President of Mexico
77. Natsagiin Bagabandi, President of Mongolia
Fifth row (left to right):
78. Boris Trajkovski, President of the former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia
79. Omer Hassan Ahmed Al-Bashir, President of Sudan
80. Milan Kucan, President of Slovenia
81. Abdoulaye Wade, President of Senegal
82. Miguel dos Anjos da Cunha Lisboa Trovoada, President of Sao Tome and
Principe
83. Sir James Fitz-Allen Mitchell, Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines
84. Emil Constantinescu, President of Romania
85. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Amir of Qatar
86. Joseph E. Estrada, President of Philippines
87. Arnoldo Alemán Lacayo, President of Nicaragua
88. King Mswati III of Swaziland
89. Aleksander Kwasniewski, President of Poland
90. Petru Lucinschi, President of Republic of Moldova
91. Maria
Domenica Michelotti, Captain Regent of San Marino
92. Gian Marco Marcucci, Captain Regent of San Marino
93. Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, President of Sierra Leone
94. Abdikassim Salad Hassan, President of the Republic of Somalia
95. Emomali Rakhmonov, President of Tajikistan
96. General Gnassingbé Eyadéma, President of Togo
Sixth row (left to right):
97. Lester B. Bird, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda
98. Julio César Franco, Vice-President of Paraguay
99. Sayyid Faisal bin Ali bin Faisal Al-Said, Minister of National Heritage and
Culture of Oman
100. Abdelaziz Bouteflika, President of Algeria
101. Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani, President of Afghanistan
102. Tran Duc Luong, President of Viet Nam
103. Jorge Batlle Ibáńez, President of Uruguay
104. John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia
105. Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, President of Tunisia
106. Sheikh Hamad Bin Mohammad Al-Sharqi, Vice-President of United Arab
Emirates
107. Ahmet Necdet Sezer, President of Turkey
108. Leonid D. Kuchma, President of Ukraine
109. Hugo Chávez Frías, President of Venezuela
110. Field Marshal Ali Abdullah Saleh, President of Yemen
111. Robert G. Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe
112. Rexhep Meidani, President of Albania
113. Crown Prince Albert of Monaco
114. Arturo Vallarino, First Vice-President of Panama
115. Jules Rattankoemar Ajodhia, Vice-President of Suriname
Seventh row (left to right):
116. David Oddsson, Prime Minister of Iceland
117. Keith C. Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada
118. Meles Zenawi, Prime Minister of Ethiopia
119. Nagoum Yamassoum, Prime Minister of Chad
120. Yeshey Zimba, Head of Government and Finance Minister of Bhutan
121. Guy Verhofstadt, Prime Minister of Belgium
122. Shaikh Mohammed Bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa, Foreign Minister of Bahrain
123. Edward Fenech Adami, Prime Minister of Malta
124. Yasser Arafat, President of the Palestinian Authority
125. Percival James Patterson, Prime Minister of Jamaica
126. Angelo Cardinal Sodano, Prime Minister of Holy See
127. Ehud Barak, Prime Minister of Israel
128. Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh
129. Said Musa, Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Finance of
Belize
130. Amre Moussa, Foreign Minister of Egypt
131. Mart Laar, Prime Minister of Estonia
132. Costas Simitis, Prime Minister of Greece
133. Lamine Sidimé, Prime Minister of Guinea
134. Bertie Ahern, Prime Minister of Ireland
Eighth row (left to right):
135. Barak T. Sope Maautamate, Prime Minister and Minister for Public Service
of Vanuatu
136. Basdeo Panday, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago
137. Göran Persson, Prime Minister of Sweden
138. Mikuláš Dzurinda, Prime Minister of Slovakia
139. Denzil Douglas, Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis
140. António Guterres, Prime Minister of Portugal
141. General Pervez Musharraf, Chief Executive of Pakistan
142. Wim Kok, Prime Minister of Netherlands
143. Pakalitha Bethuel Mosisili, Prime Minister of Lesotho
144. Marc Forné Molné, Chief of Government of Andorra
145. Mario Frick, Prime Minister of Liechtenstein
146. Girija Prasad Koirala, Prime Minister of Nepal
147. Helen Clark, Prime Minister of New Zealand
148. Sir Mekere Morauta, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea
149. Kenny D. Anthony, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia
150. Goh Chok Tong, Prime Minister of Singapore
151. José María Aznar, President of the Government of Spain
152. Prince
'Ulukalala Lavaka Ata, Prime Minister of Tonga
153. Ionatana Ionatana, Prime Minister and Minister for
Foreign Affairs of Tuvalu
Ninth row (left to right):
154. Count Carlo Marullo di Condojanni, Grand
Chancellor of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
155. Sabo Nassirou, Foreign Minister of Niger
156. Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar, Foreign Minister of Malaysia
157. Monie R. Captan, Foreign Minister of Liberia
158. Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, First Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kuwait
159. Claude Morel, Permanent Representative of Seychelles
