UN General Assembly
2002

﻿This session of the General Assembly is beginning in a context that is still deeply affected by the memory of the painful events that struck the United States, and especially our host city, just a year ago. So I shall begin by paying tribute to the memory of the victims of the attacks of 11 September 2001. This sacrifice is a cruel reminder of how fragile our world remains, exposed to the most unimaginable threats. Humankind needs solidarity, and the Congolese people reaffirms here, through me, its solidarity with the people of the United States. The election of Mr. Jan Kavan to preside over the work of the fifty-seventh session is a tribute to his beautiful country, the Czech Republic, and to his reputation as an outstanding statesman whose experience and knowledge will inspire and guide our work. To Mr. Han Seung-soo, President of the Assembly at its fifty-sixth session, we express our earnest thanks for his excellent work. Likewise, we express to the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, our profound gratitude and our wishes for success in the noble