To understand my feelings — and my conception of the role of Secretary General — the nature of my religious and cultural background must first be understood. I should therefore like to outline not only my beliefs but also my conception of human institutions and of the human situation itself.

The world will not Change and find peace if there is not a new education.

In modern war there is no such thing as victor and vanquished... There is only a loser, and the loser is mankind.

World federalists hold before us the vision of a unified mankind living in peace under a just world order... The heart of their program-a world under law- is realistic and attainable.

The war we have to wage today has only one goal, and that is to make the world safe for diversity.

Respect for the truth comes close to being the basis for all morality.

As a Buddhist, I was trained to be tolerant of everything except intolerance. I was brought up not only to develop the spirit of tolerance but also to cherish moral and spiritual qualities such as modesty, humility, compassion, and, most important, to attain a certain degree of emotional equilibrium.