YouSaid · the spoken record

Anote TONG

lines on the record: 145
first: 2004-09-24
most recent: 2014-09-24
sittings or episodes: 9
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

“It also requires political commitment and political leadership from all of us here, for the time to act is now. On that note, I leave members with the traditional blessing: may health, peace and prosperity be with us all.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Life on the low-lying atoll islands has always been difficult. We have always worked on the principle of working together as part of a community on the premise that there will be some challenges that are larger than us and need collaboration. The age-old test of our resilience and our strength as a community is defined by the well- being of the weakest member of our community. For us, sustainable development must be inclusive. It requires sincerity, goodwill, respect and the willingness to move a little more slowly so as to assist and bring everyone on board in order to move forward together. I would like to bring those principles to the United Nations. The pursuit of sustainable development and lasting peace and security calls for and requires sacrifice. It requires inclusiveness. It requires collective and decisive action.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We welcome the inclusion of Taiwan in the international processes of the World Health Assembly. We hope that a similar inclusive approach will prevail in respect of our other international institutions and the United Nations processes, where Taiwan and all those that can participate and contribute meaningfully for the good of humankind can be brought in to do so. We join in the broad international condemnation of criminal extremism and express the hope that such destabilizing tensions in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region and elsewhere can be settled through peaceful means. As distant as we think we are from the epicentres of such events, they nonetheless impact on us in a very real way in our part of the world. In my country, even before the advent of climate change, the atoll environment was indeed harsh.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Entire ecosystems hang in the balance, the ecosystems that provide us with the air we breathe, the water we drink and much of the food we eat. It is time to view our global development in a whole new way. It is time to change business as usual. Indeed, a paradigm shift and transformational development approaches are necessary, starting from within our own nations and moving out to regional and international multilateral processes, institutions and partnerships. It is high time we recognize that the new challenges require that we draw on all the resources available to the global community. Development and global challenges do not belong to Governments alone. Let us bring in our youth, our women, civil society, the private sector and our traditional institutions. Let us be inclusive. Let all those who have a contribution to make make it.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“But the announcement of complete closure of this vast marine protected area will amount to nothing without monitoring and enforcement. We have therefore established a PIPA trust fund to support our national efforts in managing PIPA and monitoring that vast marine protected area. We thank those who share our vision and have contributed to the fund. We encourage our partners who have not yet done so to join with us in that massive undertaking. The challenges we face in the twenty-first century have taken on a new dimension. It is no longer a fight to save a species here and a collapsed stock there; the fight has become larger. It is now about how to ensure the survival of whole peoples — communities, villages, cities and nations.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“UNESCO has inscribed PIPA on its list of World Heritage Sites. In January 2015, we will completely close off the Phoenix Islands Protected Area to all commercial fishing activity across an area of more than 410,000 square kilometres, representing 11 per cent of our total EEZ — about the size of the state of California. PIPA is a rich fishing ground, so its total closure on 31 December this year will entail loss of much- needed revenue for Kiribati from fishing licence fees. For us, it is a major but necessary short-term sacrifice for the long-term health of our ocean and for sustaining fish stocks for global food security. It demonstrates our political commitment to the importance of marine conservation and the sustainable management of marine resources. It is our contribution to humankind and the common good of all.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“I am confident that such partnership, forged around an equitable distribution of gains, will be the development model going forward, with mutual gains to be made. Human activities have been responsible for the accelerated degradation of our global environment, in the pursuit of short-term economic gains without due regard to the health of our oceans and our environment. Never in human history has the health of our oceans and planet Earth been so challenged. We all have a shared responsibility and obligation with regard to the protection of the ocean from further degradation and the sustainable management of its rich biodiversity. My country recognizes that shared responsibility and, in 2008, established the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) in partnership with Conservation International and the New England Aquarium.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“There is a need to review and restructure the nature of public and private partnerships in the fishing industry. A more equitable partnership based on mutual respect, goodwill, fairness and accountability will go a long way in providing an enabling environment for sustainable development. My Government is working to maximize the returns from our large fisheries resource through value-adding fisheries development, including on-shore processing. Our limited capacity in terms of capital, technical know-how, a lack of infrastructure, distance from commercial and trade centres and air and sea transport challenges stands in the way of our progress towards that development aspiration. Direct foreign investment and genuine partnership are therefore a way forward in that regard.