General Assembly Session 61 meeting 15

The President

The Assembly will now hear an address by the President of the Union of the Comoros.

The President

On behalf of the General Assembly, I have the honour to welcome to the United Nations His Excellency Mr. Ahmed Abdallah Sambi, President of the Union of the Comoros, and to invite him to address the Assembly.

President Sambi (Comoros)

Allow me, first of all, on behalf of the people of the Comoros, my Government and in my personal capacity, to sincerely congratulate you, Madam President, on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty-first session. I am convinced that your eminent qualities will enable you to skilfully guide the work of this General Assembly. And I assure you of my readiness to work with you towards the successful accomplishment of the difficult mission entrusted to you by our General Assembly.

I take advantage of this opportunity to address our Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, and to express my deepest gratitude for the total and resolute commitment that he has always shown as head of our ideals. We are all aware of the immeasurable efforts that he consistently deploys to defend the noble causes of our institution -- the fight against poverty, the maintenance of peace in the world, to list but the main ones.

It is a great honour to take the floor today and to address this Assembly in my capacity as the newly elected President of the Union of the Comoros.

Allow me, therefore, at this historic time, to address my deep gratitude to all of the brother countries, to the United Nations system and to the African Union, in particular, for having become engaged in order to ensure that, for the first time, a democratic and peaceful political transition was able to take place in my country following free and transparent elections. That was indeed a first in the Comoros in 30 years of independence.

At this junction, I would like to underline the principal role played by the Republic of South Africa and by its President, Mr. Thabo Mbeki, in monitoring the electoral operations during the last presidential elections held in the Comoros. These elections are an exemplary model for Africa, in spite of certain imperfections.

I wish to convey to the Government and to the brethren people of the Republic of South Africa the sincere gratitude of the people of the Comoros and my personal acknowledgment for the unfailing support that they provided to the process of national reconciliation in the Comoros.

I wish to convey to France, a country with which we have long-standing relations, the gratitude of the people and the Government of the Comoros for the constant support that it continues to provide to our country. We are convinced that France, the home country of human rights and freedoms, will meet the request of my Government to ensure that together we can guarantee a harmonious development in the Comoros, with democracy, the rule of law and good governance.

The People's Republic of China also deserves our deep admiration. With great vigour, this brother country has supported the development of the Comoros, ever since we gained independence more than 30 years ago. Through the quality of its relations, China has earned the friendship of all the people of the Comoros, and I remain convinced that it will continue to provide aid and support for my country's socio-economic development, a matter which remains a priority for my Government.

The Republic of Mauritius deserves a special mention for its invaluable support to my country throughout the national reconciliation process. By hosting the donor conference for the Comoros in December 2005, this brother country has demonstrated its great solidarity with the Comoros. We therefore express to it our deep appreciation here today.

Madagascar is a country with which we enjoy, over and above formal cooperation, very close relations by virtue of good neighbourliness, blood ties, a shared language and commerce, and it will remain a crucial partner for us. Madagascar has consistently demonstrated the importance of preserving common values, in particular through closer ties. I know that with this brother country we still have a long way to travel together, as our destinies are linked.

From this platform, I would be remiss not to convey our sincere gratitude to all other bilateral and multilateral partners of the Comoros, in particular, the League of Arab States, the International Organization of la Francophonie and the European Union, which, through the African Union, has provided valuable support and assistance in recent years in the context of the national reconciliation process.

I would like to thank sincerely the entire international community for the spirit of solidarity often expressed towards my country. Moreover, I remain convinced that the entire international community will continue to support the Comoros to help it complete national reconciliation. This is the sine qua non to ensure that a period of peace and political stability can take root in my country.

The people of the Comoros hope to see an end to the hellish cycle of coups d'état that have spoiled their daily lives over the past three decades. Since my election as President, my Government and I have strived to find the ways and means to promote social and economic development. We are aware of the need to diversify our cooperation abroad and to create conditions that are propitious to investment. On the domestic level, my Government is resolutely committed to fighting corruption and the embezzlement of public funds, to reestablishing an independent and equitable judiciary and we are committed to improving public housing. In order to achieve these goals, we require the backing our partners in support of our own efforts. That is why I make a solemn appeal to this Organization and to its Members to provide diverse forms of aid in order to ensure the success of this task.

I would be remiss if I did not also touch on the major global issues that we face. The situation in the Middle East remains critical. The conflict that occurred in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah deeply hurt us in our flesh and in our hearts. Once again, we question the grounds for waging that war, the reasons for the destruction of economic infrastructure in that brother country, and finally the loss of thousands of lives. My country deeply deplores the shedding of innocent blood in Lebanon and in the Middle East. Why is there so much violence? Why is there so much suffering? Why is there so much inhumanity?

What is there to say about the situation in Palestine where the same scenario persists with its toll of martyrs, children and women who are victims of blind bombing? It is high time for the international community, working within the framework of the United Nations, to respond and to put an end to that conflict by ensuring that a negotiated solution is reached promptly.

We have the right to ask why the situation in Iraq remains catastrophic. It would be a shameful lie to say that we do not awake each day, learning of a growing number of deaths in each community in Iraq.

In Africa, even though some conflicts have been settled, instability and the risk of war and the threat of war still persist in Chad, the Darfur region of the Sudan, Côte d'Ivoire, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia, just to mention some instances.

The question of Moroccan Sahara in no way leaves us indifferent. It is high time that the international community uses the prestige of the United Nations to expedite a solution based on law to that long-standing dispute. In any such situation, only the application of international law can guarantee the restoration of legality.

Asia is not spared its share of armed conflicts, for example those in Sri Lanka, Timor and southern Philippines. To mention all such conflicts would be tedious. Wherever or whenever war takes place, armed conflict inevitably results in millions of displaced persons, destroyed economic infrastructure and irreversible human, social and economic tragedy and damage. We must acknowledge and appreciate the vast effort of the international community to ensure that dialogue, discussion and negotiation prevail over force, destruction and war. Our Organization plays a major role in this respect. We must acknowledge that the crucial missions undertaken by the United Nations are irreplaceable.

We live in a time of paradoxes. On the one hand, we are living through an exceptional period marked by extraordinary growth of knowledge and know-how in the areas of technology, science, economic output, information technology and communications, just to mention a few. Yet on the other hand, we continue to devote almost unlimited financial and technical resources to producing more and more weapons capable of destroying our planet. Our countries are caught up in an arms race, instead of concentrating on development and combating disease and poverty.

At a time when science makes possible considerable progress, as I said earlier, the contradiction persists at the start of the twenty-first century that millions of individuals do not have enough to eat, millions of persons are totally destitute, and too often abject poverty, famine and devastating pandemics prevail. Many families live without shelter or in precarious and unhealthy conditions. Side by side with an increasingly prosperous world, more and more people live in increasingly difficult situations. We must ask ourselves how to overcome these contradictions in order to meet the challenges of the future.

Without going into detail, I wish to touch on the root causes of these problems, their consequences and prospects for the future. In my humble opinion, the reasons for these conditions are twofold. The first concerns governance in countries themselves. It will not surprise you to hear that in many countries, especially in the poorest countries, there is injustice, corruption and a lack of respect for fundamental human rights. The second point concerns international governance and all the related problems. While we live in a globalized world, we must recognize that degradation of the environment from uncontrolled pollution by business motivated by easy profit endangers the lives of future generations. In economic terms, we stand by powerless, witnessing deteriorating terms of trade, which plunge the poorest countries into ever-deepening poverty while the richest countries continue increasingly to prosper.

We believe that in order to achieve peace among men, to seek peace among countries and to ensure lasting peace for each and every one, we must prevent and resolve the conflicts and ills that beset our world. We meet in this forum to seek -- and to find -- solutions to the problems that I have touched upon in my statement. The permanent quest for material and social well-being should guide us towards a guarantee of better lives for our children. We must attack the root causes of the conflicts breaking out everywhere in the world. It is crucial that we combat pandemics such as AIDS, which has destroyed millions of people worldwide.

President Sambi (Comoros)

Finally, I wish to use the words of Saint Francis of Assisi who said, "Give us love, my God, so that we might instil it where the forces of evil dominate". May God the almighty and most merciful inspire our decisions to ensure that a time of peace comes upon us and that we see an end to the spilling of the innocent blood of people in countries at war.

President Sambi (Comoros)

The Union of the Comoros has entered into a new period since my accession to the post of head of the supreme Council following the free and transparent elections that were held in May and June. We hope to strengthen our ties with all friendly countries on the basis of mutual respect and common interests. We reaffirm our firm commitment to all international conventions and agreements that seek to ensure peace, well being, security and development for all peoples of the world.

The Comoros occupies a distinct strategic position and embraces many civilizations. In spite of the challenges it faces, the Comoros has managed to preserve its African and Arab identities, and its affiliation with Islam: a religion of love, amity, tolerance and peace.

Our country is among the world's poorest, in spite of the priceless natural resources that we enjoy, such as agriculture, fishing and tourism, in addition to our strategic position in the Mozambique Channel. Incorrect economic politics applied since we gained independence in 1975 and political instability have been among the negative factors that made our country especially poor and backward. Average gross domestic product per capita stands at about $300 per year.

