Secretary-general delivers 'Gabriel Silver memorial lecture' at Colombia university on 7 February 1994

Abstract

In this press release Secretary-General delivers ‘Gabriel Silver Memorial Lecture’ at Colombia university on 7 February 1994. He said that it gives me great pleasure to be back at Colombia. When I studied here as Fulbright Scholar I was a very ambitious young man. But even my vision of my future did not go so far as to picture me here today as secretary-general, delivering the silver memorial lecture. Since becoming secretary general just two years ago I have been a new time of transition take place about every six months. The United Nations exists to carry out common world commitments. It is an indispensable mechanism for human betterment. But as it serves its member states, it cannot be expected to protect them from hard decisions.