UN General Assembly
2003

﻿I take special pleasure in congratulating you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the General Assembly at its fifty-eighth session. The unanimous election of the smallest State ever to hold that post speaks not only of the confidence which Member States place in your own ability, but also of their recognition of the critical role which small States play in the multilateral process. We are delighted at your elevation to this high office, and we wish to assure you that, in carrying out your responsibilities, you will be able to count on the unequivocal support not only of Saint Lucia, but also of the entire Caribbean fraternity. I wish also to thank your predecessor, Mr. Jan Kavan, who very ably guided the work of the fifty-seventh session of the General Assembly during a most trying and tumultuous year. On 19 August, the world was again plunged into shock and despair as we witnessed the heinous attack on the United Nations Office in Baghdad and the loss of life of United Nations personnel stationed there. A