My sincerest apologies.

We wish to express to the Government and the people of the United States of America our sincerest condolences following Hurricane Katrina.

We extend our sincerest condolences to those countries and reconfirm our resolve to strengthen international cooperation in putting an end to the scourge of terrorism.

Mr. Al Jaafari (Iraq) (spoke in Arabic) I wish first of all to express my sincerest congratulations to you, Sir, on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly.

From this podium, on behalf of the Government and the people of Viet Nam, I wish once again to express to the Governments, the people and the families of the victims in all affected countries our most profound sympathy and our sincerest feelings of solidarity.

President Alexandre (spoke in French) At the very outset of my remarks, both on my own behalf and on behalf of the Haitian nation, I would like to express our sincerest congratulations to you, Sir, on your unanimous election to the presidency of the General Assembly at the sixtieth session.

From this rostrum, I would like to express my sincerest sympathy for the afflicted populations of the southern part of the United States of America that have been so tragically affected by the passage of Hurricane Katrina in August, one of the most devastating hurricanes ever to strike our continent.

These are inseparable and paramount. My Government regards the growth of human rights in its entirety as a genuine step towards strengthening democracy itself. In order for democracy to take root and the democratic process to develop in its sincerest sense, we must nurture the complete range of fundamental human rights.

We also express our sincerest gratitude to Mr. Kofi Annan, who, in discharging his mandate as Secretary General of our Organization, has displayed a spirit of hard work and dedication in a particularly difficult period for the United Nations. Throughout its history, Honduras has fought for the system of democratic government to take root on its soil.

Mr. Loizaga (Paraguay) (spoke in Spanish) On behalf of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States, over which I have the honour to preside, may I express our sincerest condolences at the recent passing of the President of Togo, Mr. Gnassingbé Eyadema, and the Prime Minister of Georgia, Mr. Zurab Zhvania, and to the people of Togo and Georgia.

Expresses its sincerest gratitude and thanks to the Kingdom of Morocco (Seat Country) and to its Honourable Sovereign, His Majesty King Mohamed VI for kindly patronizing a number of ISESCO's activities in Morocco, for addressing lofty messages to the participants therein and for the continuous support extended by His Majesty's government to ISESCO in order to fulfill its mission in the best conditions.

President Vázquez (spoke in Spanish) I would like to extend the sincerest condolences of the people and Government of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, as well as to all the citizens of the world, men and women, old and young, who are victims of natural disasters, of the fury of nature, which is showing us that it will no longer be abused by mankind.

Extends its sincerest gratitude and appreciation to the State of Kuwait and to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan for kindly accepting to host the Third Islamic Conference of Higher Education and Scientific Research Ministers (Kuwait 2006) and the Second Islamic Conference of Environment Ministers (Islamabad, 25 27 February, 2006), and entrusts ISESCO with convening the two conferences, in coordination with the General Secretariat of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

How many wars have been avoided thanks to their courage, how many lives saved by their sacrifices? It is to them that I speak, on behalf of the Group of Western European and other States, to express our sincerest gratitude. Allow me also to recall here, in particular, the more than 1,500 of our fellow human beings who gave their lives so that peace could prevail over war.

It is in this spirit that the authorities of Monaco have asked that the Code be republished in the Law of the Sea Bulletin. Before making a few comments on the draft resolution on oceans and the law of the sea (A 53 L.35), of which the Principality of Monaco is a sponsor, may I express our sincerest thanks to Ms. Marja Liisa Lehto, Counsellor for Legal Affairs of the Finnish delegation, who successfully and skilfully conducted the informal consultations on this text.