YouSaid · the spoken record

Vinci Niel CLODUMAR

lines on the record: 74
first: 2000-09-24
most recent: 2004-09-24
sittings or episodes: 3
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“The next 12 months will determine whether we, the united nations of the world, continue on the road where “business as usual” is the mode of operation or whether we follow the road of multilateralism as the principal rule of our engagement. The statements thus far indicate the latter, but we have heard that before.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“In conclusion, the fifty-ninth session has critical work ahead of it, such as the International Meeting for the 10-year Review of the Barbados Programme of Action, the introduction and deliberation on the findings of the High-Level Panel constituted by the Secretary-General, the review of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the preparations for the 5-year review of the Millennium Declaration and its Goals and the continuation of our deliberations on the revitalization of the General Assembly and of the reform of the Security Council, to name but a few items. As the Secretary-General has stated, the United Nations is at a fork in the road in terms of its relevance as an organization of nations seeking common solutions to common problems.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“That budget includes harsh but realistic measures as a preliminary but decisive step towards stabilizing, and eventually rebuilding, the economy and society of Nauru. For the same reasons, the Government of Nauru wrote to the Secretary-General in August of this year to alert him of the looming crisis in Nauru and to request assistance from the United Nations system to help to alleviate the plight of the Nauruan people. President Ludwig Scotty and Foreign Minister David Adeang may be visiting New York in the latter part of October to meet with the Secretary-General and relevant United Nations bodies on this matter. My Government looks forward to receiving a positive response from the 25 United Nations system, in the same manner as it did from the Pacific Islands Forum.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“While the proposal, which is to be formally known as Pacific Regional Assistance to Nauru, is being finalized, the Forum has agreed to provide, in the immediate future, capacity-building assistance in the justice, judicial, financial audit and national planning sectors, as well as transportation for the health and education sectors and a small cash grant to assist with public-sector wages. That assistance is complementing the aid provided separately by Australia, which has deployed Australian finance and treasury officials to head the Nauru Department of Finance, and the deployment, next month, of Australian police to take command of the Nauru Police Force. Indeed, as I speak, the Parliament of Nauru is also considering a reform budget designed with the assistance of Australian finance and treasury officials.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“The intervention by the Pacific Islands Forum is seen as pre-empting the possibility of the economic crisis escalating into a security and safety issue for the Nauruan people and for the region. Teams of regional experts representing the Forum and Australia have visited Nauru on a fact-finding mission, and we will be reporting to the leaders in due course, which will include recommendations on the type of assistance and the manner in which it should be rendered.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“As I speak, the Parliament of Nauru is considering the passage of three bills addressing issues raised by the FATF: the counter-terrorism and transnational organized crime bill, the proceeds of crime bill and the mutual assistance in criminal matters bill. We are confident that the passage of those bills, the prioritizing of related issues through the appointment of an anti-money-laundering national coordinating committee — which also comprises the Australian official appointed as secretary for finance — and the coordinating committee’s face-to- face meeting with FATF’s Asia-Pacific Working Group in Brunei next week will bring us closer to our objective of being de-listed. We will persevere, as we know that, in the end, we will prevail.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Despite the outlawing of the registration of foreign banks some 12 months ago, Nauru has not been successful in its appeal no longer to be the subject of countermeasures as a first step, although there has been incremental progress towards that goal over the same period. Following the visit by the International Monetary Fund early this year, Nauru has, for the fourth time, passed an anti-money-laundering law that now supersedes previous laws. We have participated in FATF regional reviews but, despite strong support provided by actions taken on advice, we seem to have failed at the plenary review.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“The real problem concerns the level of daily nutritional intake, particularly for children, as one cannot buy imported commodities such as fruits and vegetables and hygienic supplies. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that Nauru imports 90 per cent of all food and other essential items. Accordingly, food security in the medium to long term is a serious concern as there is no form of agricultural activity on Nauru. Nauru’s recovery cannot be possible without the establishment of reputable financial institutions on Nauru and the lifting of the restrictions on financial transactions between the international community and Nauru. That will not happen if Nauru continues to be subjected to countermeasures and blacklisting by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Our crisis lies largely in the fact that two thirds of our workforce are in the employ of the Government and its agencies. Those employees have not been paid a regular salary for over a year now. At irregular intervals either A$ 100 in food vouchers or A$ 30 to A$ 50 in cash to purchase food has been paid out, compared with the basic wage of A$ 350 — or about US$ 250 — per fortnight. The average family size on Nauru is around six people. A$ 50 cash fortnightly is equivalent to US$ 0.42 per family member per day and is well below the United Nations-defined abject poverty level of US$ 1 a day. The fact that many Nauruans can harvest food from the sea and the land, however limited, coupled with our culture and tradition of sharing, has meant that despite the lack of cash our people eat at least once a day.