YouSaid · the spoken record

David Kabua

lines on the record: 64
first: 2020-09-24
most recent: 2023-09-24
sittings or episodes: 4
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

“Is it possible for us to wage peace instead of war? Is it too much to ask that the United Nations declare war on climate change and global boiling, poverty, racism, injustices, the inequitable distribution of wealth, the wide gulf between the haves and the have-nots and the exploitation of the planet’s finite resources? We must help to hasten the peace foretold by Isaiah when “They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (The Holy Bible, Isaiah 2:4).”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“For too long. United Nations bureaucracy has stuck to a wrongful misinterpretation of Security Council resolution 2758 (1971) and has used politically influenced conclusions to exclude any clear engagement with the people of Taiwan and their vibrant democracy. We must have the courage to recognize the reality of the current situation and relegate that outdated dogma to the annals of history. Today the United Nations can no longer look the other way and ignore the need to actively facilitate peace, stability and security across the Taiwan Strait and within the region. We commend the Secretary- General’s commitment for the United Nations to do its utmost to ease tensions in the Strait and prevent escalations by involving all stakeholders. Through logic and common sense, we believe that that must include Taiwan.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Together we can all help to ensure that the United Nations is truly fit for purpose and better aligned with contemporary challenges. The fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States, to be held in Antigua and Barbuda next year, is likewise a spotlight moment for island- driven solutions and strategies. There remains a visible crack in the United Nations. Our United Nations will never be whole and complete without the meaningful participation of the 23 million people of Taiwan in the specialized agencies of the United Nations system, as well as in meetings and mechanisms that support the Sustainable Development Goals. Difficult indeed would it be for our United Nations family to build further trust and prosperity among us while also closing the doors of our Organization to Taiwanese journalists and public visitors.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“The Republic of the Marshall Islands affirms the recent statement by the Pacific Islands Forum Foreign Ministers regarding the release of treated water from the Fukushima power plant. With other Forum members, we remain vigilant, concerned and committed to regular and ongoing discussion with Japan, as well as an annual dialogue with the International Atomic Energy Agency. I appeal to all Heads of States and Government that we work together to strengthen the foundation of international peace and security. Let us then jointly call for the Secretary-General’s Summit of the Future, to be held next year, to include diverse perspectives and voices and to forge a watershed moment for peace and security. We have before us all a valuable opportunity to strengthen the pillars of accountability and United Nations system reform.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“as the world’s foremost and pre-eminent democracy, the United States needs to understand that reality. The Marshall Islands desires to continue its free association with the United States, but the United States must realize that the Marshallese people require that the nuclear issue be addressed. The Marshall Islands strongly welcomes the rise of the Partners in the Blue Pacific initiative and the support of friends and allies that are committed to working with us on island-driven solutions. Our early steps together are positive, even as more structure is needed to listen closely to our deepest needs. Let us all go beyond the headline announcements and into our local communities and move into a more focused dialogue with the Pacific, and not just about the Pacific.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Truman stated: “They [the Enewetakese] will be accorded all rights which are the normal constitutional rights of the citizens under the Constitution, but will be dealt with as wards of the United States for whom this country has special responsibilities”. Other atolls were affected, and such obligations likewise remain unfulfilled. The Marshall Islands has continued its negotiations with the United States on extending our relationship of free association. We have come a long way in that endeavour. We have satisfactorily addressed most issues, and we remain cautiously optimistic that our agreements will be finalized soon. However, there remain difficult issues that the Marshallese people have insisted need to be resolved. As a functioning democracy, we cannot ignore the wishes of our people and.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Those challenges may be inconvenient for large economies, but I can affirm that the climate impacts already at our door, and those yet to come are decidedly more inconvenient for low-lying atoll States such as mine and for other island nations around the world. The United States has not fulfilled its obligations to the people of the Marshall Islands resulting from the nuclear testing programme. On 25 November 1947. in response to concerns about the people of Enewetak. who were being removed and relocated so that the United States could conduct its nuclear-weapons test. United States President Harry S.