YouSaid · the spoken record

Alfred Capelle

lines on the record: 44
first: 2002-09-24
most recent: 2005-09-24
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

“We reiterate our support for reform and expansion of the Security Council, using a criteria-based approach based on factors such as economic size, population, commitment to democracy and human rights, financial contribution to the United Nations, contributions to peacekeeping and record on counter- terrorism and non-proliferation. 27 The Marshall Islands will continue to participate in this sessionís important debates on how to reform and strengthen the United Nations as an institution and how to ensure that it effectively addresses the threats and challenges of the twenty-first century. We assure you of our full cooperation towards the goal of a strong, effective and accountable Organization.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“In a world divided by chasms between the rich and the poor, between the powerful and the powerless, differences of interest are certain to shape all our reform efforts and perpetuate a contradictory and divided Organization. We share the aspirations of a United Nations guided by the following values and principles: belief in multilateral cooperation, the imperative of prevention, respect for the rule of law and human rights, solidarity with the poor and suffering, concern for the rights of women and the children of the world and their future, and for the health of Planet Earth.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Bearing in mind the phrase "we the peoples" in the Preamble to the Charter, Marshall Islands believes that if the United Nations adheres to the principles of universality and self-determination, it must not exclude the 23 million people of the free, democratic and independent nation of Taiwan. As a free and prosperous country, Taiwan has much to contribute to the peace and security of the Western Pacific, and we reiterate our full support for the ongoing quest of the people of Taiwan to be granted membership in this family of nations. Denying membership to a free and democratic nation and condoning the presence of repressive States is a flagrant violation of basic democratic principles.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“In our global effort to counter terrorism, agreeing on the definition of terrorism is one of the many issues that requires serious consideration and resolution. Concerning the Middle East peace process, we commend the determination and strong resolve of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in his effort to reinvigorate the Middle East peace process by fulfilling Israelís pledge to withdraw from the Gaza Strip. Concerning the International Criminal Court, we welcome its progress in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Darfur situations. We are also pleased with the entry into force of the agreement between the International Criminal Court and the United Nations. We continue to call on all States to strengthen the rule of law around the world by ratifying the Rome Statute governing that Court.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“The continued assistance of the international community is needed in building capacity for monitoring and surveillance in this regard. The global threat the world faces today is a challenge of a different nature from anything we have had to deal with before. We recognize how poverty, environmental degradation and the abuse of human rights undermine human security. We welcome the recent adoption of the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. We continue to cooperate closely within the Pacific region to ensure that effective regional action is taken to combat threats to our peace and security. We have taken steps to combat money-laundering and the financing of terrorism and to implement the twelve core anti- terrorism conventions and relevant Security Council resolutions.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Concerning disarmament and non-proliferation, we believe that sustainable peace and development will not be achieved without major steps towards disarmament. Reiterating our firm commitment to the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, we look forward to strengthening its implementation, including through future review conferences. As a nation whose single most important productive sector and key export are its fisheries, the state of the worldís oceans and fish stocks and how these vital resources are being exploited remain our utmost concern. We recognize the importance of the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. We remain seriously concerned about instances of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing within our exclusive economic zone.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“We would like to emphasize the need for full resolution of this issue based on the changed circumstances that have come to light and the new information gathered from recent scientific and medical studies on radiological safety, clean-up and the 26 malignant effects of radiation on health. I call on the international community to support the Marshall Islands in this endeavour. The Marshall Islands has experienced the far- reaching and invasive effects of a nuclear testing programme on the most intimate and personal levels: from home islands no longer inhabitable to the illness and death of many of our friends and families. We can prepare our health system to deal with this burden, but we can never remedy the human and emotional toll that this has had and continues to have on us as individuals, families, communities and as a nation.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Our programme would be impossible without the continued support of the international community and development partners, for which we are always grateful. One issue that continues to haunt the people of the Marshall Islands is the effects of nuclear weapons testing. When people in most parts of the world talk about nuclear devastation, they tend to think of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. However, few are aware that the Marshall Islands experienced the equivalent of 1.6 Hiroshima-sized bombs every day during the 12 years that numerous nuclear weapons were detonated and tested in our country. Interestingly, this took place while the Marshall Islands was part of the United Nations Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“On sustainable development, the Marshall Islands has established a task force to ensure that the Millennium Development Goals are fully integrated into our national strategy. One challenge we continue to face is the need for human and technical resources, but, despite that and other challenges, we are determined to work towards achieving the Goals. During this, the first policy year of its first implementation cycle, we recognize the important precedent set by the thirteenth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development as to how future cycles could be conducted and what type of outcomes could be expected. The Marshall Islands is working hard to improve access to freshwater, develop environmentally responsible waste management systems and provide affordable and renewable energy sources.