160. Yerodia Abdoulaye Ndombasi, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and
International Cooperation of Democratic Republic of the Congo
161. Marcel Metefara, Foreign Minister of Central African Republic
162. Sélim Tadmoury, Permanent Representative of Lebanon
163. Joăo Bernardo de Miranda, Foreign Minister of Angola
164. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, Foreign Minister of United Republic of Tanzania
165. Somsavat Lengsavad, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs
of Lao People's Democratic Republic
166. Surin Pitsuwan, Foreign Minister of Thailand
167. Billie Miller, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of
Barbados
168. Farouk Al-Shara', Foreign Minister of Syrian Arab Republic
169. Iaia Djaló, Foreign Minister of Guinea-Bissau
170. Michel Kafando, Permanent Representative of Burkina Faso
171. Tariq Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq
172. Anund P. Neewoor, Permanent Representative of Mauritius
173. Jean-Claude Juncker, Prime Minister of Luxembourg
174. Tuiloma Neroni Slade, Permanent Representative of Samoa
175. Séverin Ntahomvukiye, Foreign Minister of Burundi
176. Charles Providence Gomis, Foreign Minister of Côte d'Ivoire
177. Jeremiah Manele, Chargé d'Affaires a.i. of Solomon Islands
178. Muratbek S. Imanaliev, Foreign Minister of Kyrgyzstan
179. Abdurrahman Mohamed Shalghem, Foreign Minister of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
180. Win Aung, Foreign Minister of Myanmar
181. Batyr Berdyev, Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan
* Not included in this picture are the following heads of State or
Government and dignitaries also attending the Summit:
Mathieu
Kérékou, President of Benin
Hugo Banzer Suárez, President of Bolivia
Samdech Hun Sen, Prime Minister of Cambodia
Paul Biya, President of Cameroon
Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, Prime Minister of Denmark
Roosevelt Douglas, Prime Minister of Dominica
Atal Behari Vajpayee, Prime Minister of India
Seyed Mohammad Khatami, President of Iran
Hersey Kyota, Ambassador of Palau to the United States
Alberto Fujimori Fujimori, President of Peru
Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda
Lakshman Kadirgamar, Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka
Adolf Ogi, President of the Swiss Confederation
Eriya Kategaya, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of
Uganda
Islam A. Karimov, President of Uzbekistan
Frederick J.T. Chiluba, President of Zambia
8
September 2000
Press Release - GA/9758
WORLD LEADERS ADOPT ‘UNITED NATIONS MILLENNIUM DECLARATION’ AT CONCLUSION OF EXTRAORDINARY THREE-DAY SUMMIT
Resolve Action to Strengthen Peace, Development, Human Rights; To Improve UN’s Ability to Act on Behalf of Humanity’s Priorities
"Only through broad and sustained efforts to create a shared future, based upon our common humanity in all its diversity, can globalization be made fully inclusive and equitable", world leaders stated this afternoon as they unanimously adopted a “United Nations Millennium Declaration” at the conclusion of their Millennium Summit.
The main document to come out of the largest-ever gathering of world leaders, which began on 6 September in New York, the Declaration contains a statement of values, principles and objectives for the international agenda for the twenty-first century. It also sets deadlines for many collective actions.
In an address delivered at the concluding meeting of the Conference, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan told the Summit that it had sketched out clear directions for adapting the Organization to its role in the new century. “It lies in your power, and therefore is your responsibility, to reach the goals that you have defined”, he declared. “Only you can determine whether the United Nations rises to the challenge. For my part, I hereby re-dedicate myself, as from today, to carrying out your mandate.”
The document (A/55/L.2) reaffirms Member States' faith in the United Nations and its Charter as indispensable for a more peaceful, prosperous and just world. The collective responsibility of the governments of the world to uphold human dignity, equality and equity is recognized, as is the duty of world leaders to all people, and especially children and the most vulnerable.
The leaders declare that the central challenge of today is to ensure that globalization becomes a positive force for all, acknowledging that at present both its benefits and its costs are unequally shared. The Declaration calls for global policies and measures, corresponding to the needs of developing countries and economies in transition.
Citing freedom, equality (of individuals and nations), solidarity, tolerance, respect for nature and shared responsibility as six values fundamental to international relations for the twenty-first century, the Summit Declaration
General Assembly Plenary - 1a - Press Release GA/9758 8th Meeting (PM) 8 September 2000
also identifies concrete objectives under broad headings that participants believe would lead to the desired outcomes.
