General Assembly Session 56 meeting 55

The President

May I, on behalf of the members of the General Assembly, extend to the Government and the people of Algeria our deepest sympathy with respect to the tragic loss of life and the extensive material damage resulting from the recent floods in Algeria.

The President

The Assembly will now hear a statement by His Excellency Mr. Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria.

The President

I have great pleasure in welcoming Mr. Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria, and inviting him to address the General Assembly.

Mr. Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (Bulgaria)

A year after the unique Millennium Assembly, we can say that the United Nations is playing an enhanced, more important role as a collective tool for meeting the challenges facing the world.

Bulgaria welcomes the re-election of Mr. Kofi Annan as Secretary-General, and hails the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to him and to the Organization.

International terrorism has become aggressive and powerful, and threatens not only States but also the freedom of the human spirit, as proved by the world Organization's committed and active stance vis-à-vis recent terrorist acts, along with the unanimously adopted Security Council resolutions condemning them. Bulgaria unequivocally supported those resolutions, in particular Security Council resolution 1373 (2001). The National Assembly and the Government of Bulgaria have adopted similar declarations on ensuring a common effort in the fight against terrorism.

Let me recall that the fight will be incomplete without moral -- even spiritual -- commitment. Let us not forget that the mere pursuit of material well-being is not a panacea; other values are needed to improve the lives of peoples. In a "virtual society", there is a need for real values and for a framework acceptable to both the poor and the rich.

I take this opportunity to convey the condolences of the Bulgarian people to the citizens of the United States of America with respect to the terrorist acts of 11 September. We all admire the steadfastness and courage they have displayed in addressing this tragedy and its aftermath.

I am particularly proud to observe that, at a time when the role and the importance of the United Nations are on the rise, the Republic of Bulgaria is about to assume the responsibilities of a non-permanent member of the Security Council. For the Bulgarian people and its Government, our election to that important organ of the world Organization constitutes recognition of the international standing of Bulgaria and of its active, balanced foreign policy. Our foreign policy priorities -- membership of the European Union and of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization -- are sounder than ever before. For natural cultural reasons, we are committed to the concept of la francophonie, which embodies not merely a language but a state of mind. I thank all Member States that were good enough to support us in the election.

Bulgaria will shoulder the full responsibility of non-permanent membership of the Security Council. We are ready to participate in dialogue on the full range of items related to the maintenance of international peace and security. My country is open to dialogue with all States Members of the Organization and to ideas and suggestions aimed at enhancing the role and effectiveness of the United Nations.

I wish here to speak of the positive part the Republic of Bulgaria plays as an important actor for peace and security in South-Eastern Europe and for stability in the settlement of crises in the Eastern Balkans, an area that borders on Bulgaria. We favour full implementation of Security Council resolution 1244 (1999), and we consider that the 17 November elections in Kosovo will be decisive for the process of stabilization and democratization there. Similarly, Bulgaria attaches high importance to ensuring the stability of the Republic of Macedonia through the implementation of the 13 August 2001 Framework Agreement and to guaranteeing its sovereignty and territorial integrity. My country supports full implementation of the Dayton Accords and the consolidation of the united State of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In our view, democratization in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is a positive element. A long-term strategy must be crafted to effect the restoration and economic development of South-Eastern Europe to rebuild it in the wake of the various crises it has experienced. Let me stress that these questions should continue to be the focus of all our efforts to find equitable solutions to conflicts.

Mr. Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (Bulgaria)

I should like also to highlight Bulgaria's support for the lasting and peaceful settlement of other regional conflicts that are as tragic as those in the Middle East, in Africa and elsewhere, of which there is a long and sad list. Our positions in respect to all of these conflicts are in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations and generally recognized principles of international law.

Having myself been an exile for more than 50 years, I am very aware of the human tragedy of refugees, whose number and suffering are continuing to increase, as is the case now in Afghanistan.

We attach great importance to items on the agenda of the United Nations such as the combat against organized crime and corruption and against illegal drug trafficking. That is why our Government is making a particular effort to this end on our own territory. Monitoring trade in weapons and in dual-use goods and technologies is highly relevant, given the linkage between this kind of trade and terrorism.

Let me add that Bulgaria is participating actively in cooperation efforts in the economic and social field and in the areas of human rights, the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, global disarmament and the protection of the environment. These objectives are consonant with those of the new Bulgarian Government: to ensure that the social needs of Bulgarian citizens are met, and to bring about durable economic growth, despite the sometimes difficult international economic situation.

The attitude of the Republic of Bulgaria vis-à-vis its increased responsibilities within this world Organization will be based on a clear, logical and consistent foreign policy, with an emphasis on regional security, development and broadening the circle of friendly States, and on making a contribution to the resolution of global problems through its active participation in multilateral dialogue. Solutions to conflicts must be found here, at the United Nations -- not on the battlefield.

In conclusion, we believe that this policy will meet with the understanding and support of all of the Members of the United Nations.

The Acting President

On behalf of the General Assembly, I wish to thank the Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria for the statement he has just made.

The Acting President

I give the floor to His Excellency Mr. José Miguel Alemán, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Panama.

Mr. Alemán (Panama)

The Republic of Panama welcomes with particular pleasure the election of Mr. Han Seung-soo as President of the fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly, and wishes to assure him of our fullest cooperation in the sensitive work with which he is entrusted. It is also a pleasure for us to express the deep satisfaction of the Government of Panama at the well-deserved honour of the award of the Nobel Peace Prize jointly to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan, and to the Organization itself.

As we participate today in this forum, we are still reeling from the impact of the terrifying terrorist acts carried out on 11 September in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. These crimes against humanity will never be forgotten, and, as a tribute to the thousands of innocent victims of these senseless attacks, the United Nations must take whatever measures are necessary to legitimize any multilateral action that will have to be taken in future to neutralize the threat of international terrorism.

The Republic of Panama, as a State Member of the United Nations, fully respects the mandates issued by the Organization, and, therefore, we are pleased to state here unambiguously that every resource available to us has been directed to fulfil our responsibilities in the war against terrorism.

Similarly, we support the Security Council Committee set up under resolution 1373 (2001), chaired by the Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Sir Jeremy Greenstock. We propose to remain in communication with him on an ongoing basis.

The Government of Panama, under the leadership of President Mireya Moscoso, is prepared vigorously to implement the provisions contained in all United Nations instruments on international terrorism. To that end, we will soon submit to our Legislative Assembly the four United Nations instruments that have not yet been ratified by our country, together with the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism of December 1999, which we have just signed here. Likewise, we will ratify, as soon as possible, the Rome Statute creating the International Criminal Court.

In parallel with the joint actions taken against terrorism in conformity with the many relevant United Nations Conventions and resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council, and in order to address terrorist activities, we respectfully appeal to all to set aside any differences that may have arisen in July in respect of the problem of massive illegal trade in small arms and light weapons. It is well known that the ultimate beneficiaries of this deadly traffic are not only rebel movements -- sometimes sponsored by other nations -- but also notorious terrorist groups. That is why Panama reiterates the position it maintained during the Conference: that no State has the right to promote this deadly traffic by claiming its own national interests are at stake. This issue must be re-examined in the light of recent events.

The Republic of Panama is particularly concerned at the social, political and economic implications of the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons and wishes to declare its commitment to promoting an American convention on this question, with a view to creating a legal framework that will enable the countries of the hemisphere to completely suppress this traffic and thus strengthen regional security.

We are caught up in a vortex of bloodshed that brings us ever closer to generalized conflagrations. The States represented here, when we became Members of this Organization, undertook formally to promote peace and human rights; to meet the food, health care and educational needs of our peoples; to preserve the environment; and to bring about overall social, economic and political development.

However, for this commitment to have a real effect, we must secure the support of those States that, due to pure fanaticism, particularly in the Middle East, have not been able to come to terms with the purposes and principles of the United Nations. My country believes that the intolerance and intransigence demonstrated in that part of the world are the result of ancient ways of thinking and injustices that can be easily discerned and which constitute flagrant violations of the United Nations Charter. The Republic of Panama has repeatedly urged the parties in conflict to renounce the use of force, re-establish cooperation on security and adopt measures to restore mutual trust, which enable a return to the peace process based on the norms of international law.

In recent days, the international community has witnessed with deep sadness the intensification of violence in that region. Because of the brutality occurring in the Middle East, Panama considers that it is the responsibility of the United Nations to vigorously strengthen its mediating role in order to put an end to the unfortunate bloodshed that has grieved the international community for decades.

In particular, Panama calls on the Security Council to assume a more active role in the efforts to apply the recommendations of the Mitchell report, which proposes using constructive dialogue and mutual concessions to move beyond the violence. An indispensable step is recognizing the right of the Palestinian people to create a sovereign State and the right of the State of Israel to live in peace and security.

We must make our best effort, employ our most outstanding human resources and put ourselves to the task of reconciling all humankind. The Republic of Panama will persist in this task and will always advocate peaceful solutions to conflicts through dialogue and the rejection of violence as the means to resolve internal or international disputes.

Other examples of situations that cause unnecessary friction and that could be resolved through dialogue are the issues of the Saharan people's right to self-determination, the Argentine Republic's claim to the Falkland Islands, and the representation of the Republic of China on Taiwan in the United Nations system while the internal situation of that fraternal people is being resolved.

Panama defends human rights without reservation and will never accept acts which violate them, wherever the violations occur and whatever the circumstances used to try to justify those violations.

Let us add to this very clear position of ours our sincere commitment to the universal campaign for the rights of the child and to the fight against HIV/AIDS, as these are an essential part of human rights. On this latter issue, Panama considers that the key to any future success lies in everyone's acceptance of their economic and social responsibilities with respect to this terrible disease and in developing good community planning at the local and provincial levels to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Human rights are clearly defined in the political and civil spheres as much as in the economic, social and cultural spheres. Since the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December 1948, much progress has been made. However, the principles proclaimed on that occasion are being challenged by the inequalities of globalization and financing for development, by unpayable foreign debts and by the indiscriminate destruction of the environment. All these factors of extreme poverty require acts of profound solidarity on behalf of the richer nations. We firmly believe that the eradication of poverty and inequality will prevent the erosion of human rights and halt the social upheavals that generate violence and cause the loss of the political, social and economic rights of the citizens of the world.

