YouSaid · the spoken record

Moses

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS MOSES

lines on the record: 83
first: 1992-09-24
most recent: 1994-09-24
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 cannot but believe that positive progress will emanate from this massive human energy and commitment, and that our future will be secured with this common vision. We are not only inhabitants of this planet, but custodians of its resources for future generations. I hope that the greed of mankind will not in the end triumph over the our inherent responsibility to leave for future generations an environment that is as habitable as the one we find today. Sustainable utilization of our natural resources may be the greatest gift that our present civilization can contribute to future humanity.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“30 Our views on these issues are clear and simple: we are convinced that all our efforts are mounting up to a long-term investment for the survival and viability of our ecosystem, the common heritage of mankind. In assessing what has transpired so far in all related activities geared to this common objective, I cannot but say how fascinated I am with the enormous effort that has gone into these processes. The activities include the negotiations on the climate-change Convention, the biodiversity Convention, the desertification Convention and the Convention on the Law of the Sea, as well as the Conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, the Barbados Conference, the Cairo Conference on Population and Development, the Commission on Sustainable Development and the Global Environmental Facility.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“In other words, my country believes that not only is it important to have a common vision to combat climate change and promote sustainable development, but it is now incumbent upon us seriously to rethink our roles and how we can all play a vital part in restoring our environment. As a front-line country in terms of vulnerability, Micronesia recognizes that we cannot retreat into the position of treating global environmental issues only to the extent to which we think we are conveniently capable, without giving due consideration to their urgency and magnitude. Addressing this man-made catastrophe requires many more additional resources and a greater commitment, especially on the part of the developed world.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“If we are to succeed in confronting this challenge, the integrated efforts of the entire international community must call upon the assets that all countries - large and small, developed and developing - can bring to bear. For example, sustainable living, which has been the way of island peoples for centuries, involves practices and techniques that are quite relevant to sustainable development in much of today’s world. The canoes sailing across our crystal blue lagoons bring to mind a host of traditions of our people that involve clean use of the environment and highly effective resource- management practices. We must approach sustainable development in a way that respects and builds on the age- old concept of sustainable living and takes full account of the wisdom that can be gleaned from indigenous cultures worldwide.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“In this connection, my Government wishes to add its support to the request made at the last session of the Intergovernmental Group in Nairobi that work on a protocol on biosafety should begin without further delay. The question of ownership and access to ex-situ genetic resources not presently covered by the Convention must also be addressed as a matter of priority. The concept of giving equal priority to the environment and to development is now widely accepted but remains in many ways difficult to implement. It will remain so for many years to come, even though all our best thinking is to be devoted to it. Sadly, even as we speak, the quality and stocks of our planet’s natural resources are deteriorating at an accelerated pace due to past and current practices.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“More importantly, it is also clear that the industrialized countries must make greater cutbacks in emissions than were originally envisioned if there is to be any hope of avoiding disastrous consequences to much of the world - consequences which cynics were scoffing at only a few years ago. We welcomed with hope the coming into being of the climate-change Convention this past March and call upon all Members of the United Nations to be present as Parties when the Conference of the Parties to the Convention convenes in Berlin. In keeping with its concern for the protection and sustainable use of the environment, the Federated States of Micronesia acceded in June to the Convention on Biological Diversity and is looking forward to the first Conference of the Parties this November, in the Bahamas.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“We therefore encourage all Member States, during the forty-ninth session of the General Assembly, to give meaning to the concept of sustainable development by supporting the overall outcome of Barbados, including all enabling legislation. This will give the United Nations specialized agencies and organizations the mandate to start implementing the Programme of Action. In the Framework Convention on Climate Change, we appealed for a more constructive approach by the international community, with a view to further commitments towards the reduction of greenhouse gases, as called for by the proposed protocol to the Convention distributed this week to the Parties by the Alliance of Small Island States. Recent scientific reports have confirmed with certainty that global warming is occurring.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“The Programme of Action adopted at the Barbados Conference specifically requested that, since such global environmental problems as climate change, biological diversity and international waters are of great significance and concern to small island developing States, the restructured GEF should be seen as an important channel of assistance in these areas through the provision of new and additional resources. At the meeting of Heads of State the South Pacific Forum, which recently concluded in Brisbane, Australia, welcomed the restructuring and replenishment of the GEF and its intention to assist in the implementation of the decisions taken at Barbados.