YouSaid · the spoken record

Baron Divavesi Waqa

lines on the record: 90
first: 2013-09-24
most recent: 2018-09-24
sittings or episodes: 6
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

“In conclusion, I would like to thank the Governments of Australia, Taiwan, New Zealand, Japan, India, the Russian Federation, Italy, Israel and Cuba, as well as the European Union for their assistance to Nauru. We value their friendship very much and look forward to our continued collaboration. We applaud the President for choosing to promote a theme of inclusion in this debate. In the pursuit of scale, it is easy to forget that many of the smallest and most vulnerable often fall through the cracks. My Government stands ready to work with her during the seventy-third session of the General Assembly to build a United Nations that brings peace and equitable and sustainable societies to all people. God bless the Republic of Nauru. God bless the United Nations. God bless us all.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“That is a critical gap in the United Nations system that must be filled immediately. Making the United Nations relevant to all people must include the people of Taiwan. The treatment of the people of Taiwan should be equal to that of other nations. The United Nations should resolve the serious issue of the exclusion of Taiwan’s 23 million people from the United Nations system. The Preamble to the Charter of the United Nations clearly states that the Organization’s mission is “to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small”.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“When working with the Government of Italy we know that the tremendous respect that they have shown us has nothing to do with the size of our countries. Building a more inclusive United Nations also requires addressing the most urgent global challenges, which include the security implications of climate change. In that regard, I would like to reiterate the call I made in July in the Security Council for the appointment of a special representative of the Secretary- General on climate and security (see S/PV.8307). We are already seeing dangerous effects on our countries and communities, with the most vulnerable among us bearing the greatest burden. A special representative, supported by a well-resourced staff, is needed to help us start managing climate risks more effectively.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Financial and capacity-building resources need to be made more accessible for our capacity-constrained countries. Streamlined and harmonized application and reporting procedures would significantly alleviate one of our largest hurdles. In addition, new funding approaches, such as direct-access modalities and direct budgetary support, seem to yield much better results in small countries. Adequate financing must be available for basic infrastructure, not just for the development fads of the moment. The Pacific region’s partnership with the Government of Italy has been a resounding success because it has been structured with those issues in mind. The model works because it regards the Pacific islands as the primary drivers of their own development.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We are ready to seize the opportunity presented by cheap solar energy and free ourselves from the expensive burden of fossil fuels. Capacity and resource constraints are the only things holding us back. My Government’s own analysis puts the cost of moving Nauru to 100 per cent renewable energy at $63 million. For a modest investment, the world would have visible evidence that the future we want — a clean, zero-carbon society — is well within our grasp. That transformation would also dramatically improve our fiscal outlook, providing a much stronger foundation for progress in other areas of sustainable development. Just because the task is smaller does not mean it is easy. But there are simple steps to be taken that would dramatically improve our situation.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“But when joined by partners that are prepared to understand our constraints, we can become living proof that a better, more sustainable way of life is possible. With regard to renewable energy, for example, a few small islands have made enormous progress in the past few years and are looking to achieve 100 per cent renewable-energy systems within a decade, a tremendous achievement. That is a much more difficult undertaking in large countries, which must serve population centres spread across a much wider geographical area, navigate a minefield of politically powerful incumbents and bear much higher financial costs. We can see some of our Pacific island neighbours racing to the front, with the rest of us clamouring to follow their lead.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Traditional and new partners alike joined us at the Pacific region’s first round table on Sustainable Development Goal 17 to announce new initiatives in the areas of energy, health care and protection of the oceans. The event was successful because our partners recognized the opportunities in our small islands. The countries that demonstrated no respect for the sovereignty of the small and vulnerable or for the leaders of the Pacific and the regional process were respectfully asked to yield the floor to those that did. Small can be nimble. Small means that modest resources can have a transformative impact. When our sustainability metrics are aggregated with those of the rest of the world, we become nothing more than a rounding error.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We must therefore look to public institutions — to the United Nations — to create an environment in which the rest of us can grow and prosper. The Republic of Nauru cannot be treated as an “error”. When viewed through the lens of conventional economics, our lack of scale is our problem. If we are to address the challenges of small islands, therefore, we have to abandon the conventional wisdom. We have to think about scale differently. Once we take that leap, our small size can become our greatest advantage. Earlier this month, Nauru had the honour to host the forty-ninth Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting. The theme of the meeting — “Building a strong Pacific: our people, our islands, our will” — was chosen to highlight the uniqueness of our region and the imperative that we chart our own course to sustainable development.