UN General Assembly
2004

I am overwhelmed with a great sense of joy at seeing Mr. Ping preside over the General Assembly at this fifty-ninth session. My first words are thus to convey to him, on behalf of my Government and on my own behalf, the most heartfelt congratulations upon his election. Our satisfaction springs from the great esteem in which the Angolan people hold your country and from the strong ties of friendship and fraternity that unite us. I would also like to congratulate your predecessor for the dynamic manner in which he carried out his mandate. 53 At a time when the world is confronting the horrors of violence, poverty and hunger, the members of the Assembly once again have the difficult responsibility of assessing the implementation of their decisions and of seeking new solutions to problems that affect millions of human beings — solutions that will require a mechanism for international cooperation. The United Nations must remain the pivotal instrument for States in dealing with new international challenges to peace and security, such as terrorism;