UN more relevant than ever: Tharoor

CONCEDING that the United Nations might not have been able to live up to the expectations of the people world over and faced a number of limitations, Shashi Tharoor, who was India’s candidate for the recently held elections for the post of UN Secretary General, feels that the world body is more relevant than ever in the present circumstances.

The UN needs to close the gap between what people wanted from the global body and what it was able to deliver, Tharoor, the Under- Secretary-General for Communication and Public Information, said in his address to the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) at the UN this past week.

Tharoor was the first Indian to contest for the top UN post and withdrew in favor of Secretary General-elect Ban Ki Moon of South Korea after the fourth straw poll.

Tharoor said the world still had a desire to see that the UN preserve world peace, promote human rights and ensure economic justice. In fact, more Americans in 2005 said they believed the UN was central to solving world conflicts, showing that, while people might be frustrated with it, they did not question its ideals or legitimacy as a universal body, he added.

The United Nations has a compelling story to tell, he said, adding that it must be told well so as to build public support.