We have therefore developed a far-reaching plan seeking to provide substantial shelter for our population, in place of straw huts. We have sought to establish an independent judiciary in order to ensure the justice and equality of all before the law, and we are combating unemployment and poverty. If we are unable to provide decent and dignified housing and unable to guarantee a minimum of justice, then we will be unable to fight unemployment and poverty.

I would like once again to call upon the international community to continue to provide aid and assistance to my country. I assure members all that their generosity and assistance will reach secure hands and will be used properly and appropriately.

The Acting President

On behalf of the General Assembly, I wish to thank the President of the Union of the Comoros for the statement he has just made.

The Acting President

The Assembly will now hear an address by the President of the Republic of Senegal.

The Acting President

On behalf of the General Assembly, I have the honour to welcome to the United Nations His Excellency Mr. Abdoulaye Wade, President of the Republic of Senegal, and to invite him to address the Assembly.

President Wade (Senegal)

Senegal and the Kingdom of Bahrain have had cordial relations of friendship, which have been enhanced and strengthened by reciprocal confidence and esteem. I am therefore pleased that Ms. Haya Rashed al-Khalifa is presiding over the General Assembly at its sixty-first session, during a key time in the history of our organization. Her election was an act of faith in the ideals of the United Nations and a message of hope for peoples who dream of a fairer, more equitable and more welcoming world for all. I offer her my warmest congratulations and assure her of the full cooperation of the Senegalese delegation as she carries out her high responsibilities in the service of the international community.

I would also like to convey to the Secretary-General a fraternal message of my greatest appreciation and gratitude for the ability and effectiveness with which he has always acted, enabling our Organization to better adapt to the requirements of the new millennium. At a time when he is preparing to leave his high post after 10 years of loyal and good service, it is with a sincere sense of pride that I say to him as an African compatriot, "Mr. Secretary-General, mission accomplished".

Last year, in this very Hall, we renewed our commitment to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. To be sure, since that time, some praiseworthy initiatives have occurred along the way, especially with measures to erase the multilateral debt of 18 least developed countries (LDCs) and to establish a levy on air tickets as a source of financing for development. I salute the efforts made by President Jacques Chirac of France and by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil for their promotion of this innovative mechanism to mobilize resources.

The problem of debt, however, in particular the debt of our continent, remains a hindrance to our development. In reality, the first question we should be asking ourselves, and which we do ask in Africa, regards the evaluation of the debt: to take a look at the overindebtedness of Africa, to see exactly how much we owe, because it turns out that some countries are paying more than they owe. This is why I have long been advocating an x-ray of African debt to see how our countries have ended up in a situation whereby they devote much of their export earnings to paying off debt, contracted sometimes in dubious circumstances, to the detriment of their economic and social development programmes. The vicious circle of debt, compounded by unfair imbalances in international trade owing to agricultural subsidies in wealthy industrialized countries, has been particularly harmful for our farmers.

The failure of the agriculture negotiations in the Doha round, which is still fresh in our memory, shows how far we have yet to go in order to ensure respect by all for the rules of the game, so that world trade can be equally profitable for the giants of agro-business as for the small-scale cotton growers of Senegal, Benin, Burkina Faso and Mali, or for the small-scale coffee planters from Uganda, Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. We say yes to free trade, but it must be fair and equitable.

The dizzying increase in the price of oil and its by-products since 2003 constitutes a new source of concern for non-producer countries. If the current trend continues, many countries will see their years of economic and social development efforts wiped out by the cost of oil. It will then be pointless to expound on the Millennium Development Goals on schooling, universal health care, access to drinking water for all, the fight against unemployment and the eradication of poverty.

In Africa, we have decided to take up the challenge by gathering together, on the initiative of Senegal, in the Association of Non-Oil Producing African Countries, in order to promote the development of bio-fuels. This green version of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has already been launched. With its vast cultivatable lands and enormous fresh water resources, Africa has, without a doubt, incomparable advantages in this sphere, and could even aspire to become the world's premier bio-fuel producer.

I would call upon all interested parties to join with us in this new green energy revolution, especially since it respects our environment and is in perfect harmony with the objectives of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol. Let us be optimistic in thinking that our planet will be a healthier place in the interest of all peoples, thanks to a civilization based on clean energy.

Turning to the situation in Africa, Senegal welcomes the progress made in democracy on the continent, as well as the significant progress achieved in the peaceful settlement of disputes. Such positive developments, however, have been thwarted by the persistence of some hotbeds of tension. In the Sudan, we hope and work for the expansion of the camp of peace, so that those protagonists who have thus far been left out of the peace process can sign the Abuja Agreement for a settlement of the Darfur crisis.

Yesterday, here in New York, the Peace and Security Council of the African Union addressed the issue of Darfur and emphasized that Africa must offer more efforts, more sacrifices and more commitment, but that it can find a solution only within the framework of close cooperation with the United Nations, for which it must indicate its readiness.

Turning to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal welcomes the holding of elections last July. We hope that, whatever the outcome of the second round of presidential elections on 30 October, a reconciled Congolese people will work in the spirit of unity to utilize the tremendous potential of their country for peace, national unity and economic and social progress.

To my Ivorian brothers and sisters I would like to solemnly state that the need for a Côte d'Ivoire, healed of its wounds for good, has become most urgent -- as much for themselves as for all of us in the subregion. I would thus urge Ivorian leaders of all ideologies to show that they can get beyond their differences to foster a return to lasting peace, more in accordance with the history of that brother country and with its proper destiny within the West African family and within our continent.

With regard to the Digital Solidarity Fund, which I proposed in December 2003 at the World Summit in the Information Society, as information technology and communications coordinator of The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), I am pleased to report that we have had satisfactory results. Since being launched in March 2005 with the support of nearly all Members of the United Nations, the Fund has gained the formal support of the People's Republic of China. I would like warmly to thank the Chinese authorities for their support, which surely bolsters the Fund's universal nature. I request all States that have not yet done so to formalize their previously voiced commitment to the Fund by sending a letter to the Executive Secretary of the Fund in Geneva. I would recall that cities too can become members. I take this opportunity also to recall that the Digital Solidarity Fund is supported exclusively through voluntary public and private contributions, the amount of which is up to member States, cities or local governments.

We would suggest that countries commit themselves to the so-called Geneva Principle, which consists of, including in calls for bids in the digital technology field, a contribution to the Fund of 1 per cent of the value of the goods and services linked to information and communications technology. Fund resources are managed in strict transparency through the Foundation Council with a tripartite membership: local authorities, private enterprise and civil society.

The General Assembly's recent High-Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development shows the extent to which we must continue our joint efforts to address an extremely relevant and complex problem which will be with us for a long time to come. International migration has always been a part of the history of peoples. What is new is the current scope and form of illegal immigration. For a wide variety of reasons, with North-South imbalances not the least of them, illegal migration necessitates an approach of joint partnership instead of unilateral solutions.

In Senegal, we have already decided to resolutely combat this phenomenon by strengthening the surveillance of our coasts with the support of our European partners. We have already signed an agreement with Spain, and we shall sign a similar agreement with France next week. The purpose of these agreements is to regulate migratory flows to developed countries, thereby combating illegal migration. The smugglers, largely responsible for this, are constantly being hunted down and punished in accordance with the law.

Along with the dismantling of clandestine networks, we have launched our Return to Agriculture programme, through which we are setting up rural farms in order to enable our young people to engage in modern agriculture and animal husbandry. This will give them reasons to stay at home and avoid tragic ventures which often end at the bottom of the sea or in the desert. That is how we implement the principle we have adopted in Senegal: zero illegal emigration.

The year 2006 marks a decisive turning point in the history of the United Nations, with reforms under way to adapt to changing world realities. These include the establishment of the Human Rights Council and the Peacebuilding Commission, which I hope will allow for enhanced promotion of human rights and more effective management of post-conflict periods.

As for Security Council reform, Senegal deplores the deadlock in the negotiations, which is to the detriment of regions such as ours. Africa, while it is the focal point of the Council's agenda, does not have a single permanent seat. That is a historical injustice which must be corrected as soon as possible by granting Africa a seat, with the right to veto, apart from the overall reform package.

The Palestinian people, too, are victims of injustice, depriving them of a legitimate right to a viable, free and independent State. History teaches us that war, despite its long list of innocent victims and the toll it takes on civilian infrastructure -- bitter experiences recently relived by the peoples of Lebanon and Palestine -- will never overcome a people's will if it aspires to take its rightful place in the community of free nations. The right to freedom and independence is part of the destiny of peoples. Its attainment can be delayed by historic circumstances, but destiny will always be achieved. It is better to understand this in time than to regret it too late.

As Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, Senegal will continue to ensure that the Organization continues its efforts towards a negotiated, just and lasting solution to the Middle East conflict so that all of the suffering peoples of the region can finally live in peaceful coexistence.

With regard to Iran, the Assembly is aware of my position. There should be dialogue without prior conditions, meaning that the protagonists should sit down around a negotiating table.

Senegal has always acted in the service of peace and continues to do so more than ever before at a time when we face such major challenges.

The Acting President

On behalf of the General Assembly, I wish to thank the President of the Republic of Senegal for the statement he has just made.

The Acting President

The Assembly will now hear an address by the President of the Republic of Lithuania.

The Acting President

On behalf of the General Assembly, I have the honour to welcome to the United Nations His Excellency Mr. Valdas Adamkus, President of the Republic of Lithuania, and to invite him to address the Assembly.

