Lao

On behalf of the delegation of Laos, I would like, Sir, to convey to you my congratulations on your election to the presidency of this fifty-seventh session of the General Assembly. The current session is taking place at a time when Member States have entered the third year of the process of implementation of the Development Goals adopted at the Millennium Summit. During the past two years, satisfactory progress has been made towards those objectives, yet much more needs to be done. It is our view that the war on poverty deserves our greatest attention, for poverty causes millions of deaths and does not allow for sustainable development. Furthermore, our planet is facing the scourge of terrorism in its various forms. Our Government will work in a spirit of solidarity with the world community in the combat against that scourge. Since the end of the twentieth century, it has been widely claimed that globalization provides tremendous economic and development opportunities to nations. However, it is evident that it has also brought numerous challenges to the majority of the world's population, in particular to those people living in developing countries. The most notable effects of globalization can be seen in the fact that the disparity between the developed and developing countries continues to increase. Against this backdrop, while the developing countries, with a sense of ownership and partnership, have adopted various measures to cope with its disadvantages, they still find themselves confronted with the problem of securing financing and human resources that can handle new technology; added to this is the inability to access the market of the developed countries. Although the International Conference on Financing for Development and other international conferences have given rise to some hope that these disadvantages and challenges will be addressed, the results have been far from satisfactory. Moreover, the World Summit held in Johannesburg earlier this month failed to respond to the strong aspirations of the developing countries and of the world community in addressing the issue of sustainable development. Only by implementing the commitments and pledges adopted at those international conferences can we ensure fair and 5 sustainable development and lasting peace for humankind. We continue to seek a world of peace, coexistence and cooperation for development. However, to our regret, violent disputes and conflicts continue to rage in many parts of our planet due to the legacies of history and other factors. We are again gathered here in the conviction that the United Nations, as the only truly universal Organization, should have a greater responsibility and a more important role to play, in accordance with Charter and international law, in resolving various disputes in the world and in preventing the emergence of new hot spots and interference in the internal affairs of independent and sovereign States. We should also continue to call for reform of the United Nations with a view to enabling it to rise to the formidable challenge of poverty eradication and the promotion of sustainable development. In particular, the Security Council should be reformed so as to ensure that it fulfils its responsibilities in safeguarding peace and security. In this context, I would like to pay tribute to the Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, who has worked tirelessly to render our Organization more effective, and wish him even greater success in his endeavours. The Lao People's Democratic Republic shares the international community's deep concern about the excessive use of force in the Middle East since March this year. In conformity with the common position of the Non-Aligned Movement on the Middle East peace process, the Lao People's Democratic Republic believes that only a politically negotiated settlement acceptable to both parties and implemented under international supervision will bring peace, stability and cooperation to the region. Such a settlement must be based on respect for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to establish an independent and viable State of their own, so that they can live side by side with Israel in peace and security within internationally recognized borders, in accordance with all relevant United Nations resolutions. The Lao People's Democratic Republic also expresses great concern about the issue of Iraq — an independent and sovereign nation, and a State Member of the United Nations. We are of the view that this issue should be resolved by the United Nations through political means. With regard to the Caribbean region, the Lao People's Democratic Republic reiterates its call for the lifting of the economic, financial and trade embargo imposed against the Republic of Cuba by the Government of the United States of America. An end to this long-standing and obsolete policy would not only mean effective compliance with various General Assembly resolutions, international law and the current world thinking, but also promote economic prosperity and cooperation in the region as a whole. With regard to the Korean Peninsula, the Lao Government welcomes the recent positive developments, especially the inter-Korean ministerial talks, as well as the preparation for negotiations between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the United States of America and Japan. These developments will help pave the way for the achievement of the goal of the peaceful national reunification of Korea, and significantly contribute to the consolidation of peace and stability in East Asia and the Asia-Pacific region. While many other countries are taking advantage of the benefits offered by globalization, the landlocked developing countries are still marginalized due to their geographical disadvantage. Their lack of territorial access to the sea, and their remoteness and isolation from major international markets, as well as the high transit transport costs, continue to be major obstacles for those countries in meeting objectives of national economic development and poverty eradication. Moreover, this geographical handicap deprives us of our right to be competitive in the international trading system and to fully benefit from it. As the country holding the chairmanship of the Group of Landlocked Developing Countries, the Lao People's Democratic Republic expresses its appreciation to the General Assembly for its decision, taken last year, to convene in 2003 an International Ministerial Meeting of Landlocked and Transit Developing Countries and Donor Countries and International Financial and Developmental Institutions on Transit Transport Cooperation. Over the past year, the Lao People's Democratic Republic has recorded a number of important achievements in the field of socio-economic development. One event of significance was the successful election of the fifth National Assembly on 24 February this year. This has contributed to the gradual improvement of living standards of the Lao 6 people across all ethnic groups and ensured and strengthened political stability and social order. While extending its cooperation to the international community in many spheres, the Lao People's Democratic Republic has contributed to the strengthening of Asian solidarity and to the cause of peace, friendship, cooperation and development for nations throughout the world.