By Kofi Annan It gives me great pleasure to convey my greetings to the Association of Former International Civil Servants in Egypt. To those of you who are former international civil servants, let me stress that you remain valued members of the United Nations community. You are a storehouse of knowledge and memory, which any institution needs if it is to build for the future. You continue to play an important role in promoting the ideals and objectives of the United Nations. We know that we are building on your achievements. Many people see the dominant threats to peace and security as terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. But if one were to do a poll in each of the world�s regions, other threats might register even higher: civil wars and other armed conflicts, poverty, environmental degradation, AIDS and other diseases. For many and perhaps even most people, these are the everyday issues that destabilize their lives. Our central challenge is to ensure we have the rules, instruments and institutions to deal with all these threats and issues ñ how to deal with the so- called "hard" threats without neglecting the "soft" threats. After all, they are closely linked. A world not advancing towards the Millennium Development Goals will not be at peace. And a world awash in violence will have little chance of achieving the goals. Each of you has an important role to play in helping the United Nations become more effective in its global mission of development, human rights and peace. I hope you will make your voices heard, build networks of concerned citizens, and work together in a spirit of mutual respect and understanding. Let me thank the former international civil servants for the contributions you made during your time of service and are still making now. And let me thank the entire readership of "Beyond" for your engagement in the vital issues of concern to all humankind, and for your strong support of the United Nations.
