YouSaid · the spoken record

Emanuel Mori

lines on the record: 88
first: 2007-09-24
most recent: 2014-09-24
sittings or episodes: 6
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

“We will continue seeking solutions to those challenges, out of the conviction that it is our moral obligation to protect Mother Nature and her bounties. All countries must work together to protect our children’s future.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“It would be inconceivable to have a reformed Council without permanent seats for Japan, Germany, Brazil and India, as well as representation for Africa. Micronesia is confident that the United Nations can maintain international peace and security. It shines like a bright beacon of hope for those suffering from the ravages of war. Micronesia condemns senseless killings, no matter where they occur. The Middle East is a specific trouble spot that deserves this body’s attention. Peace can be achieved through mutual respect and economic stability, not by using civilian lives as shields. Micronesia also looks to the United Nations to effectively address the global security threats posed by climate change. Micronesia has taken an active role in the international sustainable development and climate change negotiation processes.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We applaud Germany, France and six other nations for pledging specific sums. We urge those countries and the other major economic Powers that are also the major polluters to deliver the funds. My Government has liberalized its telecommunications system, and the World Bank is providing assistance in the form of grants for installing a state-of-the-art fibre-optic system in my country. That much-needed infrastructure will spur economic and social development. We continue to look to the World Bank, the International Telecommunication Union, the Asian Development Bank and other development partners to help us accelerate implementation of that new system and provide for cyber-security. The reform of the Security Council is long overdue. A reformed Council should reflect the political realities of today.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The One UN approach is timely as we position ourselves to implement the Samoa Pathway and the post-2015 development agenda, and it will help us address our national priorities. Despite the United Nations target of setting aside 0.7 per cent of gross national product for official development assistance, most developed nations fall far short of that goal. Small island developing States face unique challenges owing to our extreme vulnerabilities, including climate change. The need for financial and technical assistance from development partners is greater than ever, especially for human resources development and the capacity-building of domestic institutions. Internationally agreed financial mechanisms such as the Green Climate Fund must be fully capitalized and sufficiently scaled up to support the post-2015 development agenda.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Such diseases are lifestyle diseases, but they are compounded by climate change, which destroys our food crops and contaminates our water supplies. Tackling that multisectoral issue requires broad cooperation and support. Human trafficking is one of the most serious social diseases of modern society. It robs individuals of their dignity, particularly women and children. Profiting from human misery is despicable. Micronesia supports the eradication of trafficking in all its forms. Objective and transparent ratings of countries will help achieve that goal. We urge the establishment of the “One UN” approach for the North Pacific. We are now benefiting from the United Nations Joint Presence in the region, but we need to increase its efficiency at the country level.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Foreign vessels, which enjoy unprecedented returns from harvesting our exclusive economic zone, need to help us maintain the health, productivity and resilience of our ocean. Micronesia must also receive fair compensation for the value of its resources. As part of a programme of sustainable use, we must reduce the amount of by-catch being discarded, bring it to shore and put it to good use. Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU fishing) continues to threaten our ocean resources and undermines our economic sustainability. We all must abide by the rules. IUU fishing must be stopped. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have become a leading cause of death in the Pacific. Therefore, Pacific leaders have declared NCDs an epidemic.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Therefore, our national energy policy gives priority to energy efficiency and renewable energy. By 2020, the share of renewable energy sources will be at least 30 per cent of total energy production, while electricity efficiency will increase by 50 per cent. That will require harnessing sunshine, which we have in abundance, as well as renewable wind and marine energy resources. I call on our development partners to assist us in implementing our national energy policy, including through the SIDS Renewable Energy Initiative. Our ocean and its resources are of paramount importance, but they are threatened by climate change and ocean acidification, which damage coral reefs and could alter the migration patterns of tuna, our most commercially valuable resource.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“In that regard, I stress the critical importance of implementing the Small Island Developing States Accelerated Modalities of Action — Samoa Pathway — the purpose of which is to stimulate sustainable development in SIDS through durable and genuine partnerships. We note with appreciation the report by the Chairs of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals and fully endorse the proposed sustainable development goals (SDGs). We rely on our development partners to assist us in undertaking the actions identified in the Samoa Pathway and in fulfilling the SDGs in ways that are appropriate for our peoples and our cultures. Clean energy and energy efficiency are two of the key engines for advancing our sustainable and low- carbon development.