NEW YORK CITY: Syria said it voted against a 鈥淧act for the Future,鈥� which was adopted by a majority of UN member states on Sunday, on the grounds that it does not go far enough in terms of plans to reform the organization.

The pact, which received the backing of 143 of 193 member states in the vote, aims to rebuild trust in the UN and its ability to tackle global crises.

But Qusay Al-Dahhak, Syria鈥檚 permanent representative to the UN told delegates attending the 鈥淪ummit for the Future鈥� at the organization鈥檚 headquarters in New York on Monday that its mechanisms and systems need to evolve away from serving the 鈥渘arrow interests鈥� of a handful of Western states.

He said the brighter future desired by those who backed the pact, one that best serves all member states and their peoples, would only be achieved through 鈥渞adical change.鈥�

鈥�(This will require) some Western countries to abandon the mentality of the past and their ambitions of hegemony and colonization,鈥� Al-Dahhak said.

Though he did not name any specific Western states, he said that they should 鈥渃ease attempting to impose their will on other peoples and respect their independent, national choices.鈥�

He denounced the 鈥渋llegal measures鈥� he said have been taken by the West that have deprived Syrians of their future, undermined their legitimate choices and prevented them from accessing their own national wealth, but said Syrians are nonetheless 鈥渄etermined to move forward and build their own future.鈥�

The US, the EU, Canada, Australia and Switzerland imposed sanctions on Syria in response to the actions of President Bashar Assad and his regime since the start of the civil war in the country in 2011.

Al-Dahhak said his country looks forward to a future based on dialog and diplomacy between nations, and on the promotion of multilateral action and the upholding of the principles of the UN Charter, which he said will not be best served by the pact in its current form.

鈥淗ence the need to take immediate and serious measures to develop multilateral mechanisms and structures and to reinforce them to strengthen re-participation away from the policies of exclusion and the narrow interests of some Western states,鈥� he added.

The envoy also condemned the 鈥渙ngoing Israeli occupation of Arab territories in Palestine, Syria and Lebanon鈥� and Israel鈥檚 continued 鈥渁cts of aggression, crimes of genocide and ethnic cleansing,鈥� which he said amounted to a 鈥済rave violation of international law and the principles and purposes of the UN Charter.鈥�

Referencing the pact agreed on Sunday, he said transgressions by Israeli authorities also represent a major obstacle and hinder access to the 鈥渃ommon future we all seek.鈥� He said there was a need to unite and intensify the UN efforts to confront Israel鈥檚 regional aggression and its occupation of land belonging to other states.

Al-Dahhak also vowed Syria would join other nations in calling for reforms of global financial institutions to 鈥済uarantee participation of developing countries in the global economic decision making,鈥� which he said would help to alleviate global debt.