英语文摘：UN annual debate to focus on development, UN reform, sustainability

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- World leaders have come to New York for a series of high-level meetings at the UN Headquarters, of which the heavyweight -- annual debate at the UN General Assembly, which is set to begin Wednesday, is expected to focus on development, UN reform and sustainability.

During the six-day event, representatives from the world body's 192 member states will take the podium at the assembly hall and express views on their own internal and external policies as well as major international issues.

This year's general debate is unique in the sense that many high-level events are taking place on the sidelines. About 140 heads of state or government are still engaged in a three-day high- level meeting on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which kicked off Monday.

Other high-level gatherings are devoted to biodiversity, the sustainable development of small island developing countries, disarmament and the referenda in Sudan.

Foreign ministers of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- the United States, Britain, Russia, France and China -- and Germany, are also planning a Wednesday meeting on the Iranian nuclear issue on the sidelines of the General Assembly session.

Amid the heavy agenda, the world's progress in implementing the eight anti-poverty goals is clearly a priority in the leaders' discussions due to the fact that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the MDGs and only five years are left before they are expected to be achieved.

Under the impacts of the worst international economic crisis since the Great Depression, global efforts to realize the MDGs by the 2015 deadline are faced with daunting challenges. As a result, issues related to the MDGs, including the current progress and measures to spur their implementation, are expected to be raised at the debate.

With global challenges on the increase and the interaction of both traditional and non-traditional security issues, interdependency among nations has only grown deeper. Under the circumstances, the delegates are expected to explore ways to further strengthen the central role of the United Nations in the international multilateral mechanism.

In his opening statement to the new 65th session of the General Assembly, assembly president Joseph Deiss stressed that challenges of "a global dimension" require "global solutions."

"We must reinstate the United Nations and the General Assembly at the center of global governance," Deiss said.

The debate will be held under an overarching theme," Reaffirming the central role of the United Nations in global governance," that was proposed by the president, who urged member states to explore the issue further during the general debate.

"We must advocate for a strong, inclusive and open United Nations," Deiss said. "However, we must also move forward decisively with internal reforms. Reform of the Security Council remains important."

UN reform, in particular reform of the Security Council, is also expected to be touched upon by world leaders when they explore ways to enhance the role of the United Nations.

During the 64th assembly session, which has just concluded, the ongoing intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform, which kicked off in early 2009, witnessed for the first time the coming-into-being of a text that summarizes the positions and recommendations of some states and state groups.

Deiss has made sustainable development one of the top priorities in the work of the current assembly session. Climate change, extreme weather patterns, frequent occurrences of severe natural disasters and fast-paced biodiversity loss are not simple environmental issues, but have implications upon all states and require concerted actions. It is expected that economic readjustments and environmental protection, as well as the promotion of "green economy" will be discussed by the leaders.

As always, this year's general debate will more than likely involve issues relating to regional hot spots -- the Middle East, Sudan, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia. The planned six-nation ministerial meeting on Wednesday will also attract eyeballs.