The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992, was a tremendous effort towards sustainable world development. The most important outcome of the Conference was the adoption of Agenda 21, which covers in depth the topics of poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy and the progressive deterioration of ecosystems. Agenda 21 also encourages us to focus our attention on the financial resources required to promote sustainable development at the national level, with the goal of creating a corresponding measurement system for it that can be easily interpreted. This is an ongoing and important task that we cannot neglect.

The United Nations Conference on Financing for Development will be held in Monterrey, Mexico, in March 2002. We believe that the Conference offers a magnificent opportunity to reduce the abyss between the rich countries of the North and the poor countries of the South in both the practical and conceptual aspects of this issue.

In the course of last month's meetings of the Conference's Preparatory Committee, opinions with substantial differences were expressed, and these must be reconciled. As a result of these disagreements, there have been pessimistic predictions that it will be impossible to formulate a plan of action at Monterrey. I believe, on the contrary, that since we already know the objections that will be made by those who assume the risks of financing, we cannot delay revising our arguments, in order -- creatively and responsibly -- to define parameters for financing for development that are more in tune with the realities of today's world.

The current realities are pressing and encompass, among other things, the need to provide financing at discounted rates to developing countries; to vigorously attack the problem of foreign debt; to design measures to raise the depressed prices of our raw materials and other export products; and to agree collectively on mechanisms to prevent financial crises.

Following this line of thought, and because we consider it of interest to the General Assembly, we will mention that in June of this year the Central American countries and the United States signed a joint declaration under the Alliance for the Sustainable Development of Central America (ALIDES). This alliance is a regional strategy to make the Central American isthmus a region of peace, freedom, democracy and development. Its general objectives include the sustainable management of biodiversity, the strengthening and modernization of institutional structures, the promotion of trade and the mitigation of natural disasters.

Specifically, ALIDES works for regional economic integration and the region's integration in the international economy; the harmonization of macroeconomic policies and the modernization of infrastructure in the areas of energy, transportation and telecommunications; the creation of protected biological corridors, river basins and other areas; the strengthening of democracy and the rule of law in the region; the improvement of the levels of education, health and security of the population of Central America; and the restoration and preservation of national values.

Central America's desire for development has been strengthened by the launching of the Puebla-Panama Plan. We created for the region a mechanism for ongoing and permanent consultation to perfect an integral strategy for long-term development.

While we are making great efforts to mitigate the social problems that afflict us in some regions, in the United Nations we continue to debate structural problems that limit to some extent the ability of many of our countries to have an effect on the administration of the Organization. Among the different debates relating to United Nations reform, we would like to refer to the one held on 30 October on agenda item 49, entitled "Question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and related matters". Last year the delegation of Panama, both at the Millennium Summit and the General Assembly, supported the aspiration of many years to bring about the reform of the Security Council.

We have said -- and we wish to repeat today -- that we agree it must have a more equitable and more representative composition, but in order to achieve this fundamental objective it is indispensable that the permanent members accept that the power structure of 1945 has ceased to exist. Now, looking at the new and vital interdependence of all nations around the world, we see a genuine opportunity opening before us to get rid of the obsessions that no longer suit the structure of our Organization.

In conclusion, we would like to restate our conviction that, as we have seen after the horrendous terrorist acts of 11 September, the legitimacy and effectiveness of future Security Council actions will depend on all Member States feeling the absence of unilateral measures and of the usual marginalization in decision-making on matters affecting all of us. It is in this direction that we should guide our work.

The Acting President

I now call on His Excellency the Honourable Motsoahae Thomas Thabane, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Lesotho.

Mr. Thabane (Lesotho)

On behalf of the delegation of Lesotho, allow me, through you, Sir, to congratulate the President and other members of the Bureau on their election to office during this fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly. Allow me also to pay a well deserved tribute to Mr. Harri Holkeri, President of the fifty-fifth session, and to commend him for spearheading efforts to reform and revitalize the General Assembly, with a view to strengthening its role as the chief deliberative policy-making and representative body of the United Nations.

We congratulate our Secretary-General for winning the Nobel Peace Prize and for his reappointment as head of the Organization. This will no doubt enable him to continue his efforts to make the United Nations more relevant in facing today's challenges. We commend him for continuing to place such a high premium on the need for the Organization to develop better tools for conflict prevention, management and resolution and encourage him to continue developing concepts and strategic frameworks for the Organization's activities in the areas of conflict prevention and peace-building.

We particularly wish to commend the Secretary-General for his relentless efforts and commitment to reforming and transforming the United Nations into a functioning Organization with a new management culture. We reiterate the view shared by many in this Assembly that the United Nations would be more democratic if the Security Council were made more representative of the membership as a whole. Regrettably, while we all agree on the need for reform, agreement on the details for such reform continues to elude us.

Lesotho reiterates its unequivocal condemnation of the barbaric acts of terror committed against innocent civilians on 11 September and extends its condolences to the relatives of all those who perished during the attacks. Ideological or other differences are no excuse for such unspeakable acts; neither can such evil acts be justified on the grounds of expediency. Those responsible for these acts must be punished. While we support the international coalition against terrorism and consider ourselves part thereof, we nevertheless stress the need for capacity-building to enable all countries effectively to play their part in combating this menace.

One year after the unprecedented Millennium Summit is now a good time for us to reflect and take stock of how we are responding to the challenges and changes brought about by our ever growing interdependence and the ever-increasing interconnectedness of our economies. In this changing world in which all forms of economic, social, cultural and political activity have become dependent on access to telecommunications and information services provided by the global information infrastructure, what progress have we made towards making globalization truly global and ensuring that people everywhere share in its benefits?

The truth of the matter is that there remains a gaping digital chasm between the industrialized and the developing countries, especially in Africa where the majority of the people are yet to reap the benefits of information and communications technology. Much still needs to be done to jump-start the introduction of information and communications technology in primary schools in order to enable the developing countries to respond to the changing needs of society and the economy.

The United Nations system thus has to redouble its efforts in assisting developing countries, particularly in Africa, in building their capacity in curriculum development to ensure improvements in the quality of education and access to information and communications technology, including through the transfer of technology. We thus call upon all international partners to treat information and communications technology as a special priority for Africa's development.

Despite the many difficulties that the developing countries continue to face in addressing their urgent development needs, solid progress is being made towards establishing strong institutional capacities for sustainable development, including a sound macroeconomic foundation, effective governance, peace and stability. Following many years of undemocratic military dictatorships and coups d'état in Africa, the continent has begun to take bold steps to climb out of the rut, and today strong winds of democracy continue to reverberate throughout. This deepening of democratic principles has led Africans to shun all leaders who come to power through extra-constitutional means. There is also a growing awareness within Africa that sustainable development cannot take place in the midst of actual or potential conflict and that armed conflict is retrogressive and inevitably destroys the achievements of many years of national development; hence, conflict management is now assuming greater importance in Africa.

Development is also beginning to take firm roots as many African countries formulate their development strategies and pursue greater cooperative relations with their development partners. The key role played by the United Nations in helping to re-energize the momentum for international partnership between, in particular, the least developed countries and the international community will remain crucial for addressing poverty and sustainable development.

Africa is not only determined to overcome its problems, but it is also determined to ensure that the future development of the continent is shaped and designed by Africans themselves. Many of the evils that have continued to plague Africa, including economic decline, internal unrest and civil wars, uncertainty, corruption and disintegration of States, have been major obstacles to the development and establishment of viable societies in Africa. All this has made us realize that the only way to achieve sustainable development for the continent is to ensure that people live and work in stable conditions under the rule of law. Transforming the Organization of African Unity (OAU) into the African Union should thus be seen as an important step that will pave the way for the establishment of strong institutions endowed with necessary powers and resources to enable them to discharge their duties and responsibilities efficiently and effectively.

It is against this background that the launching of the New African Initiative in Lusaka in July was also a turning point in Africa's efforts aimed at ensuring that appropriate Africa-wide and regional economic and social reforms are carried out with a view to eradicating all social injustices. This African-owned and African-led economy-centred recovery programme and framework for action is a pragmatic vision of how Africa wishes to be included as a partner and not as a recipient of the benefits and opportunities offered by globalization. This initiative by Africans, which sets out the right priorities and focal points for the sustainable development of the African continent, deserves not only commendation, but also support from this Assembly and the international community as a whole.

In embarking on this new path to recovery, Africans have no illusions. They are fully aware of the mammoth task that they have set for themselves and believe that progress towards achieving it will have to be driven by the people and Governments of Africa themselves. We will have to create the necessary conditions to allow the poor to become agents of change, using their own talents and capacities to raise their production and increase their income.

For all that to happen, Africa needs resources. The international community must provide support not only through development cooperation, but also through improved trade access for African countries to the markets of the developed world. The "Everything but Arms" initiative adopted by the European Council of Ministers in February is a first important step towards scrapping customs duties on imports from Africa and other developing countries, and needs to be emulated. We express our gratitude for the support and commitment already given to this initiative by the G-8 and the European Union and call upon other donor countries and agencies to join Africa as it embarks on its new path of recovery. In the same vein, we acknowledge the benefits that the African Growth and Opportunity Act holds for sub-Saharan African countries.

