YouSaid · the spoken record

David Panuelo

lines on the record: 66
first: 2019-09-24
most recent: 2022-09-24
sittings or episodes: 3
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“I wish to conclude by explicitly calling on all peoples and nations who hear me today to know that the people and the Government of the Federated States of Micronesia extend to them peace, friendship, cooperation and love in our common humanity. We need Member States — all of them — to stand with us as nations united. To my fellow world leaders: we must take action and make bold decisions today. Our actions today will be our global prosperity tomorrow.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“The solidarity of our region will strengthen our collective sense of Pacific regionalism and the security of the Blue Pacific continent, and we therefore ask our partners to assist us — and not to divide us in any way. The key message for the United Nations and all countries in the world that engage with the Pacific is that Micronesia and the rest of the Pacific Islands Forum solicit all countries that engage with the Pacific to support and respect the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. It is the Pacific region’s road map for sustainable development and growth and the security of current and future generations. We can succeed in implementing it only if we work together with the support of our international partners.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“As leaders, through the Suva Agreement, we adopted key structural reforms for the Forum that strengthen our region, including reforms on the selection and subregional rotation of the Secretary General position, the hosting of a subregional office of the Forum in Micronesia, the hosting of the Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner in Micronesia and the filling of the head of that office in Micronesia. We are implementing those reforms in good faith to strengthen unity among the Pacific nations as one family. We also adopted the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, which we just launched this afternoon in New York. It represents an important bridge into the future — a unique opportunity for our region to develop long-term approaches to address our common challenges.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Speaking further of the common heritage of humankind, Micronesia wishes to express its gravest concern about Japan’s decision to discharge, as of next year, nuclear-contaminated water, otherwise known as advanced liquid processing system water, into the Pacific Ocean. We cannot close our eyes to the unimaginable threats of nuclear contamination, marine pollution and the eventual destruction of the Blue Pacific continent. The impacts of that decision are both transboundary and intergenerational in nature. As Micronesia’s Head of State, I cannot allow the destruction of our ocean resources that support the livelihood of our people. The leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum face the future with a lot of optimism.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We are thankful to Australia for donating two Guardian-Class patrol boats, as well as to Japan for complementing those assets with four smaller patrol boats for nearby coastal waters. We recognize the United States Coast Guard as an enduring partner in protecting our expansive ocean territory. But given our vast exclusive economic zone and extended continental shelves, which reach beyond 200 nautical miles, we invite additional countries to assist us in acquiring more assets with much more advanced maritime surveillance capabilities, such as drones and submersibles. Our law enforcement, border management and maritime surveillance teams would benefit from more partnership in capacity-building and support for continually enhancing their law enforcement skills.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Turning to the maritime areas within our national jurisdiction, the vast expanse of Micronesia’s maritime zones represents both an opportunity and at the same time an enormous challenge. We have some of the largest fishing grounds in the Pacific, covering an area of 1.1 million square miles, and one of the most productive tuna fisheries in the Western and Central Pacific. Our maritime zones are exposed to threats of transnational crime, illegal activities and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. We need our partners to support us in capacity-building efforts for strengthened law enforcement in the areas of maritime surveillance, money-laundering and terrorist financing, drug trafficking and other transnational crimes.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Micronesia looks forward to the resumption and conclusion of the BBNJ negotiations very soon. This past summer, Micronesia announced that we were joining the Alliance of Countries for a Deep- Sea Mining Moratorium, alongside a number of fellow Pacific SIDS. It is the view of Micronesia that deep seabed mining in the international seabed area should not occur until the precautionary principle, the ecosystem approach and the polluter-pays principle have been implemented. In the area of the international seabed, no such implementation can take place in the absence of the finalization of a robust, responsible and comprehensive set of exploitation regulations by the International Seabed Authority. To do otherwise would be a dereliction of our duty to protect and preserve the marine environment and respect the common heritage of humankind.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“While the Our Ocean Conference, held in Palau, and the Ocean Conference, held in Lisbon, both concluded with successful outcomes, critical work remains to be done to fully protect the ocean resources considered a common heritage of humankind. In March, as the international community, we were unable to finalize an international legally binding instrument to conserve and sustainably use the marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction. Just last month, we had to pause the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) because we ran out of allotted time. It is imperative that we finalize that work as soon as possible so that we can protect ocean resources effectively.