YouSaid · the spoken record

Taneti Maamau

lines on the record: 137
first: 2016-09-24
most recent: 2023-09-24
sittings or episodes: 8
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

“However, in times like this, we need accelerated action, and coordinated efforts, to target assistance to our most disadvantaged groups, marginalized communities and the least developed amongst us; as they remain most vulnerable, especially during global pandemics. This is the future we want. A future in which development is inclusive and measured by the percentage of the population lifted-up across the poverty line, to live secure and healthier lives. And congruent with the ever-powerful motto of our 2030 agenda- a future that leaves no one behind.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“At the same time, we increase senior citizens’ support, copra price and general unemployment benefits. As part of our policy for the next four years, my Government will be providing social welfare to certain age groups which are deemed to be the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our efforts to improve the social and economic wellbeing of our citizens. As my government undertakes its task for our people, we implore the United Nations to also do its part. Alleviating poverty is a complex undertaking and a challenging feat, which is duly recognized in the 17 goals of our 2030 Agenda.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“President As leaders, we are charged with a noble responsiblity to take action today, to shape the future of tomorrow. Poverty and inequality remains humanity’s biggest dilemma and challenge. The social and economic security of any nation can only be strengthened, if the support system begins at home. It is therefore critical, that the UN programs targets the family, at a household level, from where the fragmentation of values, draws a fault line in our societies. Like other governments, our people are our most precious resource. During these difficult times, the protection and welfare of the most vulnerable individuals and groups take centre stage. We are providing COVID-19 Relief Packages for laid off workers, State-owned Enterprises and the Private Sector, together with a food buffer.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“We also acknowledge the support provided by the United Arab Emirates through its assistance package to the Pacific; and the Government of India through the United Nations India Partnership Fund; the Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives response to COVID-19; and USAID for the donation of ventilators; and the medical supplies and protective equipment delivered through the Pacific humanitarian air service- funded by Australia, UN agencies, the Red Cross and USAID. Mr. President, I remain grateful and optimistic in the strength and partnership of our United Nations family. In challenging times, such partnerships are needed more than ever, and I implore our UN family who are able to do so, to increase their support to confront COVID — a future that focuses on poverty alleviation, social inclusion, and leaves no one behind Mr.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“President, I am optimistic that we can overcome this challenge, if we work together, as members of the United Nations family. My government remains grateful for the support of our development partners namely Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, contributing 12.5 million AUD towards our preparations and efforts to mitigate the economic and social impacts emerging at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Many of our nationals are currently stranded in other countries such as Fiji, New Zealand and Australia, as well as other parts of the world, due to the containment measures imposed to limit the spread of this deadly virus. I am thankful to these Governments for the cooperation and support they have given to my people as they await repatriation to their home country. While many countries have already begun to repatriate their nationals, my Government remains in crisis due to the absence of adequate infrastructure and capacity to isolate our nationals upon their return. A few months ago, I declared a State of Public Health Emergency, calling for assistance from our partners to enhance and strengthen our public health sector and to assist with any other necessary actions required to mitigate the economic and social shocks of COVID-19. Mr.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“It also extends to all of us, as individual sovereign States; as global corporations; as non-government and civil society organizations; as cities, towns and villages; as families and individual human beings. From small islands in the Pacific, to megacities and metropolitans in Europe and America. We have a calling as Leaders to work together to address our most pressing global challenges. Mr. President, During this difficult time, our remoteness and isolated location has allowed my country to be among the few fortunate nations, currently free from the reaches of this virus. But that has been our only advantage. The temporary suspension of flights into Kiribati, and strict measures to contain our borders from the virus, has also resulted in unprecedented challenges.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“President, On this note, I would like to express my deepest condolences to our brothers and sisters around the world who are suffering from the impacts of the global pandemic. These are difficult and uncertain times, which calls for stronger cooperation and reminds us of the strength we have in unity. It also reminds us of the United Nations we need- one that can step up in difficult and challenging times. A United Nations that undertakes to deliver and coordinate assistance and support. In particular to our most vulnerable communities and the least developed amongst us, through its agencies, programs and multilateral systems, in a coordinated and timely manner.