YouSaid · the spoken record

Sandra Pierantozzi

lines on the record: 37
first: 2002-09-24
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

“Only last week, one of those sons, a Marine fighting side by side with Coalition forces in Iraq, paid the ultimate price, marking the first death of a Palauan in the struggle with global terrorism. Our forces are small in number but, like Corporal Ngirmidol, large in loyalty, commitment and idealism. No one should make any mistake about that. Palau is grateful to the United States for allowing us to achieve our independence and thus to join the international communityís quest for world peace. Nonetheless, a balanced international agenda which includes a determined focus on sustainable development is required if Palau is to achieve some measure of economic self-reliance, and if the world as we know it is to survive.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Much of my presentation today has focused on the enormous threats to vulnerable island States like Palau. We agree with the Secretary-General, who observed in his opening remarks to the high-level segment of the twelfth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development, held at United Nations Headquarters from 28 to 30 April 2004, that ìhigh- level political attention has been diverted from sustainable development by the recent emphasis given to terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and the war in Iraq. But Palau also understands that the scourge of global terrorism and its immoral violence against innocent people must be defeated. We are proud of our sons and daughters serving in the United States military.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Secondly, and also in pursuit of the most effective means to strengthen the credibility of the United Nations, Palau urges the United Nations to reform the Security Council to reflect the reality of the international community in the twenty-first century so that countries that play a major role in the maintenance of international peace and security always participate in the decision-making process of the Security Council. Palau believes that the Security Council should be expanded to include additional developing and developed countries as new members, and that Japanís stellar record of contribution is a solid basis for Japanís assumption of permanent membership of the Security Council. Japan has been a leader in international initiatives for many years, and it is for that reason that Palau takes this strongly felt position.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Last month, Palauís accession to the Group of Asian States created the largest regional grouping in the United Nations. Two critical issues involving our Asian region also have great global significance. First, for the United Nations to be effective at ensuring international peace and security, all nations, large and small, should be represented in its deliberations. The Republic of China on Taiwan should no longer be kept on the sidelines of the most important international Organization. The principle of universality should be applied so that the 23 million people of Taiwan can bring their talents, their energy and their principled democratic positions to the organizations, bodies, specialized agencies and programmes of the United Nations, thereby aiding the rest of the world in pursuing our mutual agenda.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“We urge the GEF to create real funding opportunities for adaptation and mitigation measures in a proactive and streamlined fashion before it is too late. In a similar vein, we are increasingly aware of the particularly damaging fishing practice of deep-sea bottom trawling. Increasingly employed on the high seas as coastal fisheries are depleted, this technique entails dragging heavy equipment along the seabed, completely destroying established coral, sponge and related communities that have taken centuries to develop. We are a culture of fishing people and find this practice unacceptable. As we participated with our Pacific colleagues in eliminating drift-net fishing some years ago, we now call upon the world to join us in declaring a moratorium on deep sea bottom trawling before this practice does any more irremediable damage.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“We are willing and eager to be monitored by the international community in our performance. We firmly believe that we should be held accountable for the quality and the transparency of our efforts. It is ironic that tiny countries such as ours, where so many of the worldís environmental treasures exist, are denied the assistance they need due to a perceived lack of capacity to navigate the unwieldy bureaucracies of the international organizations charged with protecting those very treasures. As already noted, the failure of the world to come to agreement on implementing the Kyoto Protocol will contribute to the destruction of our marine and terrestrial resources. Palau, like many other small island developing States, is a window on the worldís future in this regard and must be carefully observed.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“We applaud the recent efforts of the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) to streamline assistance to Palau through the creation of an innovative North Pacific subregional programme that will build our capacity to protect our environment and create a sustainable economy. We are troubled, however, by a growing tendency in the donor community to demand that small countries like ours prove our capacity before assistance can be delivered. This is a catch-22 situation that threatens to halt our development. The only way we can build our capacity to execute projects that will save, for example, our unique biodiversity is to experience the hard work of completing projects and learning from our experience. This observation does not mean that we are reluctant to accept the obligations and responsibilities inherent in receiving assistance.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“We have created a democratic society and ensured human rights for our people, but without international focus, we will not be able to provide hope and opportunity to our children, and we will continue to watch as they leave their homeland to seek an education and a career elsewhere. For no matter what statistics may be advanced, what references to gross national product may be debated, until we can provide our children with the incentive to stay and help build our country, we will have lost. Thus, the Mauritius process is critical for Palau, and we trust that the developed countries of the world will embrace it. 21 Similarly, we trust that United Nations agencies will sharpen their focus on the small island developing States and correct what we view as a current imbalance, in support of the fragile small States of the world.