The Millennium Summit reaffirmed the Copenhagen World Summit for Social Development goal of reducing by half the number of people living in extreme poverty by 2015. Despite that, abject poverty, a narrow resource base and, hence, broad dependence on overseas development aid, unsustainable levels of debt and the deleterious effects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic continue to be part of everyday reality for the majority of the people in the world. In some regions of sub-Saharan Africa poverty has actually increased, posing a serious threat to democratic governance processes through the erosion of human rights and human dignity, as well as the deterioration of the already narrow natural resource base. In addition, the number of least developed countries has more than doubled since 1971, when the United Nations set up that category of countries.

A more rapid and sustainable exit from debt is thus imperative. This calls for urgent implementation of an enhanced and expanded Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Debt Initiative (HIPC). It further calls for more comprehensive measures, including converting the remaining bilateral debts of the least developed countries into grants, widening HIPC to benefit more countries, increasing the levels of official development assistance, ensuring markets for the products of least developed countries and encouraging greater volumes of foreign direct investment to Africa.

Lesotho therefore looks forward to further discussion of these measures during the coming International Conference on Financing for Development, the convening of which we fully support. We also believe that the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010 is a benchmark framework for accelerating the sustained economic growth and sustainable development of the poorest and weakest segment of the international community.

Housing remains a critical pillar of sustainable economic development. It is the single most important and obvious indicator of individual aspirations and their fulfilment. Testimony to this is the renewal of our commitment, earlier this year, to the principles of the Habitat Agenda, which are encapsulated in the ideas of adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements for development. Poverty continues to be a major factor for developing countries' failure to realize these twin goals of the Habitat Agenda.

In the same vein, a healthy population is an absolute requirement for social and economic development. We thus recognize the enormous challenges posed by HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases. For Africa, which is host to 70 per cent of the people infected with HIV/AIDS worldwide, this scourge is reversing hard-won gains in economic and social development. Political commitment and leadership are therefore essential for building national capacities to develop and implement comprehensive national strategies for HIV/AIDS prevention, care, support and treatment, all of which require mobilization of resources. We therefore welcome the outcome of the special session on HIV/AIDS held during the fifty-fifth session of the General Assembly, and hope that the Global AIDS and Health Fund announced by the Secretary-General will soon become operational to provide funding on a grant basis to the most affected countries.

Lesotho welcomes the global movement to ensure that every child enjoys a better beginning, and hence a better future, and has undertaken to renew its commitment to ensure the rights of children. Our most auspicious endeavour to that end was the progressive introduction, in the year 2000, of free primary education beginning with standard 1 pupils. We believe that this is a step forward in ensuring sustained economic growth and poverty reduction. The new agreed dates for the postponed children's summit should ensure that we do not lose the momentum for creating a better world for children.

Lesotho also remains keenly aware of the important role that women play in the advancement of the nation's social and economic development processes, as well as of the need to sustain their involvement and participation at all levels. To that end, we have heeded the call to States parties to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women that have entered reservations to the Convention to review those reservations. Our own reservation to the Convention has been amended with a view to withdrawing it at a later stage.

The events in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, as well as the gruesome images of women and children whose limbs were hacked off by rebel forces in Sierra Leone, have shown that accountability for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, and universal jurisdiction over those crimes, are key to bringing an end to the cycle of impunity that we have witnessed over the years. Lesotho's tangible contribution towards ending the culture of impunity is demonstrated by its support and assistance to the activities of the International Tribunals for Yugoslavia and Rwanda aimed at bringing those responsible for the most egregious crimes to justice, as well as its support for the creation of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, for which Lesotho has pledged $100,000 over three years. The first payment of $40,000 in respect of the first year has already been deposited. We call on the international community to provide adequate funding in order that the Special Court for Sierra Leone may come into operation.

While the pace of ratifications for the Statute of the International Criminal Court is encouraging, more needs to be done if that Court is to become a reality soon. Adequate time and resources should therefore be made available for the Preparatory Commission to fulfil its mandate within the first half of 2002.

International peace and security continue to be a major challenge for the United Nations in the twenty-first century. While some positive developments have been recorded on various issues that are critical to the security of the international community, much more still needs to be done in pursuit of a more peaceful world -- a world free from weapons of mass destruction; a world free from the arsenals of illicit small arms and light weapons; and a world with strengthened global norms for nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament.

We renew our call to those who remain outside the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) to join the Treaty, and urge the nuclear-weapon States to continue full compliance with obligations assumed under the Treaty.

The recent spate of biowarfare threats have also heightened the urgent need to devise effective compliance measures that will make the proliferation of biological weapons much harder and prevent such weapons from falling into the hands of terrorist groups.

The historic United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects has succeeded in highlighting the human suffering and insecurity engendered by the excessive accumulation and illicit transfer of those weapons. Though not fully satisfactory, particularly to those of us who have suffered most from this scourge, the measures envisaged in the Programme of Action are a historic first step towards curbing this menace. It is now up to all of us to forge meaningful partnerships to ensure effective implementation of the Programme as we move together to free the world of these weapons.

While peace has continued to hold in many regions of the world, Africa has experienced setbacks in that regard, as violent conflicts have continued unabated. The sad legacy of our colonial past, wherein State-sponsored activities facilitated the systematic plunder of Africa's resources, have been replaced by foreign companies and individuals in pursuit of the so-called bottom line, whose sole motive is the maximization of profit. The link between conflicts, the easy availability of arms, an abundance of natural resources and the greed of these individuals have totally devalued African lives. In other words, the worth of African lives in the year 2001 is much the same as during the time of slavery in the nineteenth century. We call upon the same collective conscience of the international community that condemned and succeeded in eradicating slavery to speak with equal vehemence against this evil in our time.

The volatile and explosive situation in the Middle East remains highly regrettable. Lesotho supports the creation of an independent Palestinian State on the basis of Security Council resolutions, a State that should coexist in peace with its neighbours.

We call on all parties to conflicts around the world to intensify efforts to create conditions conducive to the implementation of the agreements reached and relevant Security Council resolutions, as well as to the effective engagement of the United Nations. We are encouraged by the developments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi and Sierra Leone, and applaud the efforts of all parties to bring peace to their countries.

We are, however, saddened by the lack of progress in the implementation of agreements relating to the settlement, once and for all, of two of the largest running conflicts, in Angola and the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic. We in Lesotho are convinced that the Houston accords remain the foundation for self-determination in the latter, while, undoubtedly, the Lusaka Protocol on Angola remains the only viable basis for peace in that sisterly country.

In conclusion, Lesotho renews its commitment to multilateral cooperation and the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter. The current difficult times call for the strong support of the United Nations and the multilateral processes if the Organization is to effectively address the new global issues and challenges that confront it.

The Acting President

I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Agba Otikpo Mezode, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Central African Republic.

Mr. Mezode (Central African Republic)

The delegation of the Central African Republic would like first of all to fulfil the task entrusted to it by His Excellency Mr. Ange-Félix Patassé, President of the Republic and head of State, of expressing the solidarity of the Central African Republic with the American people, as well as its resolute condemnation of the heinous acts committed against freedom, democracy and peace on 11 September. We will certainly make our contribution to the process of reflection that the international community will undertake together throughout this session to elaborate measures aimed at the eradication of terrorism.

Before proceeding, I should like warmly to congratulate Mr. Han on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly at this session, as well as the other members of the Bureau. His expertise in international affairs, together with his wisdom, will guarantee the success of our work, and the delegation of the Central African Republic would like to assure him of its cooperation. My delegation greatly appreciated the skilful way in which his predecessor conducted the work of the Millennium Assembly.

We would also like to address, on behalf of the Central African Republic, our warmest congratulations to Mr. Kofi Annan on his re-election as Secretary-General. He has been honoured for his commitment to the cause of the Organization by the award of the Nobel Peace Prize, which is a tribute both to him and to the United Nations as a whole. He can continue to count upon the cooperation of the Central African Republic in the fulfilment of his extremely difficult mission, in the wake of last year's adoption by Member States of the Millennium Declaration, which establishes a new framework for cooperation between States.

Indeed, the Millennium Declaration must be viewed as a strategy within which States should work so as to be able meet the many challenges facing the world today, which include poverty, conflict, intolerance, terrorism, debt, marginalization, endemic disease and HIV/AIDS. These growing challenges, the persistence of which leads to global imbalance, can be dealt with only through multilateral cooperation, above all in the framework of the United Nations.

Such cooperation must first of all aim to eradicate the causes of certain frustrating problems in the world, by, for example, achieving a just and lasting settlement of the question of the Middle East.

Likewise, my delegation urges the parties concerned to implement the provisions of the Lusaka Agreement so that the Democratic Republic of the Congo can regain its territorial integrity and unity and establish a lasting peace, which will be of benefit to the Central African Republic.

Furthermore, States should cooperate in support of Africa, which is currently burdened by the weight of numerous challenges. The Millennium Summit rightly committed the international community to a campaign for development cooperation so as to make the right to development, like human rights, a reality for all.

The Central African Republic, which endorsed the Millennium Declaration, urges the countries of the North to establish a true partnership with Africa, at both the public and private level, so as to support the developmental efforts of the continent. This will require a degree of political will, since, given the conflicts that are taking place today between, and often within, States, our partners sometimes give in to despair and indifference when confronted with slow progress, or occasionally allow themselves to be swayed by emotions incited by certain people who wish to discourage initiatives by abusively manipulating ideas that promote genocide and ethnic cleansing -- phenomena that some countries have recently endured, but that can gain no foothold today in a country such as the Central African Republic.

We often forget that the deep-seated sources of such conflicts are the lack of a culture of democracy in our societies and extreme poverty. That is why our partners should support our efforts to achieve democratization and contribute to consolidating the foundations of our young democracies, above all by paying priority attention to the economic aspect, which, unfortunately, is not always the case.

In the case of the Central African Republic, for example, on 28 May last an attempted coup took place with the aim of ending the march of democracy in the country. That was the fourth such attempt in the five years since 1996. We would like briefly to shed some light on those events.