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“A notable and welcome example of such shared effort is the upcoming initiative by the United States to work with all countries towards the revitalization of the essential coral reefs, which are deteriorating all over the world. The Global Environmental Facility (GEF) is one source of funding from which Small Island Developing States could access financial assistance for implementation of the Programme of Action and other related environmental endeavours.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“We welcome the recent report of the Secretary- General on actions taken by the Organization and by the bodies of the United Nations system to implement the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States. We cannot help but feel a certain impatience to see actions taken that are accompanied by necessary funding; nevertheless my Government applauds the steps being taken to ensure that the results of the Barbados Conference are integrated into the programme of work of the Commission on Sustainable Development. Strong partnership in this regard should be seen not as a conflict between developed and developing countries, but rather as a shared goal and an investment for the benefit of the entire family of 29 nations.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“I now direct my comments to the recently concluded Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States in Barbados, which has been a great success in many ways. For the first time in the history of the United Nations, we have been able to put forward an agenda for world attention concerning the sustainable development of small island developing States. The Programme of Action that emerged from that Global Conference is the first post-Rio de Janeiro effort to amplify the principles of Agenda 21 in a specific context pointing towards tangible measures for implementation. While this is a milestone, it will remain little more than a planning document without the genuine commitment of our developing countries around the world.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Distant water fishing nations must also recognize and protect the fragile balance of nature that exists in the oceans of the world to ensure the sustainability of the resource. During the last session of the Conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, my Government’s delegation joined the 15 other States members of the Forum Fisheries Agency in supporting a binding legal document as the form of outcome for the Conference. Even so, we do not support any outcome which would compromise the sovereign rights of coastal States over the living marine resources occurring within their own extended economic zones. We do not support any derogation from the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea that recognize the sovereign rights of coastal States.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“The Federated States of Micronesia has actively participated in all of the substantive sessions of the United Nations Conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks. In the Federated States of Micronesia, we are fortunate that our islands are located in those latitudes of the Pacific Ocean in which 50 per cent of the world’s highest grade tuna resources are located and caught. While we appreciate having this resource, we remain ever mindful of the fact that the continued viability of our economy depends on the rational use of the marine resources present in our waters and beyond. This principle of rational utilization of resources forms the foundation for the concept of sustainable development. It is not only coastal States like my own, which must be dedicated to rational use and responsible fishing practices.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“The Federated States of Micronesia is a party to the Convention and I am happy to inform the Assembly that my country was among the many countries which signed the deep seabed mining Agreement relating to the Implementation of Part XI of the Convention after it was opened for signature. We look forward to close cooperation with the international community in the sound management and conservation of the high seas as well as our individual territorial waters. As a developing island State whose economy is dependent on these resources, Micronesia is committed to the promotion of responsible fishing practices - not only within our exclusive economic zone and the zones of our neighbours in the region, but also in the contiguous high seas areas adjacent to the zones.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Micronesia strongly supports the Programme of Action on Population Control and Development endorsed at Cairo and is looking forward to meeting the goals and objectives contained therein. As an island State, my Government welcomes the significant breakthrough and the universal acceptance of the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea and its imminent entry into force on 16 November 1994. This is the culmination of long and arduous negotiations among countries for more than a decade in shaping what I consider to be a near-perfect management and conservation regime for the high seas and the deep seabed which is the common heritage of mankind.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“28 The world’s population is growing faster than ever before with an estimated number of 95 million people being added each year. This unprecedented population growth rate will have a profound effect on our environment. The action plan for population and sustainable development has clear implications for climate change. I wish to draw the distinction that, although the rate of population growth in the industrialized world is slower, these countries still add a disproportionate cost to the environment because residents in industrialized countries add about four times as much carbon to the atmosphere each year as do their counterparts in the developing countries.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“The end of the cold war has presented the United Nations with a long-overdue opportunity to turn its attention to development. Yet the cost associated with expanded peace-keeping operations around the world is diverting scarce resources at a time when, for many States, the role of the United Nations in development is becomingly increasingly prominent. This is a trend that the United Nations must examine very carefully in order to find the proper balance among all its responsibilities under the Charter. The recently concluded International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo is testimony to the global problems associated with our rapid population growth. The United Nations and the international community face a pressing urgency to redirect resources to address population growth and sustainable resource use.