It belongs to every one. For each and every one of us, it is a unique institution, a mechanism that links us all in of our efforts to build a better world. It is an expression of human faith and confidence in the future.

We live in an era in which international affairs are no longer dominated by States as the sole actors. The participants include non governmental Organizations, national parliaments, private companies, the mass media, universities, intellectuals, artists, and every woman and every man who considers him or herself to be part of the great human family."

Secretary-General Kofi Annan Messina, Italy, April 1997