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“While we must use every tool at our disposal, we cannot place our hope in dreams of unproven, untested solutions or use abatement technology to give the green light to the continued expansion of fossil fuels. For the most vulnerable nations, adequate, predictable and accessible finance is crucial, particularly for adapting to prepare for the current and future onslaught of the impacts of climate change and to address the loss and damage that are already being experienced. We need donors to deliver on their existing commitments and to come together to address the climate finance crisis in a way that is led by science and the needs of vulnerable States.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“The world has spent a full generation falling short in our common goals to prevent dangerous climate change. We are past the hour of waiting for a real step-up in ambition. This year must be different. At the twenty-eighth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the global stocktake must mark the turning point at which we all recognize that we are collectively failing to deliver on the Paris Agreement. We must all respond by agreeing upon a clear road map to correct our course. That ambitious road map must include the phase-out of fossil fuels. The world cannot afford to further ignore the issue at the heart of the crisis.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“carbon emission levels remain high and the planet is getting hotter with each passing day. As a matter of fact, the Secretary-General himself has affirmed that the era of global warming has ended and that now we have entered the age of global boiling. May I again reiterate my humble call for the world to declare war on climate change. The future of the Marshall Islands and all low-lying island States hangs in the balance. The eyes of people the world over are on us at this seventy-eighth session of the General Assembly. The Marshall Islands believes that the time for speeches and eloquence of talk is over. It is time for the eloquence of actions. Let deeds, not words, be our operating principle. The security of our own islands is at stake, owing to not only the tension among super-Powers. but also rising seas and changing oceans.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Such a facility should also offer elements of insulation from external shocks, be it energy, supply-chain disruptions, food security, global health pandemics, hyperinflation or other challenges. The Marshall Islands leaders have raised the alarm and called the world’s attention to the dangers posed by the climate change monster since we became a Member of this body in 1991. For more than 30 years. Marshallese leaders, as is the case with leaders of low- lying island States, have sounded the alarm in every international and regional forum. For more than 30 years, the world has been meeting and talking about the adverse effect of global warming and climate change. We hailed the historic conclusion of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. However, eight years have gone by.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Today the Marshall Islands is encountering insurmountable challenges in coping with sea level rise, the erosion of shorelines, flooding caused by high tides, coral bleaching, the intrusion of seawater into taro and crop lands and the rapid deterioration of the ocean ecological system. Moreover, the warming of the ocean has affected sustainable coastal fisheries and has had a direct negative impact on our way of life. In sum. our islands, our culture, our way of life and our very existence as a people and a nation are threatened. We call for the establishment of an international financing facility to provide assistance and support to small island developing States and low-lying atoll nations and territories devastated during and after natural disasters.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“At a time when nations are increasingly challenged to work together on the basics, it is a testament to the political will and diplomatic skill in which we have come together to cut across silos and define specific actions and obligations to try to better ensure that future generations see the same benefits from the ocean that we know today. It is our challenge to the world to bring that treaty into force and effect before the 2025 Our Oceans Conference. Today the United Nations now has my signature on the treaty to add to the growing chorus. The world’s equilibrium has been upset by humankind’s insatiable greed for the accumulation of materialistic wealth and possessions.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“The Pacific small island developing States are truly large ocean nations before we are small island developing States. Oceans are not a distant notion. They are our lifeblood, our economic future, our food security and our culture. Much of the rest of the world has used oceans as dumping grounds or resource baskets from which to take at will, without consequence. Now the tide is changing. Pacific island nations help to set the mark in global tuna markets and affect a transition to sustainability. Our partners are helping us to step up with resources, partnerships and real-time technology to better monitor and patrol our vast exclusive economic zones. The United Nations has now adopted a new high seas conservation treaty that addresses biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Politics must never blind the need for accountability, not only in Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine but everywhere, without exception. Every nation in this Hall, including my own. has more to do to deliver on our human rights records. Far greater understanding and direct assistance are needed to better address complex rights situations. Every nation gathered in this Hall bears a vital responsibility to protect, not overstep, the voices of the most vulnerable. As a candidate country for election to the Human Rights Council for the term from 2025 to 2027. we are firmly committed to strong and credible action, as well as to listening closely to all perspectives. We are proud to call attention to the recent endorsement of our candidacy by the Pacific Islands Forum Foreign Ministers.