On the auspicious occasion of the sixty-sixth anniversary of the founding charter of the United Nations, on behalf of the people of Myanmar and on my own behalf, I would like to extend our warmest congratulations to the United Nations for achieving progress in its goals in the last 66 years.

With the noble purposes of maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations, achieving international cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, culture and humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights, the Charter of the United Nations entered into force 66 years ago today.

Today, the United Nations represents 193 nations almost all the States of the world, making itself the largest world body. The United Nations has become a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in ensuring international peace and security and meeting the challenges of our time.

Despite the fact that development efforts around the world are hindered by various reasons such as slow economic growth, diminishing resources, increasing food prices and ongoing concern over food security, increasing frequencies of natural disasters as well as the challenges posed by climate change, there is some progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which was formulated to address the welfare and the needs of the people. The people of the world pins the hope on the United Nations in ending the emerging global issues and in building a justifiable, more prosperous and peaceful world. Myanmar has full faith in the important role being played by the United Nations in promoting social justice, economic progress and better standard of living of the citizens of the world. Myanmar also believes deeply that the United Nations will fulfil the expectations of the citizen of the world. With this believe, Myanmar has been collaborating with the United Nations.

On this auspicious occasion of the 66th United Nations Day, I would like to invite one and all to join me in extending our best wishes to the United Nations.