Theresa May calls for reform of the UN at General Assembly

Theresa May calls for reform of the UN at General Assembly
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By Emma Beswick
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The UN should "prove its worth in helping us to meet the challenges of the 21st Century," May said

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UK Prime Minister Theresa May today addressed the UN General Assembly asking for the United Nations and the wider international system to be refined.

The UN should “prove its worth in helping us to meet the challenges of the 21st Century,” May said, calling for those who “flout” the rules to be held to account.

May also warned technology companies that they needed to go “further and faster” in their efforts to remove extremist content from their sites.

The PM is to hold a meeting with other world leaders along with Facebook, Microsoft and Twitter, to ensure that social media channels and search engines can take down terrorist content within a deadline of two hours, putting an end to what she called “safe spaces” for extremists.

Like many of her contemporaries, May addressed Myanmar’s Rohingya crisis saying: “I call on the Burmese authorities to end the violence and allow humanitarian access.”

On the subject of the conflict in Syria, May directly criticised President of Syria Bashar al-Assad, saying that responsibility for the “chaos” seen in the area lay “firmly at his door”.

She said that the UN must not abandon its attempts to restore peace and stability in the war-torn country.

May concluded on the subject of North Korea, where US President Donald Trump yesterday made the comments that his government may have to “completely destroy” the country, May remained diplomatic saying “further steps” should be taken “to force Kim Jong-un to change his ways”.

After praising the UN’s response to the threat, she finished by saying members of the UN should be prepared to take “all necessary measures” to tackle it.

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