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“It has also served a useful purpose as a key platform for dialogue among nations, and we acknowledge the strong efforts of the United Nations system in humanitarian relief and assistance with development goals. Yet the world is at an hour when, more than ever before, we are falling well short of what the world needs and deserves. The world is now vastly different from that of 78 years ago. The remarkable advances in all spheres of human life have been phenomenal and unrivalled. New advances have facilitated people-to-people connectivity and help to shrink our planet into a small global village. Yet we are feeling an intense rise in the very global tensions, if not the threat of wider conflict, that the founding Members sought to avert.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Let us bow our heads together and beseech God Almighty to let His peace and mercy descend on us all and on our fragile home — the planet. I extend to all the warmest greetings of lakwe from the people of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. I congratulate the President on his election to lead the General Assembly. I also offer sincere condolences for the devastating flood in Libya and the earthquake in Morocco. A strong and effective United Nations is needed now more than ever. Together we now face an economic shock, increasing global tension and intensified climate impacts. Our United Nations was forged to help maintain peace, reduce threats and conflict and address the economic and social challenges facing humankind.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“But we cannot solve all those problems as long as the world is in conflict; in other words, we cannot do it without world peace. That reminds me of the following poem: If there is righteousness in the heart, There will be beauty in the character. If there is beauty in the character, There will be harmony in the home. If there is harmony in the home, There will be order in the nation. If there is order in the nation, There will be peace in the world.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“No one is left behind in the Sustainable Development Goals, least of all one of our important partners in tackling them. The United Nations is in desperate need of a Security Council that is truly fit for purpose and should be better shaped to the realities of today, not those of eight decades ago. We strongly support better progress in achieving Security Council reform outcomes, and in particular support Japan’s bid to become a permanent member of the Security Council. In conclusion, it is very clear to us that none of the problems that our global communities are facing today, from the COVID-19 pandemic to roaring inflation and rising energy costs, can be solved by any single nation. Rather, we must come together as a united global family to solve them.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“The Secretariat too often relies on politically motivated interpretations of resolution 2758 (XXVI), when responding to opportunities for the meaningful participation of Taiwan in international bodies and the United Nations system. Now that the world is facing escalated tension in and around our islands region, we as the world cannot be silent. With the ability to engage in meaningful participation in the United Nations system and to make greater contributions, Taiwan can constructively join all of us to make a collective difference. The United Nations system should revert to its original policy of consideration of widely accepted passports for basic public access to the United Nations itself and make good on its goal of broader participation, including registration procedures for civil society access.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We are proud of our sustainability benchmarks and partnerships, and small island developing States must continue to boost economic participation to match their leadership efforts. The United Nations must be truly universal, all- embracing and all-inclusive, and we must guard against leaving any nation or people outside the gate in the cold. Today, we call on the United Nations to better welcome Taiwan and its people into our global family. How long will the United Nations persist in closing its doors and thereby denying access to the people of Taiwan? Taiwan is a vibrant and responsible democracy and contributing member of our global family, and the United Nations circle of unity will remain incomplete without Taiwan and its people.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“As an ocean and island nation, the Marshall Islands congratulates its close neighbour Palau on having successfully hosted the Our Ocean Conference earlier this year. We also supported the recent 2022 United Nations Ocean Conference, held in Lisbon, and congratulate Portugal and Kenya on co-chairing that meeting. The world must address a growing gap in effective oceans management in the high seas and neighbouring coastal States. While we welcome important progress, far greater effort will be needed to conclude an ambitious instrument on biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. While our Pacific islands tuna stocks stand strong, the fishing efforts of global actors grows.