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The ocean has been an integral part of our life since time immemorial. While it now poses a serious threat to our survival from sea-level rise, it also provides immense opportunities, not only as a source of daily sustenance, but also as a means through which we can realize sustainable development and achieve livelihoods for our people. Our exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is one of the largest in the world and is home to abundant tuna resources that provide rich fishing grounds for our distant fishing partners. We estimate that the total annual landed value of the fisheries industry in our EEZ is approximately $4 billion. Yet only 5 to 8 per cent of that comes to us as resource owners, through licensing fees. We have to ask, where is the equity and fairness in that?”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We cannot do this alone, and we acknowledge the support of our development partners and regional and international organizations that have assisted us and continue to support our efforts to address the challenge of climate change. However, much more remains to be done, including making climate-financing facilities more accessible and flexible, as the solutions and options for facing this challenge vary from nation to nation. The ocean plays a pivotal role in the sustainable development of my country. Our vision for achieving sustainable development hinges on the blue economy — on the conservation and sustainable management of our marine and ocean resources. While we in Kiribati have been labelled a small island developing State, we are in fact a “large ocean” State that spans an ocean area of 3.5 million square kilometres.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Our Coalition of nations continues to support the ongoing negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, but we also emphasize that urgent action must be taken now to assist our countries and all vulnerable communities to adapt to the impacts of climate change. The Coalition initiative demonstrates our political commitment and determination to find innovative solutions to the threats we face from climate change. We are looking at building up our low islands and climate-proofing our infrastructure, and at our development efforts to prepare and build the resilience of our people in the face of the challenge.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Last July, along with other frontline low-lying atoll island States — Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands, Maldives and Tokelau — Kiribati initiated the establishment of the Coalition of Low-lying Atoll Nations on Climate Change (CANCC). The Coalition held its inaugural meeting in Tarawa in July and produced an outcome document that embraces the Coalition’s goals and vision for building the resilience of our people in the face of the challenges of climate change. The initiative is prompted by the concerns we share regarding the increasing severity of those challenges and the slow pace of global action to address them.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“My Government has mainstreamed sustainable development principles into our national development plan, policies and strategies. Climate change and adaptation measures are integrated into our national budgeting process and development programmes to strengthen disaster risk management. We have adopted an inclusive, whole-of-government and whole-of-nation approach aimed at addressing climate change impacts and strengthening our resilience. Our strategy for migration with dignity is an investment in the education of our people and upping the skills of our young population to equip them with the educational qualifications and employable skills that will enable them to migrate with dignity to other countries as a matter of choice and, in the worst-case scenario, when our islands can no longer sustain human life.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We owe it to those whom we represent — our people. For us, climate change is not an event in the future. It is an event that we are dealing with today. We simply cannot talk of sustainable development without talking about climate change. Earlier this week, I appealed to fellow leaders, and will do so again today, for all of us to work together against climate change and to move towards binding international agreements, towards a clean energy future, a healthier greener future for our children and a healthier, greener home for our one planet, Earth. What are we doing? Let us accept full responsibility for our own development to improve the well-being of our people into the future. We are determined to achieve that by finding national solutions to overcome the enormous development challenges that constrain our efforts.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner, a poet from our part of the world, from the Marshall Islands. Her voice represents the apprehension, the concern and the voice of mothers from low-lying countries like ours who lament what the future holds for their children and their children’s children. Surely, we as leaders and the mothers like Kathy and millions of others around the world share, or should share, the same ultimate goal — to leave to our children and grandchildren a future that is better than what we inherited from our forefathers. We from Kiribati salute Kathy for reaching out and for touching the hearts of leaders who heard her speak. May she touch many hearts and move many more hearts. The very sad reality is that we are just not on course to achieve that. It is glaringly obvious that we need to do things differently.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The melting of the massive sheets of ice in the Arctic region due to climate change will not only have severe impacts on the lives of people in that region but will also result in the demise of future generations in other parts of the globe, in particular our most vulnerable atoll island nations. It has been an eye-opener for me to spend time in the past week in polar conditions. It gave me a wider perspective of the immensity of what is at stake beyond our own immediate concerns. That visit to the Arctic region highlighted the stark reality of the very direct connection between the destruction of that polar region to what is happening to us in the equatorial region, and the very unlikely possibility of ever reversing that process once it has gone so far. On Tuesday we heard the voice of a very talented young woman, Ms.