YouSaid · the spoken record

Patteson Oti

lines on the record: 41
first: 1997-09-24
most recent: 2007-09-24
sittings or episodes: 2
sources: un-general-debate

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

“We sincerely hope His Excellency will honour the Government and people of Solomon Islands by becoming the first Secretary- General to venture to my country.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“The appointment of the Deputy Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme, stationed in the Solomon Islands, is a welcome sign of the United Nations interest in my country’s problems and permits us to interact more closely with the Organization in prioritizing the remedial action we need to undertake for the betterment of the lives of our population. With a visible presence in our midst and on our shores, the United Nations will no longer be remote from the consciousness of the people it exists to serve. Before I conclude, allow me to take this opportunity to extend to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon my Prime Minister’s invitation to visit our shores during his tenure in office.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Solomon Islands has reason to register its disappointment with the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea for its tardy action in releasing funds that are payable to us from the Trust Fund for Special Aspects of the Implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to defray the costs and expenses of establishing our sovereign claims to continental shelf areas registrable under article 76 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. We are concerned that any further delay in accessing those funds might affect our registration entitlements due to non-compliance with time restrictions. Time deprives me of the opportunity to chronicle many more grievances that we needlessly experience in securing the benefits accorded us by virtue of our membership in this Organization.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“We also believe that India and Japan must be allocated permanent seats on the Council. The attainment of the Millennium Development Goals will remain elusive for many nations unless innovative strategies for debt conversion and cancellation are devised and adopted to fast-track the poor's exit from poverty. We look forward to exploring that prospect at the forthcoming meeting on financing for development in Doha.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“A full, frank and fair discussion of the situation is the least the Assembly can undertake to affirm our faithful obedience to our Charter’s creed and satisfy ourselves as to the existence of grounds for our further proactive involvement. Led by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, my Government belongs to a constituency of States for whom the United Nations represents the promise of hope for civilizations condemned by circumstance to eternal misery. The effective representation of our hope, voice and vision in this Organization can be achieved only by the reform of its governance structures to reflect the changing configurations of geopolitical power and influence. Solomon Islands therefore supports the proposal for the enlargement of the Security Council.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“The situation is clearly of a nature requiring investigation by the Security Council, pursuant to Article 34, on the basis that it “might lead to international friction or give rise to a dispute”. The Security Council is obliged to investigate the situation in order to determine whether the continuance thereof is likely to endanger the maintenance of international peace and security. Having now brought the situation to the attention of this Assembly, Solomon Islands expects that we will follow the stipulations of Article 11, paragraph 2, in discussing any questions relating to the maintenance of international peace and security and making the necessary recommendations or taking the requisite action that this Assembly is empowered to make and take under the applicable provisions of the Charter.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Our rejection of regular approaches for the reconsideration of our existing allegiances to Taiwan is premised on our preference, ideally, to recognize both China and Taiwan on a realistic rather than an imaginary politico-juridical footing. This Assembly is the forum in which mutual respect and goodwill prevail and enable us to implore China, as one of the oldest civilizations of our world, to pledge its non-resort to force in settling the disputed question of its sovereignty over Taiwan. As one of Taiwan’s long-standing diplomatic allies, and undeterred by the result recently engineered by international political pragmatism, Solomon Islands cannot shirk its Charter obligations under Article 35, paragraph 1, to bring to the attention of this Assembly the situation currently prevailing between Taiwan and China.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Organized international hypocrisy is the only basis for explaining the indignity that the Taiwanese people must suffer at the hands of a powerful constellation of States interested only in the protection of trade and investment and not any humanitarian concerns. China’s assertion of sovereignty over Taiwan must be the pretence that it invariably is, since most of its major trading partners have also forged and maintain bilateral relations with Taiwan, which are ultimately predicated on politico-juridical autonomy. Solomon Islanders have a native empathy for all people who are struggling to reclaim what is rightfully due to them under international law. Our support for their struggle stems from our convictions about what is right and just. Our sovereign conscience is not a tradable commodity.