UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- The outgoing year of 2008 witnessed a slew of international crises, ranging from natural disasters to socio-economic turbulence. These crises have profound implications for today's world and call for global responses and solutions.

    Amid the adversities, the United Nations has withstood the tests and proved once against its indispensable role in garnering resources and coordinating efforts worldwide to address the challenges.

    RESPONDING TO CRISES

    The United Nations responded promptly to cyclone Nargis, which struck Myanmar in early May, and subsequent 8.0 earthquake, which hit China's Sichuan province. Both are worst natural disasters with devastating consequences during the outgoing year.

    The world body helped channeled international aid and rescue teams to disaster-stricken areas, bringing in much-needed resources, expertise and hope to the distressed populations.

    In another battle to help feed the hungry plagued by soaring food prices, the United Nations appealed to the international community for 755 million U.S. dollars in aid to meet the nutrition needs of some 73 million people.

    UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon established a UN Task Force on the Global Food Crisis, which made an in-depth study on the crisis and offered recommendations for early resolution in its Comprehensive Framework for Action.

    On climate change, the secretary-general pushed the United Nations to the forefront of the global initiative to address the challenge. The world body has played an important role in urging international negotiations to continue toward a solution that ensures both sustained economic development and environment protection.

    The United Nations has also taken as its missions to tackle many other pressing and chronic problems, such as the ongoing global financial crisis, the containment of intractable diseases such as AIDS, the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals and the maintenance of peace in war-torn regions.