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“This is the core of Kiribati’s Vision for 20 Years (KV20) in line with our efforts to implement our agreed 2030 Agenda. Contextualizing the Theme Mr. President, The theme for this 75th session, reminds us that the effectiveness of our individual national agendas, can be greatly enhanced through stronger global cooperation. By reaffirming our collective efforts to enhance links between our governments, our multilateral institutions, we can work together to create a resilient, healthy and peaceful future for our respective peoples. This is critical, especially with the emergence of unprecedented challenges such as climate change, natural disasters and the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Mr.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Mr. President UN Secretary-General Excellencies Distinguished Delegates At the outset allow me to share warm greetings from the Government and the people of the Republic of Kiribati. In the name of the Almighty God, I begin by sharing his peace and blessings. Kam na bane n Mauri! Acknowledgement Mr. President, I join previous speakers in congratulating you, on your election to the Presidency of the 75th Session of the United Nations. I wish you every success as you guide our deliberations by making the United Nations of family relevant to all members. On this note, I wish to assure you of Kiribati’s full support, as you discharge your duties for the Assembly, and avail my Government’s commitment, both morally and in kind, in particular for initiatives that seek to make our planet earth, a resilient, healthier, and safer home.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“We the countries are the customers in that regard, and any reform of the multilateral system must therefore consolidate the various multilateral interventions into a coherent country-centric programme. I wish to conclude by sharing with everyone in this Hall our traditional blessing, Te Mauri Te Raoi Ao Te Tabomoa, which means “peace, health and prosperity upon us all”.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“As a champion of anti-corruption, Kiribati will continue to pursue fair settlements and compensation for our people, who continue to suffer the consequences of those unjust practices. We believe that the real and true test of the success of the United Nations is to be measured not in the number of treaties concluded or resolutions adopted but rather in how much it improves the lives of the most vulnerable, oppressed and disadvantaged people on the ground. That is why we gather here each year. Our theme, “Galvanizing multilateral efforts for poverty eradication, quality education, climate action and inclusion” calls for a true reform of our multilateral system. The business of a development business exists because of its customers.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Furthermore, the turbulence that we continue to face in our world today has emerged because of continued greed and hunger for power and dominance. We have had our own taste of that at the national level in the form of the legacies of the Second World War, in particular the battle of Tarawa, phosphate extraction on the island of Banaba and nuclear testing in the eastern part of our country and on Christmas Island. The consequences continue to have an impact to this day, including through implications for our people’s health. The destruction of our land continues to deprive our people of their right to live freely, and many are still living with unresolved issues. Those are some of the unaccountable practices and breaches of human rights that warrant compensation from those responsible.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“I challenge members to come to the islands, in particular to hear the voice of our young people calling, “We are not sinking, we are fighting”, as they joined the voice of millions of children around the world in their climate change strike last Friday. It is amazing how those young children mustered their efforts to address the world leaders and even attend. I want to acknowledge the presence of that brave young girl from Sweden, Greta Thunberg. I join and echo the voice of our young people and raise the challenge, particularly to those who have an enormous ability to do so, to act rightly, to act now and to be seen by the young watchful eyes as a good neighbour in our one home, where we all live.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“I note the term “island paradox”, describing Kiribati’s precarious situation, whereby it has graduated from being a least developed country and yet is in a permanent state of fragility and vulnerability while maintaining a relatively high gross national income per capita. We live in a paradox every day, with the blue ocean that we have now coined as our regional approach to climate consciousness at the very core of who we are in Kiribati. In truth, we are essentially being categorized as an anomaly in the system of classification of nations. Perhaps the members of the Economic and Social Council and United Nations scientists should visit, see and experience the island paradox of Kiribati.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“With regard to the theme of galvanizing multilateral support, I implore the Assembly to consider the complex web of bilateral and multilateral support pouring into small fragile countries such as ours without the capacity to coordinate all that support more effectively. Kiribati will start to take control of that situation, as it is beginning to stretch our already scarce Government resources, risking diluting the impact of development. Forty years after becoming a sovereign nation, these consolidation and maturity processes will be a critical pivot for our small nation, where we aspire to reflect the perfect harmony of our Kiribati dance in the way that we administer and align the coordination of our agile development process.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The recent IPCC report is clear that the rising sea levels have the potential to profoundly shift the baselines, thereby altering legal entitlements regarding the spatial extent of our delineated boundaries endorsed by the United Nations. The IPCC reports serve as a catalyst for informed decisions on action by Governments, and now multilateral policies for actions to ramp up our commitment to implementation. The same boundaries should also apply to our upper airspace, with the State having a role in its management consistent with International Civil Aviation Organization policies. That is critical to securing the future of Kiribati and the Blue Pacific in this world. From a small island perspective, the overengineering of the development of small island States is a risk.