The UN speaks: let’s be friends!

by | May 5, 2011


Earlier this week, the UN General Assembly voted to give the EU an “enhanced observer status” in its deliberations.  This is a relief to European diplomats, who had been unable to get the proposal approved last year.  I’m writing a short piece on what went right, but have to pause to highlight that the General Assembly also found time this week to “designate 30 July as International Day of Friendship in an effort to strengthen amity between peoples and cultures.”

The resolution creating the International Day of Friendship was adopted unanimously in recognition of the fact that friendship can contribute to the efforts of the international community to promote dialogue among civilizations, solidarity, mutual understanding and reconciliation.

The resolution invites all UN Member States, organizations of the UN system and other international and regional organizations, as well as civil society, to observe the International Day of Friendship in accordance with the culture and other appropriate circumstances or customs of their local, national and regional communities, including through education and public awareness-raising activities.

Frankly, I can think of no more effective way of destroying a friendship than having it endorsed by the UN General Assembly.

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