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Through these and other appropriate actions, we are determined to see that the Pacific region is treated by the rest of the world community with the same degree of concern for the long-term health and welfare of our people and their environment. We welcome the Secretary-General’s new report on an Agenda for Development. My Government fully supports the call for a re-evaluation of the role of the United Nations in development. As the United Nations approaches its fiftieth anniversary, its global agenda must be redefined to be more comprehensive and more focused. The present lack of coordination between the Bretton Woods institutions and the United Nations must be corrected to synchronize the setting of global policy on development.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“As if the dangers of such transport were not bad enough, today we confront an even more repugnant prospect, that of our region becoming a permanent dumping ground for the world’s nuclear waste. I wish to emphasize here that the Federated States of Micronesia is and will remain diametrically opposed to the use of our region by countries which are unwilling to store their waste within their own borders. As part of our dedication to finding more effective means to prevent these outrages, the Federated States of Micronesia has the honour of chairing the ongoing negotiations within the Forum group towards a regional treaty banning transboundary movement of all hazardous wastes.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“We are relieved by the continued moratorium on nuclear testing by France and the United States, but we remain deeply concerned at the possible consequences that may flow from China’s insistence on proceeding with its programme. We will not breathe easy until a moratorium on all testing is made permanent, and to that end we hope that rapid progress will be made towards concluding a comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty. Despite our outspoken concerns in numerous international venues during recent years, the Pacific region’s vastness and seeming emptiness still makes it an attractive location for environmentally unfriendly activities. Too often, when we have attempted as island countries to halt movements through our waters of toxic, radioactive and hazardous materials, our voices have not been heard.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“In attaining observer status with the United Nations, the South Pacific Forum will address the increasing importance placed on the role of regional organizations and the contributions they can make towards the objectives of the United Nations. We believe that the Forum, as an observer, can increase the effectiveness of our region’s work on such critical issues as climate change, conservation of biological diversity and effective implementation of the results of the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States. One long-standing major concern of our Government, which is shared by Forum members, is the testing of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction within our region.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Several weeks ago at Brisbane, Australia, the Heads of Government of our 15 Pacific States, including the Federated States of Micronesia, held the annual meeting of the South Pacific Forum. As is their practice each year, the leaders discussed matters of common concern within our region and expressed consensus views in a communiqué that has already been presented and included in the records of this Assembly. The Federated States of Micronesia subscribes to the views expressed in that communiqué, and will be guided by it in many of our actions here in the coming months. The South Pacific Forum also decided, at its recent meeting in Brisbane, to seek observer status at the United Nations during this forty-ninth session.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“The road from Vienna, where the world community met only a few hundred miles from where "ethnic cleansing" was taking place in Bosnia and spoke of improvements in the field of human rights, has been marked with new signposts leading us in the right direction, namely, the establishment of the post of United 27 Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the election of Ambassador Jose Ayala Lasso to that post. However, the scenery along the way is not that much different from what it was for many years before this. Today, the atrocities and violations of human rights that are continuing in Bosnia seem to be even overshadowed by newer outbreaks of human rights violations in such areas as Rwanda, Haiti and other parts of our world. This Assembly must continue to devote its attention and resources to human rights.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“In the light of these positive developments in the peace process, the General Assembly should reflect this new reality in the course of this forty-ninth session and provide an environment conducive to further dialogue between parties. We gather at a time in our history when new grounds of cooperation are being woven into greater dimensions of solidarity. This is fortunate because we also face urgent challenges to the future of our planet. From the point of view of a small developing State, we come to this Assembly with immediate concerns on such issues as climate change, sustainable development, nuclear waste and natural disasters. Linked with all these concerns is the issue of human rights.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“We express the hope that this Organization and its Members will take all possible measures to assist in alleviating the suffering and destruction caused by this disaster. We also express our sympathy to the people and the Government of the Republic of Estonia for the recent accident and loss of life in that country. We join the other members of this Assembly in warmly welcoming the new South Africa here. Their struggle was long, arduous and painful. The people and Government of Micronesia share the joy of the Government and people of South Africa at having achieved their objective. My Government welcomes the historic steps taken toward peace in the Middle East and expresses its support for the ongoing bilateral negotiations between the parties in that region.