At its 4261st meeting, on 23 January 2001, the Security Council considered the situation in the Central African Republic. While noting certain shortcomings, the Council recognized the efforts of the Government and asked it, along with representatives of all parts of society in the Central African Republic, to continue down the path towards the consolidation of democracy and the preservation of peace. To help in that task, the mandate of the United Nations Peace-building Support Office in the Central African Republic (BONUCA) has been extended because, with the assistance of others, it is doing remarkable and productive work.

Despite everything, the Central African Republic is determined to continue resolutely to be a small haven of relative stability in a region torn apart by war, as one eminent personality put it recently. The social and political tension has, indeed, begun to diminish. Since May 2001, there has been an international presence.

Contrary to all expectations, the same groups that have repeatedly subjected the people of the Central African Republic to acts of terrorism for five years committed an act whose foreseeable and tragic consequences are well known. When condemned by both the national and international community, those groups rushed to hide behind claims of genocidal practices in an attempt to justify the unjustifiable, thus creating ethnic division in various parts of the country.

This recurrence of violent crises raises questions about justice in our young States, which are trying to establish the rule of law, but where amnesties are granted in lieu of justice, allowing impunity to prevail and thus encouraging recidivism.

Fortunately, the world has spoken out in condemnation of the most recent coup attempt, and we would like to take this opportunity, from this rostrum, to thank the United Nations, the European Union, the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the Community of Sahel Saharan States, as well as brotherly and friendly countries, which responded immediately, calling for the re-establishment of constitutional legality.

Any coup, be it failed or successful, always gives rise to actions to undermine freedom, human rights, the rights of society and national rights. The Central African Republic did not want to play that game. Thus, a number of appropriate measures have been taken, including the creation of a joint judicial inquiry commission; the establishment of contacts among the various social sectors and with the chancelleries, organizations and accredited institutions in the Central African Republic at the governmental and presidential levels; and diplomatic activity with the countries of the subregion and the region, which are being pursued.

However, beyond the attempted coup of 28 May, the entire situation in the Central African Republic must be assessed as a whole. Just recently, having refused to present himself to the commission of judicial inquiry that had been established specifically to determine the consequences of the attempted coup of 28 May, the former army Chief of Staff organized resistance that threatened to turn into a rebellion and almost plunged the country into renewed tragedy. The rapid reaction of the Organization of African Unity, the Community of Sahelo-Saharan States and neighbouring brotherly countries has certainly helped to calm the situation for the moment.

All these events, sorely trying to men of good will, have again highlighted the question of the march of democracy in the Central African Republic. That march has been made even more difficult by the nation's extreme poverty and fragility, which, because of enormous financial hardships, is unable to cover the costs of sovereignty, creating a veritable breeding ground of instability. The attempted coup on 28 May exacerbated the country's situation by plunging it into tragic destitution.

This situation has been clearly grasped by the Organization of African Unity (OAU), which, on 2 August, reminded its member States, for their information and possible action, of the decision on the situation in the Central African Republic, adopted at the seventy-fourth ordinary session of the Council of Ministers in Lusaka, which

"Appeals to Member States and the rest of the international community to provide the necessary economic and financial assistance for the reconstruction of the Central African Republic and in particular calls on the countries which have promised to provide funds at the Pledging Conference in favour of the Central African Republic in New York in May 2000 to honour their commitments." (CM/Dec.602 (LXXIV), para. 4)

The Central African Republic thanks the OAU for that decision. We also wish here to express our gratitude to the Security Council, which has always shown great interest in the situation in our country. We further wish to make special mention here of Gabon, France and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, as well as the friends of the Central African Republic represented here, for their firm involvement at the side of the Central African Republic. We hope that they will not despair over these repeated crises because, in spite of everything, we in the Central African Republic are truly determined to overcome our problems.

We therefore hope that the United Nations will advocate even more energetically the cause of our country before the various international financial institutions with a view to securing greater assistance for us, because the repercussions of the series of events that began in 1996 will require significant financial resources to ensure the recovery of the country, the total collapse of which would have an impact throughout our subregion, if not beyond.

We are called upon at this session to consider the manner in which States should implement the Millennium Declaration through their conduct. It is only through cooperation and solidarity that we can achieve this and thus ensure for the world the fulfilment of the objectives set out in the United Nations Charter. This cooperation should also allow us to find the necessary means of meeting the common challenge of terrorism, which is more apparent today than ever before.

The Acting President

I now give the floor to Her Excellency The Honourable Ms. Billie Miller, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Barbados.

Ms. Miller (Barbados)

I join with other delegations in congratulating Mr. Han Seung-soo on his election to chair the proceedings of the General Assembly at its fifty-sixth session. I also take this opportunity to express my deep satisfaction at the award of this year's Nobel Peace Prize to the United Nations and to Secretary-General Kofi Annan. It is a well-deserved vote of confidence in the Secretary-General's leadership as well as recognition of the pivotal role being played by the United Nations in an era of immense challenge for the international community during these early years of the twenty-first century. We are greatly reassured that his firm guidance will continue for a further term to shape the direction of the Organization.

At this time of renewed sadness for the people of New York and of the Dominican Republic, may I also offer my deepest condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives in Monday's tragic crash of American Airlines flight 587.

For all of us, this year's journey to New York to address the General Assembly at its fifty-sixth session stands in stark contrast to the comfortable annual routine we have grown to appreciate. We come instead to a city behind barricades, a people traumatized and bewildered, a mood of foreboding and uncertainty on the streets and in these corridors. The horror of terrorism -- one that has scarred innocent lives for decades in the Middle East, in Northern Ireland and other parts of Europe, in Asia, in Africa and in Latin America -- has now landed on these shores with a fury and intensity that few of us would have thought possible.

Ms. Miller (Barbados)

The Government of Barbados has been explicit and unequivocal in its condemnation of the terrorist attacks of 11 September and has pledged to cooperate fully with the international community in the sustained effort to respond to this global threat. No cause or grievance can ever justify the use of violence as a means of settling disputes or legitimize the taking of innocent lives. The use of terrorism is incompatible with the ideals of the United Nations and cannot be allowed to prevail.

Barbados shares America's grief, for we have lost five proud and hard-working citizens to this senseless carnage. We share America's bewilderment and disbelief, for our citizens, too, have experienced that sense of violation and loss of innocence that comes with an unprecedented terrorist strike. Twenty-five years ago, on 6 October 1976, the unthinkable happened to Barbados with the terrorist downing of a Cubana Airlines flight just outside our territorial waters. Although the masterminds of that attack were identified and apprehended, they were never punished for their crime, but were instead encouraged to remain actively engaged in their campaign of terror. We share America's sense of outrage and determination to bring the perpetrators of the 11 September attacks to justice. We must also insist that there be zero tolerance for terrorism, whatever its source or ideology.

Terrorism is a global problem which requires a global solution. For many years, the United Nations has recognized the threat which terrorism poses to the promotion and maintenance of world peace. Since 1963, when this Organization adopted its first anti-terrorism convention, some 12 related conventions have been approved by the international community. Barbados is a party to seven of these instruments. Earlier this week, I had the honour of signing the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Financing. Our Government is actively reviewing the remaining conventions and their administrative and legislative implications with a view to providing for early adherence.

Barbados is committed to taking all necessary measures to minimize the risk of terrorist acts being perpetrated or financed in or from its national territory. A thorough review of security has been undertaken at our airport and seaport, and our authorities have taken immediate action to ensure compliance with the enhanced International Civil Aviation Organization and Federal Aviation Administration guidelines issued after 11 September. We have also taken legislative action to further strengthen our already well-regulated financial services regime through amendments to the Money Laundering (Prevention and Control) Act and the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act. Within the Caribbean Community we have agreed to increase cooperation in intelligence-gathering, analysis and dissemination among our security and enforcement personnel. We expect shortly to be in a position to report in detail to the Security Council on measures taken in compliance with the terms of resolution 1373 (2001).

Just as we agree that terrorism is a global phenomenon to which no country can consider itself immune, so too must we understand that it is a complex problem necessitating a multidimensional response. As the Secretary-General has so aptly put it in the 44th meeting, in his opening statement of the general debate:

"We face two possible futures: a mutually destructive clash between so-called civilizations based on the exaggeration of religious and cultural differences, or a global community, respecting diversity and rooted in universal values. The latter must be our choice, but we can achieve it only if we bring real hope to the billions now trapped in poverty, conflict and disease."

We must all accept that the struggle against terrorism can never hope to succeed if it is viewed simply as a military campaign to strike at the power base of the latest practitioners of terror. It must also seek to find effective and lasting solutions to the problems of underdevelopment, poverty and deprivation, inequality, intolerance and injustice that marginalize so large a percentage of the world's population. For it is from these conditions of hopelessness and despair that spring new converts to the cause of terrorism.

The events of 11 September and the extent to which they have had an impact on the economic fortunes of all of our countries have shown us the other face of globalization: the reality of our growing economic interdependence. Now more than ever, there is a need to recognize the value of multilateralism and the pre-eminent role of the United Nations in the search for lasting solutions to the challenges that will confront us in the early years of the twenty-first century. The importance of giving priority to a revitalized development agenda cannot be overstated.

In this regard, Barbados looks to the International Conference on Financing for Development as a constructive forum for refocusing the dialogue on effective mechanisms for the implementation of the stalled development agenda. We agree there is need to reform the international economic and financial architecture to meet the current development challenges. We are pleased that international tax cooperation will be one of the issues discussed at the Conference.

Many developing countries, including Barbados, were encouraged to diversify into the financial services sector as a viable development alternative and now derive a significant proportion of their national revenue from that source. We therefore continue to insist on the need for universal participation in decisions that affect the operation of this sector.