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“We are in the final stages of completing the HIV/AIDS National Strategic Plan. Our ambition to carry out this task is strong, but we cannot do it alone. The support of the international community is extremely important to help build our capacity; to strengthen our human resources; to help us implement effective public education programmes that will encourage behavioural change among the high-risk groups in our population; and to provide technical assistance to facilitate prompt access to the Global Fund and other financial sources to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, diabetes and malaria. We have integrated family planning and maternal and child health programmes into reproductive health services, and we fully support the initiatives on accessibility to reproductive health services under the Millennium Development Goals.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“We hope that the international community will not act so humanely only in the aftermath of natural disasters but also in the context of the far less dramatic, but no less crucial global actions needed to mitigate climate change and arrest sea-level rise before it is too late to act and the people of the Marshall Islands and others become environmental refugees. On health issues, the Marshall Islands continues to face the challenges associated in dealing with major diseases such as diabetes, influenza, bird flu, SARS and the risk of the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. Despite the difficulties we face in addressing these challenges, we are proud of, and grateful for, the involvement of the traditional leadership, which has contributed to the substantial progress made at the local and national levels.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“A more inclusive international framework needs to be developed for stabilizing greenhouse-gas emissions beyond 2012, with broader participation by all major emitters - developed and developing countries. Climate change is a serious and long-term challenge that has the potential to affect every part of the world. It is time to undertake concrete actions and measures at all levels. In that context, we welcome the progress made in terms of the establishment and development of an all-hazard early warning system. United Nations international efforts were very swift and effective in the wake of the devastating tsunami in the Indian Ocean and, more recently, following Hurricane Katrina in the southern United States.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“The Marshall Islandsí small resource base, limited market access, fragile environment, vulnerability to climate change and variability, as well 25 as the high costs of energy, along with issues related to infrastructure, transportation and communications, are among the many constraints we face within the existing international economic environment. Our vulnerability to environmental and economic events continues to impede our opportunities for development. Our development efforts will be in vain if the results are reversed by continued degradation of the environment and depletion of natural resources. We are pleased that the Kyoto Protocol has now entered into force. However, some major emitters remain outside of it.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“The Plan will be presented to Forum leaders when they meet next month. It will also be discussed at our small island States meeting, which the Marshall Islands chairs. In the international arena, we continue to reaffirm our solidarity with the Alliance of Small Island States. We are grateful for the support of the General Assembly in its endorsement of the Declaration and Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, adopted at the Mauritius International Meeting last January. The Strategy requires quick and practical action to address the unique challenges facing the sustainable development of small island developing States.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“In finding ways to work together for the betterment of the population, traditional leaders and representatives of our national and local governments, non-governmental organizations, and private and public sectors convened last month in a special retreat - an opportunity for everyone involved to build trust and to think and work together in crafting a shared vision that can and will ensure the prosperity of the people. We continue to move beyond words to action. We continue also to engage actively in regional activities in the Pacific, including through our regional organizations, such as the Pacific Islands Forum. A great deal of work has been done in the development of the Pacific Plan, a strategy for broader regional cooperation based on the key goals of economic growth, sustainable development, good governance and security.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“The Marshall Islands is grateful for the United Nations, for without it, how could a small remote island nation express its concerns, be heard, and be on common ground with the rich and powerful? Five years after we made a unanimous commitment to peace, liberty and sustainable development, we have gathered here again to take concrete measures. We approved last Friday an instrument that the Secretariat and the General Assembly can build upon in streamlining the United Nations and in meeting the many new challenges of the twenty-first century. All aspects of life in the Marshall Islands have been profoundly affected by its extraordinary history, which encompasses a Pacific war and the legacy of nuclear testing. Its remoteness, size and vulnerability continue to limit opportunities for the economic growth of the Marshall Islands.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“I wish to extend warm greetings of iokwe from the people of the Marshall Islands as we gather for the sixtieth session of the Assembly. I am honoured to speak on behalf of President Kessai H. Note, who had to leave New York ahead of schedule due to an urgent matter at home. Sixty years have passed since a visionary course of action was charted recognizing that freedom, justice and peace in the world are based on the inherent dignity, equality and inalienable rights of all. The world has felt the direct impact of the United Nations, and we have good reason to be grateful. Critics notwithstanding, our Organization has served the global community and has touched every aspect of our lives.