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“The Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, which provides a comprehensive regime for the management of the region’s highly migratory fish stock both in our exclusive economic zone and on the high seas, has come into force. In addition, the trans-shipment of nuclear waste through our waters is of great concern to many of the island countries because of the damage it could cause. One of the positive outcomes of the Pacific Islands Forum meeting last month was the decision of the Forum leaders to intervene in the internal economic crisis in Nauru at the request of our Government and 24 consistent with the terms of reference of the Forum’s Biketawa Declaration of 2000.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Nauru welcomes the statement by the Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation that President Putin has ordered serious consideration of Russia’s ratification of the Protocol. That is a step forward from last year. A healthy Pacific Ocean and the sustainable use of its natural resources, including the highly migratory fish stocks, are also critical to our livelihood. We in the Pacific have “walked the walk” on those issues by the development of an ocean policy to guide us in the management of our part of the Pacific Ocean and to form the framework for future regional ocean-related initiatives.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“During the session, cooperation between the United Nations and the Pacific Islands Forum will be considered under item 56 (q) of the General Assembly’s agenda. The Pacific Island Forum group at the United Nations looks forward to working closely with Member States to develop and expand the areas of its cooperation with them, pursuant to a draft resolution that will be presented to the Assembly in due course. Nauru, like the other low-lying small island States, sees the Kyoto Protocol as its means of salvation from the sea-level rise and climate change that threaten to devastate its already fragile ecosystem, so essential to the livelihood and culture of its people. My delegation understands that the Russian Federation stands between the Kyoto Protocol’s coming into force and its continuing to linger in the wilderness.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“It approved the terms of reference for the Pacific plan at the Apia Forum last month to revitalize the Forum and to make it more effective in its response to the needs of the peoples of the region. Issues such as climate change, peace and security, the economic and social development of our peoples and the protection and sustainable use of the environment and our natural resources are still the priorities of the Forum. Nauru welcomes the admission of the Kingdom of Thailand as the thirteenth member of the Forum’s dialogue partners. That group of countries, along with the European Union, individual member countries of the EU and the United Nations specialized agencies and programmes, are critical to the development of the region as they provide the necessary financial backing.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“I believe that our concern has to an extent been warranted and therefore my delegation would like to use this opportunity to remind our partners that the review is about identifying and solving the failure of small island developing States to accomplish agreed development programmes under the Barbados Plan of 1994; and it’s about how you, our development partners, can help SIDS to attain those goals. It is therefore our sincere hope that the third and critical round of negotiations scheduled in early October will be conducted in the right spirit and with better understanding. The Pacific Islands Forum continues to be the vehicle for regional cooperation and collaboration among the 16 Pacific Island countries of the Central and Western Pacific.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Indeed, the slow progress in the implementation by many small island developing States of the measures called for in those texts is but a true reflection that our problems are SIDS-specific and go deeper than the generic issues of development. Nauru is also concerned that some of the development partners would skew the review into one addressing SIDS-Millennium Development Goal performance instead of SIDS performance on the Barbados Programme of Action.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“It appears to us that the programme for political recognition of the special case of small island developing States (SIDS), as outlined at the Barbados Conference in 1994, and reinforced in New York during the five-year review held in 1999, as well as in chapter VII of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, has taken a backseat in the negotiations to generic undertakings made at other international conferences on development since 1999 — in particular, the Millennium Development Goals of 2000 and the Monterrey Consensus of 2002. Benchmarking the SIDS outcome strategy paper to the latter agreed texts would be hypocrisy of a high order insofar as political acceptance of SIDS as a special case is concerned.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Nauru joins others in expressing its deepest sympathy for the loss of life and property in the affected countries of the Caribbean and the southern coastal states of the United States of America. Against that background, my delegation would like to focus on what it considers to be a spanner in the wheel of negotiations on an outcome strategy paper for the International Meeting to Review the 23 Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, to be held in Mauritius.