President Adamkus (Lithuania)

The previous session of the General Assembly created high expectations for reform and comprehensive renewal that would ensure the continued success and relevance of the United Nations well into the twenty-first century. Thanks to the initiatives launched by the Secretary-General, today we have the Peacebuilding Commission; the Central Emergency Response Fund; the recognition of a collective responsibility to protect, where a State fails to protect its citizens from genocide and crimes against humanity; and a new Human Rights Council. Lithuania is committed to work to ensure that the new Human Rights Council can strengthen the protection and promotion of human rights around the world.

It is said that State-building is a long and difficult process. That is precisely why United Nations assistance in this area is much needed. The Peacebuilding Commission brings renewed hope that post-conflict countries can avoid slipping back into chaos. But institutions alone do not count if they are not supported by political will. Strong international commitment is necessary in offering hope of a better life wherever nations are struggling to get back on their feet.

Lithuania's lead in a Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan has given us first-hand understanding of the vital importance of the sustainability and continuity of such efforts. However, whether in Afghanistan or elsewhere, our efforts will be successful only to the extent that the nations themselves are fully engaged in post-conflict State-building and rational, market-sound economic development. Today, we welcome an increasing Afghan capacity to rebuild the country, and we are encouraged by the expansion of the International Security Assistance Force area of responsibility. On the other hand, the challenges ahead will require ever-increasing focus and further efforts on the ground.

The tragic events in the Middle East over the past 12 months have vividly demonstrated the human and financial costs of inability to reach compromises and final solutions regarding problems that have divided societies and poisoned the region for long years. Thus, the effective promotion of a comprehensive peace plan in the Middle East is topical as never before. Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) and major donor conferences offer hope for the development of a sovereign and strong Lebanon. Let us make this a reality by pooling our efforts and contributing to this cause today, not tomorrow. The two States of Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace is our goal.

Few security issues are as dramatic as terrorism, with its indiscriminate targeting of civilian lives in an ever-expanding geography. Five years ago, the people of this very city suffered a brutal and cold-blooded attack on the values of humanity and tolerance that forever changed the world as we knew it. It is therefore essential that we unite our efforts to ensure that this never happens again. We welcome the Assembly's adoption of the United Nations Global Anti-Terrorism Strategy (resolution 60/288), and we call for the completion of work on a comprehensive convention on international terrorism as soon as possible and for its being put into practice.

To succeed in our fight against terrorism, we must not yield to fears that separate; instead, we must build on our common humanity. We therefore hope the Alliance of Civilizations will become an integral part of our interaction, promoting solidarity, inclusion and understanding and reinforcing the values and principles which extremists seek to undermine.

Furthermore, we should redouble our efforts to tackle the issue of disarmament and non-proliferation. As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the challenges to non-proliferation continue to mount. Lithuania strongly supports the strengthening of the effectiveness and efficiency of the IAEA Safeguards System. Compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the relevant Security Council resolutions is a key to global security. We therefore call on all States to exercise full compliance in this area, vital to our common peace and security.

At the same time, security, as it is typically defined, has a broader meaning now. We should deal with climate change, energy security and dire water or food shortages with equal attention.

We must be firm in our common fight against terrorism, but we must be just as firm in fighting poverty and upholding the dignity of the individual. We need to put the available resources to the best possible use, such as ensuring significant progress in the implementation of the internationally agreed upon Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Lithuania is proud to follow up on these commitments. As a new donor country, we know that it will take time to measure up to the high expectations in the field. We provide increasing amounts of advice and assistance, in more and more places. Over the past year alone, our development aid has grown by 60 per cent. We are determined to further increase our aid and diversify its geography. We remember what it meant to receive help when we needed it, and we know and accept the responsibility to now help others in our turn.

Only a comprehensive approach can ensure that the inextricable link between security, development, and human rights that we all agreed on will translate into a real and positive impact on the lives of countless millions of human beings around the world.

As we pursue the commitments already undertaken, we must look beyond tomorrow to be able to empower the United Nations to deal successfully with the challenging diversity of issues and concerns of all our nations.

It is natural that in debating such vital issues as the reform of the United Nations, we, the Member States, have disagreements. However, we should also remember that, while we discuss our disagreements here in New York, millions of the poorest are suffering from degrading starvation, millions of children are dying from preventable diseases, and millions of people have nothing to rely on but the United Nations to protect them. If we want the United Nations to effectively deal with development challenges, counter new deadly threats and restore the value of human life to countless people around the world, an ongoing change is a must.

I therefore urge the United Nations to continue in the vital areas of management reform and mandates review in order to increase the Organization's efficiency and effectiveness for the benefit of all.

We also urge strengthening of international environmental governance and translating the World Summit agreement on the collective responsibility to protect into a willingness to act, when such action is needed, and ending impunity for the most serious crimes of concern to the international community.

A vital element of the United Nations renewal is the issue of Security Council reform. Lithuania has consistently supported reform, in terms of both membership and working methods. Enhancing the Council's legitimacy through such reform will enable it to improve the discharge of its primary responsibilities vis-à-vis international peace and security.

A renewed Security Council should give adequate voice and representation to all regions. As a member of the East European Group, Lithuania believes that this Group, too, deserves better representation on the future Security Council. Our collective experience of dramatic and peaceful transformation of our societies has a lot to offer. In this respect, we believe, our Group can offer an excellent candidate for the post of Secretary-General.

Despite its flaws, the United Nations remains the only organization with the potential to embody a truly global and effective spirit of multilateralism. Therefore, whatever we do, we should continue to ask ourselves: are we, the Member States, doing enough to help the United Nations fulfil its promise to mankind? We are a world family and we have responsibilities to one another.

The Acting President

On behalf of the General Assembly, I wish to thank the President of the Republic of Lithuania for the statement he has just made.

The Acting President

The Assembly will now hear an address by the Head of Government of the Principality of Andorra.

The Acting President

I have great pleasure in welcoming His Excellency Mr. Albert Pintat, Head of Government of the Principality of Andorra, and inviting him to address the General Assembly.

Mr. Pintat (Andorra)

A decade ago, it was said that with the end of the cold war we had reached the "end of history." Over the years, this view has been largely discredited.

Much of the world, especially the West, paid scant attention to the sense of injustice shared by many peoples and communities around the world. What we have witnessed, with a mixture of horror, sympathy and unease over the last 10 years, has been the return of history. The fall of the Twin Towers, the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Lebanon and the terrorist attacks in London and Madrid have shaken the foundations of the secular State. These events have been said to represent a "clash of civilizations," but I reject the reductive, indeed, misleading division between North and South, East and West, and Christians and Muslims.

The greatest achievements in the West were the result of a complex process of cultural exchange between East and West. The free trade of ideas fostered innovation and advances in understanding. We must therefore reject this notion of a mentality that conceives an essential clash between "us" and "them". I believe that we are living through a turbulent and bloody struggle between, on the one hand, the forces of extremism, present in both the East and the West, and, on the other hand, secular tolerance, also fortunately manifested everywhere on Earth.

Andorra is an old country whose borders have remained unchanged since 1278. Our history is one of survival. We were in existence when the Cathars fled the might of the first Crusade to seek refuge in our mountain pastures. We survived the French Revolution, the Spanish Civil War and the Second World War. History has taught us that power demands restraint. And our own experiences have taught us -- and the past few weeks have reinforced this costly lesson -- that displays of military might, intended to shock and awe, cannot, by themselves, bring about the desired result.

Is it not paradoxical that at this moment, when the need for civilized discussion between people is greater than ever, this venerable institution is deemed inconsequential? We need, of course, to continue the process of its reform. As an idea, however, this place embodies all of our hopes. As a humanitarian agency with a host of vital social programmes, the United Nations does inestimable work. As a forum for rational discourse committed to reaching global understanding, its work is absolutely necessary. This should be the forum in which we try to understand and correctly interpret the crossroads at which we find ourselves. The United Nations signifies the world's moral conscience -- the principle of equality and solidarity and the protection of human rights and human dignity. It marks the path to development.

Violence and the rise of religious extremism have roiled the globe. We all are prey to the unease felt over the future of the secular State. In one sense, however, the very idea of the nation-State lies at the heart of many of our problems. It encourages us to believe in the rhetoric of "us" against "them", in exclusive identities and in outdated ethnocentric discourse. It obfuscates the growing division between rich and poor that transcends countries, nations, and continents. It neglects the fact that most people on this planet seek only that which will permit them to live in a dignified manner and be happy in their lives.

Indeed, many States, especially those whose boundaries reflect a legacy of colonialism, are constituted without regard to the religious or ethnic backgrounds of their inhabitants. The civil wars that are currently tearing apart some countries are but one example of the enormous difficulties presented by the artificial construction of such States.

We must not forget that, historically, the West has never been a good example in terms of religious tolerance. On the contrary, one might cite the twelfth-century expulsion of the Jews from England or recall the forced conversion of Muslims after the fall of Granada in 1492, the Inquisition, or the persecution of the Protestant Huguenots who fled France during the sixteenth century. Yet in the East -- in Jerusalem or Tehran, for example -- Muslims, Jews and Christians coexisted into the early twentieth century. Those great cosmopolitan centres flourished in an atmosphere of genuine religious tolerance.

