Tunisia and the United Nations

Tunisia's presence in the Security Council Tunisia's presence in the United Nations General Assembly Tunisia's presence in the Economic and Social Council and its committees Tunisia's presence in specialized international agencies and organizations Tunisia's presence in UN-sponsored international conferences

Introduction Tunisia attaches great importance to the United Nations and to its role in world affairs, as a forum for dialogue and consultation between member nations as well as a framework for joint action. Tunisia's diplomatic activity within the UN system has intensified since the political change of November 7th, 1987. It has since played a particularly active part in the activities of major UN bodies as well as those of international conferences and forums. The Millennium Summit, held in September 2000 in New York, was an excellent opportunity to discuss mankind's present as well as its future. It was also an opportunity for Tunisia to underscore the urgent need to achieve a quantum leap in international relations and to support the call for developing the Security Council's mission and membership. President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali reiterated, on that occasion, his proposal to set up a World Fund for Solidarity and Poverty Eradication, as a mechanism to reinforce existing humanitarian instruments in the most deprived and poverty-stricken regions in the world. Last December, and as part of its 55th session, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution paying tribute to President Ben Ali's initiative and invited the UN secretary general "to undertake the necessary consultations with Member States and all relevant stakeholders on the modalities and operations of the Fund, bearing in mind the voluntary nature of the contributions", and to report to the General Assembly at its fifty-sixth session.