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We welcome the recent release by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights of its long-delayed report on the human rights situation in the Xinjiang region of the People’s Republic of China. We are gravely concerned about the report’s findings that serious human rights violations have been committed and that widespread arbitrary detention may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity. The international community cannot bear silent witness and must react. The Republic of the Marshall Islands also affirms the role of the Pacific Islands Forum in addressing human rights issues in West Papua, including the prior call for engagement with the United Nations Human Rights High Commissioner.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“This is a question of giving hope to those of us that face immeasurable threats to our people, nation and culture. We are pleased to note and support the establishment of the human right to a clean environment and the post of Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change. As a small island developing State, the Marshall Islands is committed to better understanding and addressing complex challenges in human rights around the world, but development is never a trade-off for affirming universal human rights. Our own national experience teaches us that politics must never ignore the voices of the most vulnerable.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“The Marshall Islands has proposed a carbon levy for international shipping that will drive the transition to zero-emission shipping, channelling resources from polluters to the most vulnerable. I humbly urge all countries to embrace it at the International Maritime Organization. I see hope in elaborating a global goal on adaptation that will set our collective sights on a safe, resilient future. Delivering adaptation at scale required calls for bold and substantial investment. The doubling of adaptation funding is a vital start, but, like all climate finance, we must see it delivered to the most vulnerable. Loss and damage to property and human suffering are already occurring, with profound human rights impacts. That must be addressed, including through a finance facility that will help those on the front lines.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has been clear — solutions exist that can give us a fighting chance. The twenty-sixth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change delivered vital progress. As the convener of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, we believe without question that the Glasgow Climate Pact must be the foundation for a safer future. We must honour those commitments and deliver enhanced, nationally determined contributions and policies on coal and fossil-fuel subsidies to reach those targets. We must build that future by catalysing transformations today, by drastically increasing renewable energy and by taking on tough sectors like aviation and shipping.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“More than 30 years ago, in this great Hall and at the Rio Earth Summit, our leaders sounded the alarm and warned of its dire consequences. As a matter of record, Marshallese Presidents and leaders in every succeeding Administration have been active and at the forefront of all United Nations global conferences on climate change and global warming, speaking out and fighting to keep our low-lying nation afloat. Today, we renew our call on the world to declare total war on this century’s greatest challenge — the climate change monster. Yet, after all these years, the world has failed to break our addiction to fossil fuel. We are not investing enough in life-saving adaptation, particularly for small island States. We see the toll of the global crisis. How much worse will it be if we breach 1.5°C?”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“As a member of the Pacific Islands family, we rally around and acknowledge the fact that climate change is the greatest challenge and threat. As a low- lying atoll nation whose future is at risk, there could be no stronger statement, nor should climate change be considered in isolation. Tackling complex adaptation measures within a wider fragility makes our task just that much more difficult. Today, as I entered this iconic Hall — a symbol of humankind’s hope and aspiration for world peace, prosperity and international cooperation — my thoughts flashed back 31 years, when the first President of the Marshall Islands addressed the Assembly (see A/46/PV.7) and called attention to the dangers faced by our small nation owing to the looming threat posed by global warming.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“My country, the Marshall Islands, was ground zero for the testing of 67 nuclear and thermonuclear weapons for twelve years during the United Nations-United States-administered trusteeship era. The exposure of our people and land has created impacts that have lasted and will last for generations. Those impacts to our human rights, land, culture, health and lives are burdens that no other country or nation should ever have to bear. Our own experience, history and current challenges to nuclear exposure are key drivers for urging progress in reducing and ultimately eliminating nuclear risk. We welcome effective and meaningful progress on that from major Powers, nuclear-weapon States and all other States in whatever form it can effectively be achieved.