The original meaning of the term secular described those religious orders that looked outwards to the world at large. In the sixteenth century a new notion of tolerance signified a willingness to accept different Protestant sects in towns and cities in Northern Europe. But our modern-day understanding of tolerance, in which people of all religions can live together, required centuries. Curiously, this version of history has been forgotten by those who see secularism as being opposed to belief. The notion of secularism has never been oppositional to religion but rather denotes a mentality willing to contemplate uncertainty and imperfect knowledge. It does not confuse questions of faith with scientific questions or seek to disarm the individual's liberty of conscience.

Secularism, therefore, recognizes the shared fallibility of the human race. Religious faith can be taught, but it cannot be imposed. It cannot lead to violence and has to coexist with the secular state. Our common humanity requires us to respect each other through our diversity.

The genius of tolerance lies in the ability to listen -- to truly listen and attempt to understand. To listen and learn is not an act of weakness. Indeed, it is the extremist's display of strength or desire for revenge that represents a fatal weakness. Again and again, in the course of history, we see that a mighty spirit precedes a fall. Recently we have stood by and witnessed in dismay the catastrophic results that ensue from the deployment of military might against determined guerrilla warfare.

Most of today's ills have their roots in old and unresolved problems, but the rhetoric of violence which surrounds us polarizes us even further, undermines the possibility of finding a lasting solution and widens the lines of fracture. We have to think of ourselves as a single global community where we are all interdependent.

In the Middle East, we recognize the need for Israel's security, as we recognize the need for Palestine to become a viable State.

Andorra is located in a part of the world which has always been a place where different cultures have met and lived in shared prosperity: the Mediterranean. Today, this has become a new frontier full of tension. As Europeans, we must seek to revitalize the area, recalling its ancient history as a home to many civilizations and their corresponding values -- from Rome to Byzantium and from Athens to Tangiers.

Andorra, like many small countries, long relied on its isolation for its survival. But in our global world, mountains can no longer protect us. International concerns press upon us. Today's world is heterogeneous, imperfect and lacking in a common vision; there are no easy solutions, and questions cannot be viewed in monochrome. The Millennium goals that we debated here with such hope are in danger of receding into distant memory. Is this the fault of the United Nations? Let us not turn our backs on the masses, who are tired of suffering, and who see the United Nations as being their only hope. We must allow their voices to be heard and welcome them into the global community. The time has come for us to act on our promises.

We must recognize that collectively we are the United Nations. We represent humanity as a whole. We are betraying it if we do not seek to make the United Nations a more robust and efficient machine. If we continue blindly, caring only for our national self-interest, we betray its trust. Multilateralism, which we as a group embody in this Hall, is the path that will lead to many of the solutions. The plight of the unfortunate should not fall on deaf ears. We should join together to solidify democratic institutions and processes, and in so doing fight against poverty, war, disease, illiteracy and corruption. That should be our common cause. It is only through this joint effort that we will be able to raise our approach to a collectively ethical and morally correct level.

When people do not have enough to eat and when they are deprived of essential freedoms and justice, there is only one option left open to them: to seek a better life by whatever means they can, leaving behind their native lands. We are currently witnessing mass migration from the poorest parts of the world to the richer; all too often, the journey is tragically cut short on the high seas. This weighs heavily on our conscience. Erecting barriers to prevent this process will never work: their desperation is too great. Millions of human beings are orphaned from their homelands -- we should have solutions to offer them. There is no place where this issue is more pressing than sub-Saharan Africa. The high risk of death does not impede people from attempting to reach the shores of Europe, simply because their lives at home have become unbearable.

We require a concerted and global plan for migration. This can be achieved only if we act together through the United Nations to provide the human and material resources necessary to step-up to the challenge. In so doing we will better the lives of millions of people who, quite justifiably, feel cruelly disenfranchised from the human family. As the writer Juan Goytisolo put it, "The world provides a home for those who are homeless". The United Nations should certainly be their refuge.

In line with this, Andorra stands ready to underline its commitment to the United Nations system and to development as a whole. Two days ago here in New York, we signed an agreement with UNICEF to provide 1 million in financing over a five-year period to help children suffering from HIV/AIDS in Cameroon. Civil society in our small country is also playing its part; the Andorran National Committee for UNICEF will contribute 500,000 to this project over the same period.

It is true that our world today is a dangerous place. But there is still immense hope, and this spurs us on. There is no definitive answer to the problems that our societies face, and it has been said that our lives as human beings cannot be perfected. We have a duty, however, to continually ask questions and to have the courage to overcome the problems of our age.

Our ideas are the greatest advantage that we have; they are the motors of progress. For us, this means democracy, shared prosperity, tolerance, the rule of law, respect for human rights and the pursuit of freedom through the defence of fundamental human liberties. Those are the best weapons we have to fight absolutism and inequality. It is here at the United Nations that our voices should be heard and here that we should be able to defend those principles.

Finally, I should like to express our gratitude to the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for his great work over the past 10 long and complicated years. We salute and congratulate him for all that he has done to maintain and apply the principles enshrined in the Charter. I speak for all Andorrans in expressing my esteem for him and his great efforts.

The Acting President

On behalf of the General Assembly, I wish to thank the Head of Government of the Principality of Andorra for the statement he has just made.

The Acting President

The Assembly will now hear an address by the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Lesotho.

The Acting President

I have great pleasure in welcoming His Excellency The Right Honourable Pakalitha Bethuel Mosisili, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Lesotho, and inviting him to address the General Assembly.

Mr. Mosisili (Lesotho)

My delegation associates itself with the compliments extended to Ms. Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa, on her election to the presidency of the General Assembly, to her predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Jan Eliasson, and to the Secretary-General. It would be remiss of us if we did not express our delight at the fact that our proceedings are being led by a lady President this year.

We meet in the aftermath of the worst conflict in the Middle East. This conflict has brought untold misery and has resulted in unnecessary loss of life, displacement of people and wanton destruction of property. In the midst of all this, the Security Council remained pitifully helpless.

The delay by the Security Council in reacting to the Israel-Lebanon conflict graphically demonstrated the Council's extreme inadequacy in responding urgently, with prompt and decisive action, to international armed conflicts. It is precisely such failures that lend credence to the call for reform of the United Nations, in particular, reform of the Security Council. In this regard, the well-known position of the African Group has never made more sense than it does now.

The African continent still experiences internal armed conflicts. The African Union (AU), without usurping the powers of the Security Council, has taken the initiative to resolve some of those conflicts. However, the African Union's resources and capacities are limited. It is against this background that the African Union, through its Peace and Security Council, resolved to hand over the Darfur mission to the United Nations. It is our hope and earnest plea that the current misunderstanding between the United Nations and the Government of the Sudan will be resolved as a matter of urgency. The United Nations, particularly the Security Council, cannot afford to be a helpless spectator to yet another genocide.

My delegation calls for concerted efforts by the international community, and by the United Nations in collaboration with the African Union, to find a lasting solution to the crises in Somalia and Côte d'Ivoire. With regard to Somalia, the efforts of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development to broker an agreement between the Transitional Government and the Islamic Courts must be complemented by the international community, specifically, the United Nations. There is also an urgent need to lift the arms embargo so that the Transitional Government may be able to function.

We congratulate the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who, following decades of undemocratic rule and civil war, recently exercised their inalienable right to elect a Government of their choice. It is our hope that with continued assistance from the United Nations, particularly from United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and other partners, the second round of elections, scheduled for 29 October 2006, will proceed peacefully.

We likewise commend the people of Burundi on the signing of a peace agreement between the Government and the Forces nationales de libération (FNL). This should enable them to focus on the development issues of their country.

Furthermore, we congratulate the Government of the Republic of Uganda on the initiative aimed at finding a political solution to the protracted war with the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). That war has taken its toll on the people of Uganda and has contributed to instability in the region.

We express our solidarity with the peoples of Palestine and Western Sahara in their struggle for self-determination and their quest for everlasting peace. Surely, things do not have to deteriorate to the level of the Israel-Lebanon conflict before the international community snaps into action in these two volatile situations.

Following the 2005 World Summit, and in the context of the reform of the United Nations, my delegation notes with satisfaction the creation of the Human Rights Council, the operationalization of the Peacebuilding Commission and the establishment of the Central Emergency Response Fund, among other achievements. These are timely events that continue to prove the relevance of this Organization in the twenty-first century.

My delegation also notes the efficient manner in which the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs responded in some countries that faced major man-made or natural disasters over the past year. That can be attributed to the newly established Central Emergency Response Fund. It is our hope that the Fund will continue to live up to the expectations of Member States.

The United Nations was founded on the interlinked and mutually reinforcing pillars of development, international peace and security and human rights. The issue of development deserves the undivided attention and commitment of Member States, just as do the issues of peace, security and human rights. Hence the call at the 2005 World Summit for a timely and full realization of development goals and objectives agreed upon at major United Nations conferences and summits in the economic, social and related fields.

My delegation is deeply concerned that Member States were largely divided between the South and the North regarding how to follow up on the development section of the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document (resolution 60/1). We are indeed disheartened that, due to a divergence of views on this important issue, the General Assembly was not in a position to suggest concrete actions to implement commitments made at the relevant conferences and summits.