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“This expansion is urgently needed to increase the representative base of the Council and to enhance its legitimacy in the light of the geographic and political realities of the world today. We also wish to emphasize the need for further streamlining of the work of the General Assembly and its six Main 24 Committees in order to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the Organization.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“The Marshall Islands welcomes the progress achieved by the International Criminal Court over the past year. Many positive developments have taken place, not the least of these being the election of a prominent panel of judges and the chief prosecutor. We look forward to the Court becoming fully operational and we are confident that the Court will prove to be a valuable mechanism in the administration of justice at the international level. Finally, in terms of the need for further United Nations reform, the Marshall Islands Government wishes to reiterate its support for the expansion of the Security Council. We believe that the number of both permanent and non-permanent members should be increased, and that such expansion should include members from both developed and developing countries.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“I am pleased to be able to say that the Marshall Islands has ratified all 12 of the core Conventions against terrorism. We are continually working to implement the provisions of Security Council resolution 1373 (2001), and we have taken many steps at the national level to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. We reiterate our solidarity with all Member States that are working to eliminate terrorism in all its forms. Another important issue facing this body is the continued exclusion of the Republic of China on Taiwan from the United Nations. The Marshall Islands Government reiterates its concern that the exclusion of a nation of peaceful and law-abiding citizens is not consistent with the inclusive ideal of the United Nations. I therefore strongly urge every Member State to reconsider this matter.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“The people and the environment of the Marshall Islands continue to suffer as a consequence of the nuclear weapons tests that were conducted in our territory between 1946 and 1958. As we continue to seek resolution of this issue our people continue to suffer from ongoing health effects, the food chain still contains dangerously high radiation levels and our development capacity is restrained by an inability to use contaminated islands and atolls. I have briefly addressed a few issues of major concern to the Marshall Islands. There are, of course, many other significant issues to be addressed during the upcoming session. One of the most important challenges facing the international community is the need for a comprehensive, unified response to combat acts of international terrorism.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Such fishing gravely undermines the livelihood of our people that depend on these resources as their primary means of survival. Regional and international cooperation must focus on addressing this issue. Within our region, we are pleased to note the recent progress of the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. We are also particularly pleased with the development of the Pacific Islands Regional Ocean Policy and we look forward to broad participation in the upcoming Pacific Islands Regional Ocean Forum. An ongoing issue of major concern for the Marshall Islands is that of nuclear weapons testing.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“This matter is surely the most urgent facing the international community today. If we fail to act now, the future will see the complete disappearance of many small island nations. In relation to environmental matters, the Marshall Islands is particularly concerned about the state of the world’s oceans and fisheries. As a nation whose very livelihood depends on the resources of the sea, the Marshall Islands Government reaffirms its unwavering support for the regime established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. I am also pleased to state that the Marshall Islands is now a party to the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement. The Marshall Islands is seriously concerned about instances of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing within its exclusive economic zone.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“We are particularly pleased that small island developing countries will be considered as a cross-cutting issue in relation to the themes of each two-year work cycle, and that the theme of the 2014- 2015 work cycle will focus on small island developing States issues. Our second main area of concern is the environment, and in particular the threats posed by global climate change and sea level rise. These threats 23 are felt most acutely by low-lying island and atoll countries such as the Marshall Islands and many of our Pacific neighbours. I am pleased to announce that the Marshall Islands has recently completed its ratification process for the Kyoto Protocol. I take this opportunity to commend those States that have ratified the Protocol, and I urge remaining States to do so without delay.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“This document forms the basis of our long-term sustainable development plans, which we are currently working hard to implement. In this context, and in the follow-up to the World Summit on Sustainable Development, we continue to seek opportunities to form partnerships that will assist us in the practical implementation of projects under the Pacific’s 14 Type II Umbrella Initiatives. Areas of particular importance for our people include the need for greater access to fresh water, the availability of affordable, renewable and environmentally sound energy sources and the development of waste management systems that minimize hazardous impacts on society and the environment. Also in this regard, we welcome the new work programme of the Commission on Sustainable Development.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Our land comprises small, scattered islands and atolls, spread over vast areas of ocean. Our unique environment is fragile and highly vulnerable to the threats posed by global warming and environmental pollution and degradation. Our natural resource base is extremely narrow, our economy very small and we are disadvantaged by our remoteness from world markets. Given these factors, in our interactions within the international community, the Marshall Islands is particularly concerned about the following issues. The first issue is sustainable development. Pursuing the three pillars of sustainable development — economic, social and environmental — poses many challenges for small island States. During last year’s general debate, we introduced our national blueprint for sustainable development.