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“It is vital that the legacy and contemporary challenges of nuclear-impact testing be better addressed, that climate change be addressed with the urgency and commitment it deserves, and that our voice as an equal partner be strengthened. We know that the United States stands tall on behalf of its renewed engagement with the Pacific Islands, and it is essential for all of us to ensure that words be met with actions. The Marshall Islands is gravely concerned about an increasingly polarized world where nuclear- weapons testing and detonation are only growing in risk. We condemn the threats of further nuclear testing and of nuclear warfare. We and a great many other nations also share humanitarian concerns of our own about any nuclear detonation or the risk thereof. And the Marshallese people also have a unique voice in that regard.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“The Republic of the Marshall Islands condemns the recent military actions of the People’s Republic of China in the Taiwan Strait, which has threatened to disrupt peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region and across the globe. We welcome the International Atomic Energy Agency’s recent monitoring reports on the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and look forward to continued engagement through appropriate forums. While we have shared goals and a strong partnership with the United States of America, we also have grave development challenges and essential needs to be met in order to better ensure the growth and wellbeing of current and future Marshallese generations. We welcome the recent progress made with the United States of America towards a renewed Compact of Free Association, and with it a targeted trust fund.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Russia and all related actors will be held to account, as actions have consequences. The Republic of the Marshall Islands has proudly been a co-Chair of the Group of Friends of Accountability since its establishment following the aggression against Ukraine and supports the independent investigations of the Human Rights Council and International Criminal Court. The war in Ukraine has set off sharp economic shocks around the world, and as a remote, small island developing State, our energy security is at a saturation point. Even as we seek to boost efficiency and renewables, greater cooperation is needed to move towards regional approaches to energy security and affordability, including by addressing potential joint bulk purchasing.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We value the United Nations as our primary international stage, but if the world does not adequately respond to the island nations, and as the seas rise, then there is really no United Nations at all. For the Marshall Islands, our first and most clear priority as the seas rise is to never cease safeguarding our nation’s land, ocean and maritime boundaries and to ensure that our communities have a safe, secure, fully democratic and sovereign future. The vulnerabilities that we and others in our region share are severe and diverse. We join many others, especially our Pacific Island neighbours, in condemning Russia’s continued aggression and war crimes in Ukraine. We do so not only as a United Nations Member, but also in response to a wider global instability that directly impacts our own island region.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“I would like to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your election. I also thank and congratulate your predecessor for his strong efforts and accomplishments. I bring the warm greetings of Yokwe from the people and Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands — but I bring them at an uncertain global hour. Geostrategic tensions have risen both in Eastern Europe and the Indo-Pacific. The blue Pacific continent and, in particular, the Micronesian region, are no exception — indeed, we are a unique frontline. As one of the last nations in the world to reopen its borders following the recent coronavirus disease outbreak in our community, we join the international community in mourning our losses, while we are also thankful for its partnership.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“It is evident to all that a major course correction is required to rebuild political trust and cooperation. Yet this challenge also offers a vital opportunity to reshape the world closer to the common values of democratic freedom embedded in the UN Charter. Thank you and kommol tata.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“The democratic government of Taiwan should be allowed to participate in an equal and dignified manner within the UN system, including the WHO, ICAO and the UNFCCC, as well as activities related to the SDGs. There is absolutely nothing in General Assembly resolution 2758 (XXVI) which prevents this inclusive approach, and this resolution affords nothing to hide behind, as it expresses no position on Taiwan. As a people-centric institution, the UN cannot ignore the Taiwanese people or continue to use their nationality to exclude them from attending public meetings or public tours at its headquarters. The shameful silence must end. Mr. President, To effectively address the grave challenges before us all, the international community needs strong leadership and true commitment to human rights and security.