UNITED NATIONS - US AMBASSADOR Zalmay Khalilzad on Thursday chided the new president of the UN General Assembly over his recent anti-US comments, warning him to stick to his role as a 'unifier' if he wanted to be effective.

Mr Khalilzad reminded Mr Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann of Nicaragua, the new chair of the 192-member assembly, that his role was 'to facilitate the discussions, follow the rules, to do things that makes this organisation work and bring people together.'

'For him to succeed he has to play his role, and that role is to be a unifier... representing the interests of all members, rather than picking on some members, siding with others,' the US envoy said. 'That would undermine his effectiveness, his interests or the interests of the organisation.'

On Tuesday, Mr d'Escoto opened the General Assembly's 63rd session here with a veiled but stinging attack on the United States.

'It makes no sense to wage wars of aggression that kills hundreds of thousands of people with the purported aim of supporting democracy, while at the same time using every imaginable means and pretext to prevent a process to democratise the United Nations itself,' he told delegates.

'We will continue to stress that the decentralisation which the United Nations so urgently needs will entail decentralising the power accumulated in a small group of states,' Mr d'Escoto added.

But Khalilzad noted that the 15-member Security Council 'has clear responsibilities under the (UN) Charter and it is exercising those responsibilities.'

The council, dominated by the five veto-wielding permanent members - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - is tasked with ensuring maintenance of international peace and security and its resolutions are binding.

The US envoy stressed that the 192-member General Assembly also has 'roles and responsibilities' under the UN Charter.

'It is very important that the rights and privileges of the different parts of the UN is observed by all, including by the president (d'Escoto),' he added.

Mr Khalilzad also outlined key US priorities during the General Assembly's general debate which will bring together world leaders here next week.

Among those, he cited Washington's 'freedom agenda', democracy, specific human rights resolutions, economic development, support for the poverty-reduction Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), food security, humanitarian assistance and climate change.

World leaders are also to tackle the thorny issues of Iran's nuclear programme, Georgia, the Middle East, Kosovo and Myanmar on the sidelines of the assembly debate.

'Overall, the UN has been an important instrument in terms of advancing our goals on many geopolitical issues, humanitarian issues', Mr Khalilzad said.

He stressed that UN reform 'in terms of transparency, accountability and efficiency' remains a priority for Washington, adding: 'a lot needs to be done on that score.' -- AFP