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“As a small island developing State in the Pacific Ocean, Nauru aligns itself with the interventions already made by the leaders of countries of the Alliance of Small Island States who have spoken before me on the concerns and challenges that we, the small-island big-ocean developing States, are facing. Nauru bears all the unique characteristics of a small island State: smallness in both land area and population, lack of resources, remoteness and vulnerability to exogenous forces, whether man-made or natural. The devastation of Niue by Cyclone Heta and the disastrous hurricane destruction in Caribbean countries this year are stark reminders of the vulnerability of island States.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“In that regard, the proposal to split the work of the Main Committees of the General Assembly into two segments over a six-month period would allow small States like Nauru, which has only two diplomatic staff, to increase its participation. Nauru would therefore support such a proposal when further deliberations take place later in the session. Nauru would note that its position is consistent with the United Nations core principle of universality, which calls on us all to be ever-mindful of the views of those countries seeking expanded responsibilities in international affairs. Countries that have sterling records in democracy, human rights, peace and the principle of freedom should have their achievements, as well as their capacities, appropriately recognized.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“It is my delegation’s firm view, however, that progress is being held hostage by those countries that insist that the expansion should not be done without either eliminating or modifying the veto power accorded to permanent members of the Security Council. Unless this difference in approach is reconciled, time and energy spent on other elements of the reform will be futile. The revitalization of the General Assembly must have at its heart the maximization of opportunity for equitable representation by all Member States in the major organs of the United Nations and its committees and to ensure that their programme of work allows for the full participation of members, particularly the small States.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“My delegation has stated in previous debates that it agrees fully with the reform of the Security Council. The fresh approach initiated by the President of the General Assembly at its fifty-eighth session has, to some extent, injected life back into the debate by focusing on key elements of the reform. It is our hope that the Bureau will continue the push for the further convergence of views by refining the choices that we made during the fifty-eighth session. The formation of an informal group of countries with aspirations to permanent seats in an expanded Security Council is interesting, and could prove to be a catalyst, expediting the debate on expansion. Nauru can and will support the aspirations of Germany, Japan and India to a permanent seat in an expanded Security Council.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Nauru, like other Member States, looks forward with anticipation to the report of the Secretary-General on the findings of the High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change to be finalized later this year. The Panel has been charged with the task of reviewing threats to peace and security, as well as other global challenges, insofar as they may influence or connect with those threats. Nauru continues to believe that multilateralism is the key to resolving contemporary problems in all of their complexity. Hence, it is important that the recommendations of the High-level Panel reinforce that point and that the proposals are doable and add value to the reform programmes that are already in the pipeline, including the revitalization of the General Assembly.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“We are pleased to hear that, for the remainder of his term in 22 office, he will be focusing mainly on strengthening the rule of law and transitional justice. Nauru supports the position the Secretary-General set out in his statement last week at the 3rd meeting, when he said “It is by reintroducing the rule of law, and confidence in its impartial application, that we can hope to resuscitate societies shattered by conflict. It is the law, including Security Council resolutions, which offers the best foundation for resolving prolonged conflicts — in the Middle East, in Iraq and around the world.” The democratization of governance, the application of accountability and transparency and the protection of minorities and the vulnerable are complementary elements of ruling under law.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Atrocious acts of terrorism against innocent civilians, particularly women and children, continue to tear the fabric of civility and the moral values on which each and every society on this planet is founded. Nauru sympathizes with those countries and peoples who have suffered loss as a result of conflict and terrorist acts. Nauru encourages peace in its Asia- Pacific neighbourhood, and expresses the hope that, whatever their differences, China and Taiwan can resolve them peacefully for the sake of the region’s continued peace, stability and prosperity. We support the Secretary-General’s bold statement of position with respect to the mitigation of armed conflicts generally, and those on the African continent and in the Middle East in particular.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“As a member of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), Nauru is extremely proud to be associated with Saint Lucia and the Caribbean Community, and it just goes to show that, as is the case of our coconut trees, our potential is great. However, a lack of resources has limited the capacity to flourish of many more people like Julian Hunte from the AOSIS region who are serving or have served in international office. We congratulate the Secretary-General for his continued commitment to multilateralism as a means of resolving our common problems and for his report on the work of the Organization (A/59/1) over the past 12 months. However, it is discouraging to note that peacekeeping activities have had to increase rather than decrease. Human rights and humanitarian norms continue to be violated as a result of armed conflict and terrorism.