REFORM OF UN IS NECESSARY AND JUSTIFIED -- CRO FOREIGN MINISTER

NEW YORK, Sept 11 (Hina) - "A change in mechanisms and the system at the United Nations is essential in order to prevent the organisation from becoming a true hindrance to the realisation of its own goals," Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula said in New York Monday. Ahead of the 55th session of the UN General Assembly, Picula said the fact that UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan was putting in serious efforts in the reform of this global organisation was encouraging. "It is evident that a significant number of countries wish to take part in the reform process, but that the UN needs defining is obvious from the resistance which is arising," Picula said. The current UN is maintaining a situation as from 50 or more years ago and no matter how much the practice changes, it does not correlate with modern, particularly future needs. "Possible changes to the number of permanent and non-permanent members of the UN Security Council are certainly justified (...) but it is probably necessary to think about new rules within the UN," Picula said. "The challenge is to transfer the increasing variety and interdependence of the modern world into UN structures to reflect the world of many facets and justify their role within it," Picula said. (hina) lml jn