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“In view of the efforts provided by the Multi-Country Office, I wish to acknowledge and commend the United Nations agencies for their diligent work in making sure that they reach every island in my country and in the Micronesia subregion, including the vulnerable outlying islands. While acknowledging our interest in strengthening our tourism sector and developing value-added agricultural products, investment in the blue economy is our main aim. To that end, our Government works closely with the private sector for the benefit of all. Sustainable fisheries management and the protection of the environment are therefore essential in our endeavour to sustain marine life for our future generations. In 2022, we have focused a substantial amount of work on oceans, with mixed results.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“I want to personally thank the leadership of this Organization and its Members for the support extended to my country in establishing the Multi-Country Office for the North Pacific. I am proud to announce that the establishment of the Multi-Country Office has added value to our response to the coronavirus disease and accessing available funding sources and technical support through the United Nations system. Small island developing States (SIDS) such as Micronesia are in dire need of support from our partners to support our country-driven development strategy. Distance continues to be a challenge in providing service delivery.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Micronesia says that to each of them bilaterally and at the General Assembly multilaterally, in the quietest conversations in the President’s Office and in the loudest conversations streamed across the world, because it is our most important issue. Their capacity to cooperate on climate change is necessary to ensure that our world is habitable for future generations and does not suffer from civilizational collapse. Ours is undoubtedly an interdependent world, in which we share common goals for sustainability. I am of the view that, through cooperation, we have a better chance of building healthy societies that we can proudly pass on to our children and a world that values the rights of every individual and every society.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Micronesia cannot understand why our partners and friends cannot get along on an issue of total international importance, but one way to get attention and action is to explicitly call out your closest friends and allies by name instead of talking around the substance. Indeed, President Xi and President Biden are both friends of Micronesia. I respect both of them and their peoples and their countries. As the two super-Powers in this world, they both set the tone and cadence of global conversations. It is my wish that they can respect each other so that they can see with their eyes wide open that it is Micronesia’s strongest desire and the desire of the rest of the Pacific island countries that they resume cooperation on tackling climate change.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“In my previous three addresses, I urged the United States of America and the People’s Republic of China to consider climate change a non-political and non-competitive issue for cooperation, because solving the climate change crisis ultimately requires both of those superpowers to work together. For the briefest period of time, it seemed as if the Americans, with whom Micronesia shares an enduring partnership, and the Chinese, with whom Micronesia shares a great friendship, were starting to work together on that issue despite increases in tension in other areas. Now they are no longer speaking to each other on that important issue.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Micronesia urges all countries to commit to the Kigali Amendment and the Global Methane Pledge to see a 30 per cent reduction of methane emissions from 2020 levels by 2030. In that connection, I congratulate the United States on the ratification of the Kigali Amendment by the United States Senate yesterday. That is indeed a monumental step towards curbing climate super pollutants. I urge other countries to take that important step forward to collectively secure a livable planet for all of us and for future generations. I look forward to working closely with the United States and others in fully implementing the amendment. This is my fourth address to the Assembly.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“They ignore the solutions that could address climate while supporting development goals in favour of business as usual. Fortunately, the tide is changing on CO- emissions, but still too slowly. Moreover, research shows that efforts to reduce CO2 alone will not cool the planet in the short term. Only the mitigation of methane, which is a super pollutant and the second-most potent greenhouse gas, and of the other short-lived climate pollutants can prevent the world from exceeding the 2.0°C upper limit over the next two decades. We need a new and robust methane agreement, which is currently not addressed sufficiently in the existing legal framework. Doing so is key to ensuring that countries can put their adaptation plans in place while additional CO2 mitigation gets under way.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“The Federated States of Micronesia cannot overemphasize the extreme urgency of limiting global warming to 1.5°C through rapid, deep and sustained reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions. However, to the extent that mitigation, as well as adaptation, are not sufficient to avert or minimize loss and damage, financing must be provided with all due haste to help vulnerable communities, like those of my country, to recover from climate change-related loss and damage. Current efforts to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions remain wholly inadequate. The world is moving past 1.5°C of warming and is rapidly speeding towards and will soon exceed 1.5°C. Despite warnings of dangerous feedback and tipping points, many actors still continue to engage in the worst carbon-emitting activities.