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“In addition, the Marshall Islands is proud to have joined cross-regional joint statements at the UN General Assembly and the Human Rights Council expressing strong concern regarding human rights issues in the Xinjiang region of the People’s Republic of China as well as recent developments in Hong Kong. If a truly independent visit by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights still remains unscheduled, we would strongly encourage all available options to be pursued to deepen the HRC’s analysis and assessment. Mr. President, The devastating global Covid pandemic demands collective action from all countries, stakeholders and peoples, if we are to achieve a resilient recovery.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Yet far too often, nations seek to avoid accountability, and try to hide behind political muscle or use sovereignty, colonial legacies or development challenges as excuses for forced disappearances, extrajudicial killings or to suppress basic political expression. This is simply not a “win-win” solution for anyone. On the basis of our own history and experience, we remain committed to ensuring the voices of the most vulnerable are better heard. The international community should have learned from far too many prior mistakes that politics must not cloud our judgement nor be a barrier to action. On Myanmar, the General Assembly has spoken loudly by adopting resolution 75/287 earlier this year, with only one objection, urging the armed forces to halt lethal force and respect the free will of the people.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Together with the Forum Fisheries Agency, we remain committed as a region to ensuring basic minimum social and human rights standards for the crew, observers and vessels which fish our waters and visit our ports. But this remains incomplete without the stronger commitment from distant water fishing nations, many of whom are also global superpowers. Human rights apply in the ocean — without exception —just as much as they apply on land. Mr. President, More than 75 years after the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, the world remains at a loss to turn these aspirations into realities. There are many complex rights situations around the world which deserve more careful attention and diplomacy than generic approaches can afford.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“President, We welcome recent progress to restore the UN Oceans Summit, now planned for next year to be co-hosted by Kenya and Portugal. We look forward to the Our Ocean Summit next year hosted by Palau. As a nation whose wider territory is 99 percent oceans, leadership is an undeniable priority. Global action on oceans cannot be limited only to piecemeal approaches. Far stronger political will is needed — and as large ocean nations, we are leading by example. Joined by our regional neighbours, we have defined our fixed maritime boundaries even in the face of rising seas. We have worked with the Parties to the Nauru Agreement to move the world towards fully traceable and sustainable tuna stocks. As the world’s largest tuna port, we have led with our own national action to spur sharp progress on COVID vaccination for foreign fishing crews.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“This was part of a wider nuclear weapons testing program of 67 atmospheric tests conducted by the United States as administering authority, between 1946 and 1958 — delivering the equivalent of 1.6 Hiroshima-sized shots every day, for 12 years. The legacy of these tests remains a very contemporary threat — in our waters, our lands and our bodies. We have recently formed a National Nuclear Commission to coordinate effective responses, and we continue to view these impacts through a human rights lens. Despite our commitment, we simply lack the capacity to fully address our local needs. We tirelessly underscore that no people or nation should ever have to bear a burden such as ours, and that no effort should be spared to move towards a world free of nuclear weapons and nuclear risk, through any and all effective pathways. Mr.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“As sea-levels continue to rise unabated, there is now an immediate threshold between unfulfilled promises and meaningful action. A Special Rapporteur on climate change is needed to strengthen the focus and human rights lens on those most vulnerable, where there are often no easy solutions. The world simply cannot delay climate ambition any further. Mr. President, The Republic of the Marshall Islands has our legacy roots as a strategic UN Trusteeship, where — despite our warnings at the time - two Trusteeship Council resolutions remain the only instance in history where any UN organ ever specifically authorized nuclear detonations.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“This year’s Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC offers a vital opportunity for the world to make good on the promises of the Paris Agreement to raise ambition. We remain in support of the United Kingdom’s leadership as host, no matter the challenges posed by the global pandemic. We have put forward our own commitment for stronger action — both on our own national commitments on emissions and adaptation, as well as expectations for meaningful leadership by the international maritime sector for greater ambition — but we cannot act alone. This year is the moment to rebuild higher ambition, and the world, especially the most vulnerable, cannot afford failure to hold temperature rise to below 1.5°C. Earlier promises of stronger climate finance remain unfulfilled, and even if delivered, must be far more accessible to those most in need.