Past Conferences, Meetings and Events > The 2005 World Summit
The 2005 World Summit
High-Level Plenary Meeting of the 60th session of the UN General Assembly
(14-16 September 2005, UN Headquarters, New York)
The more than 170 world leaders who attended the World Summit at UN Headquarters in New York in September 2005.UN Photo/ Eskinder Debebe
The 2005 World Summit, held from 14 to 16 September at United Nations Headquarters in New York, brought together more than 170 Heads of State and Government. It was a once-in-a-generation opportunity to take bold decisions in the areas of development, security, human rights and reform of the United Nations.
The agenda was based on an achievable set of proposals outlined in March 2005 by Secretary-General Kofi Annan in his report “In Larger Freedom”.
An historic outcome document took a unified stance by the international community on a broad array of crucial issues, including concrete steps towards combating poverty and promoting development to unqualified condemnation of all forms of terrorism along with the acceptance of collective responsibility to protect civilians against genocide and other crimes against humanity.
“We reaffirm our faith in the United Nations and our commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter and international law,” proclaimed the text of the 2005 World Summit Outcome contained in a resolution adopted by acclamation at the end of the three-day meeting that was attended by 150 Heads of State and Government.
“We believe that today, more than ever before, we live in a global and interdependent world. No State can stand wholly alone.”
The outcome document expressed strong and unambiguous commitment by all governments, in donor and developing nations alike, to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.
It also called for timely and decisive collective Security Council action when national authorities manifestly fail to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. It set up two new bodies, a Peacebuilding Commission to help countries in transition from war to peace, and a strengthened Human Rights Council.
Some other highlights of the outcome document:
Management Reform – broad strengthening of UN’s oversight capacity, including the Office of Internal Oversight Services.
Environment – recognition of the serious challenge posed by climate change and a commitment to take action through the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
International Health – scaling up responses to HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria. Support for the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Humanitarian Assistance – Improving the Central Emergency Revolving Fund.
Updating the UN Charter.
Key Documents from the 2005 World Summit:
2005 World Summit Outcome (15 September 2005)
Secretary-General's Report on Implementation of Decisions from
the 2005 World Summit Outcome for Action (12 October 2005)