Turning the pages back... September 16, 1997 (09/12/04)

Turning the pages back...

September 16, 1997

Seven years ago, on September 16, 1997, Ukraine's foreign affairs minister, Hennadii Udovenko, was unanimously elected by acclamation to be the president of the 52nd session of the U.N. General Assembly.

During his 20-minute inaugural address, Mr. Udovenko acknowledged the privilege that had been given Ukraine and stated that he felt it is "symbolic that a representative of a renewed democracy, which is living through a period of fundamental social, economic and political reform, has become president of the General Assembly at a time when the issue of United Nations reforms tops its agenda."

Among the most controversial issues that faced the assembly representatives were how U.N. structures should be reformed, including expansion of the Security Council, the continuing stalemate over non-payment of arrears by a dozen countries and the restoration of fiscal stability to the international organization.

As head of the General Assembly for a one-year term, Mr. Udovenko's duties included overseeing the daily work of six permanent assembly committees, and of the assembly body composed of 185 representatives. As the news of his election to this prestigious post was announced, already there were more than 160 agenda items scheduled for consideration by the General Assembly, including approval of the U.N. annual budget, a process fraught with conflict in the past. In addition to his responsibilities as head of the assembly, Mr. Udovenko was to remain in his post as Ukraine's foreign affairs minister, continuing a precedent established by earlier General Assembly presidents.

Anatolii Zlenko, Ukraine's ambassador to the United Nations, said he considered the election of Mr. Udovenko as president of the General Assembly to be "a great foreign policy achievement of our state." He added, "This event should be considered in the same league as the signing of the NATO-Ukraine partnership charter and the Kyiv summit of Ukraine and the European Union."

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richardson, who met in Kyiv with Foreign Affairs Minister Udovenko, said of the election: " This is a great honor for Ukraine and for the foreign minister personally. He's been a figure on the stage here in Ukraine. Now he will be a figure on the world stage."

Source: "Udovenko elected president of U.N. General Assembly," by Irene Jarosewich, The Ukrainian Weekly, September 21, 1997, Vol. LXV, No. 38.

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