At the outset, I should like, on behalf of all the members of the Chadian delegation that I have the honour to lead, and on my own behalf, to warmly congratulate Mr. Jan Kavan on his election to the presidency of the fifty- seventh session of the General Assembly. In discharging that heavy responsibility, he can count on my delegation's full availability and support throughout this session, all the more so since the international community has honoured my country by electing it to one of the prestigious posts of Vice- President of the Assembly. I take this opportunity to express our gratitude to the Members of the Organization for the trust placed in my country, Chad. Members may be assured that we shall do our utmost to deserve that trust. My thanks and congratulations go also to Mr. Kavan's predecessor and to his team for the work accomplished during the fifty-sixth session. I should also like to pay particular and well- deserved tribute to the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, whose commitment and ceaseless efforts to achieve sustainable peace and development in the world are welcome and should be recognized. Lastly, I express my sincere and warm congratulations to the Swiss Confederation on its admission to the Organization. Chad, which enjoys close relations of friendship and cooperation with that country, welcomes its decision to join the great United Nations family. A country devoted to democratic and peaceful values, Switzerland will undoubtedly contribute to enriching our debates on all issues. The current session is taking place one year after the terrible attacks perpetrated against the United States of America on 11 September 2001, which plunged American families and those of other nations into mourning. The Government and the people of Chad once again join the rest of the international community in paying tribute to the memory of the thousands of innocent victims of that act of blind savagery, which nothing can justify. Unfortunately, those sad events have brutally alerted us to the numerous challenges that we absolutely must face if we wish to one day bring about a just and equitable international society that enables each of its members to develop fully. In addition, those acts of despair can be checked only if their roots — which are nourished by unequal international relations broadening daily the gap between rich and poor — are eradicated. My country firmly condemns that form of political expression, from whatever side it may come, and is ready to associate itself with any initiative of the international community to establish a new world order based on democracy and sustainable development. Today, the United Nations is called on more than ever to help to establish a fairer and more prosperous international society. We note with satisfaction the Organization's frequent efforts to ultimately eradicate the scourges of disease and malnutrition — in short, those of underdevelopment. In that regard, numerous world meetings at the level of heads of State or Government have been organized under the auspices of the United Nations or of specialized agencies with a view to implementing the decisions and recommendations of the Millennium Summit. But the point is not to have Summits; above all, we must match words with deeds. The Republic of Chad, like all other developing States, aspires to a better life and well-being for its population. His Excellency Mr. Idriss Deby rightly stated, in his inaugural address on 8 August 2001, that his mandate would have the double aims of peace and economic progress. In order to do that, Chad is relying on the early exploitation of its mineral and agricultural wealth. We take this opportunity to inform the Assembly and to reassure the international community, including the friends of Chad, that the work to carry out its oil project is proceeding under good conditions. According to forecasts, the first barrels of oil may be brought to market starting in July 2003. However, despite the prospects offered to Chad by the oil age, the Government is aware of the weakness of the national economic structures, of the debt burden and of the imbalances that make the population's living conditions precarious. Once again, we call for our bilateral and multilateral partners to increase their assistance and simply to cancel external debt, as the African Union has always recommended. Long captive to its domestic problems, the Republic of Chad, now more than ever before, intends to shoulder its responsibilities within the international community, particularly on the level of the African 13 continent. Therefore, the Government is committed to helping to make the African Union — whose birth was celebrated on 9 July 2002 at Durban, South Africa — a genuine instrument of the continent's political and economic integration. The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) is part of that major objective. In the framework of North-South and South- South cooperation, NEPAD deserves the support of Africa's development partners. But again, Chad is among those who think that Africa's salvation lies in the hands of Africans themselves. To that goal, they must take courageous political decisions and transcend their differences so that the African Union can become a reality, because the disruptions and crises of all kinds suffered by that great and rich continent are sources of serious anxiety. However, the latest news coming from various African subregions allow us to believe that an end to conflicts is in sight on the continent. Since the beginning of this year, several meetings of national reconciliation have taken place and several peace agreements have been signed, including in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in Angola, in Burundi, in Sudan, in Sierra Leone and in Somalia. That offers real hope for African populations. Chad intends to fully commit itself to ensure that that hope is realized. Along with other members of the international community, the Chadian Government is concerned at the situation that continues to prevail in the Middle East. Unfortunately, that intolerable situation results from non-compliance with the relevant resolutions of the Security Council and of the General Assembly. In the light of its obligation to be fair to all Members of the Organization, the Council should ban any policy of double standards and should ensure respect for its decisions, in particular resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973) and 1397 (2002). Genuine peace in the Middle East demands that. Likewise, the Government of the Republic of Chad cannot remain silent on another situation of injustice that continues to preoccupy the Organization: its exclusion of the Republic of China on Taiwan. That issue comes back to us every year like a boomerang because we handled it badly more than 30 years ago. For us, as a result, it is a matter of conscience that challenges all of us to find a solution. We have stated on a number of occasions that it is not a question of redressing one injustice by committing another;0 it is simply a question of giving back to the Republic of China on Taiwan, a democratic and responsible sovereign State, and to its people the place they should have on the international stage. This is why, once again, the Government of Chad calls for the admission of The Republic of China on Taiwan to the Organization. At its creation in 1945 the United Nations had 51 Members. Now, almost 200 countries are full Members of the Organization. This growth means that it is time for an in-depth reform of its structures to allow for greater participation by all Member States and increased accountability for the taking of international decisions that have a definite impact on the life of all our citizens. This is because globalization should not be regarded only as economic, but also as political. Thus, Chad feels that the restructuring of the United Nations is essential and should focus on the following two points: first, strengthening the role of the General Assembly in order to make it more democratic and more active in decision-making; and secondly, an increase in the number of the members of the Security Council in order to achieve better representation for all the geographic areas of the world. Chad therefore endorses that position, which is also that of the African Union. Before I conclude my statement I wish to call to mind a happy event which took place in my country just one year ago. In July 2001 a significant scientific discovery was made in the Djourab desert in the north of Chad, by researchers headed by a French-Chadian paleontological mission. This was the discovery of the fossilized skull of a hominid known as Sahelanthropus tchadensis, dating back approximately 7 million years. Sahelanthropus tchadensis, which means man of the Chadian Sahel, has been nicknamed Toumai which means hope of life in the local language. Study of the skull has indicated that this is a new human species, a new earliest member of humankind. This discovery has had a significant impact in the scientific community and in world public opinion, because it challenges the many theories concerning the origin of humankind. Toumai is the common ancestor of us all, and Chad is now regarded as the cradle of humankind. In order to mark this important discovery, the Chadian Government envisions the establishment of a department of paleontology to foster research and 14 education in this scientific discipline, as well as the construction of a museum to develop scientific tourism in Chad. My country will be relying on the support of the international community to carry out these projects in the sphere of scientific research and paleontology in particular. All present are warmly invited to visit Chad, now known as the cradle of humankind, whose tourist assets have thus been enhanced by this new scientific discovery.