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“I am honoured to address this forty-ninth session of the General Assembly. First, I wish to congratulate Mr. Amara Essy on his election to the presidency, and to say that his experience makes him an excellent choice to ably lead this body to meet the challenges ahead. I also take this opportunity, on behalf of my Government, to congratulate the former President, His Excellency Mr. Samuel Insanally, and express our appreciation for his contributions. The same appreciation is extended to the Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros-Ghali, for his strong and effective leadership, so instrumental in the success of the work accomplished by this Organization. We note with great sympathy the terrible volcanic eruption in Papua New Guinea.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Thanks to the trends that I discussed earlier in respect of the modern realignment of motivations for international cooperation, I have tremendous confidence that we, and our children and their children, will succeed not only in preserving the environment but also in maintaining the pace towards the ultimate goals of peace, enjoyment of human rights and social enrichment, as enshrined in the Charter. My country pledges its efforts within this great Organization, during this forty-eighth session of the General Assembly and afterwards, towards the attainment of these ends.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“It is well known that the Federated States of Micronesia, along with other low-lying island countries of the World, is literally frightened that its scarce land space may be made uninhabitable and ultimately disappear if even the moderate predictions of global warming and sea-level rise come to pass. But if this were the only concern with regard to human-induced climate change, loss of biodiversity and unsustainable development, we would be hard put to call upon the world at large to make fundamental changes in the way it lives. Ours, however, is by no means an isolated concern. As the South Pacific Forum Heads of Government have stressed for some years, the fate of the islands is an advance warning of things to come, as we have predicted.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Although exclusive economic zones and multilateral treaties have had major impact, the fact remains that the Pacific Ocean is today the world’s ultimate "back yard". My country’s plea, then, is quite simple and straightforward. We call on all members of the world community to join us, in the spirit of Rio, in a true partnership for the sustainable development, not just of one or more Pacific island countries, but of our ocean and all that is in it. One important focus must, of course, be upon the land and coastal areas within our region, in order to accommodate appropriate development without degrading either the land or its surrounding marine space. But another, broader, focus must be on the ocean itself - to respect and build upon the growing scientific knowledge of its complex ecological systems.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Not only must we provide for ourselves from its bounty, but we are also stewards of what is coming to be recognized in scientific circles as the last remaining great unspoiled natural resource of the planet. Our fisheries are plentiful, but they could be threatened if experiences elsewhere in the world are repeated. Our air is still clean, but we now know we are vulnerable to occurrences elsewhere. Our water is still pure, but we have seen other seas contaminated by unsustainable practices. We must, and will continue to, speak out. Our region is not simply the victim of the callous disregard of the powerful for the consequences visited upon the poor or the weak. Rather, we recognize that for centuries mankind has regarded the vast oceans as free space, open to all passage and exploitation.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“We raise our voices loudly and often on the subject of Forty-eighth session - 13 October l993 5 human-induced climate change and sea-level rise, but many say that it may not happen. We speak out against nuclear testing, especially in and among our islands, but those who are more powerful say that it probably is not harmful. We strongly urge that lethal toxic substances such as plutonium and chemical weapons not be transported through or stored within our region, but even some of our closest friends do so regardless, insisting that in all likelihood there is no danger. Are we too concerned? Are we naive? I believe that we are not, because the Pacific region appears to be a vast, thinly populated ocean area and thus a prime location for the dirty business of others - but that region is our home and our responsibility.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“While we are part of a relatively large grouping of countries that share similar characteristics and disabilities, all developing countries deserve to have attention paid to their particular obstacles to development. In that light, we perceive the Barbados Conference next year as an important early milestone in the post-Rio process, not only for small island developing States but for all nations, developed and developing, that believe as we do in the Rio Declaration and in Agenda 21. The Barbados Conference is, in our view, the first real test of Agenda 21. It may seem at times that we of the region of the Pacific islands are overly-preoccupied about our environment, and that we take too broad a view of the potential impact resulting from the actions of others.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Thus, we are thankful for the opportunity now before us to enhance general understanding of those difficulties through the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island States. As a member of the Alliance of Small Island States, we are participating fully in that process. It was most encouraging to note, at the recent preparatory conference, the strong participation by developed countries and also the solid support from our colleagues in the Group of 77. We shall fully reciprocate that support in all appropriate settings because, despite our awareness of our own problems, we know that virtually all developing countries exhibit one or more disabling characteristics that distinguish them from the others.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“This movement is especially well-timed for my country, since our development planning is still in the early stages and, as a consequence, and with the encouragement and support of the world community, we now have in place a national environmental management strategy that provides an essential complement to our development-planning efforts. We intend for our country to become a model of effective partnership with other nations, and with this body, demonstrating the application of new, clean technologies in order to accommodate sustainable development within a small, pristine environment. Of course, as a nation of remote and widely dispersed small islands, many of which are low-lying atolls, we experience all the difficulties recognized in section G of chapter 17 of Agenda 21 as inhibiting the development of small island countries.