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“That will drive the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals to secure the future of our young people and generations to come. The current negotiations on the draft international legally binding instrument on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction are of key importance to Kiribati and the Pacific. We urge that any outcome of those negotiations should in no way jeopardize the health and wealth of the long stretch of oceans defining the Blue Pacific, on which our livelihood depends. Our maritime boundaries are critical to the Pacific region, mapping jurisdictions over our waters, continental shelf, exclusive economic zones and resources.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We have also invested A$1 million in our preschool- level education for teachers, who have the important responsibility of nurturing and educating our young ones. That new early-childhood education initiative is a key catalyst for intergenerational transformation towards sustainable development. The alarming dilemma of our present time, that is, climate change, is without question of great importance to Kiribati and our Blue Pacific. The signs validated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) special report Global Warming of 1.5°C were already evident to us before such reports were even released. We have already secured green-climate funding for one project and are now strengthening access to climate finance, which we have earmarked through our climate change policy and our integrated Kiribati joint implementation plan.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“In 2016, we also introduced our new free education policy, ending the national quota system and for the first time enabling all I-Kiribati students who achieve a pass grade to pursue their full studies with Government’s support. With a fragile population of 110,000, almost half of whom are young people, I am convinced that such an investment will yield a population dividend that will raise our nation. Removing constraints by, for example, providing transport to school for students, has also improved school attendance rates. My Government is expanding its vocational and technical training in the country’s rural areas. It is our aspiration to drive inclusive education by improving access to education and by ensuring quality education for all.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We have embraced that through our investment in the education sector, with it having the third-largest share, at 23 per cent, of the 2019 fiscal recurrent budget of A$28 million, which is equivalent to 11 per cent of our gross domestic product. In addition to that, we acknowledge the Australian Government’s support to the Kiribati Education Improvement Programme and other donors throughout the educational value chain, with a development budget allocation that is equivalent to 28 per cent of our gross domestic product, making education the third-largest sector for development intervention after infrastructure and copra.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Those bold infrastructure projects highlight our ownership of our development challenges in co-investing our own funds, owing to our atolls’ scattered geography, which makes infrastructure more expensive, due to the high logistical costs, risks and challenges. Those critical investments will be game-changers for Kiribati’s development curve. We acknowledge the support of our development partners. Equally important are the lessons learned from our partnerships, and the importance of respecting a nation’s right to do what it sees as serving its best national interest. Education is the backbone of a nation in inspiring the future of its citizens.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“My Government contributed 12 per cent to this project, consisting of a cash contribution and in-kind provisions. It is clear that we cannot wait, for the damage caused by climate change is a daily experience in our lives. This life-changing project will provide a 24-hour clean water supply for all residents of South Tarawa, the capital, for the first time this week by harnessing our ocean to provide clean drinking water. We also acknowledge the Government of New Zealand’s support in contributing A$700,000 to our sanitation component, which will transform hygiene and sanitation standards for our people at the household and community levels.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The Government has already provided A$60 million, A$30 million in 2017 and earmarked another A$30 million for 2020, and we thank the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank for their additional financing of A$40 million for outer-island maritime infrastructure. These investment projects address our isolation challenge by enabling trade and the mobility of people, goods and services, as well as by strengthening the delivery of public services while reducing the cost of accessibility. Something more fundamental to Kiribati, as a group of island atolls, is our basic right to water. We are fully leveraging our partnerships; the A$58 million South Tarawa water supply and sanitation project will be co-funded by the Green Climate Fund, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Strengthening the inclusion of marginalized and often forgotten segments of the community is core to our egalitarian culture, with a A$4 million senior- citizens and special-needs subsidy programme this year. This underlines our values and our recognition of the importance of our elders in our traditional cultural system, and we are very proud that we have taken steps to duly recognize their importance legally. To further demonstrate the commitment to leaving no one behind, our investment in outer island infrastructure, including wharfs, jetties, roads and airstrips, is now also under way.