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Climate change is an existential challenge for low-lying island countries like mine, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands, the Maldives and Tokelau, and I again call for urgent global action to help those countries adapt and for international legally binding commitments to cut greenhouse emissions. The global community cannot afford to not listen to our stories and to the plight of our peoples. Our plight is the plight of the global community, further down the line. Everyone’s future is on the line. I have just returned from an Arctic expedition, to the North Pole — hence, my loss of voice. I am still overwhelmed today by what I witnessed with my own eyes.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“I would like to reiterate our deepest appreciation to the Secretary- General for his demonstrated commitment and leadership in focusing the United Nations and global attention on the plight of the most needy, in alleviating poverty, addressing the Ebola epidemic, raising the voices of youth and women and their participation in development, ending gender-based violence, promoting peace and security, and acting against climate change now. As I have highlighted on numerous occasions in the past, including earlier this week, the issue of climate change remains the most single pressing challenge for us in Kiribati.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The Small Island Developing States Accelerated Modalities of Action provides a clear blueprint of how the SIDS want to move forward in their efforts to achieve sustainable development. The real test of the success of the Samoa Conference, however, is in the adoption of outcomes into genuine and durable partnerships that can translate into activities on the ground that will deliver tangible benefits to our people. While SIDS heard the plight of some of the most vulnerable, other United Nations processes are talking about the graduation of those countries from the least developed countries category. We believe that there is a contradiction here. If we as a family of nations do not act and do not work in partnership with those on the front line of major challenges, whatever they may be, then we will have failed in our efforts.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Three weeks ago, Samoa hosted the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States. The United Nations and those who attended declared it a resounding success. We thank our gracious hosts — the Government and the people of Samoa. Those very successful conferences signify recognition by the United Nations and the membership of the need to highlight the special case of those on the front line of sustainable development, to refocus global attention to the prevailing socioeconomic and environmental challenges that continue to constrain efforts by small island developing States (SIDS) to achieve sustainable development. That is particularly pertinent now, as the international community is in the process of shaping the post-2015 development agenda.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The membership is calling for a move away from business as usual and for transformational changes. We welcome the theme of the sixty-ninth session — “Delivering on and implementing a transformative post-2015 development agenda” — as it aptly captures the call for changes by the membership. Earlier this week, on Tuesday, we concluded one of the most successful conferences ever convened by the Secretary-General on climate change. We applaud the leadership and the Secretary-General’s very positive initiative. Those of us on the front line of the impacts of climate change welcome the renewed focus and the rallying by the United Nations membership behind the Secretary-General’s call for ambitious announcements and commitments. The real challenge, however, is in being able to translate those commitments and announcements into action.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“I also wish to commend the unwavering commitment and hard work of our Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, who has served as an able navigator of our family’s ship, steering the United Nations through the diverse and complex realities and the myriad of challenges facing our peoples and nations around the world. In particular, I wish to commend his sterling leadership and demonstrated personal commitment to the need to focus global attention on those who are most vulnerable and who are on the front line of the many major challenges facing us today as a global community. We meet at a very critical time in the history of multilateralism. The global community is in the process of shaping a post-2015 development framework. We are hearing stronger calls for United Nations reforms, for reassessing the way we do things in our family of nations.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“I bring everyone warm greetings from the people of Kiribati, on whose behalf I am once again privileged to address this body. In my country we begin all formal addresses by conferring blessings of peace and good health on all present, so let me say Kam na bane ni Mauri. I echo the sentiments conveyed by previous speakers in congratulating the President on assuming the presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty- ninth session. I am confident that under his able stewardship, our Organization will continue its work towards improving the security and quality of life for all members of our global community, in particular the most vulnerable. Let me also take this opportunity to acknowledge with appreciation the commendable leadership of his predecessor, Mr. John Ashe, for his guidance and stewardship over the past year.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Once again I call on all of us to ask ourselves the question, “Whose interests are we pursuing? Are we here to secure the future of each other’s children or just our own?” This is the greatest moral challenge facing us today.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We hope that a similar inclusive approach will prevail in respect of other international institutions and processes, so that Taiwan, and others currently excluded, can participate and contribute meaningfully for the good of humankind. Resolution 66/288 calls for a frank assessment of our global decision-making structure. It requires bold but rational political commitment on a global scale. As leaders of our global family, we must be brutally honest in accepting the fact that unless we act now to shape the future we want for our children and their children’s children, the prospects for success will be bleak. As we chart the path towards the future we want, we must address the fundamental threats to the security and very existence of the members of this family of nations.