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“It gives me great pleasure to deliver this statement on behalf of His Excellency Ludwig Scotty, President of the Republic of Nauru, who had to cancel his trip to New York at the last minute due to pressing matters at home. President Scotty has asked that I convey to the Assembly the warm greetings and good wishes of the people and the Government of Nauru, and his warmest congratulations to you, Sir, on your assumption of the stewardship of the Assembly. We assure you of Nauru’s fullest cooperation in the deliberations that are ahead of us. Through you, Mr. President, my delegation joins previous speakers in congratulating Foreign Minister Julian Hunte of Saint Lucia for a productive fifty- eighth session of the General Assembly and for his exemplary performance.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“To conclude, Nauru, small as it is, believes that power consists in a nation’s capacity to link its will with the purpose of others, to lead by reason and give the gift of cooperation.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“The Government has also suspended the Citizen Investment Programme while it reviews the law, in order to address the concerns expressed by the United States Department of State. A new anti-money-laundering law was passed in March, and work is in progress on omnibus legislation that would address the financing of terrorism, transnational organized crime and money-laundering. Nauru also signed an article 98 agreement with the United States. In the process, Nauru has lost close to $2 million, if not more, in revenue, which is a drop in the ocean to OECD members but real money to us, considering that it is equivalent to 5 per cent of the Government’s annual budget. We are now waiting to learn our fate — awaiting the judgement of the United States and the FATF, as the two are interlinked.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“In December 2002, the United States Government, in taking up FATF’s call to apply countermeasures against Nauru, announced that Nauru would be designated a “money-laundering” country under the provisions of the Patriotic Act. The highest level of sanctions would be applied, which would prohibit all commercial and financial transactions between any Nauru-registered financial institution and the United States. In May 2003 Nauru was accordingly informed and was given 30 days to show cause as to why the sanction should not be applied. Nauru submitted its comments, passed new laws in March of this year repealing the registration of offshore banks, and included a sunset clause terminating the licenses that would come into effect 30 to 180 days — as the case may be — from 27 March 2003, when the law came into force.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“The reluctance of foreign authorities to provide proof of allegations of criminal activities by banks registered in Nauru prevented the Government from initiating the mechanism provided for in our legislation to release information on offshore banks to foreign authorities. This has put us on a collision course. Nauru was not surprised when, in 2000, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) listed it along with others as a non-cooperating country. The following year, Nauru’s status was further downgraded, and it was put on the list for “countermeasures” by members of FATF, not because our laws were insufficient, but because the goalposts were shifted and our failure involved a lack of capacity and capability to supervise the offshore banks registered in Nauru.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Outside the United Nations system, the Pacific is usually grouped with East Asia, in both economic and geopolitical zoning. We see no reason why this cannot be the case 24 at the United Nations, considering that the divide between Eastern and Western Europe will become meaningless as the two converge. Nauru, because of biased and incorrect media reports over the last five years, now carries a stigma as a haven for money-laundering through offshore banks registered in Nauru. There have also been reports that our Citizen Investment Programme is aiding and abetting criminals and terrorists, allowing them free movement by making possible the acquisition of Nauruan passports.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“On the question of reforms to operational policies and administrative structures, including budgetary aspects of the United Nations, my delegation fully supports the actions taken by the Secretary-General in this regard, but it appears that much more has to be done. The areas of review have to be enlarged and intensified, if indeed the prediction that the regular budget is going to exceed the $3 billion mark is correct. Finally, concerning reform, my delegation fully supports the view expressed by Australia that the group system needs modernization. Most of the Pacific small island countries are buried in the Asian group, which extends from the Pacific Ocean to the Suez Canal, while our big brothers, Australia and New Zealand, are “Others” in the Western European group.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“My delegation has stated during previous debates that it agrees fully with the proposal to reform the Security Council to bring it into tune with the realities of today’s world order. We are disappointed that, after 10 years of debate, there is still no convergence of views between the two camps on how to move forward. To try to address the expansion along with the question of the veto would be like riding a dead horse — we would not go anywhere, which is exactly the situation we are in. Furthermore, my delegation believes that we have done all we can do at the representative level, and that the only way we can make progress is to take it to a higher level, so that our political leaders can review what we have done and make a decision on how to move forward.