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“The coming year will be a particularly important one for the Marshall Islands and for all small island developing States as we prepare for the 2004 International Meeting in Mauritius to review the implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action. In preparation for that Meeting, the Marshall Islands is currently completing an assessment of the implementation of the Programme of Action at the national level. I would like to take this opportunity to encourage the international donor and development community to engage with the small island developing States in the preparatory process and to actively participate in the International Meeting so that it can produce successful and practical outcomes for all such States. The Marshall Islands is faced with challenges shared by many small island States.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“My delegation is especially pleased that this session of the General Assembly will be presided over by the representative of a fellow member of the Alliance of Small Island States, and we wish you well, Sir, in your endeavours throughout the session. We are hopeful that your presidency will help to highlight the special needs of small island developing States. It has long been recognized that such States suffer particular disadvantages in terms of both environment and development. This was recently reaffirmed by the World Summit on Sustainable Development, which called for a full and comprehensive review of the Barbados Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“I am honoured to address the General Assembly at its fifty-eighth session, on behalf of His Excellency President Kessai H. Note and the people of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Allow me to extend my sincere congratulations to you, Mr. President, on your election to your high office. At the outset, I would like to take this opportunity to express our deepest condolences to the bereaved families that lost loved ones in the recent bombing attack on the United Nations offices in Baghdad. That tragic event was also a great loss to the international community. Such horrific acts of terrorism are utterly condemnable, and those responsible should be swiftly brought to justice.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“We are, however, currently considering the making of a bilateral agreement under Article 98 of the Rome Statute and will determine this issue after a careful assessment of the implications of such an agreement. Finally, I wish to reaffirm the strong commitment in fellowship and solidarity of the Marshall Islands with all the Member States of this body. Long live the United Nations. God bless the United Nations.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The Marshall Islands wishes to emphasize its support for the expansion of the United Nations Security Council. We believe that there should be an increase in the number of both permanent and non- permanent members of the Council and that such expansion should include members from both developed and developing countries. This would significantly broaden the representation base of the Council and thus reinforce its ongoing validity. May I take this opportunity to congratulate the international community on its support for the newly- established International Criminal Court. The Marshall Islands is hopeful and confident that the Court will prove to be a powerful mechanism in the administration of justice at the international level.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Among the most important challenges faced by this body is the continued exclusion of the Republic of China on Taiwan from the United Nations. The Marshall Islands Government reiterates its concern that the exclusion of a nation of peaceful and law-abiding citizens is not consistent with the inclusive ideal of the United Nations. I therefore urge each and every one of you, all of us, to overcome our biases and to allow the admission of the Republic of China on Taiwan to the United Nations. Another important challenge faced by this body is the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The Marshall Islands considers that urgent diplomatic action is required in order to work towards a peaceful solution to this threat to international peace and security.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The Marshall Islands is also pursuing the establishment of national fisheries industries that will gradually enable the replacement of foreign fishing fleets; the delineation of our own exclusive economic zone; and the establishment of international guidelines to protect our oceans for generations of future fishermen and the people who count on the work they do for survival. I have mentioned only a few of the priorities that my delegation will be seeking to raise at the appropriate moment in the upcoming committee debates and in our interactions with United Nations agencies and our development partners. There are, of course, many other issues of concern to both the 31 Marshall Islands and the international community as a whole — issues with which all of us will wrestle in the coming years.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Nevertheless, we believe that our hard-learned lessons can help to inform and instruct the international community in future debates about the use and testing of nuclear weapons. And thirdly, another issue that is particularly pertinent for our people is that of oceans and fisheries. As a nation whose entire livelihood depends on the resources of the sea, the Marshall Islands Government pledges its unwavering support for the Law of the Sea management regime. In particular, we emphasize the importance of Article 63 (1) of the Convention, which speaks of the need for States to agree on measures necessary to coordinate and ensure the conservation and development of shared stocks.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The Marshall Islands seeks partnerships with members of the international community that will help raise to new levels the dialogue about nuclear weapons and their testing. The people of the Marshall Islands have suffered greatly at the hands of a world that is continually preparing for war. We are restrained by the persisting legacy of toxic nuclear waste, which poses challenges far beyond our financial and scientific capability to solve. Our food chain continues to be affected, and our development is thwarted by our inability to use damaged lands. I am pleased to state that the United States Congress is currently reviewing our situation, and we are hopeful that the outcome will contribute towards amelioration of this problem.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“This threat to life and culture is felt most acutely by nations such as the Marshall Islands — nations that face the very real threat of complete obliteration if our oceans rise by even marginal levels. On behalf of the Marshall Islands, I commend those States that share our concerns and have signed and ratified the Kyoto Protocol. May I also urge the remaining non-signatory States to consider the vital importance and urgency of this issue. If the international community does not act now, the future will see the disappearance of many small island nations, which in turn will have immeasurable economic, environmental and immigration consequences for the entire global community. Secondly, an issue that is particularly relevant to the Marshall Islands is that of nuclear cleanup and non- proliferation.