Australian FM says UN general assembly an opportunity for peace and security

The forthcoming UN. General Assembly will be an important opportunity for the United Nations to continue to promote peace and security, said Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer on Sunday.

The 61st Session of the General Assembly, the last under Secretary-General Kofi Annan, is to be held when there are situations in the Middle East, Iran, Afghanistan, Sudan, the Korean Peninsula and Timor-Leste.

"In particular, Australia will be looking to the Security Council to play a leadership role in this regard," Downer said in a statement released on the eve of his visit to Canada and the United States.

He will visit Canada and the United States from Sept. 18-22 for bilateral talks, and deliver a statement to the UN General Assembly.

"I will also be calling on states to conclude a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism, ensuring that all terrorist acts are criminalised at international law," he said.

In Canada, Downer will meet his Canadian counterpart Peter Mackay for extensive discussions covering global security issues including the two countries' respective troop commitments to Afghanistan and the situation in Iran and the Middle East.

Source: Xinhua