The UN General Assembly has just started another session. This time it is going to be dedicated mostly to the financial turmoil across the globe and overshadowed bythe return of the cold war atmosphere between Washington and Moscow in the wake of the Georgian conflict, the Iranian nuclear programme and the eternal stalemated peace process between the Israelis andPalestinians.

These problems, of course, are added to the chronic issues of poverty, famine and disease plaguing many developing countries.

Heads of state will take the occasion to express pious hope that peace, stability and progress will prevail in the world. The speeches they, or their representatives, will deliver during the three-month-long session are unlikely to differ from what the international communityhas been hearing year after year.

Still, there is a purpose in going through this ritual each time; it, at least, gives the impression that something is done about regional and international flash points.

The annual UN General Assembly session gives world leaders and high-ranking officials the opportunity to get together and talk about their differences face to face. It may contribute to breaking the ice between hostile states and, thus, bea good thing for international peace and security.

The alternative is absence of communication among policy makers on the globe, a dreaded thought, knowing what that may lead to.

Coming together under the UN dome could indeed be a blessing. Talk about common goals might be simply an exercise in social interaction, but in-depth exchange of views is sure to take place as well.

But, again, mere talk cannot cure the ills of the world.

The collapse of financial markets across the globe, wars, environment and a myriad other problems facing humanity cannot be addressed by easy banter.

Responsibility, accountability and application of mechanisms the UN has at its disposal to address global problems will have to be revisited.

The forum can and should be used to study problems and try to fix them. To identify reasons and culprits and use the power invested in it to hold the latter accountable.

And to reassert the organisation’s authority for, after all, it was created for exactly this purpose: to show, even by coercion, the right way to the nations of the world.