Bhutan, 2003

It gives my delegation

immense satisfaction to see Mr. Julian Hunte in the

high office of the presidency, not only because of his

wide experience and his proven abilities, but also

because Saint Lucia — a small country like Bhutan —

has assumed leadership of the General Assembly at this

critical juncture of its history. We are confident that,

under his able leadership and guidance, our

deliberations on the many important and challenging

issues that confront our world today will be fruitful.

Let me also take this opportunity to express our deep

appreciation to Mr. Jan Kavan for his excellent

stewardship of the fifty-seventh session. His

presidency enhanced the esteem of the international

community both for himself personally and for the

Czech Republic.

My delegation would like to pay a special tribute

to the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for his

dynamic leadership and his tireless efforts to revitalize

the United Nations and to enable it to assume its

rightful role at a very challenging time in our history.

We have gathered in this magnificent Hall year

after year, bound together by a common vision of a

peaceful, prosperous and just world. The end of the

cold war renewed our hope to bring to fruition our

collective aspirations, enshrined in the Charter of the

United Nations. The historic Millennium Summit

ushered in a sense of optimism that we could bring

about a world free from want and fear. Unfortunately,

the horrific events of 11 September have shaken the

very foundations of our nascent faith in our ability to

deliver a new era of peace and prosperity. The situation

in Iraq is a serious challenge to the international

community. Three years ago, we stood united and

confident about the prospects in the new millennium,

providing a ray of hope for millions around the world.

Today, sadly, we stand as a house divided, uncertain

about the future and unsure whether we can rid the

world of the vicious circle of conflict, poverty and fear

that has plagued humankind for centuries.

It is clear that international peace and security

and the eradication of poverty remain the most pressing

challenges confronting the international community.

What must be recognized is the undeniable, but often

overlooked, fact that those overarching goals are

interlinked and cannot be achieved in isolation. There

can be no prosperity without peace and security. At the

same time, peace and security cannot be sustained if

billions are deprived of the basic necessities of life.

Our collective resolve to combat the menace of

terrorism must be matched with an equal commitment

2

to eradicate the scourge of poverty, which afflicts more

than half of the world’s population.

We welcome the President’s intention to focus the

Assembly’s efforts on implementation of the outcomes

of United Nations summits and conferences, including

the Millennium Development Goals. The realization of

a new economic order that is inclusive, equitable and

sustainable is an imperative that must be pursued with

renewed focus and resolve. The Millennium

Declaration provides a clear set of targets and steps to

be undertaken to achieve them. The Monterrey

Consensus, the Doha Development Agenda and the

Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development

provided further impetus towards the attainment of the

Millennium Development Goals. Yet 33 countries that

together account for 26 per cent of the world’s

population are reported to be off track on more than

half of the Goals. The lack of progress so far is indeed

disconcerting.

While emphasizing the need to accelerate the

implementation of commitments made by both

developed and developing countries at various

international conferences, my delegation would like to

highlight the critical need for adequate financing

mechanisms through trade, investment and official

development assistance. In particular, my delegation

hopes that the special needs and vulnerabilities of the

least developing countries, of the landlocked

developing countries and of the small island

developing States will be comprehensively addressed,

as called for in the Brussels Programme of Action for

the Least Developed Countries, in the Almaty

Declaration and in the Barbados Plan of Action,

respectively.

Of the 33 countries that are off track in achieving

the Millennium Development Goals, 23 are in sub-

Saharan Africa, highlighting the need for special

attention to Africa. My delegation calls on the

international community to lend its full support to the

implementation of the New Partnership for Africa’s

Development. International support is particularly

crucial for countries emerging from conflicts, for

without the rehabilitation of social and economic

infrastructure, progress in peacemaking cannot be

sustained. In that context, we hope that the

international community will also provide the

necessary support to the peoples of Afghanistan and

Iraq as they endeavour to rebuild their nations under

the most trying circumstances.

Every Member State has the responsibility to

eradicate poverty and create an enabling environment

for peace and security. It is in the mutual interest of all

nations, small or large, developed or developing, to

collectively promote global prosperity and peaceful

coexistence.