YouSaid · the spoken record

Kijiner

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS KIJINER

lines on the record: 31
first: 1992-09-24
most recent: 1993-09-24
sittings or episodes: 2
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

“As we do this, allow me to offer a Marshallese proverb to guide our work: "Jouj eo mour eo, lej eo mij eo" - "Alone we cannot survive, but together we are strong".”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“I would like everyone in this Hall to visit our corner of the world before it disappears. I hope that 30 years from today our islands will not have been swamped by the sea and that we will be able to invite you again, rather than referring you to a page in a history book. For many, the Marshall Islands may be little more than specks on the map. The peoples of the Pacific hold a very different view of the world: that the world would be greatly diminished by the loss of even one of the diverse cultures that have been crafted by mankind. Let us strive during the coming months to work in tandem and to endeavour to fulfil the grand aspirations and lofty goals that this Organization represents.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“However, for a low-lying atoll like the Marshall Islands the Framework Convention may have come too late. We are eager that funds from all sectors of the United Nations system, especially the Global Environment Facility, be made available for the purpose of adaptation to a rise in the sea level. We also realize fully that changes required of residents of industrialized countries will entail considerable sacrifice, at least initially. However, countless studies have shown that steps to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions would greatly benefit those countries in the future. The threat to the Marshall Islands is imminent. Our way of life is threatened. My country is threatened with a loss of identity and culture. We are powerless in the hands of others and my country may cease to exist as a result.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“It provides our nourishment; it is a source of income; and our culture and traditions have in large part been shaped by the ocean. The majority of our population derives its livelihood from ocean-based activities, and our territorial waters abound with fish that can feed people around the world. Clearly, our fate is tied to the ocean. Today, however, our way of life is threatened by a rise in the level of the very ocean that has given us life for 4 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session thousands of years. We are greatly appreciative of the efforts and attention given to the problem by the world community, most notably in the Framework Convention on Climate Change, signed at the Rio Earth Summit, which my Government is proud to have ratified.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The Government of Barbados is to be thanked for generously offering to host that Conference next year. We are, however, a little disturbed by the response by some donor countries to the Conference. It must be reiterated that the Conference has its mandate from Rio and from the forty- seventh session of the General Assembly, and that it should be considered as a test case for sustainable development. It will be an attempt to address issues that are specific to small island States in their quest for sustainable development. The will of the global community to live up to the promises made in Rio will face its first test, and the implications of the outcome of the Conference will be significant to all. Throughout history the sea has united my people and has been vital to our lives.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Calculations of per - capita gross domestic product and other traditional economic indices do not accurately represent the standard of living in the islands. Perhaps other criteria could be devised to reflect the complexities of our situation. The Marshall Islands was one of the first countries to ratify the Conventions adopted at the Rio Conference on the environment. Developments subsequent to the Rio summit have been closely observed by the Marshall Islands Government. It is our sincere hope that the process initiated at Rio de Janeiro will succeed, so that our islands can be saved from possible destruction by global climate change. The Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States will increase world-wide understanding of the vulnerability of our islands.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The Marshall Islands is a small nation, and we increasingly feel the strain caused by our expenditures on the United Nations. We are, of course, very grateful and proud to be a part of this body, but we are becoming worried at the scale of new contributions, particularly for peace-keeping operations. The burden of membership is not shared equally by every citizen of the world, and we would like to see this inequity in contributions addressed in some way. If one looks at the cost of United Nations membership on a per capita basis, one sees that the island States are among the very top contributors. The vulnerability of small islands to natural disasters and to fluctuations in the world economy make it difficult to quantify the well-being of our people.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“UNDP understands the complexities of the Pacific region and the development challenge for the island States. We hope that the UNDP budget for the region will not be cut back any further. The Pacific is a vast area, and the logistical challenges faced by the field office in Suva, Fiji, are daunting. Sustainable development is a primary objective of Government planning. We are increasingly aware of the limits that constrain our development potential. We want to prosper on the resources that we have, but we do not want to repeat mistakes that others have made on their road to development. I commend our neighbour, Papua New Guinea, for the important work it has initiated to integrate sustainable development into the framework of international relations.