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Talk to any newly minted graduate with a master’s degree in business administration about a new business idea, and the first question he or she will ask is “Does it scale?” I dare say that that logic has permeated the United Nations system. Why design a programme to help a country of 10,000 people when one can theoretically help 10 million? Why wade through all the loan paperwork to replace a small diesel generator when the same number of documents can mobilize funding to transform a much larger energy system? If my country is too small to even warrant inclusion in a simple online database, where does that leave us? For the smallest countries, the micro-States, conventional pathways to development are not available to us. We simply cannot offer the profit potential that private investors seek.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“While today we may be considered a middle-income country under certain metrics, our economic situation could change dramatically for the worse overnight owing to forces that are completely out of our hands. Those observations are not new. We have been grappling with such challenges for decades. But in the face of climate change, developing effective strategies for dealing with them has become much more urgent. I think it is fair to say that the logic of the entire global economic system is driven by a relentless pursuit of larger and larger scale. In the name of efficiency, private enterprises expand operations in places with large pools of cheap labour or vast reserves of resources. They merge with competitors to increase market share. They seek out the greatest profit centres and abandon those that underperform.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“The negative externalities of consumption-based economic growth have destroyed the health of our oceans and the safety of our climate. Meanwhile, corporate consolidation and a liberalized global financial system translate into fewer and fewer opportunities for small enterprises to develop domestically. That leaves us with extremely underdeveloped economies, overly reliant on one or two key sectors that are often highly vulnerable to changing global market trends or shifts in the political priorities of our development partners. SIDS typically score extremely high on economic vulnerability indices for that reason, and Nauru is no different.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“I was not able to register for that promising education programme. But I did learn an important lesson that day. It is not easy to gain access to support from the United Nations system when one is representing a small country. Our unique challenges as SIDS are widely recognized. Some are inherent in the geophysical nature of the islands we inhabit, such as a small land mass, limited natural resources, geographic isolation and vulnerability to natural disasters. No less important are the challenges imposed on us by the global economic system, which was not designed with our countries in mind. Our small populations and production base do not yield the economies of scale sought by private investors. Volatility in commodity markets has an outsize impact on our fiscal planning.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“However, to be responsive to the needs of my country and many others like it, we must address a systemic bias within the United Nations and start thinking small. The population of Nauru is a little over 10,000. Let me try to capture some of the challenges we encounter in accessing the support available from the United Nations by sharing a story from my days as the country’s Director of Education. Eager to participate in an education-data tracking programme offered by UNESCO, I logged onto its website and began to input the required information for registering my country. The first question was straightforward: number of primary schools. I typed in the number 6 — not 600, not 6,000, but “6” — and the response read “error”. I moved on to the second question: number of teachers. I typed in 59 — “error” again.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“It is an honour to be here for the opening of the General Assembly at its seventy-third session. On behalf of the Republic of Nauru, I would like to congratulate Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés on her recent assumption of the presidency of the General Assembly and to thank Mr. Miroslav Lajčák for his exceptional work as our outgoing President. The theme chosen for this year’s debate — “Making the United Nations relevant to all people” — is deeply resonant for this representative of a small island developing State (SIDS). It is so self-evident that it borders on cliché to state that some communities have not benefited from the current global economic system. Yet it bears repeating again and again lest those places be forgotten entirely. The Republic of Nauru is one such place, and it is to the United Nations that we look for assistance.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“That will undoubtedly be the most difficult aspect of the task before us. In closing, I would like to thank the Governments of Australia, Taiwan, New Zealand, Japan, India, the Russian Federation, the European Union, Italy, Israel, Cuba, the Republic of Korea and the United States for their continued support and assistance to Nauru. We value their friendship very much, and we look forward to their continued cooperation and support. Along those lines, I would like to make a special acknowledgement to the United Nations for the support it provided to Nauru nearly 50 years ago, leading to our independence. On 31 January 2018, we will celebrate our golden jubilee as a sovereign and democratic nation. I would also like to thank all the countries that supported us in exercising our self-determination and achieving our independence.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“The phrase “people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnership” elegantly captures the scope of our work over the coming year and beyond. However, there is another word that begins with P that we must not ignore. That word is power. Power will determine whether resources are mobilized for people or for profiteering. Power will determine whether the voices of the marginalized are heard. Power will determine whether we leave a healthy and bountiful planet for future generations. To ignore the role of power in shaping our future is to cede what little power we may have. If we are to achieve our ambitious goals for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable planet, we will have to grapple with power as it actually exists in the world, including all of its inequities and perversities.