Barbados is far advanced in the implementation of its national commitments under Agenda 21. We believe that the World Summit on Sustainable Development presents an important opportunity to build a new and expanded relationship with our development partners for the full implementation of commitments already undertaken at Rio. Johannesburg should not merely review the status of progress of Rio, but should also outline strategies for dealing decisively with the sustainable development challenges that have emerged since 1992. For all small island developing States, follow-up of the Barbados Programme of Action will form an integral part of this process.

Naturally, the Caribbean Basin countries will continue their efforts to create a special regime for the Caribbean Sea with the ultimate goal of achieving its recognition as a special area in the context of sustainable development.

It is no secret that the efforts towards the creation of a new international trading system have resulted in bitter disappointment for the majority of developing countries, which have been severely disadvantaged by the imbalance of rights, obligations, benefits and concessions agreed at Uruguay, and by the failure of Seattle to address that imbalance. We hope that the Doha decision to launch a new round will lead to a meaningful resolution of these critical developing country concerns. We are convinced that sustained economic and social progress for the developing world will be achievable only within the framework of a fair, equitable and inclusive trading arrangement that gives due recognition to the differences in size and level of development of Member States.

We welcome the agreement on drug patents, which represents a major victory for the efforts of developing countries to respond to their priority public health needs and is of great significance in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

The impact of the 11 September events on the Caribbean has been immediate and severe. The economic repercussions have served to emphasize the extreme fragility and vulnerability of our small States in the international economy. The countries of the Caribbean Community, whose economies are heavily dependent on tourism and financial services, have joined forces to coordinate a regional emergency response and recovery strategy to mitigate the effects of the crisis.

It is clear, however, that responses at the national and regional levels alone will be inadequate to deal with the magnitude of this unprecedented situation. In the words of the Prime Minister of Barbados, the Right Honourable Owen Arthur:

"the international financial community has traditionally required developing countries to rely heavily on policy responses to deal with economic crisis. But the situation that we face has not been caused by policy failure, recklessness or financial excesses by developing countries.

"Policy responses without the commitment of real financial resources will therefore not suffice. Barbados therefore stands ready to support a well-conceived response from the international financial community to the crisis at hand."

It is the mission of the United Nations to promote the peaceful coexistence and the political, social and economic welfare of the world's peoples. It is in this context that we must recognize the significance of the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance and renew our confidence in the capacity of multilateral organizations to resolve differences and promote a sense of shared values. This Conference presented a unique opportunity for countries to take a proactive approach in defusing both historic and contemporary conflicts and in coming to terms with the injustices of the past and creating new understandings for the future.

We regret that in many respects the Conference did not get the serious high-level attention it deserved and that the treatment of its fundamental issues was less wide-ranging and definitive than we would have wished. In the words of Professor Hilary Beckles, of the Barbados delegation:

"The crisis of modernity that finds expression in spiralling racial hatred, xenophobia and related intolerance is not the sole burden of any one part of the global community, even though the victims of the crimes of which I speak continue to feel in the course of everyday life the kind of pain and anguish not easily imagined by others."

The citizens of the Caribbean are a transplanted people, who have forged from the crucible of slavery, colonialism and economic exploitation a vibrant, pluralistic, multiracial society built on tolerance and respect for ethnic, religious and cultural diversity. In these difficult times, we believe that there is much that can be learned from our experiences and much that can be done to promote the culture of peace and understanding, especially among the youth. In this regard, Barbados attaches importance to the early convening of the General Assembly special session on children and to a rededication of efforts to achieve the international development targets already set.

We would do well to remember that, in the words of the Secretary-General, "none of the issues that faced us on 10 September has become less urgent". Indeed, it would be an unfortunate irony if the global response to terrorism were conducted in such a manner -- through the massive redeployment of resources from other priorities, such as the fight against narcotics trafficking, extreme poverty, disease and environmental degradation -- as to further exacerbate the economic, political and cultural instabilities which are the primary breeding ground for terrorism.

Small countries like my own are not part of the problem, but we are nevertheless required to be part of the solution, in circumstances that place a disproportionate burden on our financial, human and administrative resources, which had already been struggling to respond to the global economic recession.

Barbados remains fully committed to the United Nations system and to the values it seeks to promote. We are keenly aware of the important work the United Nations continues to carry out in the eastern Caribbean. We are pleased to provide tangible support for that work through the provision of purpose-built headquarters to house the seven agencies whose subregional offices are located in Bridgetown. We will continue to work closely with the agencies in developing a model partnership for eastern Caribbean development.

In this context, we welcome the support of the United Nations Development Programme, in partnership with the International Monetary Fund and the Government of Canada, for the Caribbean Technical Assistance Centre, which was inaugurated last week in Barbados. We look forward to similar levels of United Nations cooperation for other important programmes, in particular that of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP), whose work is providing critical support to the region in an extremely volatile international economic and security environment.

Two years ago, the Prime Minister of Barbados emphasized that we were leaving the twentieth century and entering the twenty-first conscious of the dangers, but excited by the prospects. Recent events must not be allowed to dampen our optimism. We must remain firm in the hope that humanity possesses the fortitude and determination to triumph in the face of extreme adversity, and that respect for diversity, human dignity and the sanctity of human life will prevail.

We are not expected to complete this task, but neither are we at liberty to abstain from it.

The Acting President

I give the floor to His Excellency The Honourable Mr. Elvin Nimrod, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Grenada.

Mr. Nimrod (Grenada)

At the outset, my delegation extends profound sympathy to the families of the victims who lost their lives on the flight to the Dominican Republic.

The rescheduled general debate now convened, well into the work of the fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly, only serves to reconfirm our awareness of Mr. Han's great diplomatic and communicative skills. For this, my delegation thanks and congratulates him once again. Under his competent leadership we hope this will be a fruitful and decisive session of the Assembly.

This being my first opportunity, may I take the stand, on behalf of the Government and people of Grenada, to heartily congratulate the Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Kofi Annan, and the United Nations on the designation as recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Just as the fifty-fifth session was the Millennium Assembly of joy, hope and optimism, this fifty-sixth session, by contrast, can be called the unpredictable Assembly of challenge and adversity, from which the international community can nevertheless derive strength and unity in the pursuit of a common enemy who will eventually be found and brought to justice.

The challenge and uncertainty have come about because terrorism now threatens the entire civilized world. The catastrophic and traumatic events of 11 September have changed not only the lives of individuals, for whom we grieve so painfully, but it has also changed the modus vivendi and the modus operandi of our present-day civilization in many respects. If this cloud of hatred and revenge is allowed to prevail, history will long remember that evil triumphed due to inaction.

Thus, the broad international coalition brought together by the United States of America and supported by Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) and General Assembly resolution 56/1 stands as a bulwark ready to break the immoral and physical backbone of terrorism. Grenada fully supports and endorses resolution 1373 (2001), which sets out important measures that countries -- large and small, rich and poor -- must all take together to prevent and combat terrorists in our jurisdictions or wherever they may be found.

The newly formed Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee, under the chairmanship of the Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom, is a welcome and laudable effort in the struggle that deserves the backing and support of all Member States morally, strategically and financially. In addition, it is soliciting assistance from persons with particular skills in the performance of special functions.

The Government of Grenada has already begun to take steps within its jurisdiction to implement measures within our capacity that prevent and suppress the financing of terrorists acts. Our priority to prevent those who finance, plan, facilitate or commit terrorist acts from using Grenada for those purposes against other States or their citizens, as well as to find ways to intensify and accelerate the exchange and sharing of information. Grenada is examining its administrative and other processes with a view to improving efficiency in this regard.

We are active in the global fight against terrorism. Grenada is cooperating with the United States authorities to ensure that there are no terrorist funds in any of our offshore institutions. Further, Grenada has thoroughly examined its economic citizenship programme to ensure that no known terrorists had inadvertently been granted citizenship. We are now confident that no such person is an economic citizen of Grenada. In light of the changed global environment and our commitment to assist in the fight against terrorism in any way we can, the Government of Grenada has taken the decision to suspend indefinitely the economic citizenship programme.

Moreover, Grenada continues to intensify its participation in regional and international cooperation efforts as we seek to ensure that there are no gaps in the global framework for the fight against this heinous crime. Grenada will reinforce and extend its international cooperation arrangements in the field of justice, policing and law enforcement.

The Government of Grenada fully supports the development of a comprehensive and effective legal framework to combat terrorism. My country has begun a review of international conventions already in place, with a view to signing, ratifying and fully implementing them. Those not yet in effect will be implemented. Some of these conventions are within the United Nations system, while others are of a regional or hemispheric nature. Priority is being given to the existing 12 United Nations international conventions against terrorism -- in particular, the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism.

It is necessary for the international community to send a clear and unambiguous signal to terrorists that their philosophy is fundamentally wrong and totally unacceptable. We must stand united in our efforts to combat and eliminate activities aimed at killing innocent people and destroying communities. The Government of Grenada joins the Caribbean Community in pledging our full support of efforts to confront terrorism and restore the rights and freedom of people the world over. My delegation would like to focus for a few moments on the impact that this dastardly act has had nationally, regionally and internationally.

In my country, as elsewhere in the Caribbean, the effect of the global economic turbulence has hit the tourism and aviation sectors hardest. Tourism, the hotel industry and aviation play a synergistic role that is crucial to the economies of most small States in terms of foreign exchange and employment.

The subregion had already begun to feel the effects of the international economic downturn, which caused the deterioration of our fortunes. But it is clear that since the terrorist attacks on the United States of America, Grenada and the other members of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) are suffering from further reduction in economic activities. We are now severely challenged.

We are experiencing shortfalls in revenue collection. Our tourism sector is experiencing a drastic reduction in visitor arrivals. Indeed, the International Monetary Fund predicts that arrivals in the Caribbean region could fall short by as much as 50 per cent. Our air and marine transport are also experiencing severe reductions. Regional air carriers have registered as much as a 45 per cent fall in passenger load since 11 September.