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Micronesia has also developed an agriculture policy to address food and water security and strengthen economic development. The policy also provides the basis for action to revitalize sustainable agriculture, while recognizing the major role played by traditional farming systems and the importance of climate-resilient crops. Other key national actions of Micronesia and other SIDS are reflected in the Majuro Declaration for Climate Leadership and the Palau Declaration on “The Ocean: Life and Future”. In this International Year of Small Island Developing States, the United Nations has convened a number of important conferences whose outcomes must be incorporated into the post-2015 development agenda.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“In the face of already occurring climate change impacts, the best small island nations can do on the ground is to try to anticipate and adapt to climate change and instil the best possible disaster risk reduction and response policies. Adaptation is therefore a priority in Micronesia’s Climate Change Act, which was recognized at the recent world summit of the Global Legislators Organization for a Balanced Environment. The Act implements our nationwide integrated disaster risk management and climate change policy. The goal of the policy is two-fold: first, to achieve economic growth and self-reliance within a framework of sustainable development, and secondly, to minimize the risks associated with all human-induced and natural hazards, including those associated with climate change.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Reducing HFCs and other short-lived climate pollutants can reduce the rate of sea-level rise by 25 per cent. Near-term climate mitigation will give all atolls around the globe a chance to survive. The Montreal Protocol’s success and enormous potential to protect the climate was recognized in The Economist this week. The magazine has a separate editorial entitled “Paris via Montreal: The quickest way to cut greenhouse gases is to expand the Montreal Protocol”. Indeed, the success of the Montreal Protocol in the next six months is our ticket to a successful outcome in Paris at COP 21. I commend the United States of America and China for continuing to work to fulfil their agreement to use the Montreal Protocol to reduce HFCs. I call on other world leaders to join Micronesia and adopt the proposed HFC amendment.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Next year, the twenty-first session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21), to be held in Paris, will establish a new climate change treaty, which will go into effect in 2020. However, the United Nations Environment Programme has identified a pre- 2020 emissions gap. Therefore, AOSIS has also made an important proposal to the work plan on enhancing mitigation ambitions in order to close the gap. Micronesia has made an equally important proposal to amend the Montreal Protocol to phase down the production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are powerful greenhouse gases. That action can reduce the global average temperature increase by up to 0.5°C by the end of this century.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Our islands contribute almost nothing towards the causes of climate change, and yet we face the brunt of its adverse impacts. Climate change threatens our food and water security, the health of our population, the health of our oceans and coral reefs, our biodiversity and the very existence of our island nations. What are we doing about it? Collectively, in order for small islands to survive, the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) advocates for limiting global warming to well below a 1.5°C increase above the pre-industrial temperature. That requires immediate action from all stakeholders. Small Island Developing States (SIDS) must not be asked to fight climate change by themselves. On that note, we support the recently launched World Bank initiative on carbon pricing.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Some Members have criticized us for focusing too much on climate change and sea-level rise, but those issues influence our every decision and affect every aspect of life in our islands. Across the globe, the deadly impacts of climate change on the environment are stark realities. Others can afford to speak of them as future threats, but we in small island countries are already facing the impacts, which are worse than science predicted. Micronesia means “little islands”, with atolls rising only a few feet above sea level. According to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, human-caused climate change is leading to sea-level rise, more frequent and more intense typhoons and severe droughts. A small increase in the sea level would be a catastrophe for the atolls of Micronesia.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“I am humbled to speak in this hallowed Hall for the last time as President of my island nation, the Federated States of Micronesia. Like my predecessors, I come with great respect for this honourable institution. This global Organization is best suited to address and solve the pressing issues of our global family. I have come to the United Nations compelled by the dictates of conscience. We are all stewards of God’s creation here on Earth. The bounties of Mother Nature are priceless, and we all bear the obligation to sustainably manage them. Over 30 years ago, small island countries brought the issue of climate change to the attention of the United Nations.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“I would like to congratulate Mr. Sam Kutesa on his election to lead the General Assembly at its sixty-ninth session. I wish to thank him and the outgoing President, Mr. John Ashe, for their leadership. I must also commend Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who has more than measured up to the tremendous tasks associated with his high Office. Allow me to extend my sympathies to the families of the victims of the tragic and appalling events that have recently unfolded around the world, from the passengers on Malaysia Airlines Flight MH-17 to the recent beheadings by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, to the victims of the Ebola epidemic and natural disasters. We will never forget those tragedies and the loss of lives.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The world in which we live is too interdependent for us to stand aside while generations of internal conflict harden into unending hatred and bloodshed. We are all stakeholders. We must put an end to the senseless killings around the world. I call upon this Organization to employ its collective will to pursue the ideals of our Charter. I know in my heart that the goal is achievable. The future we want is enduring peace and prosperity for our world.