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“The Federated States of Micronesia makes its most urgent appeal to the global community, especially the developed countries, to commit to the intent of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change by providing adequate, accessible and concessional financing for climate mitigation and adaptation, as well as for loss and damage. On loss and damage specifically, Micronesia calls for the adoption of an agenda item at the twenty- seventh session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 27) on a loss and damage response fund, the establishment of that fund at COP 27 and the full operationalization of the fund to be completed at COP 28.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Micronesia strongly encourages all other peoples and Governments, most particularly those with greater influence and means, to firmly stand with the people and the Government of Ukraine and show that the people of the twenty-first century cannot and will not tolerate aggressive and violent behaviour. An infringement on the rights of one is an infringement on the rights of us all, and we do well to stand with our neighbours — lest we one day find ourselves standing alone. While traditional security concerns have taken much of our world’s attention in recent memory, for Micronesia, as a Pacific island country, it must continue to be emphasized that the most enduring security threat to the Pacific and the world is in the form of anthropogenic climate change.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“The unprovoked attack against the people of Ukraine by another Member of the United Nations is illegal, blatantly disregards international laws and norms and undermines the Charter of the United Nations, whose purposes and principles are to maintain international peace and security. I join Secretary of State Blinken of the United States and the members of the Security Council in imploring Russia at their recent meeting to stop the threat of nuclear war. The people and the Government of Micronesia support the people and the Government of Ukraine in their quest to defend their families and their homes.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“I would also like to pay our respects to Secretary- General Antonio Guterres, who continues to demonstrate dedication and integrity in his role as Secretary-General of this — our — United Nations. I will begin by reiterating that the Federated States of Micronesia’s foreign policy is to be a friend to all and an enemy to none; that we extend to all peoples and nations that which we seek: peace, friendship, cooperation and love in our common humanity. As leaders of the world, it is our duty and obligation to take bold decisions and actions that serve our citizens and reflect our values. Every person in this Hall and beyond is impacted, in some form or another, by the brutal and unjustified invasion of Ukraine.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“I bring the General Assembly warm greetings from the paradise in our backyards, the Federated States of Micronesia. It is my honour to address the General Assembly, and in doing so I bring a warm kaselehlie on behalf of my delegation and the leadership and the people of the Federated States of Micronesia to all Member States in attendance today and those joining us virtually from across the globe. I express my country’s gratitude as we join other members of the Assembly in extending our heartiest congratulations to the President on his election. We also wish to thank his predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Abdulla Shahid, for his excellent leadership.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Micronesia chooses to take responsibility for solving the Climate Change crisis and for ending the COVID-19 Pandemic. We cannot do it alone. We need you, all of you, to stand with us, as nations united, to take actions today for our global prosperity tomorrow. Thank you, Mr. President, and God Bless our United Nations.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Micronesia has faith in the United Nations, and will actively work to ensure that the United Nations is successful. I further conclude by explicitly calling on all Nations and Peoples who hear me today to know that the People and Government of Micronesia extends to you friendship, and urges you to take action to extend that same friendship and love to your fellow human beings. There are real challenges facing us all today, and we find ourselves wishing we could live in a better world. But a better world is not something we ask for. A better world is something we build. We define a better world through consensus, with a foundation of empathy and love for other human beings. We construct a better world by acknowledging that we are who we choose to be, and then choosing to take responsibility for both ourselves and our communities.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“We have to ensure that adequate and sustainable financing is available to support the responses from the Resident Coordinators to the needs of the most vulnerable. Mr. President, The reform of our United Nations, in particular the reform of the UN Security Council, remains a relevant subject of discussion year after year. We must recommit to completing the unfinished work which has eluded us for decades. It is appropriate that members of this august body that have contributed so much to our Organization, such as Japan, be included as permanent members on a reformed Council. Mr. President, I conclude by applauding the United Nations for its continued efforts to unite the nations of our World, and encourage the United Nations to continue to live up to its responsibility in ensuring that no society or people are left behind.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“In the North Pacific, we are fully aware that the UN system’s commitment and support on the ground is necessary if we are to achieve many of the goals. We, therefore, warmly welcome the imminent opening of the new UN Multi-Country Office for the North Pacific, with Micronesia as its host. The countries of the North Pacific are most grateful to our Secretary-General for his foresight and decision to open this new office. As host, I pledge my country’s full support, and we commit to doing our part in ensuring the expedited entry into the country of the international staff of the new MCO. The reform of the United Nations Development system has shown promising results. Its success remains in the hands of our Organization’s membership. It is time to rethink how best we, as members, can provide funding support to the system.