The picture looks bleak, but we are determined that our response must prevent the devastation envisioned by the perpetrators of terror. Soon after 11 September, the Prime Minister of Grenada and Chairman of the OECS, The Honourable Dr. Keith Mitchell, convened a meeting of OECS to discuss the impact on tourism and related activities -- hotels, banks, agriculture, manufacturing and transportation. The subregional meeting of OECS took a number of decisions that will respond to our economic challenges. One such measure is the formation of the Grenada National Economic Council. This will give effect to the revival of sustainable tourism. It will address fiscal and economic performance, and it will give impetus to productivity. In addition, only recently in the Bahamas, the Caribbean Community heads of Government met and approved an $18 million joint public/private sector emergency tourism promotion programme, demonstrating self-help at its best in the region.

The events of 11 September, with the ensuing economic and geopolitical instability, have propelled us to reorder our priorities. We need to focus on restoring confidence in international economic and multilateral cooperation. As we all know, the member States of the World Trade Organization do not participate on a level playing field. The developing world is still struggling to bridge the economic and social divide in our global community. Some were not in favour of the second round of negotiations. Yet some States were willing to put their differences aside and endeavour to march towards the next stage of economic and multilateral cooperation. This is clearly what we aspire to in this august body.

While concerns about terrorism have dominated the general debate, and rightly so, mention must be made of the unfinished agenda of the last decade of the twentieth century with respect to social and economic development, central to which is the human person.

The following United Nations summit-level conferences, which have been held in the past 10 years, have all stressed sustainable development and the centrality of the human person in the process: the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992; the World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna in 1993; the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo in 1994; the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen in 1995; the Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) in Istanbul in 1996; the World Food Summit in Rome in 1996; the Millennium Summit in 2000; and the special session of the General Assembly on HIV/AIDS in 2001.

The question is: How much of the outcome of these conferences has been implemented with respect to poverty alleviation, the empowerment of women, health, education, children and the elderly, trade liberalization, economic cooperation, and the sharing and transfer of technology? Could it be that these conferences and special sessions promised more than they could deliver? Promising too much is as bad as doing too little.

The fight against poverty underpins all of those things. To feed the hungry is both a divine and a social imperative. Thus, the international community is particularly concerned that the International Conference on Financing for Development to be held next year in Mexico and the World Summit for Sustainable Development to be held in South Africa, both so important for small States, should yield positive results. The Barbados Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States is still a major and unfulfilled component of the process of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, and it should be high on the implementation agenda this time around.

For more than 40 years an embargo has existed against a small country in the Caribbean. What this has done is to ostracize the Cuban people and cause them undue hardship. What it has achieved is to make the Cuban people more innovative. The old wounds have healed, the pain has dulled and the cause has diminished. I wish to register Grenada's support for the removal of the United States of America's economic embargo on Cuba. Members will recall that last year 167 Member States voted in favour of the removal of that embargo. Only three voted against and four abstained. That shows the overwhelming position of the international community against those sanctions. Trade, as we know, is important for the development of any people, and with the embargo there is no freedom of trade between Cuba and the United States.

In the wake of the devastation caused in Cuba by hurricane Michelle, it is now critical that steps be taken to remove the embargo and to give the Cuban people a chance to recover from that unstoppable force of nature. The easing of the economic embargo against Cuba could assist in the overall development of that country, a small nation seeking against all odds to maintain a modern, dynamic society in the Caribbean and in Latin America. The lifting of the embargo would augur well for friendly cooperative relations among all the countries of this hemisphere.

Now, I turn to the issue of the Republic of China on Taiwan. Grenada believes that a country that exhibits fortitude and that has moved its economy from poor and underdeveloped to affluent and prosperous deserves recognition. A country that consistently shows international responsibility surely deserves to be admitted to this community of nations. The time has come to reconsider the exclusion of the Republic of China on Taiwan from membership of the United Nations. The Republic of China is home to 23 million people. It is a free and democratic country, and a peace-loving member of the international community. In economic terms, the Republic of China on Taiwan is the seventeenth largest economy in the world, the eighth largest investor in and fourth largest exporter of information technology products, and the third largest holder of foreign reserves. It is preposterous to continue to keep such a country outside the world body.

The Government of Grenada appeals for that wrong to be corrected. We are therefore requesting that the United Nations recognize the natural right of the people of Taiwan to become active participants in this Organization. We believe that the Government and the people of Taiwan are seeking to participate in the United Nations and to contribute constructively to the international community. Grenada urges that they be given that opportunity and that right.

Grenada, however, notes with satisfaction the admission of the Republic of China on Taiwan into the World Trade Organisation. It is the hope of my delegation that the past, present and future performance of Taiwan as a major democratic and international economic player, although Taiwan is not now a member of the United Nations, will in the not-too-distant future enable it to regain its rightful place in the family of nations.

The United Nations membership must make Article 3 of the Charter a major priority in the next few years. Our founding fathers called for the Organization

"To achieve international cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion."

We must do all in our power to provide added economic opportunities for the developing world. We believe that trade is one avenue to achieve this. I therefore call on the Economic and Social Council actively to pursue undertakings that could create an encouraging atmosphere in which Member States could have the opportunity to raise the standard of living of their peoples. In the current global environment, we must be conscious that inclusion in the processes of the global economy is vital.

Finally, I must recall Article 1 of the United Nations Charter, which calls for the Organization

"To maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace."

We must be relentless in our pursuit of the purposes of the Organization. Our challenge is to work towards the elimination of terrorist activities. Our quest must be for economic opportunities for all States. And our goal should be the peaceful coexistence of all peoples of the international community.

The Acting President

I now invite His Excellency Mr. Leonardo Santos Simão, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Mozambique, to take the floor.

Mr. Simão (Mozambique)

I wish to congratulate His Excellency Mr. Han Seung-soo upon his election to preside over the General Assembly at its fifty-sixth session, and to express my confidence that with his skilful guidance, his leadership and his outstanding experience our deliberations will be crowned with success. Allow me also to pay a special tribute to His Excellency Mr. Harri Holkeri for the excellent manner in which he conducted the affairs of the General Assembly at its fifty-fifth session. I wish him success in his future endeavours.

On behalf of the people and the Government of Mozambique, I would like to extend our congratulations to His Excellency Mr. Kofi Annan on his well-deserved election to the post of Secretary-General for a second term, as well as on having won the Nobel Peace Prize this year. We hail his re-election and the Noble Peace Prize awarded to him and to the United Nations as recognition of his and the Organization's tireless efforts in the search for viable and lasting solutions to the problems facing humanity.

Allow me to express our sympathy to the Government and the people of Algeria with regard to the loss of life and property caused by the recent floods in that sisterly country. Mozambique, having been the victim of terrible floods over two consecutive years, shares the sorrow of the Algerian people.

We also express our condolences to the Government and the people of the United States of America and of the Dominican Republic on the tragedy which resulted from the plane crash last Monday here in New York.

On 11 September, we witnessed the most barbaric terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. We are deeply shocked at the loss of thousands of innocent lives.

We wish to avail ourselves of this opportunity to reiterate once again the condolences of the Government and the people of the Republic of Mozambique to the Government and the people of the United States of America on the tragic and unjustifiable deaths of their citizens. We express our sympathy and solidarity with all of the victims and the families that have lost their loved ones.

We reiterate our condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, regardless of its origin or place of occurrence, or of the race or religion of those who perpetrate it. Terrorism represents a serious threat to international peace and security as well as to friendly relations among peoples and nations worldwide.

The struggle against this scourge requires concerted action by the whole international community, within the framework of the United Nations, for the target of this evil is not a single nation or people but humankind as a whole.

It is therefore crucial that all United Nations Member States work together towards signing and ratifying all of the conventions and protocols related to the eradication of this enemy of humanity. These conventions represent the legal foundation upon which we can build our collective action against international terrorism.

The work that is under way for the elaboration of a comprehensive convention on international terrorism constitutes a further effort to reinforce the international community's resolve to face the challenge of eliminating the scourge of terrorism.

Mozambique came about as the result of the exercise by Mozambicans of their inalienable right to self-determination. Therefore, Mozambicans know well from their own experience what terrorism is all about. But they are also aware of the distinction between terrorism and the legitimate struggle of peoples for their freedom and independence.

Mozambique is ready to participate in a global discussion on this issue, as an important and useful initiative to formulate a joint organized response to international terrorism, so that the targets of our common struggle against terrorism are clearly defined.

Conscious of the need for the effective implementation of national measures to combat terrorism as a way to complement the international legal regime, Mozambique has already initiated a comprehensive review of international legal instruments to combat and eliminate terrorism, with a view to ratifying and adhering to them.

In this context, Mozambique signed, on 11 November, the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism. However, it is clear to us that, for an effective implementation of this and other legal instruments, Mozambique needs support from the international community to strengthen its institutions -- namely the police, the judiciary, the financial system and the State prosecutor's office.

Last year, our heads of State and Government met here during the Millennium Summit to reaffirm their faith in the United Nations and in its Charter as indispensable foundations for a just, peaceful and more prosperous world.

The leaders set specific targets to halve the proportion of people who live in extreme poverty, to provide clean water and basic education for all, to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS and to achieve other development goals. They called for the strengthening of United Nations peace operations so that vulnerable communities can count on them in their hour of need. They committed themselves to fighting injustice and inequality, terror and crime, and to meeting the special needs of Africa. In order to achieve these lofty goals, all Member States should display political will and the determination to turn these commitments into concrete actions at the international, regional and national levels.

The holding by the United Nations of the special sessions of the General Assembly on HIV/AIDS and on Habitat, the Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects and the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance represent bold steps towards resolving the various problems affecting humanity and constitute concrete steps in the implementation of the provisions of the Millennium Declaration.

Mozambique is proud of having played an active role in contributing to the promising outcome of the United Nations Conference on small arms and light weapons. We are confident that the commitments assumed at that Conference will contribute decisively towards preventing, combating and eradicating the illicit trade in, and proliferation of, small arms and light weapons.

