§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)Tomorrow, my honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr Bill Rammell) will lay before Parliament a Command Paper on the United Kingdom in the United Nations (CM 6325). Copies will be placed in the Library of the House and will be available from the Vote Office in the House of Commons and the Printed Paper Office in the House of Lords. A copy will also be available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website(www.fco.gov.uk).
This Command Paper is the second in a series of annual papers on the UK's engagement with the United Nations. This year's edition contains a foreword by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. It is published to coincide with a parliamentary debate on 28 October, as well as two major events: the UK presidency of the UN Security Council this month, and the main session of the UN General Assembly.
The United Nations carries out very important work, yet many of us are unaware of much of this work. This paper aims to outline the wide range of activity that the organisation is involved in, and the many ways that the UK supports this work. It also demonstrates how the UN has a positive influence on the daily lives of members of the public.
The UN has been in the forefront of international news over the past year and is being asked to tackle an increasing number of issues, from violent conflict to sustainable development, in an increasing number of locations—from Afghanistan to Haiti. This activity can be carried out effectively only by a UN that is efficient and focused on the most important priorities. This year's report therefore concentrates on efforts to reform the 34WS United Nations and its constituent bodies. The UK is fully committed to the UN. As a strong supporter of the UN, we believe that only through continuous adaptation can it meet the challenges of the modern world.