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“In the dialogues leading up to the forthcoming Food Systems Summit, we have been seeing a surge of community-level awareness and commitment to address consumption behaviour to address the ravages of food-related non-communicable diseases. Approximately one third of Micronesians suffer from diabetes and high- blood pressure, largely as a direct result for our recent social preferences for highly processed, and salty, imported foods. Our current food system is unsustainable, and so we are trying to change it, to re-indigenize it, as part of our commitment to the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and the Decade of Action. Mr. President, The effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has always been at the top of our agenda.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“With biodiversity around our planet at risk and in serious decline, Micronesia and its partners are taking concrete actions. We must step up collectively and do more to protect and restore our planet’s biodiversity. I encourage all who wish to stand with us to do so, as Micronesia will show you peace, friendship, cooperation, and love in our common humanity. Mr. President, I commend the Secretary-General for taking the initiative to convene the United Nations Food Systems Summit, which will be held at the end of this General Assembly. The focus on food systems, in all its aspects, from production to processing, and from consumption to waste utilization, recognizes the integral role that food plays in our lives, in our health, our livelihood, our economy, and our environment.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“We have relied on the traditional knowledge in conserving our land and seas, and will continue to look to it for best practices in preserving the resources that come from the Ocean, and also utilize it to fight Climate Change. Micronesia will continue to advocate for more effective conservation of our marine and forest resources. Our traditions dictate it, and our survival requires it. Long before the terms “marine sanctuaries” and “marine protected areas” (MPAs) became everyday terms with our people, the concepts have already existed throughout many of our traditional Micronesian societies. Through these various initiatives Micronesia is currently engaged in, such as the Micronesia Challenge 2030, Blue Prosperity Micronesia, and the Technology for Tuna Transparency (T3) Challenge, we are investing in our future.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Fortunately, the Pacific islands’ collective views as expressed in the Declaration are supported by both UNCLOS and the legal principles underpinning it. Micronesia reiterates its endorsement of the Declaration and encourages the international community to favourably consider the Declaration and its overarching objectives. Mr. President, As a nation covering over a million square miles of ocean, we attach great importance to the sustainable use and management of marine resources within and adjacent to our territorial waters. Our people have lived in harmony with the Ocean and their natural environment since our ancestors began to navigate these vast seas.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“In light of these circumstances, and in acknowledgement of the potential legal implications of sea-level rise on maritime zones, such as those of Micronesia, the Declaration proclaims, among other things, that our islands’ “maritime zones, once established in accordance with the UNCLOS and notified to the Secretary-General of the United Nations in accordance with UNCLOS, and the rights and entitlements that flow from them, shall continue to apply, notwithstanding any physical changes connected to Climate Change-related Sea-Level Rise.” It will be deeply unjust and inequitable if a small island developing State like Micronesia, being specially affected by Climate Change-related Sea-Level Rise, despite being among the least responsible for the phenomenon, has to surrender any of its maritime rights and entitlements because of such sea-level rise, including its rights and entitlements to rich fishery resources in our Exclusive Economic Zone.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Recent reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change underscore that global sea-level rise associated with Climate Change is likely to be as high as one meter by the end of this century, with the Western Pacific having already experienced three times more sea-level rise than the current global mean. Many of us, like my own country, Micronesia, sit in this region of the Pacific.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Last month, the Pacific Islands countries endorsed a landmark Declaration on Preserving Maritime Zones in the Face of Climate Change-related Sea-Level Rise, which has been affirmed by both the Pacific Islands Forum and the Micronesian Presidents’ Summit. The Declaration is a formal statement of the views of these island countries. As recognized by the Declaration, the threat of Climate Change-related Sea-Level Rise is, and I quote, a “defining issue that imperils the livelihoods and wellbeing of our peoples and undermines the realization of a peaceful, secure, and sustainable future for our region” of the Pacific.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Yet, of all the actions most important for Micronesia’s continued capacity to promote and protect the rule of law, it is through our Enduring Partnership with the United States of America, which is codified through the Compact of Free Association. Negotiations over the expiring provisions of the Compact are ongoing, and in light of the recent High-Level Defense Talks this July, Micronesia calls on the United States to help us conclude our negotiations before the current agreements are set to expire at the end of 2023. Mr. President, The Federated States of Micronesia accepts the responsibility to continue to speak out, along with similarly committed States, on how the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (“UNCLOS”) applies to maritime zones in situations involving Climate Change-related Sea-Level Rise.