Macedonia ex-FM elected UN General Assembly President

Macedonia ex-FM elected UN General Assembly President

The post of General Assembly president goes through a regional rotation and this year it was Eastern Europe's turn to nominate a candidate.

Kerim, 58, who was unopposed, will replace Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa, a pioneering lawyer and women's rights advocates who is the third woman and the first from the Middle East to be elected to the assembly's presidency.

After announcing Kerim's election, Sheikha Haya said he will bring " significant political experience, at both the national and the international levels, in addition to a distinguished career in the private sector and academia to his leadership of this assembly."

"His election as president ... is recognition of his personal qualities, and, his consistent efforts to promote peace and stability - values the United Nations holds dear," she said.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that "as a seasoned diplomat, a prolific scholar and a successful businessman, Dr. Kerim will bring a wealth of experience and talent to leading the work of the General Assembly."

Ban called for strong cooperation between the UN organs, which he said is essential "in our complex and fast-changing world."

The General Assembly is critical to reforming the United Nations, he said, and it is also critical to other major issues from fighting terrorism to promoting human rights, improving UN peacekeeping and bringing the benefits of globalization to the world's poor.

In his acceptance speech, Kerim offered his strong support to the secretary- general "for his initiatives and leadership" to strengthen UN peacekeeping and disarmament, to revitalize the UN Secretariat, and improve management.

Kerim stressed the importance of "effective multilateralism" to deal with the major challenges today - globalization, climate change, terrorism, immigration and sustainable development.

He called for accelerated efforts to achieve UN anti-poverty goals which include reducing by half the number of people living in extreme poverty by 2015, to review priorities for fighting terrorism, to reform the Security Council and to promote children's rights.

"I am aware that compromise is not the most resounding of battle cries," Kerim said.

Kerim served as Macedonia's foreign minister in 2000-2001 and as the country's U.N. ambassador from 2001-2003. He became general manager of "Media Print Macedonia," a member of the WAZ Media Group, in 2003 and was named the group's general manager for southeastern Europe in 2006.