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“A healthy Pacific Ocean and the sustainable use of its natural resources, including highly migratory fish stocks, are also critical to our livelihood. We in the Pacific have walked the talk on these issues through the development of an ocean policy to guide us in the management of our part of the Pacific Ocean and to form the framework for future regional ocean-related initiatives. Secondly, we have adopted a Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, which provides a comprehensive regime for the management of the region’s highly migratory fish stocks, both in our exclusive economic zone and in the high seas. The trans-shipment of nuclear waste through our waters is of great concern to many island countries because of the damage it could cause.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Assistance also should be provided to countries such as Nauru to collect and process the raw data required for the report. Nauru, like other low-lying small island States, sees the Kyoto Protocol as its salvation from sea-level rise and climate change, which would devastate our already fragile ecological system, which is essential to our livelihood and culture. My delegation understands that the Russian Federation now stands between the Kyoto Protocol’s coming into force and its continuing to languish. If that is the case, then Nauru calls on the Russian Federation to do what is universally right and just by ratifying the protocol before the meeting of the Ninth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held in Italy in December this year.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“It is not sufficient to rely solely on the Barbados Programme of Action to address all the development problems of small island developing States. To that end, Nauru sees the Millennium Development Goals as supplementing the Programme of Action by adding the human development dimension to the scope of issues that should be addressed and by offering partnership to drive the process. However, for small island States like Nauru, the complex reporting requirement of the Goals is adding to the burden of reports that we are required to prepare, and therefore it is the considered view of my delegation that the United Nations Development Programme should tailor the questionnaire to suit a group of clients rather than use a one-size-fits-all approach.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“This undesirable situation needs to be addressed if small island developing States are to benefit from the positive outcomes of international meetings or review conferences. 23 As we march towards Mauritius, small island developing States will have to endure due process in the Second Committee and at the twelfth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development in order to establish administrative and financial norms for the international meeting. My delegation suspects that there will be many bumps and detours on the way, but our hope is that, at the end of the road, the outcome will focus on what needs to be done — when and by whom — to overcome impediments in the implementation of the Programme of Action.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“In April of this year, the Commission on Sustainable Development paved the way for an international meeting to be held in Mauritius in 2004. Yet despite all these signs of good intentions, the reality is that, when small island developing States try to see that these decisions or undertakings are reflected in other international forums, our proposals in most cases are either rejected or rendered impotent after intense and difficult negotiations. The Cancún meeting is a good example, as is the recent meeting of Convention bodies such as the Eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in New Delhi in 2002, and the Sixth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, held in Havana recently.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“As His Royal Highness the Prime Minister of Tonga stated in his intervention, the road to sustainable development for small island developing States is posted with signs of undertakings, as we marched from Barbados in 1994 to New York in 1999 for the five- year review, then on to Monterrey in 2002 for the International Conference on Financing for Development, where more signs were posted saying that internal self-help, good governance and trade were the key to poverty alleviation, and that subscription to those cures would provide the way for developed countries to come in and help. Most, if not all, of the small island developing States have been taking this medicine for a long time, and we have yet to see the doctor. In Johannesburg, a whole chapter was devoted to the cause of the small island developing States.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Nauru bears all the unique characteristics of a small island State, given our small size, in terms of both land area and population, our remoteness and our vulnerability to exogenous forces, be they man-made or natural. In 1994, the world community agreed that small island developing States warranted special consideration with regard to their economic and social development because of the unique set of characteristics that are inherent in each island country, and it was to address those unique problems that the Barbados Plan of Action was created.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Nauru is pleased to see the rapid progression towards making the International Criminal Court operational since its Statute came into force in July 2001. We believe that the objectives of the Court make it a useful addition to the international tool kit for the preservation of peace, as perpetrators of atrocious acts in armed conflict have been put on notice that they will be held accountable for their acts or omissions. As a small island developing State in the Pacific Ocean, Nauru aligns itself with the statements of the leaders of the Pacific nations who have spoken before me on the concerns and challenges that we, the small- island-big-ocean developing States are facing, now and in the future.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“3) Nauru fully supports the proposal to establish a high-level panel of eminent personalities to review threats to peace and security and other global challenges insofar as these may influence or be connected with such threats. Nauru strongly believes in multilateralism as a key tool in resolving contemporary problems in all of their complexity. The Security Council should be at the centre of our collective efforts in maintaining peace and resolving conflict. At the same time, the Council must have at its disposal the means of making evaluations and taking collective action. Most importantly, it must have the will to act quickly and decisively, not only to threats to peace and security, but to genocide and other massive violations of human rights.