I now call on the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia, the Hon. Alexander Downer.

It was also presented to the CD earlier this year by the Foreign Minister of Australia, Mr. Alexander Downer.

The PRESIDENT I thank the Hon. Alexander Downer, the Foreign Minister of Australia, for his statement and the kind words he addressed to the Chair.

I am also very pleased to cordially welcome the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia, the Hon. Alexander Downer, who will also address the Conference today.

The United Nations is in Cyprus to help however it can.UN Peacekeepers have stood watch for more than 45 years. My envoy, Alexander Downer, is facilitating the negotiations.

Mr. Downer (Australia) expressed his delegation's strong support for the six party talks as a means of resolving the nuclear situation in the People's Democratic Republic of Korea.

In addition, we are grateful to the Honourable Alexander Downer, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia, for coming and sharing with us the views of his Government.

At its 1st plenary meeting, on 21 September 2005, the Conference elected, by acclamation, as President of the Conference, His Excellency Alexander Downer, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia.

The reason I show this not to put a downer on everything but I just want to use it to key off my philosophy of life in general, which is that we all have two goals.

Mr. DOWNER (Australia) I am very pleased to have this opportunity to address the Conference on Disarmament, the more so under the distinguished chairmanship of Australia apos s regional neighbour and good friend, the Republic of Korea.

A fortnight ago we had the benefit of listening to the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Alexander Downer, who kindly laid before us the report of the Canberra Commission on the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

A warm welcome also to the United Nations Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Annan, and the Australian Foreign Minister, Mr. Downer, who have addressed us today, as well as to our new friends and colleagues, Ambassador Mernier, Ambassador Campbell, Ambassador Chowdhury, Ambassador Dembri and Ambassador Bold.

I would also like to take this opportunity to warmly welcome the newly appointed United Nations Secretary General, His Excellency Mr. Kofi Annan, and the Foreign Minister of Australia, the Honourable Alexander Downer, to our midst and congratulate them for the inspiring statements they made this morning.

Maybe I should recall at this stage the words of Mr. Alexander Downer, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia, who urged the CD to prove to those who do not believe that this Conference can deliver a treaty fast enough to meet the urgency of the humanitarian crisis that they are wrong.

I take this opportunity to pay tribute to the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan, the Foreign Minister of Italy, Mr. Lamberto Dini, and the Foreign Minister of Australia, Mr. Alexander Downer, who each contributed to galvanizing the CD process by addressing the plenary at the beginning of its annual session.

The office of Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said that this support would continue the ongoing water supply and sanitation project for 18 months, until March 1999.40 ICRC head, Jeurg Frei, said that ICRC has also established cooperation with the Indonesian Red Cross in implementing 54 projects aimed at providing people with clean water.41

As you know, on this occasion, the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Australia, the Honourable Alexander Downer, will address the Conference, and I would therefore kindly request all of you to be present at 10 a.m. sharp in view of the heavy schedules of these two distinguished visitors.