Cuban Official Criticizes Proposed UN Reforms

A senior Cuban official has lashed out at the United Nations, saying it has done very little to achieve the goals outlined in the Millennium Declaration.

Cuban National Assembly speaker Ricardo Alarcon made the comment Friday in a speech before the UN World Summit in New York.

Mr. Alarcon said the governments attending the summit have failed to do enough to meet the eight objectives in the declaration, which included reducing poverty and hunger, making education accessible to everyone and combating HIV/AIDS.

He said there has been a setback in many of the objectives.

Mr. Alarcon also described proposed U.N. reforms as an "unforgivable sham" he said were designed by wealthy countries to turn the United Nations into an instrument of global dictatorship.