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“It wishes to contribute and participate freely through the partnerships and activities of the United Nations system, including the Sustainable Development Goals, the World Health Organization, UNESCO, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and other United Nations-related agencies and activities. In order to ensure that the Taiwanese people can make positive contributions to societies around the world, they must be given the freedom to travel where they choose. We are, after all, a world that calls for inclusiveness and for no one to be left behind. In that same spirit, Nauru renews its call for an end to the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States on Cuba.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“The threats made against the Republic of Korea, Japan, Guam and cities of the United States do not help the situation, and they potentially put many small countries in the Pacific, including Nauru, in the line of fire. That is completely unacceptable, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea must stop such threats, including the launching of rockets into the Pacific Ocean. Further to the south, we have in Taiwan a State that is peaceful, prosperous and happy. Taiwan has the technical and financial capacity to contribute to world peace and development, particularly where its technical prowess and know-how are concerned.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We acknowledge the generous support of our friends and partners, who have provided scholarships and technical workshops that are invaluable to our long- term development, particularly in high-priority areas such as the health sector, education, engineering, public administration and good governance. Having a healthy economy and a productive people also requires international relations to be peaceful and stable, not only in the Pacific but throughout the world. With regard to the Pacific region, Nauru calls on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to enter into dialogue with the other countries involved in the dispute on the Korean peninsula.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“There is no shortage of workshops held in the Pacific region. What Nauru needs is a sustained capacity-building effort that is backed by real resources, including the long-term, in-country presence of our development partners when appropriate, so that we are left with strong domestic institutions run by a skilled domestic workforce. I cannot stress the importance of a robust capacity- building programme enough. As a former schoolteacher, I am passionate about the importance of high-quality education for my people. We have our own training programmes for our high school and tertiary students, as well as programmes for those already in the workforce.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Funding mechanisms can be effectively impossible to access because the application and reporting requirements exceed the capacity of our domestic institutions. Private investment is unreliable and rarely available to support the provision of basic services and the construction of critical infrastructure. Meanwhile, the most promising financing models for small developing countries, such as direct access and direct budgetary support, are rarely offered by our development partners. That must change. We need our partners to meet the needs of small and vulnerable countries. We know that we too must become better partners, which is why my country has emphasized the importance of capacity-building as a critical component of our international cooperation. In order for our people to prosper, we must invest in building their knowledge and skills.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“I call on our friends and partners to continue with existing programmes, such as the Shiprider Agreement and other ongoing bilateral cooperation arrangements negotiated by the United States, as well as the maritime surveillance programmes provided by Australia and New Zealand. We look forward to partnering with other law-enforcement agencies throughout the Asia-Pacific and beyond. In order for the people of Nauru to benefit from those global efforts to protect the climate and ocean, we will have to build genuine and durable partnerships that are based on mutual respect and a clear understanding of the real needs on the ground. Too often, small countries like mine have been excluded from international programmes.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Launching and concluding an intergovernmental conference to draft a new implementing agreement in line with the common heritage of mankind that would allow for the protection and preservation of the oceans should be an urgent priority in that work. The security of our oceans is another problem that all of us must tackle. Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing is another great threat and represents an economic loss to our small economy. Along with transnational crimes that occur within our waters and those of our neighbours, it is an issue that requires cooperation on a number of fronts through inter-agency and intercountry partnerships.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“For that reason, Nauru supports the proposal by the Pacific small island developing States (SIDS) that the United Nations appoint a Special Representative on climate and security, whose work must begin with an assessment of the United Nation’s capacity to respond to climate disasters. In addition to a safe climate, the prosperity of Nauru’s people depends on a healthy ocean. In that regard, we must show ambition in tackling the mounting threats to the health of our oceans. The special case of SIDS needs to be enshrined in our work across all ocean sectors and in the new implementing agreements on biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“How will we feed a planet of 9 billion people when crop yields are projected to fall? How will we share declining freshwater resources as glaciers disappear and drought becomes commonplace in many regions? How will we protect the millions who are rendered homeless when low-lying coastal areas are inundated? How can those and many other challenges be managed effectively so that we can avoid breakdowns in governance and a proliferation of failed States? It is difficult to see how we can realize our vision for a peaceful planet without answers to those questions. Climate change will be the defining security challenge of the century, and we are simply not prepared for life on a hotter planet.