REPORT OFTHESECRETARY-GENERAL ONTHE WORK OFTHEORGANIZATION GENERAL ASSEMBLY OFFICIAL RECORDS: FORTIETH SESSION SUPPLEMENT No.1(A/40/1) UNITED NATIONS NewYork,1985 ReportoftheSecretary-General ontheworkoftheOrganization[Original: English/French/Spanish] [4September 1985] Wefacetodayaworldofalmostinfinitepromise which isalsoaworldofpotentially terminal danger.Thechoicebe­ tweenthesealternatives isours.Thequestion iswhether the Governments andpeoplesoftheworldarecapable, without thespuroffurtherdisasters, oftogether makingtheright choice;forthechoiceanditsimplementation will,inmany important ways,havetobecollective. IbelievethattheUnited Nations andthewayinwhichitsMembers decidetouseit is-andwillbe-anessential element inthishistoricchoice. Thequestion Ishallconsider inmyannualreportonthisfor­ tiethanniversary ofourOrganization is,therefore, notso muchthefutureoftheUnitedNationsasthefutureofhumani­ tyandofourplanetandtheroleoftheUnitedNations in thatfuture. Theworldwhichconfronts uswouldcertainly surprise the statesmen whoproduced theCharter oftheUnitedNations 40yearsago.Inthose40yearsvastandfundamental changes haveoccurred inthemapofourworldandourscientific understanding ofit,ininternational relations, inthenature ofwarandinthewaywelive.Weareall,inonewayor another, engaged inasearchfornewlandmarks, better systems andeffective adjustments. Wearelivinginatimeoffluxanduncertainty. Thissitua­ tiQpbecomes particularly clearwhentheworldissuddenly fa~edwithadesperate problem, beitanewconflict, agreat humanitarian disJst.er orthetemporary paralysis caused by apremeditated actofvi.olence. There.canbenoquestion that,atthegloballevel,between thepolesofthemassive andsophisticated nuclearweaponry ofthemajorPowersandthedesperation oftheunderprivi­ legedor thedispossessed, thereoftenliesagreatvacuum oflegitimacy andrespected authority. Ourmosturgent challenge istofillthatvacuum through determined efforts tobuildaworking international political systeminwhichall\participate-a systemwhichnotonlywillguarantee survival . andorder,butwillmakeourplanetrunmoreevenlyinthe interests ofallofitsinhabitants. Itseemstomeimportant toexamine theconcept ofinter­ national authority, aconcept whichremains elusiveinthe presentworld.Theonlyauthority thatexistedininternational affairsbeforethefounding oftheLeagueofNations andits successor, theUnitedNations, wastheactualpowerofthe strongest StatesorEmpires. Itwasmainlytheabuseofthis powerwhichledtotwoworldwarsinthiscentury. Itwas toreplacethisstateofaffairsthattheUnitedNations was founded. Thefounding oftheUnitedNations, President Roosevelt statedaftertheCrimean Conference, "spells-and 'itoughttospell-the endofthesystemofunilateral action,.exclusive alliances, andspheresofinfluence, andbalances ofpower,andalltheotherexpedients whichhavebeentried forcenturies andhavealwaysfailed". Whathashappened sincefallsfarshortofthatvision.It iscertainly truethatthetwoworldwars,andtheimmense changesofthepast40years,haveclearlyshownthattheworld cannotreturntoitsoldwaysandthatthesystemsetforthin theCharter isalogicalanswertothequestion ofthe maintenance ofinternational peaceandsecurity andthejoint promotion ofeconomic development andsocialprogress in theactualcircumstances ofourtime.Butthefactisthatwe havesofarfailedtoachievethepolitical conditions, andinIparticular therequisite relationships amongthemostpower­ fulStates,inwhichthisnobleconcept canbemadeto.func­ tionforthebenefitofall. Anillustration ofthisissueisthecurrentdifficulty in addressing theproblem ofterrorism. Muchofthepublic discussion ofthisproblem seemstoassumethatthereare noexisting international conventions onthesubject. Ineed onlymention herethethreeconventions adopted underthe auspices oftheInternational CivilAviation Organization and theInternational Convention againsttheTakingofHostages, adopted bytheGeneral Assembly in1979,asproviding at leastsomelegalframework formuchmoreeffective action incombating hijacking andhostage-taking. Thedifficulty that doesariseistheincapacity, ortheunwillingness, ofGovern­ mentstoimplement theseconventions inspecificcases.Once againtheessential political conditions, thesenseofsolidari­ tyandmutualconfidence, thatcouldmakeinternational in­ struments workislargelylacking. Thebestplacewherethoseconditions couldbecultivated andasenseofinternational solidarity developed istheUnited Nations. Indeed,thatwasoneofthemainoriginal purposes oftheOrganization. Onlywhentheminimum positive con­ ditionsexistintherelations between Stateswillthecon­ ceptofinternational authority begintoassumeitsrightful placeinhumanaffairs. *** TheUnitedNations cannot.....,and wasnotintended to­ solvealltheproblems oftheinternational community, but itisthebestplacetoavoidtheworstandtostriveforim­ provement. Andithasmadeagoodstart-far better,infact, thanisoftenrecognized. Letmebrieflysubstantiate this assertion. After40yearswehave,forthefirsttimeinhistory,avir­ tuallyuniversal worldOrganization. Wehave,alsoforthe firsttimeinhistory,aworldofindependent sovereign States.
**Analysis**
The report of the Secretary-General appears to be a comprehensive review of the United Nations' work and its role in addressing global challenges. The text discusses various issues such as international relations, conflict resolution, terrorism, and the concept of international authority. It also touches on the importance of collective action and the need for a working international political system. While it does not directly address economic development or natural resources, it does emphasize the need for a more even distribution of resources and the importance of addressing the vacuum of legitimacy and respected authority.

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