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The Kiribati Government has made a substantial investment in subsidizing copra, targeting households and coconut farmers. In our narrow economy, the goal is to benefit not only those who are in poverty but those who have been deprived of the opportunity to improve their social and economic status. This is driven by our strong desire to uplift the economies and lives of the 49 per cent of our people on our outer islands, who for years have been deprived of their share of development. The Government invested A$32 million in 2017 and A$31 million in 2018 in the copra industry. To ensure sustainability, we are assessing the policy impact, as well as farmers’ voluntary contribution to superannuation for retirement savings, supported by financial literacy measures.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The theme of this year’s session, “Galvanizing multilateral efforts for poverty eradication, quality education, climate action and inclusion”, is a reminder of the fact that for our national development action to be effective, we need a stronger global political alignment at the multilateral level in order to ensure that support and assistance are delivered to those who matter the most and according to their needs and priorities. Poverty and inequality remain humankind’s biggest dilemma and challenge. The social and economic security of any nation can be strengthened only if the support system addresses people’s needs and empowers them at the household level. It is therefore critical that United Nations programmes target the family at that level, where the fragmentation of values creates a fault line in our societies.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“This is at the core of Kiribati’s 20-year vision in our efforts to transform our nation into a better Kiribati home and implement the globally agreed 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We appreciate the Secretary-General’s recent visit to the Pacific but want to highlight the need for a more balanced presence on the part of the multi-country office for the islands in the northern Pacific. At this point, I would like to pause to express our deepest condolences to our brothers and sisters of the Bahamas on the loss of many lives and the tremendous damage to homes caused recently by Hurricane Dorian.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“I bring warm greetings from the Government and the people of the Republic of Kiribati, on whose behalf I am very proud and honoured to address the Assembly today. In His wonderful holy name, Kam na bane ni Mauri — may all be blessed. I would like to join previous speakers in congratulating President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its seventy-fourth session. I wish him every success as he guides our deliberations over the next few days and for the remaining 12 months. On that note, I wish to assure him of Kiribati’s support, both morally and in kind, on any initiative that seeks to make our planet Earth a cleaner, greener and safer home.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“In conclusion, I wish to share Kiribati’s traditional blessings of Te mauri, te raoi ao te tabomoa, which means “health, peace and prosperity to us all”.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“For too long, we have been confined to our human desire to dominate, while lacking consideration, compassion and respect for others as they seek to pursue sustainable development in their own right and space, but let us remind ourselves and the United Nations family of the equally important responsibility of recognizing a space for a United Nations prayer day. The objective in that regard is to seek divine guidance for our work agenda. Quite often, we tend to overlook the importance of divine guidance as a powerful tool that can really unite our hearts in a shared aspiration to make the United Nations a truly global institution for all people and to build the trust, respect and love that we all need to make a genuine difference. May God’s grace and compassion continue to bless our hearts as we strive to strengthen the Organization.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“In that regard, we commend current efforts to create new legally binding instruments on the use of marine biological diversity in marine areas outside our exclusive economic zone, migration and the environment, all of which are very important for small islands like Kiribati, including other nations and peoples. The United Nations theme to be delivered in the next 12 months is about all the people living on this planet. That theme will be irrelevant if the United Nations continues to ignore the 20 million people who live and contribute to our shared home and to exclude them from the process. We are one family, and we therefore call for an inclusive approach enabling Taiwan to participate in international processes and to contribute to addressing areas of concern to this United Nations organ, including the implementation of the SDGs.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“It has the potential to become the most powerful source of marine life enrichment and provide solutions to many of the problems facing humankind, which the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is trying to address. By closing off the area to commercial fishing, we have sacrificed a substantial amount of annual income from fishing licences, which is estimated at approximately 10 per cent of our annual fishing revenue, averaging almost $10 million annually. While that is forgone revenue, it is part of Kiribati’s strong commitment to implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition, I am proud to announce that Kiribati has also declared its entire exclusive economic zone as a shark sanctuary, which has been incorporated into our national laws.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We welcome those who are also ready to work and journey together with us to build and strengthen the resilience of our people and islands. To that end, I am pleased to reaffirm that we continue to maintain 11 per cent of our exclusive economic zone in the Phoenix Islands, comprising over 400,000 square kilometres of ocean as a marine protected area. That well-known area — the Phoenix Islands Protected Area — is considered to be a powerful and effective tool for the rejuvenation of tuna fisheries and other marine organisms and a source of resilient coral species, known as super corals, many of which have a lifespan of over 100 years. From our understanding of the early findings of science, the Phoenix Islands Protected Area is home to one of the richest, most diverse and most resilient marine ecosystems on the planet.