Please allow me to congratulate you and the other members of the Bureau on your election.
Social development is a very broad concept, and it has far reaching consequences.
In addition, the associated costs can be quite crippling, while the benefits that we can reap are endless. This document reflects the constraints and realities that the small island developing states face and it was submitted to the Copenhagen Summit as a document of the conference. Mr. President, My delegation participated actively in the Social Summit, and we feel a strong affinity for the Program of Action. There are concepts in this Program of Action that form the very basis of social interaction in the Marshall Islands. I note the strong advocacy for human rights, which in our view, could be strengthened even further.