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“The remoteness of our islands, limited national capacities, and the complex requirements of the United Nations make our development efforts even more difficult and expensive. We therefore look to the specialized United Nations agencies for urgent assistance. In closing, let me express my sympathy and solidarity with those people around the world who are facing immediate threats to their survival. I am horrified by the killing of innocents, especially women and children, in Syria and elsewhere. We in our peaceful islands condemn violence. But what can a small island nation in the Pacific do? What can any country, large or small, do? The answer, we believe, can be found only within our Organization.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Micronesia and other small island developing States recognize the international community’s goodwill and renewed willingness to help our countries address our priorities and challenges. Fourthly, I would also like to commend the Secretary-General for his vision and support of the wide range of issues so critical to small island developing States. His advocacy for next year’s high-level summit on climate change and his focus on climate change themes will generate the political momentum for a post- 2015 development agenda to guide all stakeholders. We recognize the central role that reliable data plays in government planning and the crucial need for capacity-building, which must keep pace with the changing dynamics of basic governance in the international landscape.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“I cannot over-emphasize the importance of the new forum, which will take on the monitoring of the implementation of sustainable development commitments. These are outlined in the Barbados Program of Action, the Mauritius Strategy and the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (resolution 66/288). The second event that will shape the sustainable development agenda is the comprehensive climate change treaty, whose adoption is planned for 2015, and for which we support ambitious, binding commitments. Thirdly, preparations for the Third United Nations Conference on Small Island Developing States, to be held in September 2014 in Apia, Samoa, are now under way.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Human trafficking continues to be a serious crime, affecting all nations and causing untold human misery and economic harm. My country is striving to protect its population from this scourge. We support the efforts of the United Nations to stop human trafficking, and we hope to implement the United Nations Blue Heart Campaign against Human Trafficking in all forms in Micronesia. The ongoing tragedy caused by human trafficking demands that it be prioritized and addressed by the entire international community. The global development agenda will be shaped by the launching of the sustainable development goals in 2015. Many processes will influence the selection and monitoring of those goals, including the work of the Commission on Sustainable Development, which has now been replaced by the high-level political forum.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We welcome the High-level Meeting on Disability and Development (A/68/PV.3) that took place two days ago. I was impressed by the achievements of the speakers and their inspirational leadership in this forum. We support the outcome document (resolution 68/3) of the High-level Meeting. The Federated States of Micronesia places a high priority on the harnessing of advanced information and communication technologies for our socioeconomic development, especially in the areas of distance education, health, and natural disaster early warning. We thank the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank for the assistance that they have offered to improve our telecommunications and to enable our country to obtain fibre optics. We also welcome cooperation and support from the International Telecommunication Union and our development partners.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Sustainable development must be supported by all of its pillars — not just economic and environmental concerns, but also social considerations. Our people are our most valuable assets. Therefore, we are tailoring an approach that is inclusive of all our people, with special attention to the circumstances of our women, youth, the elderly and disabled persons. Their advancement must be mainstreamed into our discussion on a post-2015 development agenda. Non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and heart and kidney diseases continue to be a challenge. We must address them through the sustainable development goals. This is a global crisis, demanding a global solution. If not controlled, it could undermine sustainable development and degrade the quality of life of our people.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“There are already a number of renewable energy projects up and running in many parts of my country, thanks to the assistance of our generous development partners. My country has adopted very ambitious targets in this regard. In order to continue implementing our national development policies, we call on the major donor States to honour their official development assistance (ODA) target of seven tenths of a per cent of gross national income by 2015. We look forward to the discussion in the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing. Technical assistance as a component of ODA is also crucial, particularly in the form of appropriate technology transfers and capacity-building initiatives.