It is past time for the General Assembly to suggest concrete actions on how to, among other things: fulfil the commitments to address the special needs of Africa; seriously address the uneven progress made by the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing countries in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); address issues relating to trade, agricultural subsidies and the transfer of vitally needed resources to developing countries; and fully implement the global partnership for development as set out in the Millennium Declaration, the Monterrey Consensus, the Johannesburg Plan of Action and the 2005 World Summit Outcome.

My delegation hopes that at its current session the General Assembly will, among other things, finalize all details regarding the convening of a review conference on the implementation of the Monterrey Consensus. Furthermore, we hope that all stakeholders will reaffirm their commitment to the full implementation of the outcomes of the recently held high-level meetings on migration and development and on review of the implementation of the 2001 Brussels Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries.

There is definitely an inherent global benefit, for all countries, in the pursuit of development cooperation based on genuine partnership and mutually beneficial arrangements. The realities of globalization, liberalization and interdependence have demonstrated the inadequacies of the traditional modes of financing for development, such as official development assistance, foreign direct investment, trade and other forms of capital flows.

If all Member States are to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, certain measures must be undertaken. First, official development assistance must be doubled. It must also be timely, predictable and dependable. Secondly, all partnerships with New Partnership for Africa's Development must be linked to the Millennium Development Goals and other agreed upon development goals and targets. Finally, there must be complete debt cancellation, not just for the highly indebted poor countries, but for the least developed countries as well.

The suspension of the Doha Development Agenda negotiations was a disquieting development for some of our countries. While Africa had on various occasions expressed concern on the limited progress made in negotiations on issues of major interest to the continent, our faith in the negotiations never wavered. We truly believed, and we still do, that there is a common understanding that trade is the most effective route out of poverty, and that the prosperity and security of all nations, rich or poor, strong or weak, are dependent on, inter alia, free and fair trade.

Much has been said about the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Its consequences are now commonly understood. Conferences at the highest levels have been held, subregionally, regionally, continentally and globally. These conferences discussed at length the importance of economic, technological and medical developments to subdue and defeat HIV/AIDS in affected countries. It is now time for words to be followed by concrete actions targeting, in particular, infected and affected groups and lowering infection prevalence rates.

My delegation regrets the paralysis that has befallen the United Nations disarmament machinery. Also regrettable is the failure of the 2005 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to produce a consensus substantive outcome document. Equally regrettable is the absence of a section on non-proliferation and disarmament in the 2005 Summit Outcome Document. The coup de grâce, however, is the failure to agree on an outcome document of the 2006 United Nations Conference to Review Progress Made in the Implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons In All Its Aspects, adopted in 2001.

Thus, Member States should not run away from the blatant truth that, during the sixtieth session of the Assembly, the stalemate that, over the past four years, has characterized negotiations regarding non-proliferation and disarmament, finally became abundantly clear to all nations. For small arms and light weapons remain the weapons of choice that are indiscriminately used in conflicts, as well as in other forms of violence, including criminal behaviour. Yet they are still so cheap and so easily accessible that, in some remote villages, they are exchanged for chickens.

Terrorism continues to pose the greatest threat to human security. In this regard, I wish to welcome the adoption by the General Assembly of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (resolution 60/288). However, it is unfortunate that the General Assembly's Ad Hoc Committee on International Terrorism has still not been able to conclude a comprehensive convention on an international response to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. The fact remains that Member States have a moral obligation to overcome their long-standing differences on the definition of terrorism. Failure to agree on a definition, however, cannot and must not be used as an excuse for not decisively confronting the scourge of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

Following the adoption of Security Council resolution 1696 (2006) on 31 July, and the subsequent response by the Iranian Authorities, it is our fervent hope that all parties to the issue will constructively engage in seeking a lasting solution to avert possible economic and diplomatic sanctions and to guarantee Iran's peaceful nuclear programme.

Last but certainly not least, this session marks the end of tenure of office for an illustrious son of the African soil, a distinguished diplomat and statesman, in the person of His Excellency Mr. Kofi Annan. He leaves a legacy for this august body which every one of us must emulate in the best interests of the peoples we represent and serve. It is therefore befitting to pay tribute to him and to wish him and Mrs. Nane Annan a well-deserved rest and a future filled with happiness. He will, needless to say, be inundated with our calls for his wisdom and advice in the service of mankind.

Our standing ovation and the declaration made in honour of His Excellency Mr. Kofi Annan during the last African Union Summit held in Banjul, Gambia, said it all. With typical eloquence, he delivered a few days ago in the Assembly before the world's leaders a rich statement filled with emotion. No wonder that even the world leaders accorded him a standing ovation. His Excellency Mr. Kofi Annan has run his lap with excellence. He deserves a medal of honour.

The Acting President

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

The Acting President

The Assembly will now hear an address by the Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Independent State of Samoa.

The Acting President

I have great pleasure in welcoming His Excellency Mr. Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Independent State of Samoa, and inviting him to address the General Assembly.

Mr. Malielegaoi (Samoa)

Forty-four years ago, Samoa became independent, and when we joined the United Nations it was a reaffirmation of our support for the principle of multilateral cooperation which the United Nations embodied. It was also our statement that all States matter, that none was too small and weak to be represented in the United Nations on equal terms with the large and strong nations of the world. Those sentiments underpinned Samoa's belief in the United Nations as an expanding global family and its Member States as the custodians entrusted with the future of our world and the generations to come.

In essence, lasting peace and the sustained prosperity of the world depended on harmonious cooperation and effective global partnership amongst all nations. Those were the ideals that motivated us to be part of the united family of nations, and they remain relevant and valid for our country today.

A year ago, we met here in an act of solidarity, to chart a new course for our Organization that is aligned to meet the emerging challenges confronting our world today. Our Summit Outcome document was not just a road map to guide the work of our Organization. While it mirrored the intergovernmental nature and diverse membership of our Organization, the document, ultimately, was a reminder of the cooperative and shared interests we all have regarding issues vital to the United Nations and its Member States. It also brought to bear the importance of global partnerships in these times of interdependence, for the achievement of sustainable development and peace and security for our peoples.

In less than twelve months, we have transformed rhetoric into reality. Solid progress has been made in the implementation of the Summit document. The Human Rights Council and the Peacebuilding Commission are now operational; credible reforms in the Secretariat and management have been implemented; a Central Emergency Response Fund has been set up; and a Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy had been unanimously adopted. But, as we well know, that is just the start; the real work lies ahead. In our view, it is imperative that even in the early stages of their work, those bodies must immediately adhere to the guiding principles of respect, integrity, credibility and professionalism to ensure that the objectives of relevance, efficiency and transparency envisioned for the Organization are delivered.

Development, security and human rights are the three pillars of the United Nations. All are mutually reinforcing. The United Nations commitment to the achievement of these goals, particularly for the least developed countries (LDCs) and the developing countries, is set out in a number of internationally agreed initiatives such as the Brussels Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries, the Johannesburg Plan of Action, the Millennium Development Goals, and the Mauritius Strategy for Small Island Developing States.

Those development frameworks provide for global partnerships for the achievement, in small and vulnerable economies, of economic growth, sustainable development and the resilience to endure external shocks. Samoa looks forward to the implementation of the partnerships indicated in the development frameworks approved by the United Nations.

In Samoa's case, the implementing framework for the partnerships of the Government with the donor community, civil society and the private sector are designed to address the development priorities of our country as set out in the Strategy for the Development of Samoa. It is through such partnerships that we look too, for the effective delivery of programmes that address major health challenges such as HIV/AIDS and the potential threat of the avian bird flu. Similarly, there is the collaborative work with our partners to support the empowerment of our women.

As to security and the specific context of stability and harmony within communities, I cannot overemphasize the importance of global actions to control and limit the availability of small arms weapons. These weapons in the hands of the wrong people can easily destabilize communities and plunge small nations into deadly conflict. We therefore renew our call for the early implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects.

During the review of the Brussels Programme of Action this week, I shared with Member States the challenges that continue to confront my country. Samoa is both a least developed country and a very small island developing State. The United Nations has received a proposal for Samoa to be graduated from the list of LDCs. However, the vulnerabilities and the fragility that characterize our small island economy, as reflected in Samoa's poor ranking under various economic vulnerability indices have, not gone away.

Working closely with our traditional development partners, we have tried our best to develop and manage our economy, and we have made good strides in improving the welfare of our people. But we know very well from grim past experience that it takes just one devastating disaster to wipe out our modest achievements and set back the economy for years. Our request, therefore, is for Samoa's graduation from the list of LDCs to be deferred and reconsidered when Samoa has met the graduation threshold according to the economic vulnerability index.

Last week we broke new ground with the discussion for the first time in the United Nations context of the multidimensional aspects of international migration and development. The enthusiasm to consider migration and development as a priority concern in the United Nations agenda was well supported. The concrete outcomes that emerged from that initiative will ultimately depend on the willingness of the source countries and the destination countries to work out imaginative and humane arrangements beneficial to both.

The significance of international migration, whether permanent or temporary, as a development option for our region has not escaped the attention of Pacific leaders. It is also an option that raises difficult issues that touch on the welfare and humanitarian treatment of migrants, as well as on sensitive considerations on the part of receiving countries.