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Nauru’s climate priorities fall into four categories — renewable energy, land rehabilitation, water security and infrastructure-proofing. We are looking to build genuine and durable partnerships to achieve those objectives. While the Paris Agreement was a historic diplomatic achievement, we must remember that we remain well off track for achieving its central goal of keeping warming below 1.5°C. Failure to achieve that goal would be devastating for small islands, but we should not pretend that any additional warming is safe. Negative impacts in the form of superstorms, irregular rain patterns and heatwaves are here with us now and will continue to get worse for the foreseeable future. As I said at last year’s World Humanitarian Summit, all of us must face up to some very difficult questions.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“That is why Nauru was among the first countries in the world to ratify the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and why we have made the implementation of our national contribution to the Agreement our top priority. Nearly every country has made that solemn commitment, and we are now two years closer to the time when we will be held to account. With regard to climate action in developing countries, implementation is a collective responsibility. As developing countries, we have demonstrated our political will to be part of the global effort, but most of us lack the resources to fully implement our contributions alone. In that regard, we call on our development partners to step up their assistance programmes.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Those five words are broad enough to encompass our collectively held ideals while accommodating our tremendous diversity. In the case of Nauru, our status as a small island developing State underlies every aspect of the lives of my people. The global economic system was not created with small islands in mind. Small size and population, geographic isolation, few natural resources and a high level of vulnerability to economic and environmental shocks are among the characteristics that make small islands a special case for development. Our people crave prosperity just like anyone else. However, the well trodden pathways to development are simply not available to us. More than most, our prospects depend on a stable planet, including a safe climate and healthy oceans.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Their suffering and grief is shared by us all, and we pray that God will be their strength and great provider during their recovery efforts. The Government of Nauru shares the international community’s view that full implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) must be at the centre of our work in the coming year. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a universal agreement representing our collective priorities, from the largest to the smallest nations among us. Bringing that same approach to our implementation effort is the only way to ensure that no country is left behind. Members will recall the five words that guided our work on the SDGs — people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership — which, I am sure, gave inspiration to the President’s choice of a theme for this new session of the General Assembly.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“It is an honour to be here for the opening of the seventy-second session of the General Assembly. On behalf of the Republic of Nauru, I would like to congratulate you, Sir, on your recent assumption of the presidency of the General Assembly. Please be assured of my delegation’s full support and cooperation as you steer its work during this critical session. I would also like to thank the outgoing President, Mr. Peter Thomson, for his exceptional work. At this juncture, I would like to take this opportunity to express our deepest sorrow and condolences to our brothers and sisters who have suffered so much from the series of hurricanes in the Caribbean and the United States and to our brothers and sisters in Mexico for the devastating earthquakes.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“They can make sure that resources are directed to where they matter. We need those countries to carry forward the goals and objectives that we have spent so many years negotiating, even in those exclusive rooms when the rest of us are not present. The power of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development stems from its legitimacy. It was the product of a truly open and transparent process that reflected the hopes and aspirations of all 193 States Members of the United Nations. We all sat at the table and held the pen together. I implore our partners to remember that. Now, we are entrusting the President of the General Assembly with taking that work forward and holding us accountable for our commitments. From one Pacific Islander to another, he has our complete confidence. May God bless the Republic of Nauru.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“His most enduring legacy may perhaps be to have raised climate change to the top of the international agenda, but his tireless efforts to ensure that no country, no matter how small, is left behind is just as important. He was the first sitting Secretary-General to make an official visit to Pacific small island developing States, and he has an open invitation to visit Nauru. In conclusion, I want to say that the United Nations is at a crossroads. While the Charter of the United Nations is rooted in the equality of nations, we do not always live up to that principle. There are still times when only some of us hold the pen, some sit at the table and some are locked out behind a closed door. A small group of countries has the real power to give us the necessary push to transform our world.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The people are promoting the Sustainable Development Goals domestically and internationally, and they are helping to lead the way towards a low-carbon economy. Taiwan is a key stakeholder in the international community. We should make efforts to regularize their participation throughout the United Nations system, so that we can all benefit from their substantial contributions. Lastly, I would like to extend my country’s deep appreciation for the work of the current Secretary- General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon. He has been a true friend of small islands. We are thankful for his leadership on many of the issues that we hold most dear.