Among the objectives with the declared aim of promoting peace, security and disarmament, world leaders resolve to strengthen the rule of law and ensure compliance with decisions of the International Court of Justice, to provide the United Nations with the resources it needs for conflict prevention and peaceful resolution of disputes, and to take action against the international drug problem and terrorism.
World leaders also made commitments to minimize the adverse effects of economic sanctions on innocent populations and to subject sanctions regimes to regular review, to urge constructive action on disarmament and to strengthen cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations. The document also calls on Member States to eliminate weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapons, and to keep all options open for this aim, including the possibility of convening an international conference to identify ways of eliminating nuclear dangers.
Among the steps aimed at development and poverty eradication, the Declaration contains commitments to make the right to development a reality for everyone. Concerned about the obstacles developing countries face in mobilizing the resources to finance their sustained development, the participants agree to make every effort to ensure the success of the High-level International and Intergovernmental Event on Financing for Development and of the Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, both to be held next year. The document calls for adoption of a policy of duty-free and quota-free access for essentially all exports from the least developed countries and an enhanced programme of debt relief for the heavily indebted poor countries.
By the year 2015, world leaders also resolve to halve the proportion of people with income of less than one dollar a day and of those suffering from hunger and lack of safe drinking water; to ensure equal access to all levels of education for girls and boys and primary schooling for all children everywhere; to reduce maternal mortality by three quarters; and to begin to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other major diseases. By the year 2020, they resolve to have achieved a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers.
On environmental protection, the Declaration states that no efforts must be spared to counter the threat of the planet being irredeemably spoiled by human activities. Therefore, the participants of the Summit resolve to adopt a new ethic of conservation and stewardship, making efforts to ensure the entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol, preferably by the tenth anniversary of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 2002. The document encourages better management, conservation and sustainable development of forests and sustainable exploitation of water resources. It also presses for the full implementation of conventions on biological diversity and desertification.
To strengthen the United Nations, Summit leaders resolve to reaffirm the central position of the United Nations General Assembly; intensify efforts for
General Assembly Plenary - 1b - Press Release GA/9758 8th Meeting (PM) 8 September 2000
a comprehensive reform of the Security Council in all its aspects; further strengthen the Economic and Social Council and the International Court of Justice; encourage regular consultations and coordination among the Organization's principal organs; ensure greater policy coherence and urge the Secretariat to make the best use of resources, which should be provided on a timely and predictable basis.
Other commitments to advance the role of the United Nations include steps to strengthen its cooperation with national parliaments, Bretton Woods institutions and the World Trade Organization and to give opportunities to the private sector, non-governmental organizations and civil society to contribute to the realization of the Organization's goals and programmes.
The Declaration also sets goals for promoting human rights, democracy and good governance; protecting the vulnerable; and meeting the special needs of Africa.
Speaking at the closing meeting of the Summit were Presidents of the Czech Republic, Eritrea, Kiribati and Somalia; the Governor-General of the Bahamas; the Prime Ministers of Grenada, Vanuatu, Guinea, Chad and Ethiopia, the Secretary of State of the Holy See; the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and African Integration of the Niger; the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; the Foreign Ministers of Bahrain and Guinea-Bissau; and the representatives of Palau and Tuvalu. Also addressing the Assembly were the Secretary-Generals of the League of Arab States, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Economic Cooperation Organization; the President of the Commission of the European Community; the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross; the Grand Chancellor of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta; and President of the Conference of Presiding Officers of National Parliaments.
The Co-Chairpersons of the Millennium Forum -- Techeste Ahderom, President of Finland; and Sam Nujoma, President of Namibia -- as well as the Chairpersons of the four round tables –- Goh Chok Tong, Prime Minister of Singapore; Aleksander Kwasniewski, President of Poland; Hugo Rafael Chavez, President of Venezuela; and Abdelaziz Bouteflika, President of Algeria – delivered concluding remarks. Finally, the Summit observed a minute of silent prayer or meditation.
During the six meetings of the three-day Summit, 99 heads of State, three Crown Princes and 47 heads of government presented their views on the role of the United Nations in the twenty-first century and the main challenges facing the peoples of the world. One hundred and eighty-seven Member States were represented. Four private round-table sessions on the key issues under discussion were also held in conjunction with the proceedings.
The General Assembly begins the regular segment of its fifty-fifth session at 10 a.m. Monday, 11 September.
General Assembly Plenary - 3 - Press Release GA/9758 8th Meeting (PM) 8 September 2000
Assembly Work Programme
As the Millennium Summit met this afternoon, it was expected to conclude its work and adopt the final document of the three-day long session, the Millennium Declaration.