We should continuously and critically assess the progress made in each area of commitment, with a view to translating into reality the aspirations and needs of our peoples. Each subsequent session of the General Assembly should be used to assess the degree of progress made in the implementation of the declared commitment towards specific targets. To this end, we should ensure that follow-up mechanisms are put in place and effectively enhanced for the successful implementation of the plans of action adopted.

As we take on the daunting task of pursuing the goals of the Millennium Summit, we need to work together in a spirit of partnership and cooperation.

Today we are living in a world in which a few countries are reaping the benefits of globalization, while the majority, particularly in Africa, are increasingly being marginalized by the global economy. Consequently, these increasing inequalities and asymmetries aggravate poverty, fuel conflicts and threaten international security, stability, democracy and peace.

To reverse this negative trend, we call upon all developed countries to fulfil their commitment with regard to official development assistance, increase the levels of foreign direct investment in poor countries, and to cancel the external debt of the heavily indebted poor countries.

It is disturbing to note that in Africa 340 million people -- half of the population of the continent -- live on less than $1 per day. The mortality rate for children under five years of age is about 140 per 1,000, and life expectancy at birth is only 54 years. Only 58 per cent of the population has access to safe water; the rate of illiteracy for people over 15 is 41 per cent; and there are only 18 main telephone lines per 1,000 people in Africa, compared with 145 for the world as a whole and 567 for high-income economies.

This appalling situation requires a strong and clear commitment on the part of us all -- Africans first and foremost -- the international community and other relevant stakeholders.

The establishment of the African Union during the thirty-seventh Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of the African Unity is recognition that only by pooling our efforts can we find effective solutions to problems affecting the continent. This effort deserves the support of the international community, so that a solid union and strong integration can become a reality in Africa.

The New Partnership for African Development is an initiative aimed at setting an agenda for the renewal of the continent, based on national and regional priorities and on development plans prepared through a participatory process. It foresees a new framework of interaction with the rest of the world, including the industrialized countries and multilateral organizations. The encouragement given by the G-8 Summit and other multilateral institutions in Genoa, Italy, last July is much appreciated.

We are also encouraged by the commitment assumed by ministers and heads of delegations at the high-level segment of the substantive session of the Economic and Social Council held in Geneva last July, in welcoming the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) and calling on the United Nations system and the international community to support it. The invitation extended by the Council to the Secretary-General to take the necessary measures to ensure an effective and coordinated response of the United Nations system is a good course of action aimed at promoting sustainable development and active participation of Africa in the world economy. The African leadership and ownership of the NEPAD must be guaranteed during its implementation.

Conflicts are one of the main obstacles to development, particularly in Africa. In order to find durable solutions to conflicts, we need to focus our actions on prevention measures and address the root causes of conflict. In this regard, prevention should be aimed at addressing, inter alia, poverty, governance, human rights abuses, hunger, endemic diseases and underdevelopment. The success of this action requires national ownership based on partnership between the Government and civil society.

Beyond the preventive measures, we should also think how we can effectively implement sound strategies for conflict resolution and management. The comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects contained in the Brahimi report provides sound recommendations to improve the effectiveness of peacekeeping. It emphasizes the need for effective command and control structures, enhanced levels of interoperability, as well as the importance of training troops to understand and operate with more robust rules of engagement. We believe that the recommendations contained in the report will be effective if more resources are allocated to peacekeeping activities, particularly in Africa, and if the response to actual conflicts are timely, so as to avoid the application of double standards.

Initiatives undertaken by regions and subregions aimed at conflict prevention, management and resolution should be supported and endowed with the resources they need to build their capacity to act effectively. The Organization of African Unity Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution should be enhanced and consolidated to better give appropriate and timely responses to conflicts affecting Africa.

The international community should continue to assist Africa in searching for the peaceful resolution of conflicts, particularly in Sierra Leone and Somalia, as well as in Western Sahara, when a United Nations plan has been agreed to by all parties to the conflict.

It is worth noting that within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) we are strongly engaged in activities aimed at tackling conflicts affecting the region. As the current chair of the SADC Organ for Politics, Defence and Security, Mozambique, in close cooperation with the other member States, will spare no efforts to promote peace and security, through conflict prevention and resolution.

SADC will continue to work with the United Nations and all cooperating partners to bring about lasting peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola and in other conflicts on the continent. The partnership between SADC and the United Nations should be continuously maintained and nurtured in the spirit of the Brahimi report.

As the chair of the Community of the Portuguese-Speaking Countries, Mozambique is also engaged in the current efforts to bring about lasting solutions to the problems still affecting some of Community's member States. The Community is happy to welcome East Timor, which will proclaim its independence in May 2002 as a result of our joint, concerted efforts with the East Timorese people.

We are committed to the efforts made by SADC members to eradicate poverty, combat HIV/AIDS and better respond to challenges posed by globalization, as a way to prevent conflicts. We are also supportive of the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan within SADC, which aims at boosting the region's development agenda for the coming decade.

Political dialogue, consensus building, partnership and cooperation are a must and should be pursued vigorously. We believe that the World Trade Organization Ministerial Meeting in Doha, the forthcoming International Conference on Financing for Development and the World Summit on Sustainable Development provide unique opportunities to collectively produce an integrated and effective mechanism for the eradication of poverty and the overall implementation of the development goals set out in the Millennium Declaration and in the plan of action for the Least Developed Countries.

It is our expectation that the Monterrey Conference will be instrumental in reshaping the world economic order, giving it more equity and fairness. To that end, the Conference must resolutely address the steady decline of official development assistance and foreign direct investment, untie development aid (as already done by the United Kingdom, which we salute), reform the international financial architecture and provide a sustainable solution to the debt crisis through broad, deep and faster debt relief mechanisms, including total debt cancellation for least developed countries.

The World Summit on Sustainable Development should allow us to assess the implementation of Agenda 21, as well as devising appropriate strategies to further pursue this daunting challenge. In Johannesburg, we should strive to ensure the right balance between environmental protection and socio-economic development, while making poverty eradication our highest priority and fully reinstating the principle of common but differentiated responsibility. This is perfectly consistent with the Rio spirit embodied in Agenda 21, a blueprint that should be absolutely endorsed; we should avoid any renegotiation of Agenda 21.

In Mozambique the incidence of poverty reaches about 70 per cent of the population. To address this negative picture, the Government approved an action plan for the reduction of absolute poverty, commonly known as PARPA, for the period 2001-2005. The strategic vision of PARPA is founded on two imperatives: the need to maintain peace and stability and the need for rapid, sustained and broad-based growth, where private initiatives play an important role. The programme has gained strong support from the meeting of the Consultative Group that was held recently in Maputo and a boost from Mozambican debt reduction, made within the framework of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. Mozambique is greatly thankful to all its cooperating partners for the support pledged at the Consultative Group meeting and for the enhanced HIPC. We hope for a quick implementation of the commitments made, so that our resolve to combat poverty can be a success.

Looking at the longer term, the Government of Mozambique launched a national initiative, Agenda 2025, a strategy based on a constructive dialogue on the future of Mozambique. The Agenda aims at creating, through a participatory and inclusive process, a national strategic vision for development, as well as strengthening the Government's and civil society's ability to define and implement national policies and projects.

The fight against HIV/AIDS is another priority for the Government of Mozambique, for which it has adopted a national strategic plan that focuses on prevention and reduction of the impact of the disease. The plan places the human being at the centre of action and is directed at the vulnerable groups of the society, including women, orphaned children and youth, particularly girls. In this endeavour, the Government has adopted a multisector approach, with the active involvement of all stakeholders, including our civil society.

Because HIV/AIDS is a global problem, combating it calls for a global solution, and we commend the United Nations for having proposed the creation of a Global AIDS and Health Fund to combat HIV/AIDS. The Fund will contribute positively to the prevention and combat of this epidemic, which gravely affects the region of sub-Saharan Africa.

Floods affected Mozambique in the years 2000 and 2001 consecutively, which resulted in loss of life and production and damage to infrastructure, including roads, schools, hospitals and houses, and forced people to flee from their lands and abandon their belongings. These catastrophes posed a serious setback to the development of our country.

We are encouraged by the outcome of the Post-Flood Reconstruction Conference, held in Maputo in July 2001, at which the Government of Mozambique presented the reconstruction programme for the central region of the country, following the devastation caused by the floods in the early part of 2001. At that Conference, the Government also had the opportunity to report on progress made on the implementation of the programme that had been presented at the International Reconstruction Conference on Mozambique in Rome in May 2000. Once again, we wish to thank all those who extended assistance to our country. The Government of Mozambique also appreciates the contribution of the United Nations system and the international community at large in our efforts to consolidate peace, to strengthen democratic institutions and to promote development.

In conclusion, I would like to reaffirm my country's faith in the United Nations and its Charter, for they both remain indispensable foundations for a just, peaceful and more prosperous world.

The Acting President

I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Seyoum Mesfin, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia.

Mr. Mesfin (Ethiopia)

At the outset, allow me to express my sincere congratulations to the President on his election to lead the fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly. I am fully confident that under his presidency, we will have productive discussions and reach a fruitful conclusion. I would also like to convey my appreciation to the outgoing President for his conduct of the work of the last session.

Let me also take this opportunity to once again convey my Government's warmest congratulations to our Secretary-General on his appointment to lead our Organization for a second term. Indeed, his re-election is well deserved. We are also delighted that the United Nations and the Secretary-General were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for this year. It is a testimony to and a recognition of the important work the United Nations has been doing.

It is now over two months since the terrible events of 11 September. What happened on that day touched not only the people of the United States but also the whole world. Not only because scores of countries lost nationals, but also because New York, the seat of the United Nations, is in many ways the capital of the world. The terrorists might have succeeded in committing this unimaginable and barbaric crime, but we have no doubt that they have failed to extinguish the hope and vitality that New York symbolizes and embodies.

