In a direct reference to the United States, without, however, naming it, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan today said some nations may deem the UN 'irrelevant' and take unilateral action, but that is clearly not the case.

"This [unilateral action] constitutes a fundamental challenge to the principles on which world peace has rested, however imperfectly, for the past 58 years, with some states arguing that they can use force pre-emptively without the agreement of the Security Council," Annan said in his inaugural address to the 58th session of the UN General Assembly this morning.

Annan warned that such unilateralism would set dangerous precedents. "My concern is that if this [line of thinking] were to be adopted, it would set precedents that result in the proliferation of unilateral and lawless use of force, with or without credible justification."

The subtext of this segment of the secretary general's speech harked back to a year ago, when US President George W Bush attempted to push through a resolution in the UN Security Council in favour of a military invasion of Iraq. When the resolution was rejected, Bush said: "The UN today faced a test of its relevance -- and failed!"

Calling for reform in the functioning of the UN and its Security Council, Annan told the assembly of world leaders that it is not enough "to denounce unilateralism unless we face up squarely to the concerns that make some states feel uniquely vulnerable, since it is these concerns that drive them to take such action.

"The last 12 months have been very painful for all of us who believe in collective answers to the common problems and challenges that face us."

He reaffirmed the vital urgency of finding a successful outcome in Iraq. "Whatever view each country might have taken in recent months, it is vital for all of us that the outcome is a stable and democratic Iraq at peace with itself and with its neighbours," Annan said.