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The Marshall Islands welcomes with gratitude the recently approved country programme of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It would be especially welcome if this plan of action could assist my country significantly along the road to sustainable development. The spirit of cooperation that was exhibited at the first round- table meeting in 1991 is evident in this programme. It is hoped that this will be the first step in a long and fruitful partnership and that the UNDP will become more responsive to the special needs of the Marshall Islands. Like many of the island States in the region, the Marshall Islands is not a traditional recipient of overseas development aid, and we have few bilateral partners. Given its regional expertise, we are pleased that UNDP is becoming a major focal point for our development assistance.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“As the pressure from a growing population increases in my country, additional demands are made on our resources. Regrettably, we have become increasingly dependent on imports to meet basic human needs. The long distances from markets of many islands result in especially high transport costs. In our case, we are almost 2,000 miles from the nearest major market for our goods. Consequently, transport costs raise the cost of goods to levels that are often not competitive. Even with competitive products, restrictive trade barriers further limit our access to markets. We are hopeful that the negotiations of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) will produce a trade agreement that is equitable and fair to all nations.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“For decades, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has advanced this objective with determination, and we are especially appreciative of its assistance to the Marshallese children. We are proud to have recently ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and we encourage others to do the same so that the world may attain UNICEF’s goal of universal adherence by the year 2000. The Marshall Islands are endowed with natural beauty and a rich cultural heritage. The development potential of Forty-eighth session - 6 October 1993 3 our islands resides in the preservation of their fragile environment. Because our land area is so limited, we treat it with the greatest respect and conserve it as best we can. Given the small land area of our atolls, we face constraints to agricultural and industrial development.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Perhaps more important, the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action clearly demonstrated that respect for basic human rights and fundamental freedoms can exist in a context of cultural diversity. As important as the Vienna Declaration is, it is meaningless without the means to enforce its provisions. We will therefore continue strongly to support efforts aimed at creating a post of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and a Special Rapporteur for Women’s Rights, and we will continue to study proposals for an international court with jurisdiction to consider cases of human-rights violations. Tomorrow’s leaders are today’s children. With this in mind, we must ensure that our children are well prepared to accept the mantle that will be passed on to them.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“I am very pleased to report that last week the Marshall Islands was accepted as a member of the IAEA, and we look forward to contributing to the work of the Agency. We are confident that the Agency’s vast expertise in the area of protection from radiation can shed light on the matter and at the same time come up with remedial treatment for the many Marshallese victims afflicted by numerous cancerous diseases resulting from nuclear testing. My Government warmly applauds the increased attention by the world community to human rights and democratic institutions. Although it fell short of some of our expectations, this year’s World Conference on Human Rights was an important milestone in the efforts to protect the rights of individuals and vulnerable sectors of society.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The islands of the Pacific are especially vulnerable to the dangers posed by transport of nuclear material. We hope that such shipments will cease. If they are to continue, the States responsible must take every precaution to ensure that the safety of States along the sea lanes and the high seas is ensured. All of humanity is shocked by the brutality of nationalist and ethnic conflicts raging throughout the world today. The possibility of introducing nuclear weapons in these disputes threatens global peace and security and raises the spectre of death and suffering on a magnitude never before witnessed. My Government will continue to support all efforts to limit the spread of nuclear weapons. The efforts of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the area of nuclear safeguards merit special praise.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“We pray for a world free from nuclear testing and intend to participate actively in the steps leading to such a treaty. We were proud to be one of the first signatories of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction earlier this year in Paris. We will do our part to contribute to the goal of the abolition of that immoral class of weapons and commend the many officials who worked on the Convention for their tireless efforts. Perhaps the most effective way to avoid the grave consequences of nuclear weapons is to address the problem at its source by prohibiting the production of weapons-grade plutonium. We therefore look forward to working on a treaty to this effect, and we commend the United States and others for taking the lead in this regard.