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Nauru is also concerned by the mounting tensions provoked by the recent action of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The Pacific region saw far too much violence and suffering during the previous century. We must not allow the scourge of war to return. Nuclear proliferation has no place in a sustainable world. I would like to address the situation of Nauru’s close friend, Taiwan. According to the Charter of the United Nations, our mission here is “to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small”. The 23 million people of the Republic of China should therefore enjoy those same fundamental rights. Taiwan has contributed to the World Health Assembly and the International Civil Aviation Organization.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The persistence of the current arrangement continues to cast a shadow of illegitimacy over everything we do at the United Nations. If we are to nurture the spirit of cooperation represented by the historic agreements of 2015, then we must reform the most powerful organ of the United Nations. And we support the inclusion of India, Japan, Germany, Brazil and others in the permanent category. Nauru welcomes the restored diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States. However, we call upon the United States to completely lift its economic embargo immediately. Nauru is deeply concerned about the situation in West Papua, including the alleged human rights abuses there. As emphasized in the Pacific Islands Forum communiqué, it is important that an open and constructive dialogue take place with Indonesia on that matter.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Will we be able to protect the millions who are rendered homeless when low-lying coastal areas are inundated? And can these and many other challenges be managed effectively so that we avoid a proliferation of failed States? We are simply not prepared. For that reason, Nauru calls on Members to support the proposal by the Pacific SIDS to appoint a United Nations special representative on climate and security. The security implications of climate change will define the twenty-first century, and we must prepare. Regarding the Security Council, Nauru supports expanding the number of permanent and non-permanent members in the Council. It is time to reflect the geopolitical realities of today, not those of 70 years ago.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“It is our war, and while Nauru will be among the first to experience the worst impacts, climate change will be the rest of the world’s humanitarian challenge as well. The Paris Agreement notwithstanding, the dangerous climate impacts will continue to grow worse over the coming decades. We have little understanding of how our human systems will hold up under climate stress. Global supply chains, finance and insurance markets, food and water distribution — those systems are complex and interlinked and form the foundation of our modern civilization. Climate change raises some hard questions, and I am not sure we have the answers. Can we feed a planet of 9 billion people when crop yields are projected to fall? Will we learn to share declining freshwater resources as the glaciers disappear?”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“That is why Nauru was among the first countries in the world to ratify the Paris Agreement. It is encouraging to hear that we are on track for the Agreement’s entry into force this year. However, it is far too early to celebrate. The Paris Agreement is not the end of our climate work. It is only the beginning. Greenhouse gas emissions over the past 150 year have pushed the climate system beyond the boundaries of human experience. Brewing superstorms and droughts can be as destructive as any bomb. Sea-level rise can occupy our territory just as surely as an invading army. From the perspective of my small island nation in the Pacific, climate change is our greatest humanitarian crisis.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The upcoming United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of SDG 14 presents a welcome and much-needed opportunity to foster a shared vision for a healthy, productive and resilient ocean to guide all our ocean-related activities. Let me also highlight the importance of the long- term conservation and sustainable use of our fisheries. The parties to the Nauru Agreement are on the cutting edge of sustainable fisheries management. However, the international community must ensure that a disproportionate burden of conservation measures does not fall on the small island developing States (SIDS). The burden and costs of those measures must be shared equitably. The full implementation of our international commitments takes on much greater urgency in the face of climate change.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“On that note, let me thank our partners Australia, Taiwan, Japan, the Russian Federation, Cuba, New Zealand and others for their support to our sustainable development priorities. The implementation of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 — the sustainable use of the oceans, seas and marine resources — is a high priority. The ocean is a pillar of our small island economy, our environment and our culture. Stresses on marine biodiversity are mounting, including those that go beyond national jurisdiction. The gaps in our governance of the oceans must therefore be addressed. We urge a timely and comprehensive conclusion of the Preparatory Committee process on developing an international instrument on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Meanwhile, the most promising financing models for small developing countries — direct access and direct budgetary support, for example — are rarely available as an option. That needs to change, so that small countries can fully benefit from the historic agreements we have reached. Nauru is asking a lot from its development partners. We want to be better partners ourselves. Our efforts must, therefore, go beyond capacity-building to focus on institution-building. Those efforts must be backed by real resources and include the long-term, in-country engagement of international and regional agencies. The goal must be nothing short of building durable domestic institutions that are run by a skilled national workforce.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The commitments that we have made to each other represent our best efforts to meet the challenges before us, and we made those commitments knowing that some of us need help to fulfil them. We agreed that no country should be left behind. Now begins the most important work: translating our words into concrete action. Our primary task is to direct resources to where they will matter most. We should not underestimate the difficulty of such a task. Some international funding mechanisms exclude small countries like mine, or prove impossible to access because of the limited capacity of small countries. Private investment is unreliable and rarely available to support basic services and critical infrastructure.