And finally, stalking this summit like a spectre are the Millennium Development Goals.

The spectre of the threats posed by biological weapons is further cause for serious concern.

The storage of nuclear waste in some parts of the territory raised the spectre of ecological disaster.

The spectre of avian flu threatens parts of Asia and Europe and the disease could become a global pandemic.

The spectre of nuclear terrorism has placed a new premium on the need to strengthen the global nuclear non proliferation regime.

It still considers that the NPT is an essential basis for continuing the process of disarmament and eliminating the spectre of nuclear war.

Conflicts continue to rage in many parts of the world, while humankind continues to live under the spectre of poverty and the degradation of the environment.

Indeed, there have been several regrettable occasions during the past year when the spectre of the veto had the effect of dampening debate or delaying important decisions.

While recourse to the ICJ very often makes it possible to resolve peacefully differences among States and to dispel tensions and stave off the spectre of war, failure to implement its judgments can have serious consequences for international peace and security.

Recent events have reminded us that terrorism is alive and well and that no one is safe from its ugly spectre now more than ever we have to ensure that terrorists are denied access to weapons of mass destruction and related materials.

Now more than ever, I am of the view that the principles of full and absolute political equality must continue as the guiding standard in addressing the self determination process of the small island territories, if we are to avoid the spectre of colonies in perpetuity where the unilateral authority of the administering powers remains the determining factor in the decision making process.

Again, we believe that UNIFIL continues to serve an important purpose, yet we feel that the continued spectre of armed militias in southern Lebanon, coupled with the Lebanese Government's unwillingness to assert its sole and effective control over all its territory, are the greatest impediments to UNIFIL's expeditiously fulfilling its final mandate of restoring peace and security along the Blue Line.