Statements
CARLO MARULLO DI CONDOJANNI, Grand Chancellor of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta: Much will depend on the way the new biotechnologies applied to agriculture are used. These technologies must not be a new mine, to be exploited by the few rich and powerful countries. They must be placed in the service of mankind, while at the same time respecting the fundamental rules of nature -- that is, without unhinging ecosystems and without denying the poorer countries easy access to production systems. This may improve, if not solve, an age-old and chronic problem which cannot be tolerated any longer by those who care about the future of mankind.
As we approach the new millennium, it is important that people should enjoy effective justice. The Sovereign Military Order of Malta supports the Secretary-General's invitation to all nations to sign and ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court in order to hold responsible those guilty of crimes against humanity.
22 October 1995
Press Release - GA/8965
CONTINUING FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL COMMEMORATIVE MEETINGS, SPEAKERS STRESS NEED FOR REVITALIZED UN TO RESOLVE NEW KINDS OF CONFLICTS
The challenge of peacefully resolving new kinds of conflicts should inspire the United Nations as it faced the new millennium, the General Assembly was told this afternoon as it continued its commemorative meeting on the occasion of its fiftieth anniversary.
World leaders stressed that as it undertook reforms, the Organization should strive for ever-greater transparency and accountability. Many of the perceived deficiencies of the Organization had actually resulted from policy decisions by Member States, the Assembly was reminded. Several speakers stressed the need to restructure United Nations peace and security machinery.
Statements this afternoon were made by President Mario Alberto Nobre Lopes Soares of Portugal; President Liamine Zeroual of Algeria; President Nursultan Nazarbaev of Kazakstan; President Heydar Alirza ogly Aliyev of Azerbaijan; President Jose Eduardo dos Santos of Angola; President Joao Bernardo Vieira of Guinea-Bissau; President Alyaksandr Lukashenka of Belarus; Acting President Stojan Andov of The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; President Michal Kovac of the Slovak Republic; President Amata Kabua of Marshall Islands; President Omar Bongo of Gabon; President Ernesto Zedillo of Mexico; President Saparmurat Niyazov of Turkmenistan; President Guntis Ulmanis of Latvia; and President Mary Robinson of Ireland.
Also addressing the Assembly this afternoon were Wim Kok, Prime Minister of Netherlands; John G.M. Compton, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia; Mario Frick, Prime Minister of Liechtenstein; and Jean Chretien, Prime Minister of Canada.
The Assembly also heard statements by Ali Akbar Velayati, Foreign Minister of Iran; Bahige Tabbarah, Minister of Justice of Lebanon; Alexander Chikvaidze, Foreign Minister of Georgia; Danny Phillip, Deputy Prime Minister of Solomon Islands; Jacques F. Poos, Deputy Prime Minister of Luxembourg; Galo Leoro, Foreign Minister of Ecuador; Kozo Zoumanigui, Foreign Minister of Guinea; Ablasse Ouedraogo, Foreign Minister of Burkina Faso; and Edgar Camacho Omiste, Chairman of the Delegation of Bolivia.
General Assembly Plenary - 1a - Press Release GA/8965 36th Meeting 22 October 1995
The commemorative meeting was also addressed by the Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Hamid Algabid; a Member of the Sovereign Council of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Count Carlo Marullo di Condojanni; the Director-General of the International Organization for Migration, James N. Purcell; and the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross Cornelio Sommaruga.
When it meets again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, 23 October, the General Assembly will continue its commemorative meeting on the occasion of its fiftieth anniversary.
General Assembly Plenary - 19 - Press Release GA/8965 36th Meeting (PM) 22 October 1995
United Nations as it seeks to accomplish its noble mission in the service of peace and progress.
CARLO MARULLO DI CONDOJANNI, Member of the Sovereign Council, Sovereign Military Order of Malta: After the end of the cold war, the hope of a lasting peace appears to be a much more achievable target than 50 years ago. It is a privilege to extend the wish and testimony of the Order for a constant commitment to the community of nations. The Order has fraternal relations at embassy level with 68 Member States of the United Nations. Its members and thousands of volunteers operate specialized clinics and first-aid centres worldwide.
During the Lebanese civil war, the Order's dispensaries took care of thousands of wounded. It recently agreed to contribute to the sanitary needs of the Blue Helmets in Lebanon and Kuwait, as was also done in Central America. It has also been one of the first to assure humanitarian aid to the former Yugoslavia. This humanitarian assistance safeguards human rights aimed at guaranteeing international peace and security. In its capacity as observer, the Order is fully available to cooperate with the United Nations in the field of humanitarian assistance. In particular, the Order is ready to shape its cooperation and provide medical assistance to peace-keeping operations