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Micronesia has been taking many steps to strengthen the rule of law in our country. We are seeking to pass legislation on cybercrimes, we will be joining the International Police Organization (INTERPOL), and we have committed to tackling illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing in our waters in cooperation with organizations like the Forum Fisheries Agency and the Micronesian Presidents Summit. We have strengthened maritime surveillance with Australia and Japan, and look forward to the receipt of two new Guardian-class patrol ships, or vessels, from Australia to help us protect our Big Ocean State.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“We ask all of our friends, allies, and development partners to join us today. Today, we encourage all countries to be bold, and submit more ambitious revised Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). Mr. President, While we took encouragement from the international response to the Paris Agreement, the Climate Crisis should also motivate us to ratify and integrate the Kigali Amendment into our national policies to ensure the avoidance of life- threatening damage to our planet. That is why I am urging countries which are major contributors to carbon emissions to ratify the Kigali Amendment, and to phase down the production and consumption of HFCs. Mr. President, The presence and utilization of the rule of law is the true barometer for civilization.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“The positive step undertaken by the United States to rejoining the Paris Agreement and sponsoring a Climate Summit is all very encouraging, because the World needs the United States if we are to solve the Climate Change crisis, on the premise that the World needs every country to work together. The World needs the United States, just as the World needs China, as the World needs Japan, as the World needs Australia, to all come together for global survival. The secret to the threat of Climate Change is the same as the secret to the threat of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The moment we decide that the threat is a specific country or a specific person, then we all lose. The way that we all win is cooperating together. Micronesia is willing to do its part, and is actively doing its part.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“With recent legislation, we have banned the importation of most forms of plastic, and we are beginning to shift from relying on fossil fuels to renewable energies like solar. What Micronesia needs from our friends, allies, and development partners in the global community — and that includes everyone watching me today, because Micronesia is family to the United States and a friend to the People’s Republic of China, just as Micronesia is a friend to the Maldives and to the United Kingdom, to the Netherlands and to Spain, to Nicaragua and to Australia, to New Zealand and to South Africa, to Israel and to Norway, to Japan and to Korea — what we need is global action today for our World’s prosperity tomorrow. Mr. President, We must look past what separates us, and focus on what unites us.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“President, Regrettably, the chilling confirmation from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in its recent report is a stark reminder that dark days are ahead if no serious and urgent action is taken to deal with the Climate Change crisis. We can no longer worry about whether we have a developing label or a developed label next to our name. We are all in this together, and we must all do our part. The science is clear that both developing and developed countries are affected. Micronesia remains committed to doing its part in addressing the Climate Change crisis so we can build back better. With Blue Prosperity Micronesia, we are seeking to protect 30 per cent of our Nation’s ocean territory. With the Micronesia Challenge, we are seeking to protect 50 per cent of our coastal and terrestrial territory.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“While repatriation efforts are ongoing, inclusive of pre-quarantine outside Micronesia and in-country quarantine upon arrival, there are still hundreds of families missing their loved ones. To all the Micronesian men and women still stranded abroad, I give you all my word that we will get you home. Let us build back better health security today to prepare for the next Pandemic tomorrow. Let us all commit to the goals of ending the COVID-19 Pandemic, and creating a stronger health security architecture in 2022. Let us all support the targets for achieving global health security, and let us all elevate global ambition to making shared existential security threats, whether they are the COVID-19 Pandemic or Climate Change, a shared responsibility, that we work together in addressing as nations united for a common purpose. Mr.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Thanks to generous support from the United States of America, with whom we share an Enduring Partnership, we have received enough vaccines for our entire population. More than 75 per cent of our adult population has received the first dose of the vaccine, and we are just starting to vaccinate adolescents. Meanwhile, thanks to generous support from the People’s Republic of China, with whom we share a Great Friendship, we have established highly functional quarantine sites across our Nation. Though COVID-19 is not on our shores, the Pandemic has nonetheless effected our people. While I can point out economic data on lost jobs, delays on implementing infrastructure projects, and so forth, perhaps the most meaningful is that by keeping our Nation protected we have also necessarily kept many of our citizens stranded abroad.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“At its foundation, we must respect ourselves the same as we respect others, for an infringement on the rights of one person is an infringement on the rights of us all. We must respond to the environmental needs of the Planet, for the Planet’s needs are our needs. We must recover from COVID-19, and rebuild sustainably, which will ensure humankind’s resilience for the remainder of the Decade of Action. And to ensure we have hope, to ensure we have unity, we must revitalize the United Nations. Mr. President, Micronesia remains COVID-19 free. We have been able to keep the virus at bay by locking down our borders, and by embracing a very close partnership with both the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“As always, we are grateful to our Secretary-General, and my dear friend, Antonio Guterres, who has worked unceasingly to make our United Nations a more effective instrument for the advancement of our common goals. He has the total support of Micronesia and its people, and we congratulate him on his re-election as Secretary-General. Mr. President, The theme of this year’s session — “Building resilience through hope — to recover from COVID-19, rebuild sustainably, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the right of the people, and revitalize the United Nations” — is both bold and appropriate. Crucially, the colours of this year’s theme are all part of the portrait of where we are today.