United Nations General Assembly President Dr Khalilur Rahman has said the UN is not perfect but remains indispensable, and its alternative is “unimaginable”, as he called for reforms to make the global body fit for the future.

He made the remarks in an official Facebook post on Friday (25 September), referring to his opening speech at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.

Dr Khalilur Rahman said it was necessary to identify where the UN was falling behind and reform areas that were no longer effective.

“Trust cannot be demanded; it has to be earned,” he said, calling for more voices to be included in decision-making discussions, ranging from industry leaders to young changemakers.

The UNGA president said the current session had created an opportunity to build a UN that was realistic enough to address difficult realities, courageous enough to undertake reforms and open enough to include the stakeholders who mattered.

This, he said, would make it possible to prepare the UN for the future.