UN General Assembly
1999

and the United Nations Population Fund working with and rendering assistance to countries described as having transition economies, as well as countries which have suffered the ravages of internecine warfare, that have absorbed significant numbers of refugees and which are subject to many vulnerabilities, including natural disasters, and are victims of economic practices which work against their advancement. The work of UNDP is valued worldwide, and countries which are most vulnerable should certainly be at the forefront for assistance and guidance. We have to ask once again if we must be penalized because of our successes. I sincerely hope that in this body, particularly among the major financial contributors, that it is not the view that small island developing States cannot advance beyond a certain level of development, as, otherwise, they would be overreaching themselves and delving into a domain reserved for members of a certain club. Antigua and Barbuda takes its role in the United Nations very seriously and will remain dedicated to the principle of egalitarianism. We annually recite our vulnerabilities, paying most