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“We shall join others in sponsoring a draft resolution to be presented under this item and calling for a comprehensive, systematic and thorough study of the encumbrances to full opportunity and participation in development, with particular reference to the economies of developing countries. If properly supported and carried out, this initiative would make possible significant breakthroughs in the effort to secure this important and fundamental human right, with equality and equity for all. The Federated States of Micronesia pays a tribute to the enlightened men and women who gave life to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) process and focused the world’s attention on the need to begin replacing wasteful and polluting practices with sustainable development.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Yet we continue to see wide variations in the degree of effectiveness of that assistance and in the results of efforts by developing countries themselves. This has led an increasing number of us to question whether there might not exist a number of identifiable factors that prevent development efforts from achieving success. If those factors could be defined with precision and recognized where they are present, it might well be possible to attain significant increases in economies and outcomes. On Papua New Guinea’s welcome suggestion, and with its welcome leadership - and after considerable discussion and extensive exchanges of views between eminent leaders in the developing world - this matter has been placed before the Assembly as agenda item 151, entitled "United Nations initiative on opportunity and participation".”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The Government of the Federated States of Micronesia attaches great importance to the issue of fundamental human rights, and will continue to participate in the work of this body towards a world community in which all peoples live without threat of encroachment upon these fundamental rights. It has been well established by actions of this body that the right to development is itself a fundamental human right. But to recognize a right is one thing: to secure the exercise of that right is much more difficult. A great deal is said and done here at the United Nations every year to address the needs of developing countries and peoples, not to mention the considerable resources that are mobilized bilaterally towards that end.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Today, the enlarged membership of the United Nations is in itself strong testimony to the success of decolonization; let us hark back to our own earlier struggles and recommit ourselves to the complete elimination of colonialism. 4 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session My Government welcomes the establishment of the International Tribunal, and the recent election of its members, to try perpetrators of war crimes in the former Republic of Yugoslavia. Still, we would support the establishment of a permanent international human rights tribunal. The independent, juridical composition of any such body should place it above concerns regarding political intervention while denying human rights violators any refuge from defined international responsibility.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“As a nation comprised entirely of indigenous peoples, my Government also expresses its solidarity with all indigenous peoples of the world and particularly those subjected to deprivation of their fundamental human rights within their own homelands. In this the International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism it is important that this body redouble its efforts to ensure that the peoples of the remaining Non-Self- Governing Territories are given every opportunity to exercise their right to self-determination and self-government. While the obstacles to self-determination for the remaining Territories are minor compared to those that are being confronted so dramatically in Eastern Europe and in Palestine, it remains our moral responsibility to support the right to self-determination for all peoples under colonial administration.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“As an early priority, our new nation has undertaken a close examination of the existing instruments with a view to freely assuming obligations under them, as is consistent with our Constitution. As a first step, we have acceded to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and we anticipate further action on other instruments as well. One of the very important concerns that is interlinked with all our Government’s hopes for a better future is the rights of women. We fully support the development of effective new instruments in the cause of women’s rights in order to secure their protection against discrimination and abuse.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Rather, human rights must be the cornerstone of our work, which must be guided by the principles of the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Accordingly, my Government expresses its support for the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action agreed upon at the World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna in June this year. We support the adoption of that Declaration by the General Assembly at its forty-eighth session. In keeping with the principles of that Declaration, I wish to affirm my Government’s strong and unconditional support for the universality of human rights and for the effective multilateral instruments that give meaning and definition to the concept.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“In this decade, we have witnessed unprecedented changes in world conditions, brought about in part by a growing unanimity of resolve among peoples to express and exercise their fundamental human rights. Recently, prominent States have been dismantled, leading to the formation of other States that afford broader opportunities for the expression of these rights. Sadly, at the same time, other States continue to go to great lengths to suppress them. The world finds itself rejoicing in newly established freedoms but also feeling deep revulsion over atrocities and repression of shocking magnitude. If any lesson emerges from this dichotomy, it must be that isolated progress is not enough and that fundamental human rights issues can no longer be relegated to the background in a set of supposedly higher multilateral priorities.