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The Marshall Islands will forever have a special interest in the dismantling of nuclear weapons because many Marshallese people are still prevented from returning to their ancestors’ homeland. As survivors of that legacy, we very much welcomed the nuclear-testing moratorium. We are greatly distressed that this moratorium has now been broken by one of the nuclear Powers, and we would appeal to the others not to follow this path. I should like to lend my Government’s voice to the voices of others that have called for negotiations on a lasting and effective comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty that will enjoy universal adherence. It is the wish of the people of the Marshall Islands that no one else should have to endure the same hardships and physical harm that we did.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The physical limitations of islands and their lack of natural resources, which larger nations might regard as insurmountable barriers, we, by necessity, view as challenges to overcome. Throughout history, islanders have displayed a remarkable degree of innovation and adaptation, which has allowed us to survive numerous natural and man-made disasters. Our people and way of life were not deterred by the horrors of modern weaponry from which the Marshallese people suffered during the nuclear testing. Despite the end of the super- Power arms race, the world must still confront the grave dangers of nuclear testing, nuclear proliferation, and the production, transit and disposal of nuclear material.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“However, as currently structured and financed, the United Nations by itself cannot accommodate the breadth and gravity of the many problems it faces. It is our view that the Organization must be carefully re-evaluated to ensure its effectiveness in a situation of new realities. We support the creation of an Office of Inspector General and will continue to study the various proposals for expansion of the Security Council membership. As proud Members of this body, we cheer our Organization’s successes and are troubled by its few setbacks. The Marshallese people mourn the loss of members of United Nations peace-keeping missions, which are bravely endeavouring to maintain peace and provide assistance to those in danger. Allow me, for a moment, to address the special situation of the island nations.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“In their place are a myriad of problems, suppressed during the cold war, that are now resurfacing. The confrontation between East and West has given way to more intricate problems, without readily apparent solutions. There are no easy answers for bringing restraint to the extremes of ethnic and religious nationalism, or promoting human rights and sustainable development. Yet the past few months have shown the real progress that can be made on even the most intractable problems. Rather than wringing our hands, we must draw upon the diversity of views represented in this grand Hall and upon the examples of those who dedicated their lives to the struggle to bring peace to the world. The world’s billions are increasingly looking to the United Nations for solutions.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Few of us ever imagined that we would witness in our lifetimes the dismantling of the Berlin Wall, a handshake between the leaders of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the peaceful separation of Eritrea from Ethiopia after decades of war, or the transition to a Government in South Africa that is truly representative of its people. In the current international climate we can be optimistic about the peaceful resolution of the difficult problems of our time. However, at the same time our world witnesses these triumphs of the human spirit, it also faces grave new problems, such as the tragedies that are unfolding in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Somalia. The new order will require fundamental changes in the attitudes and thinking of nations and all mankind. Gone are the clearly defined divisions of super-Power conflict.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“On behalf of the people and the Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, I warmly congratulate Ambassador Samuel Insanally on his election as President of what promises to be a historic session of the General Assembly. I would also like to express my country’s profound appreciation to his predecessor, Mr. Stoyan Ganev, Foreign Minister of Bulgaria, for his superior guidance during a time of unprecedented change. We are gathered here at a crucial juncture in human history when numerous changes are becoming apparent.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“On the other hand, the preservation of cultural diversity, and probably the preservation of environmental diversity, will require the direct commitment of nations and individuals. In an era of national consciousness, most matters of public policy, even those with international consequences, are going to be worked out at the national level - and frequently locally and individually. Let us celebrate the diverse nationalities, and do everything in our power to nurture our peoples and enable them to lead lives that are full and contented and peaceful.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“As a primary obligation, of course, we must meet basic human needs that are beyond local capabilities: collectively, we can help feed the starving refugees of Somalia; we can commit our manpower and financial resources to help bring peace to the Middle East and in the Balkan States; we can provide emergency assistance to the victims of natural disasters; we can continue to work towards the eradication of the great plagues. In these situations, where the human need is greatest, the United Nations is admirably serving its purposes. In addition, the techniques and processes made available by the agencies of the United Nations have helped provide our citizens with security and basic public services.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Nevertheless, our concern for environmental quality need not put a halt to the developmental process. Instead, it will be part of the overall situation to which individuals will respond with creativity and productivity. With the assistance of the United Nations, the people of our countries will continue to benefit from the international structure of trade, cultural exchanges, environmental studies and the resolution of disputes. The heart of the United Nations consists of the many Member nation-States. The rich mix of nationalities is certainly complicating the map of the world. Our challenge is to find collective benefit in this diversity.