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Moving from the preoccupations of the past year to our perennial protestations, Solomon Islands is compelled by principle, rather than pragmatism, to ventilate again our people’s concerns arising from the non-representation of the Government and people of Taiwan in this Assembly. Our recent attempts to channel Taiwan’s application for admission through the established gateways was resisted without any regard for the legitimate quest of 23 million Taiwanese people for self-determination by fellow Member States committed to upholding a peremptory rule of international law also enshrined in Article 1 of the Charter of the United Nations.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Illustrative of the potential for overreaction to terrorism is the indignity that I, as Foreign Minister of Solomon Islands, had to suffer when my multiple-entry visa to Australia was suddenly cancelled last year. The written explanation for that decision identified me as a risk to the health, safety or good order of the Australian community under Section 116 (1) (e) of its Migration Act. One would have to admit that that is an incredible justification for excluding democratically elected leaders of neighbouring countries not known for breeding terrorists. Just over a century ago, many of our ancestors were kidnapped and forcibly taken to work as labourers in a country that is now quick to regard their descendants as terrorists. Defining terrorism has proved to be more difficult than deploring it.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Our experience with the Australian-designed cooperative intervention package demonstrates the need for greater United Nations involvement in the leadership of future regional peacekeeping operations. The impetus for Australia’s involvement in our internal unrest was a dramatic change of focus and heart concerning the protection of its strategic interests in the Pacific region. The threat of terrorist penetration through porous frontiers is sufficient cause for international anxiety, insecurity and sometimes paranoia. Despite global condemnation of terrorism, the struggle for consensus on an acceptable definition of terrorism retards the progress of multilateral initiatives in the formulation of a comprehensive anti- terrorism convention.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“However disguised and rationalized, intervention and occupation allow assisting nations to spend and earn substantial revenue for their supporting businesses and industries. My Government is too nationalistic to become captive to the fortunes that justify our perpetual retention under a state of siege. My Prime Minister and my fellow ministers and parliamentarians remain unmoved by Australian resistance to our attempts to reclaim our sovereignty and independence. In keeping with our obligations under Article 54, we shall keep the Security Council fully informed of the activities undertaken under the 2003 agreement and shall seek its assistance in reducing the financial burdens that Australia and New Zealand needlessly bear under the current arrangements. As members of the Assembly know only too well, those who pay the piper call the tune.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“The long neglect of our internal problem by the United Nations, followed by the hasty conclusion of the regionally based multilateral agreement, which led to the dispatch of the initial visiting contingent of Australian, New Zealand and other Pacific island forces, have caused the ongoing controversies concerning their continued existence and eventual return to the Organization’s doorstep. Viewed from the perspective of Chapter VIII of the Charter, the nature of the arrangements and activities embraced by the 2003 agreement, as well as their practical application and operation since that time, appear to transgress Article 52 of the Charter as a result of apparent inconsistencies with Articles 1 and 2.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Our people’s gratitude to Australia and New Zealand for financing the deployment of their nationals to police our crisis with the help of a small contingent of personnel from neighbouring Pacific island nations is often expressed and is genuine. However, as our fellow Pacific island States can readily appreciate, our sovereign right to determine the terms under which the Government of Solomon Islands will permit our continued occupation by the visiting contingent cannot be undermined by any Member of the United Nations.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“The Commission of Inquiry into the April 2006 Civil Unrest in Honiara capital of Solomon Islands whose establishment was announced by the Prime Minister during his most recent address to the Assembly (see A/61/PV.17), finally became functional this year after the failure of externally orchestrated manoeuvres to derail it. The Commission of Inquiry’s interim reports have exposed major flaws in our national security operations. My Government appreciates the support of and the financial assistance pledged by Papua New Guinea in staffing the Commission of Inquiry. The Commission’s final report and recommendations should be available in the next few months.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“My Government has initiated a parliamentary review of the legislative basis for the continued presence of the occupying police, military and civilian personnel from our neighbouring countries. Credit must, however, be given to the visiting forces deployed in 2003 to restore law and order in Solomon Islands following many years of ethnic rivalry and violence. The policing of the crisis for four years has contained it on the surface, without addressing the underlying socio-cultural roots of dissension. My Government is determined to delve deeper into the historical causes of the friction between our peoples and to do what is necessary to resolve the disputes that prevent their reconciliation.