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“While our core economic driver of fisheries is only starting to recover, our nation remains forced to cut back effort in core development areas, at a time when we clearly should have been moving forward. It is vital that the international system continue to strengthen efforts to social and economic impacts of COVID measures in small and remote island nations. Mr. President, Climate change remains the greatest threat to the security and well-being of our region — especially to low-lying atoll nations like my own. We simply have no higher ground to cede. The tireless leadership of small island developing states, and wider circles of partners, makes clear that an overwhelming global majority demands the Paris Agreement must be delivered in actions, not empty words.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“President, We gather at the United Nations still in the midst of the global pandemic on COVID-19. The international community still faces deep challenges to upscale international cooperation to supply and distribute vaccines, particularly to the most vulnerable peoples. However, I am pleased to report our own robust success towards the goal of achieving vaccination of nearly every eligible person in our nation. In particular, I wish to thank the United States of America for its strong and early outreach to ensure that the Marshall Islands was not left behind in vaccination efforts. We proudly remain COVID-free, even as future risks remain great. However, our borders remain largely closed, as we lack the full capacity to address the potential of even small outbreaks.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“I am particularly pleased to support the opening later this year of a new UN Multi- Country Office in the Federated States of Micronesia, dedicated to serve the five North Pacific island countries. This is a vital opportunity to strengthen the fragile bridge between national and global goals, and affords the international system a key opportunity to focus on the unique structure of our nations. We welcome the increased focus by the United Nations, and commit to doing our part to better integrate UN- level assistance into national planning and implementation. In particular, I also emphasize the importance of including practical assistance to address nuclear testing impacts within the upcoming UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework. Mr.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Even as the Marshall Islands is currently transitioning away from the Pacific Islands Forum — under the final authority of our parliament — we also are committed more than ever to joint action which advances democracy, security and human rights in our region. In this regard, I welcome the strengthening of the Micronesian Presidents Summit in the North Pacific, and we look forward to forging a common voice which addresses emerging security threats, and directly reflects the shared values of our cultures and democratic Constitutions. Mr. President, I support the firm commitment by the UN Secretary-General to advance UN system reform discussions into clear management actions. I want to underscore the urgent need for tangible and text-based efforts towards UN Security Council reform.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Yet it is an open question if the UN and international community can adequately speak to this emerging threat, and if our closest traditional partners can answer our call with a true partnership which goes well beyond media statements, but one which makes a dramatic difference in our local communities. Mr. President, The Marshall Islands remains committed to building a stronger Pacific Islands region one which can answer to these deep challenges to democracy, security and development, including the threats of rising seas upon our low-lying atoll nation. Yet the means to address this must be through institutions which place our voices and leadership aspirations equal among others. We cannot take a backseat to our own affairs.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“And my own Pacific islands region faces an emerging security threat in the form of geopolitical competition by the world’s largest powers — are we again to be caught in the middle of a tug-of-war? Throughout my nation’s young history, we have remained true to the pursuit of an independent and free democracy which assures basic and individual human rights, even as we tackle steep development challenges. As island leaders, we must remain firmly in control of our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, and stand apart from any who would seek to have us trade our core values for easy inducement. I welcome the recent Japan-Pacific Islands Defense Dialogue as a key confidence-building measure against authoritarian influence.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General, Excellencies, It is my great pleasure to bring you the warm greetings of Yokwe from the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Small and vulnerable nations such as my own are in dire need of a stronger United Nations. While we are not naive to the difficult challenges facing us all, we cannot forget that the UN was created not only to be inclusive of global diversity, but also to ceaselessly work to achieve common ideals of democracy, free and secure societies, and basic universal human rights. If we cannot remember the mistakes which led to the last century’s open global military conflicts, than my fear is that we are doomed to repeat them. Leadership must come from all who are committed to act — small and large nations alike. We cannot abide by attempts to rewrite the script on universal human rights.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)