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We in the Marshall Islands, living on low-lying coral atolls and islands, have been following with great interest the scientific debate over global warming. The same careful approach that we have applied to evaluating the impact of nuclear testing in our islands is also being applied to the possible dangers of a rise in sea level. In this regard, I am pleased to reiterate the call that President Amata Kabua of the Marshall Islands made at the Rio Summit for the United Nations to convene a follow-up Earth Summit in 1995, coinciding with the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations. If global warming endangers certain regions and certain modes of life, we have to confirm the risks and inform our citizens about them. An environment at risk will be a significant constraint for the developing nations in the late twentieth century.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The exchange of ideas and the reduction of trade barriers have served to draw mankind together. People throughout the world are now cooperating in the developmental process. In no nation do people live in the isolation that our ancestors did only a century ago and that some people endured until the end of the cold war. But, in the face of modernization, the people and places of the world have retained their particular attributes, and these are now giving force and cohesion to their national characters. The past year has seen the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. At this historic gathering the nations of the world agreed to pursue their developmental goals in a manner that will sustain the ecological diversity of our planet.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The progress of the past decade has resulted in a greater portion of mankind than ever before living in situations of political and economic freedom. Increasingly, the human spirit has been able to soar unfettered by restraints and regulations imposed by authorities too distant from individuals' circumstances. In a setting of liberty, the individual is empowered to advance to the extent of his ability. For many years teachers in the Marshall Islands have sought to implement the wise insight of Marcus Aurelius: "Give a man a fish and you have fed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you have fed him for ever." Some of our teachers have even convinced themselves that this is Marshallese folk wisdom! But at least they recognize that the most effective help is self-help.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The breakdown of the two contending camps has left a world in which we can no longer conveniently apply the simple classification of nations into the Eastern bloc or the Western block. It is a time fraught with uncertainty and risk, but it is also a time for rethinking our concepts of government and its relation to individual citizens. And with this rethinking we must see that greater responsibilities are opened to mankind. We are finding that the expediencies that once worked in the cold war centres of power are too broad, too large in scale, too impersonal, for the smaller nations. Development is now taking place on a more human scale. The growth of nations is providing the context for human ingenuity to assert itself with fewer restraints.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“For many peoples, it has been a long time coming. Like so many countries, large and small, the Marshall Islands was for four and a half decades relegated to one camp of the great cold-war struggle. In the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, the residents of Bikini and Enewetak Atolls in the Northern Marshall Islands were relocated from their ancestral homes so that the United States Government could conduct an extensive and widely publicized programme of testing atomic and nuclear weapons. Even though the testing programme was discontinued in the late 1950s, our Government and people are still coming to terms with its effects on our health and way of life. We have many good reasons to applaud the end of the cold war.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“It is our grave responsibility to serve our nations during this challenging period of transition and development. Throughout the world we are seeing the advent of self-government by nations. The sovereignty and dignity of indigenous peoples are coming to be recognized as the basis for effective government. In the Marshall Islands, as in other developing countries throughout the world, we have set high aspirations for our nation and we seek expanded opportunities for our people. Our children will no longer be denied achievement of their potential because of the time and place into which they were born. They will be the hope and the pride of our nation, and our future. We are grateful to the United Nations for its steadfast commitment to fostering the self-government and self-determination of peoples.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“I take this opportunity warmly to congratulate you. Sir, on your election to the presidency of the forty-seventh session of the General Assembly. We know that we are in capable hand as we face the important tasks ahead of us. I should also like to express my appreciation to your predecessor. Ambassador Samir Shihabi of Saudi Arabia, for the distinguished manner in which he guided the General Assembly during the last session. It was one year ago that the General Assembly honoured the Republic of the Marshall Islands by granting it membership in the United Nations. On this anniversary, as we reflect on our times, we note that a central feature of the international political landscape of the past several years has been the emergence or the re-emergence of the nationalities.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)