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We will follow through on that with the regional leaders meeting on anti-corruption, to be held on our shores in 2019. Corruption undeniably poses a human risk to all forms of development, and it is the weak and the marginalized who suffer and bear the highest cost of such unethical practices. Kiribati has also, for the first time ever, launched a climate change policy. That focuses on building and strengthening the resilience of our islands and people in adapting to the impacts of climate change. The policy highlights priority areas in water management, sanitation, coastal protection and renewable energy, and will serve as the country’s national compass for the delivery of all climate-change programmes in Kiribati. We acknowledge our many partners that have worked and continue to work with Kiribati.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“As I stressed in the video introduction of our review, Kiribati has now embarked on a bold and bright narrative that carries our people’s voice and determination, boosted by various resilience-building programmes allowing us to forge ahead with a 20-year road map and transforming Kiribati into a wealthy, healthy and peaceful nation by 2036. That is our Kiribati 20-year vision, known as KV20, which aspires to move the nation and people beyond orthodoxy through the unleashing of the enormous potentials vested in our fisheries and tourism. I must, however, emphasize that underpinning the drive and implementation of that ambitious aspiration is making Kiribati a corruption-free society, as part of our strong commitment to championing anti-corruption in the Pacific.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Those are no longer effective with United Nations services becoming the exclusive domain of huge multinational corporations that often put profit- making over moral and ethical considerations. One example is the hundreds of millions of dollars spent annually on peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance. Those funds could have been better spent on eliminating the root causes of conflicts, armed terrorism and humanitarian crises by investing United Nations resources in the establishment of good governance, with good-quality, free education and health services. In that way, the collective resources of the world can be spent to treat the causes and not merely the symptoms. Kiribati presented, for the first time, its voluntary national review report to the United Nations in July.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We are concerned to learn from the report of the Secretary-General (A/73/1) about the financial difficulties facing the United Nations to the extent that it is affecting not only its services but also the well- being of its staff. We understand that the United Nations has been relying more on voluntary contributions and private-sector funding than assessed membership contributions, which is a significant risk. It is therefore high time for us to reassess the validity of certain activities of the United Nations that have outlived their time and the need to realign strategies that were quite applicable and effective during the post-war years, when States were the key drivers of United Nations services.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We also look forward to the outcome of other reforms and reviews pertaining to the Security Council, the Human Rights Council, the eligibility and graduation criteria in relation to least developed countries and, finally, the financing status of the United Nations. We also fully appreciate the United Nations particular focus on the plight of people in developing countries, especially those facing special difficulties. In that connection, we note with gratitude the Committee for Development Policy’s recognition of Kiribati’s extreme vulnerability to the impacts of climate change and the need for special support. That gratitude extends to the President and members of the Economic and Social Council for agreeing to our request to have our graduation case considered in three years’ time.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“It is therefore critical that the Assembly have the ability to ensure that a balance is maintained so that the United Nations does not end up benefiting only those running and facilitating its operations. In that regard, we look forward to the outcome of the reform of the United Nations development system, on which our views have been adequately expressed through statements made on our behalf by the groupings of the Pacific small island developing States, the Alliance of Small Island States, the least developed countries and the Group of 77 and China. In particular, we look forward to the positioning of a new Resident Coordinator to serve the northern and central Pacific territories and countries.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty has also assured us that the radiation-related illnesses suffered by our people during and after the 1960s nuclear testing on Christmas Island and other parts of the world will not recur in the future. There are many other examples of how international resolutions and instruments have contributed immensely to our national efforts to improve our island way of life. We have no doubt that other peoples and nations see the United Nations in the same light. As an organization, the United Nations is bound to be constantly pulled and pushed between two opposing but interconnected interests: the personal interests of those leading and driving it, on the one hand, and the interests of the people for whom it exists, on the other.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Moreover, the Pacific accounts for 20 per cent of the world’s oceans in terms of our exclusive economic zone, and therefore the completion of maritime boundaries is very critical to providing certainty about the ownership of our ocean space in the face of climate change. A united world free from the threats of wars and violence, rooted in our greed to dominate others, is the kind of world that we want for all of us and for our children’s generation. Our ultimate aim is to ensure that everyone can lead a happy, prosperous and secure future. The adoption of the historic United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1982 has also enabled us to own and sustainably manage a huge area of ocean, from which we can further improve our well- being and enjoy returns from our fisheries resources.