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“From violent extremism to political upheaval, to large-scale migration and a climate in chaos, the world is at a crossroads and the General Assembly will decide its path. Fortunately, the 193 Members of the United Nations have given us some detailed road maps to guide our work: the Small Island Developing States Accelerated Modalities of Action Pathway, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on financing for development, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Those universal agreements capture the collective will of the international community. Such agreements point the way towards greater cooperation, and Nauru is deeply committed to their full implementation.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“It is an honour to be in this Hall for the seventy-first session of the General Assembly. On behalf of the Republic of Nauru, I would like to congratulate His Excellency Mr. Peter Thomson on his assumption of the presidency of the General Assembly. It is wonderful to see one of my Pacific Island brothers at the helm of this body. Let me assure him of the full support of my delegation as he leads the important work of the Assembly. I would also like to thank His Excellency Mr. Mogens Lykketoft, our outgoing President, for his exceptional work. I would like to say to the incoming President that his position comes with enormous responsibility, and the upcoming session will be more important than most. Every time we turn on the television, we are treated to images of turmoil.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“It is fitting that during the seventieth session of the General Assembly we will complete our work on a new set of global agreements to tackle the challenges of our generation. The number 70 can also represent a period of judgement. We stand at a critical moment in history as civilization outstrips the natural boundaries of our planet. Our response during the next few years will determine the fate of future generations for the next thousand years. Will we continue to march to an inexorable decline? Or will we join together to meet the challenges before us? Thankfully, we still have a choice ,and the widespread recognition of the need for change I have heard during the past week gives me hope that we will make the right one. May God bless the Republic of Nauru and may God bless the United Nations.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“However, I am starting to doubt whether they are willing and able to make the fundamental changes in their political and economic systems required to achieve our ambitious goals. The intense lobbying to accept an unsatisfactory outcome has already begun, and in the international process, that has often meant that we will be presented with a take-it-or-leave it deal at COP21. Would such an agreement have any legitimacy? Can we solve the climate problem without it? The number 70 has biblical significance in the Christian faith, as it is composed of the numbers 7 and 10. The number 7 often represents the concept of completeness, while the number 10 often refers to law and responsibility.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Due to widespread food shortages and the harsh conditions imposed by our 16/33 15-29568 30/09/2015 A/70/PV.20 captors, our population fell to below 1,500. We were in danger of extinction. Nauruans know very well what happens to small, vulnerable countries when the big ones fail to address their problems in a responsible manner. I strongly believe that many of the major economic Powers want to reach an agreement at the twenty-first session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) in Paris. Many have already come forward with meaningful mitigation contributions that will certainly require a great deal of effort to achieve. While we know it is not enough, I do not doubt their sincerity.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“It must also ensure that climate financing is available for adaptation, particularly for the most vulnerable countries. And for dealing with the impacts that exceed our adaptation efforts, it should anchor an international mechanism on loss and damage. The United Nations was created “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind”. At present, climate change, if left unaddressed, promises impacts no less catastrophic for many of our nations. Today marks the lead-up to a very important milestone in my people’s history — the seventieth anniversary of our return home. During the occupation of my country in the Second World War, Nauruans were forcibly evacuated to what is now Chuuk state in the Federated States of Micronesia.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“The governance of the Bretton Woods institutions should also be made more representative, with developing countries given a greater presence. The global economy has become more reliant on the flow of international capital, and with the frequency of financial crises increasing, the legitimacy of those institutions will continue to be tested. However, climate change will be the largest test of our international and domestic institutions. We have already seen how some climate impacts can overwhelm the capacity of even the most powerful among us. Clearly, a strong, legally binding agreement in Paris is absolutely critical, with ambitious mitigation contributions from all countries. The agreement should be guided by a temperature-increase goal of 1.5°C, consistent with our vision of a safe and secure world.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“The Security Council in particular must better reflect the geopolitical realities of the world today. Therefore, the list of permanent and non-permanent members should be expanded. We support the inclusion of Germany, India, Japan, Brazil and others in the permanent category. In addition, the Security Council must continue to adapt and respond to the most pressing issues of today. That is why Nauru calls on it to make climate change a permanent agenda item. It should be supplemented by the appointment by the Secretary- General of a Special Representative on climate and security. In addition, relevant organs of the United Nations should assess their capacity to respond to the security implications of climate change.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)