In just six years into the millennium, it has become more and more evident that many of the challenges we face have significant global dimensions. They are borderless, do not discriminate between developed and developing countries and have no respect for national sovereignty. Those global concerns, imaginatively called problems without passports, include climate change, epidemics, humanitarian concerns, conflict containment, security concerns and terrorism. By their very nature, the successful resolution of those challenges requires a collective and concerted effort of the whole United Nations membership, because no one country or group of countries is capable of tackling them alone.

Terrorism, in its various forms and manifestations, is responsible for the horror and fear that has gripped the world's attention in recent years. No country is immune to the reaches of terrorism and we are all affected in varying degrees. We must continue to be resolute in our fight against terrorism. Let us reiterate in the strongest terms possible that terrorist acts, committed under whatever pretext or purpose, can never be justified as morally acceptable. Equally, countering terrorism does not confer immunity from the rule of law, nor the abandonment of the principles of a civilized society.

The unanimous adoption of a United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy two weeks ago was both a condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and a commitment by Member States to take concrete preventative measures, collectively and individually. The work ahead is to turn commitment into implementation.

The Middle East conflict continues to defy attempts to usher in a new era of trust and hopeful beginnings for the region. Sustainable peace remains an elusive goal, permanently out of our Organization's reach as long as the root causes of the problem are not addressed. Too much is at stake.

Let us not forget the voiceless majority, unwillingly caught in the crossfire of the conflict, who yearn for a lasting peace. We should, therefore, not be judgmental or partisan in our approach. Ultimately, the Palestinian people need a permanent and an independent State, living in peace, with a secure Israel. The Security Council, by responding decisively to recent developments in the Lebanon-Israel conflict, gives us hope that perhaps an eventual resolution of that long drawn-out conflict is finally within sight.

The humanitarian and security situation in Darfur is a cause for concern. The recent resolution adopted by the Security Council will, we hope, be agreeable to all the parties with a genuine desire to expeditiously resolve the issue.

We continue to hope that the elected Governments of Iraq and Afghanistan will ultimately succeed in achieving conditions that will allow their peoples to live meaningful lives and consolidate the democratization of their societies.

Many other countries in different parts of the world are also still mired in tragic conflict and look to the United Nations and its stronger Members for peacekeeping arrangements that can give time for those communities in strife to re-establish and find lasting solutions. Samoa, despite our small size, will continue to support that important work. At present we contribute police personnel for the United Nations Missions in the Sudan, Liberia, Timor-Leste and in the Solomon Islands.

Climate change issues remain a priority for the Pacific region. In our small islands, natural catastrophes are capable of destruction that devastates the entire country. They bring great pain and upheaval to the lives of our people, as well as set back the national economy for years. We know that from repeated past experience. The need, therefore, for good early-warning systems for natural disaster alerts in our Pacific region is a priority. The willingness of our partners to assist and share expertise in that area is most welcomed.

The Global Environment Facility Trust Fund -- recently replenished for the fourth time -- demonstrates very well the joint partnership between the developed and the developing countries in implementing programmes to address environmental problems.

Samoa continues to strongly support international and regional efforts to combat global warming and environmental degradation. In our view, the evidence of global warming and its causes are well established. Apportioning blame and point scoring should no longer be allowed to deflect efforts at effective and collective responses. We now know that concerted action should have been taken much earlier and further delays would simply make the size of the problem greater and the solutions more costly.

Good progress has been achieved in the efforts to reform our Organization. I would like to pay tribute to the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for his inspirational work in balancing the interests of Member States, which did not always coincide, and for his influence that made it possible for agreement to be reached on the reform agenda. I thank the Secretary-General for his courage and leadership, so that even in the face of great controversy, the United Nations remained relevant to the crises and challenges that our world and the Organization has faced during his watch.

The Acting President

On behalf of the General Assembly, I wish to thank the Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Independent State of Samoa for the statement just made.

The Acting President

The Assembly will now hear an address by the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic.

The Acting President

I have great pleasure in welcoming His Excellency Mr. Robert Fico, Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic, and I invite him to address the General Assembly.

Mr. Fico (Slovakia)

I would like to express my deepest appreciation and most sincere gratitude to the Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Kofi Annan, for the invaluable work and tireless dedication with which he led this Organization into the twenty-first century. The Secretary-General has led the United Nations well and he will be remembered with praise for it. May I use this opportunity also to state our full support to his successor, who will have to deal with the difficult challenges the United Nations is going to face.

Before proceeding to my remarks, I would like to point out that Slovakia fully subscribes to the statement delivered earlier by the President of Finland on behalf of the European Union.

It gives me great pleasure to address the General Assembly today, even more so as it is the first time I am speaking from this rostrum as the Prime Minister of Slovakia. My Government -- formed only three months ago -- is committed to a foreign policy that emphasizes effective multilateralism and promotes democracy, international peace and security, greater respect for human rights -- including the rights of persons belonging to national and other minorities -- rule of law, social equity and environmental protection. We are focused on building a social state where economic growth goes along with the growth of the standard of living of the people.

All of us know that the United Nations is once again at a crossroads, as we face the historic test of multilateralism. The humanitarian disaster in Sudan, recent conflict in Lebanon, continuing dispute over the Iranian nuclear programme, violence in East Timor, increasing military activity in Afghanistan and Somalia, along with the negative developments in other conflict regions, remind us that we live in a world of evolving threats and challenges.

Modern threats could not have been anticipated when the United Nations was founded in 1945. In fact, the United Nations is challenged, as never before, to deal with ethnic and other inter-State conflicts, weak and failed States, genocide and ethnic cleansing, complex humanitarian disasters and poverty, along with threats of nuclear terrorism, transnational organized crime, infectious diseases and environmental degradation. The major challenges of today cannot be managed by sovereign States acting alone. Hence, the key challenge for all of us is to learn how to collectively manage the complex issues of the world of today and how to ensure the relevance of the United Nations and its leadership in the process.

Slovakia, as a smaller country, is a strong believer in multilateralism. Our present experience as an elected member of the Security Council fully proves that only through effective multilateral action can the world community successfully address modern threats and resolve current conflicts. But -- and I underline that "but" -- as long as the international community, acting through the United Nations, is unable to take decisive action to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, as in the case of Rwanda or Darfur, as long as the United Nations ignores regressive developments and violations of human rights in some parts of the world, as long as it is unable to fight terrorism more effectively and intervene in situations that do not yet pose a threat to international peace and security but have the potential to swiftly reach that stage, respect for the United Nations will decline in the eyes of our citizens.

Slovakia is, therefore, a strong supporter of United Nations reform. We must continue building on what has been achieved so far, including the establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission, adoption of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and progress in management reform. We need to focus on reducing tensions between developed and developing countries and on building consensus regarding the future direction of reforms. It is unrealistic to expect that all States will share and promote a single version of United Nations reform. But we have to overcome the zero-sum mentality and continue with the reform debate, with a view to achieving mutual concessions and compromises on specific issues.

We particularly welcome the creation of the Human Rights Council as a step towards realizing the idea of three equal councils embodying three equal pillars of the United Nations. But we ought to be cautious and avoid slipping back into the old habits that made its predecessor so dysfunctional.

Revitalization of the General Assembly, enhancement of the role of the Economic and Social Council and reform of the Security Council remain unfinished business. The reform of the Council should, first and foremost, address the issue of increasing its capacity to act preventively and to take decisive action early enough to prevent conflicts. The Security Council must become more representative, more effective and more transparent.

For its part, Slovakia is ready to engage constructively in meaningful negotiations to achieve those goals. Slovakia, as the co-chair of the ad hoc committee on mandate review in the Security Council, is working hard together with our partners to achieve tangible results in the near future. We hope that visible progress of the process within the Security Council can inspire other United Nations bodies.

Slovakia is concerned about the current situation in the Middle East, in particular in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories. We firmly believe that there is no military solution to the Middle East conflict. The only way to achieve a comprehensive and lasting settlement is through peaceful negotiations and full implementation of all relevant Security Council resolutions, as well as the principles defined by the Quartet. Also, only through negotiations and further diplomatic efforts can we fulfil the vision of two democratic States, Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side in peace and security. New efforts must be undertaken to revive the peace process based on full respect for principles defined by the Quartet in the adopted road map.

Another source of our deep concern is the alarming security and humanitarian situation in Darfur, which continues to deteriorate in spite of numerous efforts of the Security Council, the African Union, the United Nations Secretary-General and the international community at large. We are talking here about a humanitarian disaster of large scale; we, therefore, urgently need to intensify our efforts and break the long-lasting cycle of violence.

In particular, we need to make sure that the Government of National Unity of Sudan finally gives its consent to the planned transition to a United Nations-led operation in Darfur. The concept of "responsibility to protect" adopted at last year's World Summit applies to all Member States and to all Governments. When peaceful means prove inadequate and national authorities are failing to protect their own citizens, the international community has the responsibility to act collectively through the Security Council to prevent another Rwanda or Srebrenica.

As a matter of priority, Slovakia has been closely following developments in the Western Balkans. Our involvement there is based on the principles of transparency and impartiality. Our priority is to strengthen the stability of the region and to support the processes of democratization and integration.

As for the issue of the future of Kosovo, we continue to believe that it is important to seek a settlement through direct talks and dialogue and compromise, from both Belgrade and Pristina. Only a solution that reflects the concerns of all parties involved and provides for the rights of members of all communities, notably the Kosovo Serbs, can ensure lasting security and stability in the region. The Kosovo issue is truly a sui generis case.