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We must listen to civil society, our youth and women’s groups and allow those with the ability to make a contribution to join in the global dialogue and action to address these major challenges. In that regard, we welcome the continued resolve of the Secretary-General and the President of the General Assembly to accelerate action on the reform of our Organization, to ensure the highest level of global collaboration, accountability and decisive action, and to inspire a greater sense of urgency on issues of critical concern to our global community. We also welcome the inclusion of Taiwan in the international processes of the World Health Assembly.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“The future we want will require this Organization to restructure and realign itself to reflect the realities of our time: a time in which new and emerging security threats, such as climate change, climate variability, sea-level rise and ocean acidification, are challenging the international system of governance; a time in which the future survival of some nations is seriously in question; a time when all those countries with the ability to do so must contribute to the prevention of this calamity or be forever judged by history. Business as usual can no longer be considered an option. Let us not limit ourselves to working within the boundaries of our comfort zones. Let us be inclusive rather than exclusive.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“The ocean is the next frontier in the pursuit of sustainable development. While we have failed to protect our land and atmosphere from our human demands, we must make sure that the ocean does not meet with the same fate. In June last year, we met in Rio de Janeiro to review our progress 20 years on from the 1992 Earth Summit. Unfortunately, our track record in delivering on our undertakings has not been good. In fact, in many respects, our environment is worse off today than it was 21 years ago.We renewed our commitment in Rio to achieving the future we want, but we need to move beyond commitments and to act.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Yet as owners, we receive only 8 per cent of that sum. Where is the equity, where is the justice in this? We believe that this must change. Our objective must be to maximize the returns from those resources, and we have started in that direction with the establishment of our first fish-processing plant through a public- private partnership. We invite our partners to join us in that endeavour. I am convinced that, given the right support, we can achieve sustainable development by utilizing the available resources of our vast exclusive economic zone. Through this approach, we can reduce our reliance on external assistance. I believe that if we are provided with the support we now need to develop our capacity to harvest and process our own resources, we will also be better able to build our climate-change resilience.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“As we prepare for the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States, to be held in Samoa in 2014, the special needs of the most vulnerable low- lying small States, like Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Maldives and Tuvalu, must be highlighted, for how can we meaningfully discuss sustainable development goals when a disproportionate amount of our time and scarce resources are focused on ensuring the survival of our people? For us, the ocean is a double-edged sword. Sea-level rise threatens the very survival of our people. But the ocean is also an integral part of our lives and provides daily subsistence for our people. It can and should be a ticket to freedom from dependency on others. We are a nation of water. We own substantial fishery resources. The annual total catch in our waters is valued at some $400 million.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We are on track on some of the Goals, but we continue to be off track on most. This, I believe, should not come as a surprise, as most of the limited resources we have continue to be diverted from equally pressing priorities to fighting the onslaught of the rising seas and storm surges and their impact on our water supplies, homes, livelihoods and public infrastructure. This is a costly exercise, one we cannot afford but that is necessary. We will continue to rely on the support and goodwill of our partners and members of our global family in that regard.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“In Kiribati, we are taking charge of our situation and moving forward with our mitigation and adaptation strategies. We have finalized a national adaptation framework and are now working directly with our partners on it. Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan and the World Bank are working with us to implement our national adaptation priorities. While we are taking adaptation measures to ensure that Kiribati remains habitable for as long as possible, prudence demands that we prepare for the future of our people. We are looking to improve the skills of our people to a level where they are able to exercise the option of migrating, to be able to migrate with dignity. When it comes to the Millennium Development Goals, our situation has not changed much since I last spoke before this body.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“But the Secretary-General cannot mobilize the remedy needed on his own. He will need the support of all nations to ensure that the action necessary to address climate change is taken. We must step up our national and collective efforts to mitigate global greenhouse gas emissions. We must urge major greenhouse gas emitters to do their part. We must also call with urgency on our development partners to assist in our efforts to deal with the impacts of climate change and sea-level rise now being experienced in our countries, and in our efforts to prepare our people for an uncertain future. The delivery of international adaptation finance and resources is taking much too long. We cannot continue to stand on the sidelines and wait for others to deliver.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“To shape the future we want for our children and grandchildren, we need leadership, we need commitment, we need action — now. When we all return home to our children and grandchildren, we must be able to look them in the eye and tell them with confidence that we have done all that is humanly possible to combat the devastating consequences of climate change. We are grateful to the General Assembly for acknowledging that climate change is a matter that warrants the attention of the Security Council. I applaud the commitment of our Secretary-General to that specific security threat and particularly welcome his recent announcement to convene a high-level climate summit at approximately this time next year. It will be the most significant such event since the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference in 2009.