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We have undertaken this Challenge because our nation is made of many small low-lying atolls. Our people are wise stewards of our land and sea, working with the environment to provide sustenance for us all. As the preamble to our Constitution says, “The seas bring us together, they do not separate us, our islands sustain us, our island nation enlarges us and makes us stronger... Our ancestors who made their homes on these islands displaced no other people. We, who remain, wish no other home than this.” Thirdly, we recently adopted a national policy that aims to ensure a sustainable energy supply and an environmentally sound energy policy. Historically, Micronesia has imported all of its energy in the form of fossil fuels. We have begun to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“With limited resources, we have undertaken some bold initiatives. First, we operate under a nationwide integrated disaster risk management and climate change policy that mainstreams climate change into our primary governmental and economic decision-making processes. This policy places special emphasis on strengthening the application of traditional knowledge of ancient conservation practices, which are threatened by sea-level rise, ocean acidification and other effects of excess global greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, our legislative branch recently ratified the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol. We will soon submit the instrument of ratification. Secondly, we have taken significant steps in conserving our limited land and fragile marine ecosystems through the Micronesia Challenge.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Let me stress the central role that the effective management of all fisheries must play in sustainable management. Bycatch and, particularly, discarded bycatch threaten effective fisheries management. This is a serious conservation problem, because valuable living resources are wasted. Moreover, it threatens our food security and nutrition needs. Similarly, we agree that it is essential to include the goal of sustainable energy for all in the sustainable development goals that are under discussion here in New York. The transition to sustainable energy places a huge fiscal burden on our national accounts. I commend Tonga for spearheading the Pacific Regional Data Repository for Sustainable Energy for All. The Federated States of Micronesia looks to the international community for economic cooperation and support.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We welcome the newly announced agreement between China and the United States to phase down HFCs. We also welcome similar developments around the globe. Achieving a phase-down of HFCs under the Protocol will build confidence and momentum for significant action on climate change in the future. Another notable contribution is the Majuro Declaration for Climate Leaderhip, under which every Pacific Island Forum leader pledged to strengthen their country’s efforts to fight climate change. As we move towards the post-2015 development agenda, let us not lose sight of the enormous importance of the world’s oceans. We call for the establishment of a sustainable development goal on healthy, productive and resilient oceans. In turn, we should expect a greater share of the benefits from the world’s oceans.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“All of us, developed and developing countries alike, have a stake in finding ways that minimize man-made damage to Mother Earth. Only the international community can effectively take up that cause. To that end, the comprehensive climate change treaty planned for adoption in 2015 must impose legally binding commitments. These commitments must reflect a level of ambition far higher than under the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. Pre-2020 mitigation action must also be ambitious enough to close the emissions gap. I reiterate the hope that the world will address the dangerous growth of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) by phasing down those chemicals under the Montreal Protocol. Micronesia was the first to submit an innovative proposal in this regard.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“As this body considers a post-2015 development agenda, let us not forget one important point: development and the environment are inseparable. No country can develop its economy without degrading its natural environment to some significant degree. While society strives for economic progress, the natural environment that sustained our ancestors through thousands of years has come under attack. Climate change is, without question, the gravest threat to my people’s welfare, livelihood and general security. It is the survival issue of our time. Our sustainable development is threatened by the harmful effects of excessive greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere, the effects of which poison our root crops, destroy our reef systems and drive many of our people from their ancestral homes.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“The Federated States of Micronesia has therefore proposed the following approach to global development beyond 2015. First, any post-2015 development agenda must move beyond addressing basic human needs and focus on sustainable development. Secondly, in order to ensure that sustainable development is carried out in a dynamic and inclusive manner, the post-2015 development agenda must honour the environmental, economic and social pillars that make up sustainable development. Finally, international cooperation and assistance are crucial to fostering sustainable development globally. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have posed significant challenges. We continue to look to the international community for assistance to overcome those challenges as we develop the sustainable development goals.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“I am pleased to join previous speakers in congratulating the President on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty- eighth session. I thank our outgoing President for his excellent leadership. Allow me also to extend my respect and gratitude to the Secretary-General for his untiring commitment to the mission and ideals of the United Nations. Since the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, the international community has supported the principle that the best form of development is one that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Since that time, however, production and consumption patterns have become increasingly unsustainable, driven primarily by a desire to develop economies at any cost.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Allow me to end with a quote from my Constitution: “The seas bring together, they do not separate us .... We extend to all nations what we seek from each: peace, friendship, cooperation and love in our common humanity”.