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“That despicable act of terror has cast a shadow over the safety and security of United Nations personnel everywhere. The clarity of its emblem, which stood for tolerance, hope and impartiality and which had acted as a shield against attack, may have been blurred by its subservient role to the administering force in Iraq. In the light of the facts before us, Nauru fully agrees with the assessment made by the Secretary- General, Mr. Kofi Annan, in his bold and gutsy statement that the Organization has “come to a fork in the road” and that we are in a moment of time that is “no less decisive than 1945 itself, when the United Nations was founded.” (A/58/PV.7, p.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Nauru joins the appeal to the countries concerned to observe their obligations under the Treaty on the Non- Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and to allow the International Atomic Energy Agency to carry out inspections and verify that nuclear weapons are not being developed. In all of this, we are certain of one thing: that the major casualty of the current state of affairs is the innocence of the United Nations, which was mortally wounded in Baghdad when the lives of 22 dedicated United Nations servants were lost, including that of the 22 revered Sergio Vieira de Mello, and more than 100 were injured. The people of Nauru join the United Nations family in mourning the victims of that tragedy, and our heartfelt condolences go to the bereaved families.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Nauru is disappointed that President Bush did not refer in his statement last week to the status of the coalition’s search for stockpiles of these weapons, and we are puzzled as to why it is hard to find them when intelligence indicated that the Iraqis could arm and unleash them so as to hit the United Kingdom within 45 minutes. My delegation considers the antidote to which I referred to be the catalyst in the new wave of nuclear weapons proliferation, and it is not a coincidence that the countries singled out as part of the “axis of evil” are being accused of developing nuclear weapons.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“It is unconventional, clandestine, and indiscriminate with respect to its victims. We are also seeing an increase in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction after a period of relative calm, and this is further exacerbating the situation. The sum of these two nightmarish threats is a cause for concern, and States that feel uniquely vulnerable to terrorist acts are considering the real possibility of terrorists gaining access to weapons of mass destruction. That scenario has forced such States to develop the antidote of unilateral action primed with a pre-emptive strike policy. We saw it in action in Afghanistan and, six months ago in Iraq, just as President Bush said we would if the Security Council failed to walk the talk of resolution 1441 (2002), which called for the disarmament by Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Jan Kavan, President of the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session, for his excellent leadership and the great efforts that he made, particularly in tackling the difficult issues that have plagued the revitalization of the General Assembly as the premier organ of the United Nations. The President has pledged to continue the good work that has been done in these areas, and he can count on Nauru’s full cooperation. Peace and security — or, more correctly, the lack of it — is still the main focus of the United Nations 58 years after its inception. In the past 24 months, we have seen the internationalization of terrorism manifest itself out of a cocktail of hatred, desperation and fanaticism that has spread its tentacles from the Middle East into the international arena.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“It gives me great pleasure to deliver this statement on behalf of His Excellency Rene Harris, President and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Nauru, who had to cancel his trip to New York at the last minute due to pressing matters at home. President Harris has asked me to convey to Mr. Julian Hunte warmest congratulations on his assumption of the stewardship of the Assembly. As a small island developing State, Nauru is extremely proud to be associated with the Caribbean Community on Mr. Hunte’s marvellous achievement, which gives us hope that we in the Pacific will also have the opportunity to preside over the Assembly. My delegation would like, through him, to commend His Excellency Mr.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“At the same time, the United Nations must assert its leadership role through the coordination of all key players in keeping the peace and fighting poverty and transboundary crimes, as well as with regard to humanitarian initiatives, the protection of human rights and the rights of the child, and in the fight against inequity and inequality. Only through such collaborative efforts can we move the United Nations in the direction that our leaders have agreed it must go.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“The parliaments of the ASEAN member countries, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the Pacific island countries are members of a regional body called the Asian-Pacific Parliamentarians Union. It is a well- recognized body in the various regional and international parliamentary forums. This model could be used as the basis for a new regional group within the United Nations, with the inclusion of Australia and New Zealand. In our view, this new grouping would provide the best opportunity for those Member States to be equitably represented in the work of the United Nations. In conclusion, Nauru would like to reiterate the importance of Member States making concerted efforts to strengthen the fundamentals of multilateralism.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)