United Nations: US President George W Bush in his farewell speech to the General Assembly today acknowledged the "extraordinary potential" of the UN but favoured reforms in the world body to ensure "transparency" and "accountability".

The appreciation comes six year after he had warned the world body that it was risking "irrelevance" over not supporting Iraq war. "The UN is an organisation of extraordinary potential. As the UN rebuilds its headquarters, it must also open the door to a new age of transparency, accountability, and seriousness of purpose," he said today.

"With determination and clear purpose, the UN can be a powerful force for good as we head into the 21st century. It can affirm the great promise of its founding," the US president said in his speech which lasted for 22 minutes.

"And through it all, a clear lesson has emerged: the United Nations and other multilateral organisations are needed more urgently than ever," Bush said adding that the world body "must look beyond just passing resolutions."

In September 2002,Bush had told assembled world leaders from the same podium that he would consider the UN "irrelevant" in international affairs if it opposed the Iraq war.

Terming the UN response in Darfur as that of "slowness" and "very bureaucratic" he said, "All nations, especially members of the Security Council, must act decisively to ensure that the government of Sudan upholds its commitment to address the violence in Darfur."

"There should be an immediate review of the Human Rights Council, which has routinely protected violators of human rights," President Bush said said today.
Source : PTI