Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May addresses the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 26, 2018. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Wednesday the Brexit vote to leave the European Union was not a rejection of multilateralism, but a demand for accountability.

“The vote by the British people to leave the EU was not a rejection of multilateralism or international cooperation. It was a clear demand for decisions and accountability to lie closer to home,” May said in her address to the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations.

“I believe the role of leadership in these circumstances is clear: it is delivering on the democratic wishes of our people and international cooperation working with allies and partners in pursuit of our shared values,” May said.