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“In truth and in fact, the remoteness and the isolation of Palau make it a very difficult place to develop a self-reliant economy, provide medical care and education to its people and deter aggression and terrorism. Fuel and transportation prices are among the highest in the world. After four successive colonial administrations, our infrastructure is quite incomplete, and our most promising hope for the development of a sustainable economy, our pristine environment, is threatened by factors beyond our control, such as the failure of all industrialized countries to reach agreement on implementing the Kyoto Protocol.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“It was the United States, through its administration and willing cooperation during our peaceful emergence into independence, that assured us the liberty and the values that guide us today. For that extraordinary legacy, we today express our deep gratitude to the United States of America. This is a good year for Palau to deepen its involvement, since it coincides with the worldís preparation for the Mauritius conference and the increased emphasis at the United Nations on the unique challenges facing small island developing States. While images of swaying palm trees and white sand beaches prevail in the world's imagination, they are only part of the story.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“This is a momentous year for our country as we celebrate, on 1 October, the tenth anniversary of our independence and our membership in this institution. Palau was the last country to emerge from the Trusteeship System, having been administered by the United States under the supervision of the United Nations longer than any country in the world. It was the United Nations that provided Palau with a willing forum in which to express and ultimately achieve our right to sovereignty, and for that we are ever thankful. I am also happy to observe, on this tenth anniversary, that this year we established, for the first time, a permanent mission in New York so that we can enhance our ability to meet our international responsibilities.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Thus, in this regard I ask the world here today, at the fifty-eighth session of the General Assembly, to study and discuss the roots of terrorism and possible solutions, including inter-religious intervention; to promote conservation standards to protect our Earth’s environment; to promote world public health; to protect the human dignity by banning the cloning of human embryos; and to continue our quest for peace and security for all peoples of the world.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“The 23 million Taiwanese people have an equal right to a voice in the United 13 Nations and should be welcomed by all members of this body. The central purpose of the United Nations is the preservation and advancement of world peace. It accomplishes its peacemaking and humanitarian assistance efforts through international cooperation. Its 191 Member States, large and small, rich and poor, and with different political views, strive collectively to address global challenges and advance world peace. Together, they consider and decide on the world’s most pressing problems.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“The Republic of China on Taiwan can no longer be kept on the sidelines of the most important international Organization and the leading forum for international dialogue. Over the past half-century, the hard-working people of Taiwan have transformed their country into the world’ s seventeenth largest economy and a vibrant democracy. In 1996, Taiwan had its first direct presidential election and, in 2000, accomplished its first peaceful transfer of executive powers. Since then Taiwan’s popularly-elected Government has acted in accordance with United Nations resolutions to combat international terrorism and to support humanitarian relief in countries throughout the world, and yet it is still excluded from the process. Our experience with SARS has shown us that exclusion can bring no benefits to anyone.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Such international support and collaborative efforts were recently manifested during the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). I also urge all members of this body to support and ratify the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control adopted by the World Health Assembly this year. More importantly, we should combine our efforts to implement the mission of the Convention to control tobacco use, which contributes to diseases and death throughout the world. The United Nations is to truly represent all peoples, with discrimination and exclusion eliminated from its operational practice. To be effective at ensuring international peace and security, all nations, large and small, must be represented in the United Nations.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“We believe that adult-stem- cell research is a promising field of study that can provide an ethical source of stem cells for scientific investigation. The international community must not allow human life to be devalued in any way, and we encourage all States to adopt such measures as may be necessary to prohibit techniques of genetic engineering that may have adverse consequences on respect for human dignity. In public health, we note that many peoples around the world are suffering and dying each day from the scourges of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, cancer, polio and similar diseases. Combined international support for public health beyond the clinic walls must be advocated and put into practice if we are to eliminate some of those challenges to quality human life.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Environmental threats — such as climate change, the depletion of stratospheric ozone, the introduction of nuisance plant and animal species, the overharvesting of fish and of other living natural resources, and the transnational movement of hazardous chemicals and waste — directly threaten the health and economic well-being of every people of the world. For Palau, the immediate danger is the rise in sea level. Another issue that we wish to address is that of the cloning of human beings. We believe that any global and comprehensive ban on human cloning must include a ban on the cloning of human embryos for research purposes. While the goal of finding cures to chronic illnesses is laudable, progress and economic gain achieved by creating and destroying human life come at too high a price.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“National economies will suffer if the global economy is unstable or if markets collapse, and the highest environmental standards — such as those set out in the Kyoto Protocol — will not protect small, struggling island countries like Palau if other countries do not join the global effort to bring about peace and stability. Protection of the environment is a major concern to us. Decisions made today regarding the environment and natural resources can affect every nation’s security for generations. Environmental threats do not respect national borders, but they can pose long-term dangers for every nation’s security and well-being. Scarcity and depletion of natural resources can trigger and exacerbate conflict.