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“I note with genuine enthusiasm that both of our countries have undertaken partnerships with the Blue Prosperity Coalition to protect at least 30 per cent of our ocean, and that both of our countries, like small island developing states across the World, are committed to building back better through tackling Climate Change. I am thankful and heartened by your leadership and your country’s willingness to undertake an even greater commitment to lead this Assembly during these challenging times. I would also like to pay tribute to the outgoing President of the 75th Session, His Excellency Mr. Volkan Bozkir for his leadership during an unusual and trying time.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General, Excellencies, Distinguished delegates, Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you warm greetings from our beautiful islands in the Federated States of Micronesia. Mr. President, At the outset, I wish to express that I am particularly pleased that an esteemed leader from a small island developing state (SIDS) has been elected to lead this august body during this crucial 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Your country, the Republic of the Maldives, has been instrumental and effective in leading the world community, particularly on issues relating to the environment and Climate Change, to find common ground.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“I also want to express my gratitude to our Secretary-General for his foresight in considering Micronesia a region that deserves greater focus. We need a United Nations that can meet the challenges of the twenty-first century, dedicated to acting with bold decisions in order to tackle the security threats posed by climate change, to eradicating poverty and resolving armed conflicts, to leading the poor out of poverty and bringing sustainable development to all — in short, a United Nations that leaves no one behind. In the final analysis, the success of the United Nations rests on the collective will of all 193 members of the Assembly. I thank the President of the General Assembly and leaders around the world for giving me the opportunity to speak on behalf of the Government and the people of the Federated States of Micronesia.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Earlier this year, in his report on United Nations development system reform (A/74/73), the Secretary-General expressed his support for the North Pacific, recommending that we establish a dedicated multi-country office to attend to the needs of the five Micronesian countries. A new approach to meeting the challenges of our vast region of the Pacific is clearly of major importance to us in our efforts to implement the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action Pathway and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Decisions such as these are hugely important to the greater Micronesian region, and in that regard I would like to emphasize the important role that an on-the-ground multi-country office would play.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“As part of the blue Pacific continent, Micronesia is committed by the declaration of the Pacific Island Forum leaders to ensuring the long-term sustainability and viability of the region’s fisheries resources, recognizing their centrality to the well-being of our communities and economies. However, the types of challenges that confront our Pacific region require international cooperation to address their stark realities. They include large-scale illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities that ravage healthy fish stocks and undermine our prosperity and economic development. IUU fishing blatantly disregards our national laws, the relevant United Nations resolutions and the region’s resolve to sustainably manage and conserve our marine resources. It poses a grave threat to regional security.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“In that connection, as responsible stewards of the blue Pacific, our leaders have welcomed and committed to the efforts to eliminate marine litter and emphasized the urgency of implementing the Pacific Marine Litter Action Plan, launched last year, which will make a real difference to our ocean’s sustainability. We are a big-ocean State. Our exclusive economic zone constitutes nearly 3 million square kilometres, or one third of the area of Australia. The ocean provides Micronesia’s wealth, whether through our fisheries or our traditional culture of navigating by the stars.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We look forward to concluding those negotiations in 2020 with a durable and practical agreement in place that among other things takes into account the special circumstances of small island developing States and the relevant traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities, and that prevents a disproportionate burden of the conservation and management of resources from falling on small island developing States. As a big-ocean State, a key concern for my small island country is rightly that of a healthy ocean. The conservation and sustainable use of our ocean is a key driver of our country’s sustainable economic development, prosperity, and stability.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“In that regard, we welcome the International Law Commission’s decision earlier this year to study the topic of sea-level rise. I urge the international community to develop State practices that respect the permanence of maritime baselines and zones, irrespective of sea-level rise. Micronesia is actively participating in the negotiations for a an international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)