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Now, with reports of a recent test by one of them, the Federated States of Micronesia is deeply concerned that the great progress made towards achieving a comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty will be reversed. We call on all nuclear Powers not to treat this recent aberration as an incentive to turn backwards, but rather to restore and hold to their collective discipline. The issue of fundamental human rights is interwoven into every aspect of the activities undertaken by this body. For too long many Governments have been content to avoid confronting it directly as a matter of multilateral responsibility. I am glad to say that we sense some improvement in the situation despite continuing occurrences of the most repugnant kinds of human rights violations.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“My country is a member of the South Pacific Forum, an organization of Governments of Pacific island countries which, each year prior to this date, meets to address matters of concern to our region and to provide an expression of our joint views on many issues before this body. I wish to state our complete solidarity with that expression, contained in the communiqué from our recent meeting in the Republic of Nauru, which will be presented for incorporation in the records of this Assembly. The Forum members have been outspoken in opposing the testing of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. Our optimism ran very high at the Nauru meeting because it seemed that at last the nuclear Powers had found the resolve to bring this dangerous chapter of history to an end.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“For this reason, and because so many other Members are in similar situations, I propose that the United Nations, as part of its reorganization efforts, undertake a comprehensive examination of the obstacles that exist to the full participation of small States with a view towards identifying institutional rather than ad hoc solutions. After all, achieving universality in the United Nations would be a hollow accomplishment so long as a significant number of Forty-eighth session - 13 October l993 3 Members remain incapable of reaching their effective potential within the Organization. We look forward to addressing this issue during the course of the forty-eighth session of the General Assembly.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“For our part, small States are now more often coming together on common issues to speak with one voice for greater effectiveness and efficiency. Here, I cite the Alliance of Small Island States as a successful example on the issue of climate change and other UNCED-related matters. In a more general sense, the regional groups operate to the benefit of small States, affording us opportunities of access to elected positions by virtue of allocations and the principle of rotation. I am sure there are other factors favourable to us that I have failed to mention here. Yet, even with all this, I must state that we are very hard pressed to participate in the broad range of United Nations activities, both financially and owing to the sheer volume and complexity of those activities.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Herein, I think, lies the real strength and value of the United Nations - to us and to all. During the past year, my Government has found encouragement in the ways in which this Organization as a whole recognizes the difficulties that small States encounter as they try to participate fully in its work. We deeply appreciate the opportunities afforded to us through the contribution of Members to voluntary funds that have enabled our participation in important functions. We also acknowledge the instances where calls by small States for the holding of meetings here in New York to make our presence possible have been heard. Furthermore, we appreciate that, whenever possible, special measures for our benefit - such as limiting the number of simultaneous meetings - are being taken.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Today, through the work of this body and with our participation, the special development needs and environmental concerns of all small island developing States are being carefully addressed in a number of settings, including the Conventions on climate change and biodiversity and the follow-up activities of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). The early work of the Commission on Sustainable Development promises attention to our problems, as can be seen in the upcoming first Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States. All this is not happening because of an outburst of charitable sympathy by the developed countries, but rather in the context of addressing a complex of issues in which peoples everywhere have a stake.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“And so, I appeal to all Members to commit themselves fully to reaching at this session the goal of preparing the United Nations to become the central instrument through which we can work to secure the future well-being of our peoples. I believe that the direct experience of my country within our brief time as a Member provides unmistakable evidence of the strength of concerted, international action. Only a few years ago, having emerged from colonialism, our best hopes for development lay in dependence for an indefinite period on the generosity of a few friends, chief among them the United States. Moreover, as inhabitants of small, low-lying islands, we were helpless in the face of the looming threat of sea-level rise and other natural disasters caused by human-induced climate change.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“As this session of the General Assembly proceeds, we are becoming aware of the changes in the Organization in terms of organization, administration and policy. There may be some who doubt that Members have the will or commitment to achieve consensus on these changes and to re-establish the proper financial basis for a United Nations that can be responsive to the present. I submit, however, that any such doubts must be dispelled during our work here in the coming months, for we simply cannot afford to fail. The United Nations is no longer an optional feature of the international community. The common concerns of mankind in the great issues to which I alluded earlier cannot be addressed from behind national fences.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)