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The 2005 World Summit, 14–16 September 2005, was a follow-up summit meeting to the United Nations' 2000 Millennium Summit, which led to the Millennium Declaration of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Representatives (including many leaders) of the 191 member states met in New York City for what the United Nations described as "a once-in-a-generation opportunity to take bold decisions in the areas of development, security, human rights and reform of the United Nations." (PDF)
The event was billed as the "largest gathering of world leaders in history," and featured appearances of numerous heads of state and heads of government. The majority of those present addressed the UN General Assembly, and gave speeches reflecting on the U.N.'s past successes and future challenges. All 191 member states gave an address in some form- if the head of state or government was not present the nation's foreign minister, vice president, or deputy prime minister usually sufficied. The meetings were presided over by the Prime Minister of Sweden, Göran Persson.
The pre-summit negotiations were blown sharply off course by the appearance in early August at the UN of U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John R. Bolton, appointed as a recess appointment by U.S. President George W. Bush. The position had been vacant since January, with responsibilities handled by professional U.S. diplomats. Bolton swiftly issued a list of new demands (including dropping the use of the words "Millennium Development Goals"), which days before the summit had still not been settled. Some observers contended that on the eve of the summit the US struck a more conciliatory tone than expected, something partly credited as a consequence of the outpouring of international support for the US after Hurricane Katrina.
As well as discussing progress on the MDGs, and re-iterating the world's commitment to them, the summit was to address the possible reform of the United Nations; much of this was eventually postponed to a later date. An exception was the endorsement of the "Responsibility to Protect", a formulation of the "right of humanitarian intervention" developed by a UN commission and proposed by Kofi Annan as part of his In Larger Freedom reform package. The "Right to Protect" gives the world comunity the right to intervene in the case of "national authorities manifestly failing to protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity".
During the summit, the United Nations Convention against Corruption received its 30th ratification, and as a result will enter into force in December 2005.
The inaugural session of the Clinton Global Initiative was held in New York City to coincide with the 2005 World Summit, and attracted many of the same world leaders.
External links
- United Nations' 2005 World Summit homepage
- CBS News, 12 september 2005, "At U.N., Bolton Softens His Tone"
- The Guardian, 10 September 2005, "World summit on UN's future heads for chaos: UK leads last minute effort to rein in U.S. objections"
- Draft outcome document, 13 September (PDF)
- Hugo Chavez' address (He proposes the UN be moved out of the US)
- PM Sharon’s Speech at the United Nations Assembly September 15, 2005.
- AlterNet, 19 September 2005, "A Triumph for Decency at the U.N." - on the "Responsibility to Protect"
- Ian Williams, The Guardian, 20 September 2005, "Annan has paid his dues: The UN declaration of a right to protect people from their governments is a millennial change"
- Summary of Outcome (PDF)