We are also deeply concerned about the nuclear programme of Iran and the proliferation risk it presents to international peace and security. We urge the Iranian authorities to respond positively to the proposed package of incentives and to suspend its uranium enrichment activities. For our part, we are ready to continue the dialogue with Iran in a constructive and open fashion. However, Iran, like any other Member of the United Nations, must comply with Security Council resolutions and with all relevant decisions of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and must fully cooperate with them.

The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and related delivery systems technology continues to threaten global security. This is a serious challenge, and we must face it with all responsibility. It requires joint multilateral efforts and a common and effective response. In May of this year, Secretary-General Kofi Annan told the Conference on Disarmament that the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) regime, faces "a twin crisis, of compliance and of confidence". With regret, we have to acknowledge that he was absolutely right.

We should work together to overcome deadly links like that between armament and proliferation and to create a progress-friendly atmosphere. We need to restore confidence through compliance with all relevant obligations and commitments. As the Chairman of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to Council resolution 1540 (2004), Slovakia tries to facilitate the process of the full implementation of all measures to prevent the formation of a nexus between the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism. We hope that agreement on the Committee's programme of work will be reached as soon as possible.

We also preside over the Conference on Disarmament, and we are working to intensify efforts to reverse the process of repeated failure during the recent period and undertake constructive dialogue, which would bring about long-expected results. Our aim is to help revitalize the Conference and give new breath to that single multilateral disarmament-negotiating forum of the international community.

In conclusion, I would like to draw attention to an issue which is increasingly important in shaping international programmes for development assistance, the promotion of democracy, security cooperation and post-conflict peacebuilding. I am referring to security-sector reform. Slovakia seeks to stimulate a broad discussion on the role of security-sector reform in the United Nations context, with a view to increasing understanding of the topic and suggesting possible options for the development of a comprehensive and coherent approach. Our wish is to give an impetus to developing a comprehensive policy framework that would guide United Nations security-sector reform programmes and projects in a coherent, consistent and sustainable way.

As Mr. Jan Eliasson stressed in his remarkable speech at the conclusion of the sixtieth session of the General Assembly (see A/60/PV.100), the test of whether we have re-established the United Nations and international cooperation as the best way to manage our global affairs did not occur in the past year, but it will occur in the years ahead.

My wish is that all of us will pass the test and create a United Nations that can live up to the expectations and aspirations of our peoples.

The Acting President

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

The Acting President

The Assembly will now hear an address by the Prime Minister of Mongolia.

The Acting President

I have great pleasure in welcoming His Excellency Mr. Miyegombo Enkhbold, Prime Minister of Mongolia, and inviting him to address the General Assembly.

Mr. Enkhbold (Mongolia)

Considerable progress has been made in implementing the specific set of actions to ensure peace, development and human rights that was agreed upon by more than 150 heads of State or Government at last year's World Summit. The Peacebuilding Commission, the Human Rights Council, the Central Emergency Response Fund, the United Nations Democracy Fund, the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and other achievements speak for themselves.

However, we cannot afford to be complacent about what we have achieved so far. Redoubled efforts ought to be made to ensure that people in every corner of the world feel the benefits of development in their everyday lives. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in his annual report on the work of the Organization, observes that

"The words of 2005 have yet to have a direct impact on the lives of the poor people they are meant to help. Nor have they produced the implementation breakthroughs required to achieve the Millennium Development Goals". (A/61/1, para. 27)

That conclusion is sad, but true.

My delegation therefore welcomes the most timely initiative of the presidency to focus our attention at this session of the General Assembly on the implementation of the global partnership for development. The global partnership for development was framed as Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 8 and thus cannot be divorced from other development goals and objectives.

In our view, the global partnership for development means a global compact between developed and developing States. It is the responsibility of developing countries to formulate and implement sound policies to ensure their sustainable economic and social development and, to that end, to mobilize domestic resources. For the developed countries, it entails an obligation to support such efforts through the provision of development financing, including official development assistance (ODA), in a timely and sufficient manner and to ensure increased market access for developing countries. Mongolia, for one, takes its responsibilities seriously and is committed to its development objectives.

Allow me to describe the policies and specific actions taken by my country to implement the MDGs, as well as my views on the need to build partnerships to achieve them. First, Mongolia attaches particular importance to its implementation of the MDGs. Our first progress report was discussed at both the Cabinet and parliamentary levels, resulting in parliament's adoption in April last year of a resolution institutionalizing Mongolia's MDGs. Thus, the Goals have been mainstreamed into the guidelines for the country's economic and social development, and the funds necessary to meet the individual goals are reflected in the annual State budget.

Secondly, to honour its commitment made in the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document (resolution 60/1), Mongolia is developing an MDG-based comprehensive development strategy and plans to submit the first draft to parliament during its autumn session. The active participation of political parties, civil society and the private sector in that undertaking will ensure the sustainable implementation of the national development strategy over the years.

Thirdly, the adoption of an additional, ninth, Millennium Development Goal (MDG) -- on the promotion of human rights, fostering democratic governance and combating corruption -- was an innovative step that reflected the indissoluble link between development, good governance, human rights and democracy in our national policy. Within the framework of working towards meeting that goal, the parliament recently passed a new law against corruption, thereby creating a legal environment to remove the shackles that that phenomenon imposes on development. In accordance with the new law, a new anti-corruption body is to be set up to deal with raising public awareness and to address ways to prevent and uncover corruption, investigate cases of corruption and audit the financial and income declarations of public officials.

Fourthly, the Government of National Unity, which was formed early this year, is undertaking a host of quick-impact projects on poverty reduction and income-generation in the implementation of its MDGs, in order that the benefits of the social security policy can reach various strata of the population. Allow me to cite a few examples.

Salaries in the public sector have been raised by 33 per cent, and the minimum wage by 30 percent. A monthly allowance is being provided to every one of the nearly 1 million children in Mongolia, which accounts for almost half of the entire population. Married couples and new-born children are provided financial support on a one-time basis. Mothers with five or more children and older persons have seen considerable increases in their monthly allowances and pensions. In collaboration with the private sector, this academic year my Government introduced a free school-meal programme for elementary school children. The launching of all those quick-impact initiatives will contribute to our efforts to reduce poverty and achieve the MDGs.

Fifthly, on the policy level, my Government is placing particular emphasis on the human development dimension of the MDGs, including in such areas as education and health. For example, a programme on the theme of "A healthy Mongolian", which is to be implemented between 2006 and 2008, will provide for medical check-ups and diagnosis and carry out surveys of the prevalent illnesses among the population over 15 years of age. The programme will also include preventive measures and treatment. Furthermore, the implementation of our education master plan for the period 2006-2015, will improve access to education and the quality and competitiveness of our national education system, ultimately advancing the level of human development. The plan will also contribute to the goal of increasing employment by means of developing human resources in a way that corresponds to the economic structure of the country and meets the demands of the labour market.

In addition, on the initiative of my Government, amendments have been made to the tax code that aim at easing the overall tax burden, thereby creating a favourable business environment, promoting greater economic growth and generating new jobs.

Although Mongolia is poised to achieve most of its MDGs by 2015 in the areas of education, gender, child and maternal health and combating various diseases, the goals of halving poverty and ensuring environmental sustainability continue to be a source of concern. It goes without saying that, like many other developing countries, Mongolia will not be able to achieve those goals on its own. Genuine partnership and effective cooperation between all stakeholders -- including bilateral and multilateral donors, international financial organizations and the private sector -- is therefore required in order to substantially reduce poverty and promote development in the developing world.

The quality of aid should also be improved through the tailoring of foreign grants and loans to the implementation needs of the MDGs and MDG-based national development strategies. That improvement should also be achieved by providing more predictable and multi-year aid flows, addressing weaknesses in institutional capacity and harmonizing the distribution of aid with the priorities of recipient countries, in accordance with the principles set out in the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness.

Mongolia is a landlocked developing country dependent on a few export commodities. We are therefore highly susceptible to fluctuations in the world's commodity and energy markets. I believe that the establishment of commodity-price stabilization mechanisms and anti-shock facilities could make a tangible contribution to poverty reduction measures in low-income commodity-dependent countries. At the same time, trade and investment are among the driving forces of development. The World Trade Organization Doha Development Round of negotiations should therefore be revived, with a view to creating a more favourable and just trade regime that involves market access and trade and industrial capacity-building assistance for developing countries, particularly for economically vulnerable States. For its part, Mongolia is preparing to host a conference of trade ministers of landlocked developing countries in 2007.

I should also like to urge the international community to focus its attention on the declaration adopted at the first-ever Meeting of the Heads of State or Government of Landlocked Developing Countries held last week in Havana. That document reflects the common position of landlocked LDCs. Its full implementation will be instrumental in assisting landlocked LDCs, including Mongolia, as they carry out their development and poverty reduction efforts.

