Historic world summit ends with grand declaration

Secretary-General Kofi Annan challenges world leaders to act on world problems

In this story: Calls for reform of Security Council Zimbabwe defiant on land-reform issue RELATED STORIES, SITES

From staff and wire reports

UNITED NATIONS -- The historic three-day New Millennium Summit of 180 presidents, prime ministers and kings ended Friday with a declaration of their intent to solve humanity's most pressing problems, send every child to school and deliver millions from destitution by 2015.

The eight-page Millennium Declaration (full text), negotiated for weeks, is a catalog of the world's troubles -- poverty, war, AIDS, pollution, human rights violations and much more -- and a promise to deal with them.

"We recognize that, in addition to our separate responsibilities to our individual societies, we have a collective responsibility to uphold the principles of human dignity, equality and equity at the global level," the declaration reads.

AUDIO Listen to comments made during the Security Council's special meeting President Bill Clinton 533K/25 sec. AIFF or WAV sound British Prime Minister Tony Blair 290K/14 sec. AIFF or WAV sound    VIDEO CNN's Richard Roth examines what was accomplished at the summit Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) CNN's Richard Roth reports on the effort by the U.N. Security Council to eliminate regional instabilities Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) CNN's Christiane Amanpour talks with Colombian President Andres Pastrana Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)     MESSAGE BOARD Share your thoughts on the Millennium Summit     RESOURCES Background on U.N. Summit Words and faces from the Millennium Summit     ALSO Text of the U.N. Millennium Declaration U.N. reports 20 more killed in West Timor Schedule of speakers for Friday

"As leaders we have a duty, therefore, to all the world's people, especially the most vulnerable and, in particular, the children of the world, to whom the future belongs."

The declaration was a fitting end to the largest-ever gathering of world leaders, and Secretary-General Kofi Annan insisted it was not filled with empty promises. He said the challenge now is for the leaders to return home and turn the declaration into action.

One hundred and thirty-three leaders addressed the world on the summit's first two days, and another 53 -- including Czech President Vaclav Havel, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and Bahraini Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa -- were scheduled to speak on the final day.

Calls for reform of Security Council

Several countries have urged an expansion of the Security Council, particularly to include representation from Africa and Central and South America.

The 15-member Security Council consists of five permanent members -- France, the United Kingdom, China, Russia and the United States, who have veto power over all council business -- and 10 members voted onto the council by the General Assembly for two-year terms.

Outgoing Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo noted during his remarks that each country has its own agenda but that all "require the encouragement and cooperation of the United Nations."

"We could not advance our purposes without an overall reform of the United Nations to make it more democratic and representative, more efficient and useful for all, to attain greater legitimacy and authority before the peoples of the world," he said.

Other speakers urged a cancellation of the debts of developing nations, further cooperation between nations for peace, and less interference by other countries in internal affairs.

Zimbabwe defiant on land-reform issue

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was particularly strident in his insistence that his country, the former Rhodesia, would heed no criticism of its efforts to rectify disparities that he said originated with British colonization.

Zimbabwe has been in turmoil since February, when former veterans of the country's war for independence, which ended in 1980, began occupying land owned by white farmers. The veterans were supported by Mugabe. The Zimbabwean president has pledged to take land from white farmers, who own nearly three-fourths of the country's farmable land, and redistribute it to poor, landless blacks.

"We have sought to address this inequity," Mugabe said. "And what has been the response from former imperialist quarters? Staggering beyond description. My government, my party and my own person have been labeled land grabbers, demonized, reviled and threatened with sanctions in the face of accusations of reverse racism."

"Our conscience remains clear," he continued. "We will not go back. We shall continue our work for economic and social justice for all our people without fear of failure."

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