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“I call on Member States to continue their efforts to find peaceful solutions to these conflicts, especially the most challenging ones. The United Nations has the unique opportunity to address and solve the many challenges facing its weakest and most vulnerable States Members. The challenge lies in how the Organization and its most able Members can turn their many ambitious statements into mobilizing the required resources to successfully protect the citizens of the world. We in the Federated States of Micronesia, facing our troubled world, continue to place our faith in the United Nations as we look towards future. Our isolation amid the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean no longer shields us from the threat of international terrorism. Globalization has long had a foothold on our island State. Facebook links us to the world.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Turning to our Organization, the single most urgent need is to reform the Security Council. Naturally, such an important step must not be taken in haste. However, after more than a decade of talking, we should be close to finding an acceptable formulation. Success on this issue will strengthen the Organization and stimulate and renew confidence in the Charter. My country subscribes to the principles of peace, security and prosperity, as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. We are horrified by the senseless killing of thousands of innocent civilians in Syria. Over the past two weeks, we have witnessed surges in violence. We join the international community in condemning violence, in particular the attacks on diplomatic missions, diplomats and personnel in Libya and Egypt. We must be bold in our actions to prevent such attacks.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“The Federated States of Micronesia supports the greater participation of women in social, political and economic development. We look to development partners to enhance our investment in ensuring that the potential of women is nurtured and realized through quality education, health-care services and security measures against domestic and gender-based violence. It is only appropriate that measures to empower women to be true participants in nation-building should be locally driven. We have embarked on mainstreaming women’s views, interests and contributions into national development policies. We recognize and appreciate the assistance extended by the United Nations system and our development partners to support our national policies to enhance gender equality.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“We urge other partners to join us to ensure sustainability. We also urge support for the Secretary-General’s initiative on “Sustainable Energy for All”. Our health-care system is increasingly under stress and facing constant challenges from the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, which has reached epidemic proportions in the Pacific. While we accept that the primary responsibility for health rests with our Government, we are seeking assistance from the international community in capacity-building, institutional strengthening and policy formulation. While we recognize the contributing effects of nutrition and lifestyle in that epidemic, we are also mindful of the fact that climate change has magnified the challenge as a result of the threat it poses to food security and the traditional lifestyle of Micronesians.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“To mitigate that situation, small island developing States adopted the Barbados Declaration on Achieving Sustainable Energy for All in Small Island Developing States, which has become an annex to the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, adopted last June. That is a concrete expression of the small islands’ own determination and ambition to promote renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy access and low- carbon development. However, our transition to renewable energy requires financing and new, appropriate and affordable technology. To that end, I must recognize and commend the bilateral assistance already provided in that area by the European Union, Japan, China, the United States, France, Italy and Turkey, as well as others that are also assisting through other multilateral arrangements.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“The rising cost of global energy continues to pose a serious challenge to our socioeconomic development and sustainability. Small island developing States such as Micronesia continue to rely heavily on imported fossil fuel despite the abundance of renewable energy sources. Our unique and particular vulnerabilities often translate into significantly higher costs for energy infrastructure and fossil fuels. As a consequence, our Governments spend a high percentage of our limited budgets on fossil-fuel procurement alone, often at the expense of the other sectors of our economies.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“The abhorrent practice of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing continues unabated, and urgent actions to reduce by-catch, fish discards and post-harvest losses must be taken. For us, as a Pacific small island developing State, our livelihood, our economy, our culture and our way of living are tied to a blue economy. We have recognized that the conservation and sustainable use of the ocean and its resources are key elements in achieving sustainable development. We must fulfil our commitments made at Rio. My country welcomes the decision taken in Rio to hold a global conference on small island developing States in 2014. Micronesia fully supports that decision and reiterates its call to hold such a conference in one of the Pacific small island developing States.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Today it remains the ideal venue for a phase-down of the production and consumption of HFCs, just as has been done with respect to similar gases that HFCs were invented to replace. To the rest of the world, the map may look fairly empty on our side of the globe, but to all of us it is as much a homeland as any continental land mass. We must treat it accordingly, and we must defend it just as strongly. And therein lies our second, closely related challenge: the change in our ocean environment. That change includes not only rising tides and temperatures and ocean acidification, but also the damage caused by harmful and destructive fishing practices, pollutants such as mercury and oil, and other waste resulting from unsustainable human activity.