Democracy plays an important role in bringing about peace and development. Although democracy is rooted in the soil of individual societies, it has to be supported through international cooperation. In its capacity as Chair of the fifth International Conference of New or Restored Democracies, Mongolia has endeavoured to promote democratic values at the international level. We have undertaken a set of concrete measures as follow-up to the fifth Conference, including the development of nationally owned democratic-governance indicators, a country information note and a national plan of action to consolidate democracy. We have also introduced a tripartite structure in the Conference to include Governments, parliaments and civil society. We have also set up a friends-of-the-chair group and are fully utilizing the follow-up mechanism in New York. It is gratifying to note that the international follow-up conference to the fifth International Conference, which was held in Ulaanbaátar last June, highly commended the work done over the last three years. My country is prepared to report on its activities and to share its accomplishments and lessons learned with the greater membership of the movement during the sixth International Conference of New or Restored Democracies, which is to be held next month in Doha, Qatar.

This year marks the 800 th anniversary of the establishment of the great Mongol State -- a remarkable date for my country. The General Assembly, in resolution 60/16, adopted last year, invited Member States, international organizations and academia to take an active part in the commemorative events associated with the anniversary. I wish to express our great appreciation to all persons -- including people of Mongol ethnicity, academics and guests from various countries and organizations -- for their active participation in the many international conferences organized in the spirit of that resolution. Those meetings included the international conference on traditions of Mongolian statehood, the ninth international forum of Mongolists, the convention of world Mongolians and the international workshop on the traditions of nomads. I am also happy to acknowledge that more than 300 high-level guests representing more than 30 States and Governments attended our national day ceremony -- Naadam -- which was the main commemorative event of the year.

The year-round celebration of activities and events are of particular importance, as they help us modern-day Mongols heirs to statehood preserve and develop nomadic culture and traditions and to re-introduce to the world our rich history and culture, along with the progress and challenges facing us today.

The sixty-first session has special meaning for us, as it coincides with the 45 th anniversary of Mongolia's membership in the world Organization. Our admission to the United Nations as a full-fledged Member, on 27 October 1961, was a historically important event for the people of Mongolia. Over the years, our cooperation with the United Nations has expanded in terms of both content and scope. The Organization's support and assistance have been instrumental in helping Mongolia meet its development goals, build capacity and consolidate democracy. For its part, Mongolia has all along supported the United Nations. We have also striven to participate actively in its activities and to make our contribution to the efforts of the international community to find solutions to the pressing issues facing the world.

This autumn, we are about to select the next Secretary-General of the United Nations. Beginning in 2007, that person will represent the international community on the world stage. The next Secretary-General must be someone who will effectively follow through with the bold initiatives and reform efforts carried out by the current Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, in the areas of peace, development and human rights. That person must also be committed to making the world a better place, and possess strong managerial skills, vision and experience. In short, he or she must be a genuine leader. I am convinced that such a person can, and should, come from Asia, which is home to half of the world's population.

Mongolia is prepared to participate actively in the work of the United Nations and of other multilateral organizations and processes. We reaffirm our commitment to the world Organization as a central coordinating instrument of the common efforts of the world's nations to maintain peace and promote development.

The Acting President

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

The Acting President

The Assembly will now hear an address by the Vice-President of the Republic of Sierra Leone.

The Acting President

On behalf of the General Assembly, I have great pleasure in welcoming His Excellency Mr. Solomon Ekuma Berewa, Vice-President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, and inviting him to address the General Assembly.

Mr. Berewa (Sierra Leone)

The delegation of the Republic of Sierra Leone would like to congratulate the President on her assumption of the responsibility for directing the work of the sixty-first session of the General Assembly. It is our pleasure to reaffirm our confidence in her ability to run the Assembly, as well as to pledge our unflinching support and cooperation during her tenure.

Let me also take this opportunity to pay special tribute to her predecessor, Mr. Jan Eliasson, for his commitment and diplomatic skill, which enabled him effectively to manage the Assembly and help the reform process to achieve some major successes during his presidency.

A year ago, the heads of Member States of the United Nations declared their commitment to the reform of the Organization, in order to reflect its experience in the course of 60 years of existence and its ever-expanding role within the context of the realities of the current world order. The process has, understandably, been painfully slow, because of the multiplicity of competing national interests. While my delegation appreciates the progress made so far, particularly in the form of the establishment of the Human Rights Council and the Peacebuilding Commission, we are unhappy about the sluggish pace of Security Council reform, a matter that is close to the heart of Africa.

As a Member State deeply committed to the African position on United Nations reform, my delegation would like to urge the reform of the Security Council to move faster so that our continent can take its rightful place in the United Nations organ that is responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security. Obviously, the Security Council can never be the just, democratic and representative body that it should be if Africa, with 53 Member States in the United Nations, does not have permanent representation proportional to its size.

As a least developed country (LDC) emerging from a devastating conflict, we are also concerned that development has not been treated with the prominence and urgency it deserves in the reform process, considering its cause-and-effect relationship with conflict and human rights. That relationship was succinctly recognized in one of the outcomes of last year's High-level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly, which stated that our nations and peoples could not enjoy development without security, nor would they enjoy security in the absence of development, and they would not enjoy either without respect for human rights. The need, therefore, to support development programmes -- including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the New Partnership for Africa's Development -- as the foundation for peace and security cannot be overemphasized.

We are particularly happy about the establishment of the Human Rights Council, whose operation, we hope, will be above the weaknesses that demoralized the former Human Rights Commission. We call on all Member States, in particular the Council's founding members, to set and maintain standards that will justify the optimism that the new Council will refrain from practices that discredited the Human Rights Commission.

Of particular interest to us as a post-conflict country, however, is the Peacebuilding Commission, whose mandate is to support the recovery of societies emerging from conflict. We thank the Commission for choosing Sierra Leone as one of two countries where it will begin operation. We assure the Commission of our fullest support and cooperation. As it will soon discover, if it has not yet done so, we have already embarked on the path of peacebuilding and consolidation, having carefully formulated policies and activities aimed at achieving lasting peace, security and stability, which are the critical requirements for meaningful development.

We have developed a poverty reduction strategy paper that has attracted support from a number of donor agencies and friendly countries. We have produced a peace-consolidation strategy paper, which is to be presented to the Peacebuilding Commission for support in addressing some of the challenges facing our country in the areas of governance and security prior to the forthcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in 2007.

For the Peacebuilding Commission to be able to work in Sierra Leone on the basis of concrete, first-hand information, we have extended an invitation to the Commission to visit Sierra Leone. We are looking forward to receiving the Commission in Sierra Leone.

The United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone completed its peacekeeping mandate and closed down at the end of 2005. But the United Nations did not leave behind a complete vacuum, it left the United Nations Integrated Office for Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL) to support our post-conflict recovery programme. We thank the United Nations for its continued support and assure the Organization that its contribution will not be in vain. We have no doubt that the combined efforts of the Peacebuilding Commission, UNIOSIL and the Government will achieve the desired objective of peace, security and development in the country.

The people of Sierra Leone are proud of their role in resolving their own conflict, as well as of their successes in the democratic process. We had a highly successful democratic election in 2002, barely five months after the end of the conflict. That was followed by local government elections as part of a governance decentralization process. Our second post-conflict presidential and parliamentary elections, which will mark a transition in leadership, are scheduled to be held around this time next year. Sierra Leone cannot afford having that watershed election go wrong, but we need assistance to carry it out properly. I therefore appeal to the United Nations, the European Union, other members of the international community and our bilateral friends to continue to help us, both financially and technically, to make the elections another milestone achievement in Sierra Leone's peace and democracy processes.

The people of Sierra Leone are conscious of the fact that the peace they now enjoy is a product of the support of, and cooperation with, the United Nations and the international community. At this stage in our history, the country is faced with three sets of challenges as a nation: we must rectify the accumulated errors of past policies; we must repair the damage and heal the scars left by the conflict; and we must chart an appropriate path for the development of our small country in the twenty-first century. We have the natural resources to be able to do that. With time, our human resources will also measure up. Above all, at this time we need the sustained engagement of international partners. That is why we are seeking to expand and reinforce our partnerships with the external world -- partnerships that can support us now, and remain with us as we pursue a longer-term agenda for sustainable development.

Finally, we are in a conflict-ridden region and the peace in Sierra Leone cannot be sustained in isolation. We therefore urge the United Nations to continue its efforts to pursue durable peace in the West African subregion.

The Acting President

On behalf of the General Assembly, I wish to thank the Vice-President of the Republic of Sierra Leone for the statement he has just made.

The Acting President

I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea.

Mr. Ban Ki-moon (Republic of Korea)

Let me begin by congratulating the presidency on the success of the High-level Meeting on the least developed countries, earlier in the week. I had the honour of participating in the Meeting, which heralded a very productive year for the Assembly under the astute leadership of Her Excellency Ms. Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa, President of the General Assembly, and her Bureau.

I would like to express my deepest thanks and admiration to His Excellency Secretary-General Kofi Annan for his unparalleled dedication and contribution to world peace and prosperity through his dedicated service to our global Organization.

The United Nations was created, first and foremost, to forestall another world war. Not only has it achieved that cardinal goal despite four decades of cold war, but it has also offered States multiple means of resolving their differences, short of war. However, we cannot be sanguine about future trends. If the primary task of the United Nations in the twentieth century was to curb inter-State conflict, its core mandate in the new century must be to strengthen States and to preserve the inter-State system in the face of new challenges.

Some assert that the United Nations is poorly equipped to deal with new threats, such as those posed by non-State actors seeking to undermin