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Maneaba means “to embrace all” — a holistic system in which leadership and shared responsibility are undertaken for the benefit of the whole society. Accordingly, the maneaba system maintains its fundamentality as central and relevant to the people. In the Pacific context, other relevant instruments have been adopted to address social, economic and political risks and security. Some have worked, while others have not, but that does not stop us from maintaining our resolve, through our own Pacific way, to undertake meaningful dialogue in which agreement through consensus serves as a prevalent norm.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“The theme also provides a timely call for a renewal of friendship, solidarity, cooperation and partnership between and among the peoples and nations of the world, thereby allowing greater commitment on all our part to make a difference for the well-being of all. Kiribati has long recognized the prime importance of peaceful living, characterized by our own traditional, humble way of living in harmony with one another and our environment. Those are sustained through regular community meetings in traditional local meeting houses, called maneaba, to discuss important issues concerning the village and to address issues under the wise and experienced guidance of our elders. Decisions are made to promote mutual understanding, respect and cooperation among members of the entire society.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“It is about servant leadership, whereby leadership is not only about serving but, more important, about protecting the lives of the powerless — those without a voice, those taken advantage of by the more powerful in society, and those who cannot help themselves politically. We are reminded time and again that those people’s lives are precious in the sight of God. In her captivating and simple words, Mother Theresa reflected powerfully on the life of a servant leader when she said, “A life not lived for others is not a life”. As leaders, it is our shared responsibility to ensure that we see to that.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“I also thank the Secretary-General for his excellent leadership, in particular with regard to the current reform to make the United Nations fit for purpose and more adaptable for the present and future. We commend the President of the General Assembly for the theme that she has chosen for the seventy-third session, “Making the United Nations relevant to all people: global leadership and shared responsibilities for peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies”. That is a strong call on and reminder to all leaders and the United Nations machinery that the effectiveness of our efforts is measured not by how much we have achieved, but by how much we have changed the lives of those whom we serve for the better. Clearly, it was the primary intent of the founders that this should be the United Nations as they envisioned it.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“I begin by sharing peace and blessings among us all and conveying warm Pacific greetings from the Government and the people of Kiribati. In the name of Almighty God, Kam na bane ni Mauri — May all be blessed. I join other leaders in congratulating the President of the General Assembly, and the Government of Ecuador, on her election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its seventy-third session. I wish her every success as she discharges her functions by making the United Nations family relevant to all Members. By the same token, I would also like to acknowledge the outgoing President, Mr. Miroslav Lajčák, and the Slovak Republic for the very engaging and outcome-oriented leadership of the seventy-second session.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We come to this gathering to listen and converse, and let us do so with greater compassion, understanding, love, respect and kindness. As the saying goes, it is never too late to start. Lastly, I share with those present, all our heart, love and traditional blessing: Te mauri, te raoi ao te tabomoa, which means “health, peace and prosperity to us all”. God bless all our people. God bless our United Nations leaders and our United Nations family and God bless our shared home, our planet.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“For so long, our focus has been diverted from the very purpose of this global family to our individual fights and quest for power, dominance and greed. In the process, we fail to recognize that for some members of this global family, their priority is simply to survive and provide a decent life and future for their children. The compassion and love that exist within all of us can easily transform our global challenges by focusing on the most vulnerable members of our global family. We contemplate how we can best find grand solutions, when all we really need is to translate the meaning of family into what it stands for — love, compassion, respect, understanding and kindness. Those are priceless solutions to the mounting problems that we continue to battle.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“That is a move beyond traditional and conventional roles, but we would rather take the initiative to drive our own aspirations and deliver to our people, than wait for financial assistance that may come at a moment far too late. The fate of humankind and life must not be mortgaged to the bureaucratic processes of financial institutions. In conclusion, as leaders of this global family, we have a moral responsibility to focus on the people we serve, strive for peace and a decent life for all and make sure the health of the planet is sustained so that it can continue to support life. In our quest for sustainable development, we often focus on the economic fundamentals at the expense of human values.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)