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The Marshall Islands Government recognizes the need for a coordinated and comprehensive approach in seeking appropriate solutions to the challenges posed by environmental degradation and pollution. We commend the Barbados Programme of Action, which, in conjunction with the outcome forged at the Johannesburg Earth Summit, will provide a guiding framework for sustainable development for small island States, such as the Marshall Islands. The wide divergence of views expressed in Johannesburg posed many challenges, but also produced rich insights into areas where our common strengths lie, and into how these might best be utilized. Further, it is vital that the international community recognize the great challenge to life and culture that is posed by global climate change.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Our communities, and those of many other nations like the Marshall Islands, are seeking partnerships of action that offer pragmatic and practical solutions that are coordinated and targeted for maximum effect. The Marshall Islands shares challenges that are uniquely peculiar to many small island States: a precariously fragile environment that is highly sensitive to the threat posed by global warming; a narrow economic base that imposes constraints on the potential for progressive and sustainable development; and an institutional milieu that is slowly developing the capability of harnessing the benefits of science and technology. In relation to our international partners, the Marshall Islands is particularly concerned about the following issues. First of all, we are concerned about the environment.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“It is time to reconceptualize the relationship that exists between more established and less-established nations, from one of donors and recipients to one of mutual beneficiaries and collaborators. Only in this way will it be possible fully to realize the promise of true international cooperation and development. The Marshall Islands has so much in the way of native intellectual, environmental and cultural resources to share with the international community. We look forward to creating new forms of partnership with entities around the world — partnerships that will redound to the benefit of the global community and of all its residents. 30 The partnerships that are most meaningful to us are ones of a practical nature.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“We have faithfully carried out these costly and socially disruptive reforms, in the hope that some form of reward would be forthcoming. We now have in place a forward-looking and pragmatic set of policies, and we are eager to translate them into action for the betterment of the lives of our people. Yet there are few who are willing to assist us in achieving this goal. I therefore stand here, at the fifty-seventh session of the General Assembly, to advocate for a new international paradigm: one that recognizes both the unique challenges facing small island developing States such as the Marshall Islands, as well as the unique resources and gifts that such nations possess — resources that can benefit the whole of the international community only through substantive and sustained partnerships.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“In developing our national vision, the Marshall Islands Government has also responded to the international agenda as set by the United Nations. We have ensured that our policies will reflect the all- important priorities of good governance, respect for fundamental human rights, protection of the environment, and conservation of natural resources. We have also taken account of social development objectives and of the need to invest in the areas of health and education. We are confident that, by linking our national priorities to the international agenda, the correct policy decisions will be made. During the 1990s the Marshall Islands went through a period of structural adjustment and reform at the demand of the international donor community.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“We have thoroughly reviewed the state of our nation through the holding of a National Economic and Social Summit, whose findings have formed the basis for our long-term sustainable development plan, entitled “Republic of the Marshall Islands Vision 2018”. This process of review was guided by consultations with all stakeholders and all sectors of our society. Extensive discussions and interviews were carried out in order to ensure that all members of the Marshall Islands community would have the opportunity to contribute to our vision for the future. The Marshall Islands Government has determined that all development policies and objectives will be guided by the vision generated by the Summit, and we are now in the process of implementing the core ideals of this blueprint for sustainable development.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Modern terrorism is an issue of concern for all peoples, regardless of nationality or religion. It is an issue that no nation can afford to ignore. While sharing in the feelings of terror, horror and sorrow caused by the terrorist attacks in the United States, the people of the Marshall Islands are hopeful that the Member States of the United Nations will continue to join together in working towards global peace and security. I urge this body, which collectively represents the moral force of all Member States, to do everything in its power to eliminate the threat of terrorism. I am pleased to announce that the Marshall Islands has recently completed a process of national priority-setting and of assessing Government policy.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“I bring to the Assembly warm greetings from President Kessai H. Note. On behalf of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, I am honoured to congratulate Mr. Jan Kavan on his election to this high office. Let me also take this opportunity to thank the Secretary-General for the hard work that he and the Secretariat have undertaken in preparation for this General Assembly. I am also very pleased to extend a warm welcome and congratulations from the Marshall Islands to the people of Switzerland and of East Timor, as the newest Members of the United Nations. It is unfortunate that this, the fifty-seventh session of the General Assembly, is meeting in the shadow of the anniversary of the terrorist attacks that shocked our host country — and the world — on 11 September 2001.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)