theUnitedNations Charter. Theirobjectwasclear: tocreateaneworganizationJP/jh A/40/PV.13 22 (Mr.Barry,Ireland) whidlwould p~event mankind fromrepeating thetragicerrorsthattwiceina generation hadplunged theworldintowar.Therecouldbe,andtherestillis,more important task. Wewhomeetheretoday,therepresentatives of159States, arethe heirstoth~firstsignatories, thecustodians ofaCharter whichembodies the noblest aspirations ofmankind. Itiswe,'4:hecurrent membership ofthe Organization, whonowbearthf'responsibility fOll:achieving theaimsandpurposes oftheCharter andformakingthesystemcreated 40yearsagowork. Thecircumstances inwhichwetrytoachieve thoseen""sarefarremoved fro" thoseof1945.ThesameglobalwarthatgavebitthtotheUnitedNationsgave birthalsotoanewinternational ordermarkedly different fromthatofthefirst halfofthecentury andundoubtedly fardifferent fromthatenvisaged bythosewho framedtheCharter. WhenwelookattheUnitedNations today,andwhenwetryto meaaureitsperformance against thehopesofitsfounders andtheexpectations of ourpeoples,itisnecessary tobearinmindthemomentous changes whichhavebeen wrought ininternational lifesincetheSanFrancisco Conference. Some1)fthem have'beenbrought aboutbytheUnitedNations itself. Allofthemhavehada dramaticimpactontheshapeoftheOrganiza tionandonitsfundamental taskof deterring aggression andstopping wars. Thecolonial empires whichcovered muchoftheglobeinthefirsthalfofthe century havebeenreplaced byaninternational systemofover160sovereign Statesi representing almostallthepeoples oftheEarth. Long-established andpowerful Stateshavehadtoadjusttoareduction intheirpowerandinfluence and,itmust besa:l.d,newstateshavehadtocometotermswiththelimitsofsovereignty inan interdependen tworld. FortheUnitedNationstheprincipal consequence ofthose developments hasbeenitsgrowthfromawartime alliance oflike-minded countries, intentonkeeping thepeace,toauniversal Organization whichreflects withinJP/jh A/40/PV.13 23-25 (Mr. Barry~Ireland) itselfthetensions, conflicts andantagonisms ofinternational life.The associated fragmentation ofcommoninterest andconsensus hashadaprofound effect ontheability ofourOrC}!JDization toharmonize itsactions towards commonends. Moresignificantly, perhaps, thepre-war orderofseveral majorPowershas givenwaytoaninternational orderdominated bytheadversarial relationship between thetwosuper-powers. Bowtomanagethatrelationship isperhaps the supreme challenge ofourage.Itis,ofcourse, amatterpredominantly forthe UnitedStates andtheSoviet Unionthemselves, butthequality oftherelationship andhowitishandledaffect usall.Theyaffectespecially theoperationofthe UnitedNations. Forthemajorriftininternational affairs, theEast-West split, runsrightthrough theOrganization, limiting itsability totacklethemost pressing problems ofourtimeandrestricting thescopeforimaginative and far-reaching solutions. Inparticular, theriftrunsthrough thesecurity Council, thebodymostdirectly charged withthepreservation ofinternational peace,and inevitablycomplica tesitseffortstothatend. Thepattern ofworldpolitics hasalsobeenradically altered bydevelopments inweapons technology. Wecannotforgetthatthesameyearuhichsawthebirthof. thisOrganization saw,too,thefirstwartime useoftheatomic bomb. Welivein theshadowofthatterrible event. Nuclear weapons haveintroduced anewand complex element intothecalculus ofinternational power. Theunprecedented threat theyposetoallhumankind haschangedutterly thewaywethinkaboutpeaceand war.Toconstruct anethical andpolitical framework capable ofwithstanding the strainsofrapidscientific andtechnological changeisoneofthemosturgent tasksofourgeneration.RM/a A/40/PVo13 26 (Mr.Barry,Ireland) Thepastfourdecades havealsowitnessed agrowing consciousness ofthe imbalances intheinternational economy. Despite thetrulyremarkable advances in anumberofdeveloping countries, wealthandeconomic powercontinue tobe concentrated inthedeveloped no~thern partoftheworld,whilethemorepopulous southmustgrapple withtheproblems ofimpoverishment, widespread hungerand mounting debt. ItseemstomethatthefourthemesIhavetouched on-theneedfora multilateral approach tointernational problems, themanagement ofrelations between EastandWest;thequestion ofdisarmament,. andtheproblemof development -constitute themajorchallenges facinginternational statesmanship today. Beforetakinguptheimportant regional issueswhichfeature onouragenda, Ishouldliketooutline theviewsofmyGovernment onthesebroader iss~eswhich affectusall. Onitsfortieth anniversary itisclearthattheUnitedNationsispassing through aperiodofpubicdoubtandscepticism. Indeed, Ifeelthatthereisa growing andcorrosive cynicism, notjustinourpublicbutamongthoseinvolved in
**Analysis**
The text appears to be a speech or a report discussing the state of the world and the role of the United Nations in addressing various global challenges. It touches on themes such as international relations, security, disarmament, development, and economic imbalances. The speech also highlights the significance of the United Nations' founding and its growth over the past four decades.

**Category**
International relations, Humanitarian aid and relief