EU stresses role of UN in resolving problems in globalized world

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- The European Union hailed on Wednesday the United Nations' legitimacy as the basis for international efforts to resolve problems in a globalized world.

"Globalization means that one nation's problems will also come knocking at the doors of other nations," Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt told world leaders at the UN's general debate.

These include pandemics, food crises, organized crime, trafficking, terrorism, which are "no longer limited by borders," and "no longer only one nation's problem," said Reinfeldt, speaking on behalf of the European Union.

To deal with them, "we need the United Nation's broad-based legitimacy for international actions and norms to coordinate our efforts," he said." And the United Nations, for its part, has to adapt to stay relevant and to be able to address the issues before us."

Reinfeldt welcomed "the declared wish of the United States to work together with others in multilateral institutions, saying that this "opens the door to a promising new era in international cooperation."

On financial crisis, the premier said that the EU will continue to promote global financial stability and sustainable world recovery.

The EU is firmly committed to taking comprehensive, targeted and coordinated action to support developing countries, especially the poorest and the most vulnerable, he added.