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Globalization, however, also brings about risks. Outlaw States and ethnic conflicts threaten regional stability and progress in many important areas of the world. Weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, drug trafficking and other international crimes are global concerns that transcend national borders. Other problems originating overseas — such as the depletion of resources, rapid population growth, environmental damage, new infectious diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), pervasive corruption and uncontrolled refugee migration — have increasingly significant implications for every nation’s security.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“However, at a time of rapid globalization, when events halfway around the world — and most recently in our own backyard — can profoundly affect our safety and prosperity, Palau realizes that it must join the international community in this new challenge to protect our people at home and our way of life. To that end, the Republic of Palau reaffirms its unwavering support for the war led by the United States against terrorism. We all benefit when nations 12 come together to deter aggression and terrorism, to resolve conflicts, to prevent the spread of diseases and the spread of dangerous weapons, to promote democracy and human rights, to open markets and to create economic and financial stability, to raise living standards and to protect the environment — to face those myriad challenges that no nation can meet alone.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“I bring to the Assembly greetings and good wishes from the President of the Republic of Palau, Tommy E. Remengesau, Jr., and from the people and the Government of the Republic of Palau. Nearly 60 years ago, in his final inaugural address, United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt reflected on the lessons of the first half of the twentieth century. He said: “We have learned that we cannot live alone, at peace; that our own well-being is dependent on the well-being of other nations far away. ... We have learned to be citizens of the world, members of the human community.” Those words have more resonance today than ever before as Palau and the rest of the world enter into the twenty-first century. The Republic of Palau is enjoying rapid development, which came with its independence on 1 October nine years ago.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“On behalf of the people and Government of the Republic of Palau, I call upon all Members of this great Organization to do likewise.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“In this new environment, it is time to re-examine the composition and powers of the Security Council, to consider how it may be made both more accessible and more accountable and to find ways to increase its ability to respond in a prompt, flexible and effective manner to the threats to peace that are sure to arise in the future. In closing, let me again confirm Palau's dedication to, and determination to take part in, the global efforts to meet the challenges facing us all. Palau will continue to do all it can to support universal responses to threats to peace and stability, especially mid- and long-term threats, such as climate change and sea-level rise and the widening gaps between developed and developing nations.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“I appear before the Assembly today to ask again for its complete support for the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, in order to combat tobacco-related illnesses and complications. Throughout these remarks, I have also repeatedly returned to the idea of security. That is primarily because we feel less secure in the aftermath of the monstrous attacks of 11 September 2001. The very idea of security has taken on new meaning. Our collective understanding of the kind of cooperation and integration that is necessary to provide effective security has changed radically. Yet, one of the foremost bodies for dealing with security, the Security Council, has remained unchanged. That can hardly be right.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“At the very least, the membership at this body should endorse the participation of the Republic of China, Taiwan, in the World Health Organization, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the United Nations Development Programme and similar bodies dedicated to improving the human condition. Mere politics should not be allowed to compromise or prevent the development of a truly global effort to alleviate human suffering and better mankind. In the area of health, I have appeared before this body in the past, where I discussed the ill effects of tobacco use and our responsibility to protect our youth from the threat of tobacco addiction.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“In light of that fact, Palau must once again note the folly of excluding any potential partner from the efforts of the United Nations to meet the challenges we now face and to prepare against the challenges to come. Such exclusion is particularly short-sighted in efforts of the international community that go beyond politics and address fundamental human concerns, such as health and education. For that reason, Palau must again call upon the members of the United Nations to welcome the Republic of China — Taiwan — into this Organization.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“It is time to take the lessons we have learned from the war on terror, lessons regarding the fundamental importance of working together to respond to a common threat, lessons regarding the very real interdependence of all nations and lessons regarding the need for, and ability of, nations to balance genuine global concerns against perceived self-interests and apply them to the threats posed by climate change and sea-level rise. Throughout my remarks today, I have emphasized Palau's strong support — in some cases, demands — for global action to address the major threats to stability and progress in this new global order. That is because it has become apparent, as never before, that the widest possible participation in responding to those threats must be encouraged, if real and lasting solutions are to be found.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Fortunately, most of the developed world, including the governments of the major industrialized economies of Japan and the European Union, has recognized its responsibility and has endorsed the only 3 viable response to the existing and worsening adverse impact of climate change, the Kyoto Protocol, and the no-regrets philosophy it embodies. It is time for those developed nations which have shirked their responsibilities and shunned the Kyoto Protocol to end their callous disregard for the fate of those nations most vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change, to admit that the Kyoto Protocol remains the only meaningful first step towards comprehensively addressing climate change and to join the great body of nations that have pledged to work together through the Kyoto Protocol and beyond to combat the effects of climate change.