UN General Assembly
2013

I would like to congratulate Mr. Ashe, the President of the General Assembly, and his friendly country, Antigua and Barbuda, on his election as President at the sixty-eighth session of the General Assembly. I wish him every success in conducting our work through his major and neutral role as President of the Assembly, like that of his predecessor, who avoided engaging the presidency in special political agendas. Last year when I addressed the Assembly (see A/67/PV.19), we were compelled to address many events that had ravaged our country and our world. We were full of hope that the scene would change for the better this year. Unfortunately, the situation remains the same, and in some parts of the world has even deteriorated. Many countries continue to face political, economic and financial crises that exceed their ability to tackle them on their own. While the international community looked forward to effective international efforts to overcome those crises, today we bear witness to exacerbated and intensified problems. That exacerbation is due to the hegemony and dominion that thwart peoples’ capabilities. Such