Today many young girls and boys worldwide have not enjoyed happy lives and lacked opportunity for education. Moreover, they are subject to exploitation for the purpose of pornography, prostitution and drug addiction that destroy their own future, their families, the society and, subsequently, become the source of international terrorism. Similarly, the gender issue is also of great importance. Although equality between women and men is respected and women participation in social life has increased, the poverty and violence continue to be the major obstacles that affect women's life. To successfully tackle this problem, countries over the world should help each other and devote the necessary resources in this domain.
Drug abuse continues to be a subject of major concern for the international community.
The experience has shown that people in the area of poppy cultivation continue to remain poor. Therefore, in order to definitely solve this problem, it is imperative to carry out alternative development projects, ensure food security, enable people to earn more in cultivating alternative crops than in poppy and traditional cultivation. The Lao Government is determined to continue its efforts on drug control and supervision. It is our hope that the international community will lend a strong helping hand to us to overcome our difficulties at the earliest for the bright future of our children. Mr. President, While the world is entering the new millennium, a number of regional conflicts have been satisfactorily settled, thus responding to the aspiration of the affected nations.