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“I therefore call on the major emitters to step up their level of commitment under the Kyoto Protocol. Our very existence depends on it. Without international cooperation and assistance, we are helpless against the adverse impacts of climate change. Micronesia has barely contributed to the problem of climate change; it has, in fact, contributed to some of the solutions thereto. We actively participate in United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations and continue to advocate for significant cuts in greenhouse-gas emissions. We were therefore pleased with the agreement reached this summer in Rio to begin cooperation on a global phase-down in the production and consumption of hydrof luorocarbons (HFCs). Micronesia first proposed amending the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer in 2009.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“To speak before this body today is an honour and an opportunity that I must take to encourage international cooperation to help address those challenges. The biggest challenge we face today in Micronesia continues to be climate change, not just the projections of future loss and damage, but the dangerous impacts that my people are experiencing every day. Sadly, to date no significant progress has been made on climate-change mitigation. Time and again, I have asked, “How do I tell my people that their plight and their future lie in the hands of those most responsible for greenhouse gases?” From our point of view, we must step up our collective efforts to confront global climate change more urgently and more creatively. What is needed now is to close the ambition gap.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“I wish to join previous speakers in congratulating the new President of the General Assembly and in commending the President of the Assembly at its sixty-sixth session for his excellent leadership. Allow me also to convey my deep respect for the tireless efforts that His Excellency Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon has made as leader of the Secretariat and as a world statesman. Today our world continues to face numerous arduous challenges that require an urgent and collective response. Many of the gravest threats to the States members of the Assembly, including mine, the Federated States of Micronesia, are simply beyond the abilities of our individual countries to single-handedly address, even with our most aggressive and concentrated efforts.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“On the twentieth anniversary of my country’s admission to the United Nations, we pledge to do our best to support the goals of this Organization for the benefit of our people and all peoples around the world.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“We continue to support Israel’s right to live within secure and recognized borders, free from the fear of terrorism. We also acknowledge Palestine’s right to statehood, which can be achieved only through a negotiated settlement between the two parties. I agree with President Obama that there are no shortcuts to solving this problem. Just halfway into the year, people everywhere are experiencing the impact of natural disasters, making it the costliest year on record. They have caused not only property damage but also the loss of human lives. I want to extend my people’s sincere sympathies for the lives lost and the suffering everywhere.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“At the beginning of the current session, we witnessed history of another kind unfolding in the Hall. For the first time, a female President stood at this podium to open the general debate. I join other world leaders in congratulating Her Excellency Ms. Dilma Rousseff of Brazil on her many achievements. The challenge for this body is to continue to encourage women from all nations to participate on an equal basis at all levels of political decision-making processes. After all, women are equal partners in families. In joining the debate on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, my country urges the international community to remain steadfast in upholding the principles of peaceful coexistence as enshrined in the United Nations Charter.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“I am grateful for the attention paid by the United Nations High-level Meeting on Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) held earlier in the week. It is a major concern for us in the Pacific SIDS that non-communicable diseases have reached epidemic proportions. If allowed to continue unabated, NCDs could potentially undermine our labour supply, productivity, investment and education, with devastating consequences for our economic development. I echo the sentiments on NCDs expressed by Pacific leaders regarding the importance of immediate and decisive actions by Governments, the private sector, civil society, regional and international organizations and development partners to work together to address what is now a human, social and economic crisis for us in the Pacific.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“New and additional measures to address the unique and particular vulnerabilities and development of SIDS are required. Along with the Pacific SIDS, we are advancing a proposal for Rio+20 to consider a third Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of SIDS. We must build upon the momentum of Rio+20 to convene a third Global Conference to refocus and develop new and additional measures that are results- oriented to support the sustainable development of SIDS. A special category for small island developing States is imperative if the United Nations is to improve the lot of the disadvantaged peoples of SIDS. After all, realities demand it. I therefore reiterate the call made last year by my own country and other small island developing States for the creation of that special category.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Conservation and sustainable management of oceanic resources is important, because we will continue to depend on the ocean in the years ahead. It is for that reason that we have committed to various conservation activities in the Micronesian region. One in particular is our support for the establishment of shark sanctuaries. The Federated States of Micronesia has joined Palau and other countries in committing a vast area in our Micronesian region to be a sanctuary for sharks. 11-51191 26 The current mechanisms for follow-up on the implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action and the Mauritius Strategy for Further Implementation are unlikely to provide the momentum necessary to take concrete steps as part of a results-oriented approach.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)