Ninth Session of the General Assembly. We are confident that you will direct the work of this session in a highly capable and efficient manner. I would also like to express our appreciation to your predecessor Mr. Julian Hunt, the Foreign Minister of Saint Lucia who as President of the previous session of the General Assembly managed its business with wisdom and expertise. On this occasion, I would like to convey the deep appreciation of the Kingdom to his Excellency Kofi Anan for the sustained and diligent efforts he has been exerting to maintain international peace and security, and also his commendable endeavors aimed at invigorating the role of the United Nations, enhancing its functions, capabilities, and effectiveness in the pursuit for peace and stability in our world. The cogent speech given by his Excellency last week is worthy of praise and note-worthy because it contained significant blueprint and guidelines in how to promote the resiliency of the international order. There is definitely a dire need when tackling global issues to patch up the holes in the international order so that it is not applied selectively or in an abusive manner. --MORE 1154 Local Time 0854 GMT
