The message of the Permanent Representative, Ambassador Ms. Aglaia Balta on the anniversary of the UN

As the United Nations turns eighty years old, the world around it bears little resemblance to that of 1945. Its founders envisioned an international institution that would promote peace, cooperation, and human dignity.

Today, that vision remains relevant, with the challenges broadening: economic inequalities, new forms of conflict, the environmental crisis, and the urgent need to protect fundamental rights in an interdependent world where time is accelerating. The UN is not standing idly by — it is learning and transforming itself to respond to the new era.

This process of renewal is already visible. The decisions taken in UN bodies – from the Security Council to the General Assembly – reflect the will of Member States to strengthen the effectiveness and accountability of the system.

The “Agenda for Peace”, the discussions on the reform of the Security Council and the new initiatives on sustainable development and digital governance are steps that demonstrate the commitment to the transformation towards a more flexible, more effective Organization.

The need for an innovative approach is essential to address the challenges of our time. The rapid development of Artificial Intelligence, the digital overload of modern lifestyles, the parallel phenomena of desertification and water scarcity, population movements and the demographic crisis are only some of the major issues.

The international community does not remain inactive, in the role of observer. Within the framework of the United Nations, it seeks innovative solutions and negotiates new regulatory frameworks and safeguards against new data.

Greece actively participates in this collective effort, with a firm commitment to International Law and the principles of the United Nations Charter, which it co-signed as a founding member along with fifty other states.

During its current term as an elected member of the Security Council, for the third time in its history, our country is playing a major role in efforts to maintain international peace and security — from Haiti to Central Africa and from Ukraine to the Middle East.

At the same time, it is leading, among other things, the promotion of the critical dimension of maritime security, through the adoption of relevant Resolutions and the organization of special meetings within the framework of the Security Council.

At the completion of its 80th anniversary, the UN stands at a critical juncture, which reflects both the difficulties and the possibilities of the international community. It is an Organization of 193 states that continues to inspire, because it adapts without betraying its values.

And its timeless necessity is summed up in the saying of former Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld, that “the United Nations was not created to lead humanity to heaven, but to save it from hell.” This remains our timeless debt to future generations.