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“It is a critical issue for the survival of our people and indeed for all of humankind. Many of us here today are parents, and even grandparents. I myself have 10 grandchildren. Surely the world that we want to leave to our grandchildren should be better than the one we inherited. But we are not on course to achieve that. In fact, we are disastrously off course. The scientists tell us — as I am sure they will again reaffirm in their next assessment report — that calamity awaits, and not just for those of us on low-lying islands. What we are experiencing now on these low-lying atoll islands is an early warning of what will happen further down the line. No one will be spared. We cannot continue to abuse our planet in the same old way.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We must examine our efforts as leaders of this global family and ask ourselves if we are doing the right thing for our children and their children, whose future rests in our hands and depends on our decisions. This is the eighth time I have had the honour to address this Assembly in my ten years as President, and on each occasion I have sought to convey the same message. On each occasion, I have spoken of the real and existential threat to my nation posed by climate change and sea-level rise, and I have called for urgent action to ensure the long-term survival of countries like mine. Last year (see A/67/PV.11), I said that I would continue to speak of the peril confronting my country for as long as I have breath in my body. Well, I am still breathing and the peril remains.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We commiserate and join in prayer with the families of all those affected by those barbaric and terrorist acts. The ongoing work of the United Nations, and the work awaiting us at this session, reflect these challenges, and the President has appropriately selected the theme “The post-2015 development agenda: setting the stage” for our discussions this week. Kiribati welcomes the theme. We believe that it provides an opportunity for us to reflect on what we have done and achieved as individuals, as leaders of our countries, and together as a global body entrusted with making the world a more peaceful, secure and better place for everyone. We must continue to ask ourselves if what we are doing is in the best interests of all our people, or of just a select few.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“I am also heartened and humbled to hear that his visit brought home to him the stark realities of the challenges facing our people, living as we are on the front line of climate change. As we gather again in New York for this session, the problems are perhaps greater today than they were a year ago. Security challenges posed by climate change, conflicts, terrorism, transnational organized crime and other threats continue to undermine our efforts to achieve sustainable development, peace and security for our global community. In the past few weeks, we have seen heartbreaking events unfold here in the United States, in Syria, in Pakistan, in Kenya and in other parts of the world, giving ample evidence of the growing security threats to our peoples from within our own societies.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“I also commend the untiring commitment and work of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who has been an able navigator on this journey, steering the United Nations through the diverse and complex realities and the myriad challenges facing our peoples and nations. On behalf of the people of my country and our region, I wish to reiterate our deep gratitude for his personal commitment to the issue of climate change and the plight of the most vulnerable. Our people still remember with fondness the Secretary-General’s visit to Kiribati in 2011, which was particularly significant in that it was the first visit to our country and region by the head of the United Nations.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“I bring warm greetings from the people of Kiribati, on whose behalf I am privileged to once again address this Assembly. I would like to take the opportunity to echo the sentiments conveyed by previous speakers in congratulating Ambassador John W. Ashe on assuming the presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty- eighth session. We are indeed very proud to have a brother from the small island developing States presiding over this session. I am confident that under his able stewardship of the Assembly will continue its work towards improving security and quality of life for all members of our global community, in particular the most vulnerable. Let me also take this opportunity to express my appreciation for the leadership of his predecessor, Mr Vuk Jeremi..”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“As we chart the path towards the future that we want, we must address the fundamental threats to the very existence of the members of this family of nations. As a family, we must guarantee the survival of the members of our community. Climate change must be resolved before it is too late for those countries on the front line and, indeed, the whole of humanity. We need compassionate, visionary and responsible leadership at this time in order to direct our path towards a more secure and just future. We owe it to our children and their children’s children to act and act soon. So let us pray that God will give us the common sense to do the right thing for the future of humanity.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Maintaining security and ensuring the survival of people in conflict areas, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa, remain a major challenge to our Organization. Let us pray for the sake of those on the front line of the major global challenges that a greater understanding and stability will prevail. It is gratifying to note the continued easing of tension and the improvement of relations across the Taiwan Straits. We also welcome the inclusion of countries such as Taiwan in the international activities of the World Health Assembly. We hope that a similar understanding will prevail in respect of other international institutions and processes so that Taiwan can participate and contribute meaningfully for the good of humanity.