Terrorism is not new to Ethiopia. For the past 10 years, we have been victims of terrorist attacks, and we have combated it. That is why we remain committed to doing our utmost to enhance the international effort to root out terrorism.

Over the long term, terrorism will be defeated when the ideological cover it is wearing is removed and shown to be empty. But this can be achieved only when those who are capable of perpetrating heinous crimes are not only denied safe havens, but also deprived of any alibi. This is where, among other things, the fight against poverty becomes all the more critical.

The fight against poverty is not as elusive as the fight against terrorism. For the former, we know the causes, and we know how to fight it and which tools to use. What we lack is the global political will to act. The grimness of conditions in Africa in this regard is obvious. There is no need for me to go into detail regarding the statistics on the situation in Africa.

African leaders have taken the conclusions of the Millennium Assembly a step further and have come up with the New African Initiative, now called the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). They have drawn a broad plan on how to bring peace, security and development to a continent that has been plagued by conflict, overwhelmed with insecurity and mired in underdevelopment. The main thrust of the initiative is that we in Africa have duly acknowledged the responsibility for our continent's fate. Hence, we fully accept that peace, security, democracy, good governance and sound economic management are essential conditions for economic growth and sustainable development. At the same time, we are fully aware that Africa at present lacks the required resources and capacity to implement this initiative. This new African initiative thus calls for a complementary obligation on the part of the international community.

I would like to point out the importance of this mutual obligation. Without it, we cannot look forward to the future with confidence; without it, the consequences are bound to be grave. This is the challenge that we face in Africa. The international community must confront it with renewed vigour and dedication.

On the subject of our national effort to seize the opportunity presented by the prevailing peace in my country, I have the pleasure to inform the Assembly that we are now back on track in terms of playing our proper role for peace and investing all our energy and resources in fighting poverty at the national level. This is a war, and we count on our partners to stand with us in waging it. Our strategy in fighting poverty touches on everything we do -- in politics, diplomacy and the economic domain.

We want to succeed in the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic affecting our country. This major scourge must be defeated. We are determined to fight against corruption, and our record is unambiguous in this area. We are committed to pursuing this without any let-up.

I would now like to turn to the political and security situation in our subregion, which, for obvious reasons, is critical for us, as it should be a source of concern for the international community.

The problem in Somalia needs to be resolved as speedily as possible. There is no reason why the situation should be allowed to continue festering, to the detriment of the people of Somalia and of the subregion in general. The parties to the conflict have to sit down without preconditions to establish a broad-based Government. That is what was called for by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development at the meeting at the summit level in November 2000. This has to be implemented. This is the most viable alternative. To do less would amount to abandoning Somalia for international terrorists to wreak havoc there and in the subregion. The establishment of a broad-based Government in Somalia that includes all the major political forces in the country is a crucial step towards peace-making in Somalia, for which there is no substitute. Ethiopia intends, along with other members of the IGAD subcommittee on Somalia, to play a more proactive role for the realization of this objective.

We are also prepared to do our level best to assist in the process of national reconciliation in Sudan. We plan to be more active in this undertaking as well. We believe that to bring the peace process forward, the will and determination of the parties is critical. But they need to be assisted, and assist we will, in good faith and with all the necessary responsibility.

With regard to the situation between Ethiopia and Eritrea and the implementation of the Algiers Peace Agreement, it is neither prudent nor proper for me to conceal from the international community both our disappointment and, more importantly, our growing concern. But let me, right from the outset, lest I be misunderstood, make one important point absolutely clear. Ethiopia is committed to the peace process and to the scrupulous implementation of the Algiers Agreement. This is how we intend to continue in the future. We want the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) to succeed.

However, success in this or in any other conflict situation cannot be achieved by the efforts of one of the parties alone. This describes the situation we are facing in the peace process between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Prudence dictates that we call a spade a spade. Eritrea is not complying with the Algiers Agreement, an agreement which we believe is fair and in the interest of both parties to protect.

The Temporary Security Zone established by the Algiers Agreement is required to be a demilitarized zone separating the two forces. This is the most critical provision of the Algiers Agreement, whose violation would logically unravel the whole peace process. Eritrea has continued to refuse to maintain the integrity of the Temporary Security Zone as a demilitarized buffer area between the two forces. Regrettably, this violation is taking place under UNMEE's nose. We have continued to complain, but in vain.

UNMEE might have felt that Eritrea's compliance would eventually be secured through appeasement and by ignoring Ethiopia's legitimate concern. But our experience has made it unmistakably clear that appeasement has never worked with Eritrea. And it is not working now. What we have started witnessing lately is an ever-increasing mobilization of troops by Eritrea along the common border. Under these circumstances, lack of vigilance on the part of UNMEE and its policy of appeasement appears to be making another round of fighting close to inevitable. The Eritrean authorities might have felt that tension along the common border is useful in the light of domestic political necessities. It might serve a purpose for diverting popular attention from the domestic front, but it is manifestly reckless and dangerous. Under the circumstances, we call on the United Nations, as a co-guarantor of the Algiers Peace Agreement, to shoulder its full responsibility to ensure that the Agreement is scrupulously followed. The Security Council should send an unambiguous message to Eritrea to immediately desist from all actions that endanger the peace process.

UNMEE needs to wake up and take Ethiopia's real concern seriously. Let there be no doubt about Ethiopia's continuing commitment to the scrupulous observance of the Algiers Agreement and to the peace process. Ethiopia will continue to do this faithfully. Ethiopia is also equally determined to respond to real threats, and reserves its right to act in self-defence.

Mr. Mesfin (Ethiopia)

There should be no doubt about Ethiopia's commitment to peace and stability and to carrying out its responsibilities to the best of its abilities on matters that affect the international community as a whole first of all in its own subregion and in Africa. Its commitment to the United Nations endures. Ethiopia is a country that has always been true to principles of international law and to their scrupulous observance. We are proud of this tradition and we cherish it. This is a tradition we will continue to be guided by.

The Acting President

I now call on His Excellency Mr. Mervyn Assam, Minister for Enterprise Development and Foreign Affairs of Trinidad and Tobago.

Mr. Assam (Trinidad and Tobago)

Trinidad and Tobago would like to congratulate the President on his election to preside over the fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly. His unanimous endorsement by both his regional group and all Member States is testimony of the high esteem in which he and his country are held by the Organization. He may rest assured of the full cooperation of my delegation as he engages in the task of presiding over the work of the United Nations.

The Government of Trinidad and Tobago takes this opportunity to thank Mr. Harri Holkeri, President of the Assembly at its fifty-fifth session, for the skilful manner in which he guided the Organization during his tenure.

My delegation also congratulates the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, on his election to serve this body for a second term. Mr. Annan has brought a unique vision and a sense of purpose to the United Nations, engendering in the Organization a renewed spirit to address the issues confronting the international community at the dawn of this century. In so doing he has sought to put the basic rights and collective aspirations of human beings at the centre of the work of the United Nations. It is not surprising therefore that both Mr. Annan and the Organization that he so effectively heads should this year be recipients of one of the world's most coveted and prestigious awards, the Nobel Prize for Peace. Trinidad and Tobago extends to them its most sincere congratulations.

It is with an equal sense of pride that I also feel compelled to mention that the twin island State of Trinidad and Tobago is the birthplace of another of this year's Nobel laureates, Sir Vidiadhar Naipaul, recipient of the Prize for Literature.

It is propitious that 2001 was proclaimed the Year of Dialogue among Civilizations by the General Assembly. It is a clear acknowledgement by the international community that it is only through dialogue that the voices of diverse peoples, and their approaches to the many challenges that face them, find expression. Indeed, tolerance and respect for diversity remain key components of the strategies that must be developed to address these concerns. Dialogue that is fair and free of fear speaks not merely of a civilized society but of a society that will endure. History will judge us, not by our so-called progress, but by what we as people, as nation States and as a world community allow to endure.

In this regard, the fundamental values enshrined in the Millennium Declaration are so integral to this process that they can never be overemphasized. They provide the much needed guidance required in maintaining focus and commitment as we strive to address these global challenges. Indeed, in the context of unfolding world events, there appears to be a greater and more urgent need to recommit ourselves to the values inherent in dialogue among nations.

Two months ago, in our host city of New York, in Washington, D.C., and in Pennsylvania, the world witnessed the most heinous terrorist assault. Many Member States, including my own, count their citizens among the victims. We have all been affected by the diverse and widening repercussions of that assault. It was a harsh and tragic reminder that we live in a global environment and that events in one country can have an impact on each and every one of us.

We must recognize those vicious acts for what they are. No country is immune from terrorism. We have a collective responsibility to send a strong and clear message that such acts will not go unpunished. Action has been initiated to counter them. Member States must therefore pursue with renewed vigour, at the national and international levels, all appropriate measures designed to combat this scourge against mankind. In keeping with this stance, Trinidad and Tobago has already acceded to 11 of the international conventions against terrorism. Trinidad and Tobago vehemently condemns terrorism in all its manifestations, wherever it occurs.

Acts of terrorism have their origin in the hearts and minds of the misguided. There are now looming threats of recourse to bioterrorism, chemical warfare and even nuclear weapons. The international community should not delude itself that conventional tactics will return that sense of security that many parts of the world enjoyed prior to 11 September. A world forum like the United Nations must address the fundamental underlying causes -- the social, economic, political and psychological conditions that provide a fertile breeding ground for terrorism. We have a moral responsibility to our citizens, to our children and to coming generations, to make the world a better place for them by denying the terrorist his use of fear and intimidation.

Let me extend, on behalf of the Government and the people of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, our condolences to those who lost their lives in the recent tragic aeroplane crash.

Despite the gravity and topical nature of the phenomenon of terrorism, we cannot allow the spectre of terrorism to deter us in our sense of purpose as we pursue developmental