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The position of certain members of this body on fundamental environmental issues also suggests that global solidarity is limited to areas that concern the major Powers of the developed world. United Nations Members that have enjoyed and continue to enjoy the highest standard of living have done so and continue to do so at the expense of the environmental integrity of our planet. Those major emitters are threatening the lives of small island States such as Palau, placing their mere comfort above our very existence. At the same time, they seek our support for their goals and initiatives. That, too, is unacceptable.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“It is time to take affirmative action to counteract the effects of globalization and correct the technological imbalances that are widening the gap between developed and developing nations. It is time to take concrete action to give developing nations the tools they need to manage and speed up their own development in ways that will lead to the replacement of dependence on foreign aid with dependence on domestic industry. It is time to implement measures to end the marginalization of developing countries in the new global economy. In that regard, Palau welcomes and applauds the Koizumi Initiative as one of the sadly few positive outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development and calls upon all developed members of the United Nations to develop similar initiatives.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The failure of key nations to recommit to the goals of the Rio Earth Summit is equally disappointing. Taken together, those developments demonstrate that such goodwill and solidarity apparently are confined to matters that most concern the developed world. The lack of progress on sustainable development also strongly suggests that the developed world still sees developing nations such as Palau as mere token members of the international community, rather than as viable partners. The current view the developed nations seem to have of the developing world is unacceptable and can lead only to greater unrest and instability in the future. It is time for the unity of purpose that characterizes the global war on terror to be brought to bear in an equally global campaign for sustainable development.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The very laudable ideal of multilateral, consensus-driven action is good, but it cannot justify and will not excuse the loss of human lives and the degradation of human life that will result from giving those who rely on or sponsor terror the opportunity to strike first, either directly or by proxy. Palau therefore calls upon the Members of the United Nations once again to come together in their commitment to forestall future tragedies. As noted earlier, we can derive some satisfaction from the fact that the goodwill and unity of purpose that prevailed immediately after last year's subhuman attacks in large part continue to exist. However, Palau also notes that the recent World Summit on Sustainable Development revealed a dismal lack of commitment to addressing the development needs of the great majority of nations.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Terrorists and their sympathizers are likewise comforted when they hear leaders continue to talk in the old language of how to react to terrorism, rather than speak of how to prevent and pre-empt the next attack. Nothing pleases the forces of global terror more than hearing members of the world coalition against terrorism speak of measured and agreed-upon responses to the next atrocity. The bottom line is this: The potential for catastrophic harm is so great that we cannot wait for the next attack. In this regard, Palau fully supports the United States in its resolve to pre-empt further attacks and loss of life.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Therefore, to those leading the combat against terrorism, Palau says: “Please, give us the tools we need to make a substantial contribution to this fight and render practical support for your efforts.” While the great majority of nations remain united in their desire to see terrorism defeated — and that is a cause for hope — there are also grounds for concern. Some nations appear to be wavering in their resolve to take concrete actions to prevent terrorist attacks, while some others seem not to fully appreciate the new dynamic of the post-11 September world. Those who supported or condone the events of 11 September take heart when they hear members of this body speak of waiting for a consensus before acting to remove credible threats to national and international stability.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“We have aggressively pursued revisions in our laws which make it easier to gather information on suspicious persons and activities, to share information with other jurisdictions, to block suspect financial transactions, to establish domestic criminal penalties for transnational crimes, to specifically recognize acts of terror as crimes under our domestic legal system, and to streamline our procedures for asset seizure and extradition in order to better cooperate with our comrades in this war on terrorism. However, the limitations to which I have referred are hampering our efforts to fully implement these 2 laws. No matter how much we may wish to support the global war on terrorism, Palau, like many other developing nations, will not be able to participate meaningfully in this vital campaign without the assistance of the developed nations.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Governments around the world continue to cooperate in efforts to identify, locate and shut down terrorist organizations and those who would give comfort and aid to such organizations. Palau, in spite of the inherent limitations imposed by its size, remoteness, capacity constraints and economic vulnerability, has fully committed itself to working with the community of nations to defeat terrorists and their sympathizers.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“At the outset, I wish to congratulate Mr. Kavan on his successful election to the leadership post of this Assembly and to offer my country's welcome to East Timor and Switzerland following their recent admission into our family of nations. We gather here slightly more than one year after the appalling, unconscionable events of 11 September 2001. The world is still striving to come to grips with the full implications of the inhumane savagery of the attacks here in New York and in Alexandria, Virginia. Given the great number of areas in which the various Members of this Organization have differing and often competing interests, we can all derive hope and pride from the fact that the solidarity so evident in the General Assembly last year is still largely intact today.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)