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“We accept the reality that, during these uncertain times, there is a need for the United Nations to remain as relevant and responsive as possible to the ever- changing needs and challenges of this world. In our discussions earlier this morning, I was most encouraged to be assured by the Secretary-General’s commitment to ensuring that our Organization will undergo reforms in order to become more efficient, more transparent and more accountable. We also welcome the Secretary- General’s proposal to strengthen partnerships with civil society and the private sector. In fact, I believe that such a partnership must begin at the community and national levels before extending to the regional and international levels. The fundamental fabric that binds us together as a family and as humanity is unravelling at the seams.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“We do not believe that there is justice in that. We renewed our commitment in June to achieving the future we want. That future will require our Organization to evolve to reflect the realities of our time, a time in which new and emerging security threats and injustices, such as climate change, are challenging the credibility of our international system of governance; a time in which the future survival of some nations is seriously in question; and a time when all those countries with the ability to do so must contribute to the prevention of such a calamity or be forever judged by history. If we are to provide a secure, peaceful and prosperous future for our children, then we must go beyond business as usual and deliver now. In fact, we should have delivered yesterday.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“In June, we met in Rio de Janeiro to review our progress 20 years on from the 1992 Earth Summit. Twenty years ago, we agreed that the protection of our global environment was critical for our future survival and that the pursuit of development must be based on the long-term sustainability of our natural resources. Unfortunately, our track record in delivering on our undertakings has not been good. In fact, in many respects, our environment is worse off today than it was 20 years ago. The fine balance keeping our planetary ecosystem together has been adversely affected by our pursuit of individual benefits at the expense of the collective good. While some members of our global family continue to benefit from the unsustainable exploitation of resources, others are having to pay the ultimate price.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“At the recent Pacific Islands Forum meeting in the Cook Islands, the United States and Kiribati announced plans to collaborate in building links between our adjoining marine parks in the Phoenix Islands, under the umbrella of the Phoenix Ocean Arc. That effort is our joint contribution to the Pacific Oceanscape Framework. We want to take this opportunity to invite the international community to partner with us in that endeavour. Our message to the international community is that conservation of biodiversity and marine ecosystems in the Pacific is not only important to the sustainable development of Pacific island people. It is also of vital importance to the rest of the global community. The international community needs to support those efforts, not as a hand-out but as an investment for this planet’s future generations.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“We acknowledge the fundamental role of our environment as a pillar of sustainable development. Maintaining the health and biodiversity of our oceans and ecosystems will be critical. Our contribution to those efforts is the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, which was once the world’s largest marine protected area. We have set aside that area as a haven for marine biodiversity, and that is our gift to humanity in recognition of the value of protecting our common heritage. Ocean conservation is beyond the resources of any single country. Collaboration on cross-border initiatives is therefore essential to advancing our efforts in that regard.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“I also believe that we may even be able to do away with development assistance altogether, if we are provided with the support we need now to develop our capacity to harvest and process our own resources. Fisheries remain a major economic resource for my country, providing between 40 and 50 per cent of our revenue. Our aspiration is to maximize returns from that resource, given the current rate of return of between 5 and 8 per cent after landed value alone. We have started establishing our fish-processing plant through a public/private partnership. Seabed mining is another potential source of revenue. However, we are mindful of the need to take a precautionary approach towards that particular industry, given the potential damage it could cause to our pristine marine environment.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“While other countries are focusing their resources on their efforts to meet the MDGs, we, the most vulnerable countries, continue to spend a disproportionate level of our limited resources fighting the onslaught of the rising seas and storm surges on our homes, livelihoods and public infrastructure. That is a costly exercise that we cannot afford. We continue to rely on the goodwill of our partners and members of our global community in that regard. We are a nation of water. We are a very-large-ocean State. We believe that, given the right support, we can achieve sustainable development through the utilization of the available resources of our vast exclusive economic zone. We believe that, in so doing, we can reduce our reliance on development assistance.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“We note some positive progress made at the recent climate change talks in Bangkok, building on the decisions made in Durban last year. However, action has been too slow in coming. We inch along, when it is great strides that are needed. On those issues where we have consensus, we believe the international community must move to implement agreed action without delay, while we continue our discussions on those matters that remain contentious. If we wait for agreement on everything, then it is going to be a very long wait and a long process. It should not come as a surprise that we are off- track on many of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)