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“My Government wonders: what is so virtuous about foreign aid when billions of dollars can be spent on improving the governance structures of an economy that derives its export income from the destruction of tropical forests, when just a fraction of that expense is all that is needed to preserve our forests and finance our annual national budgets? Solomon Islands believes that the protection of our global environment is a matter of international responsibility and that it can be capably addressed through the enunciation of principles that dictate reciprocal undertakings aimed at the continued granting and receipt of foreign aid. I now turn to the ongoing disputes concerning the future occupation of Solomon Islands by the Australian-led visiting contingent.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“The recent experience of Solomon Islands mirrors what many other nations have undergone and underlines the need for concerted international action to regulate the collection and delivery of humanitarian aid. Dealing with the effects of environmental catastrophes rather than their causes takes us only half as far as we ought to go. The proceedings of last week’s High-level Event on Climate Change have emboldened small island developing States to rally together to demand the intensification of international efforts to curb global environmental recklessness. It appears that the fragility of States such as Solomon Islands has less to do with the quality of our governance machinery and more to do with our ecological vulnerability.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“As much as we appreciate the quantum of funds pledged by sympathetic individuals, institutions and nation-States, we are left to wonder whether the filtering of donor financial assistance through national charitable organizations is calculated to whittle down its value through the consumption of largesse in its delivery and administration. Respecting the generosity and altruism of those who give and the desperation of those who need requires that we enshrine the principles of efficiency and effectiveness to guide humanitarian relief efforts across international borders. Human charity and human suffering are done a disservice when disasters create “feeding frenzies” for non-governmental charitable organizations.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Without the assistance and involvement of all those who volunteered their time and resources and the generosity of those who donated emergency relief funds, supplies and provisions, my Government would not have progressed to the rehabilitation phase of the disaster recovery programme as fast as we have. It is at this time of suffering and need that we appreciate the true value of human compassion and sacrifice. With the increasing incidence of disasters all over the world, we must bolster the resources of the United Nations humanitarian relief programme and its capacity to respond rapidly and effectively to such crises to alleviate human suffering.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Life can no longer be the same for the vast majority of our people in rural areas, who depend on fishing and subsistence agriculture for their daily survival. Any slight tremor or vibration causes them to flee to higher ground in panic. The emotional and psychological effects of nature’s non-negotiable terrors are what our people have to struggle with for the rest of their lives. My snapshot of the April earthquakes and tsunamis and of their aftermath would not be complete if I did not acknowledge and place on record the eternal gratitude of Solomon Islands to all those Governments, international organizations and peoples who offered sympathy, prayers and a helping hand through the humanitarian relief that was dispatched to our affected areas.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Thanks to the instantly televised news coverage of the devastation, the entire world was shown graphic evidence of the sinking of some of our islands, the elevation of submerged reefs 3 metres above sea level and the submersion of many coastal lands. Not visible at the time were the immediate and future effects of nature’s structural adjustments on the daily livelihoods of Solomon Islanders. Traditional fishing grounds have shifted. Agricultural activities have had to be relocated. The debris is slowly being cleared. The water supply is being restored. Roads, wharves and bridges are being rebuilt and hospitals, clinics, schools and houses are being repaired or reconstructed. Entire villages will need to be relocated and rebuilt.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Your distinguished predecessors have paved pathways for the progress of this Organization along many routes which you must now travel to fulfil our Charter’s promises to us and those whom we are fortunate to represent. Much has happened in Solomon Islands since my Prime Minister’s address to this Assembly in September last year. Turning firstly to cataclysmic events, just six months ago, a series of earthquakes and tsunamis terrorized, devastated and swallowed up some of our islands, their inhabitants, homes, gardens, animals and worldly possessions. From that catastrophe alone, we suffered the loss of more than 50 lives and injury to countless more, the total destruction of over 3,240 homes and severe damage to another 3,000 homes. The damage bill is estimated to exceed $100 million.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“In particular, we are well placed to highlight the fragility of our independence as a nation of peoples whose survival is both threatened and guaranteed by our interdependence with the international community as represented in this Assembly. Mr. President, representing my Prime Minister and addressing this Assembly on behalf of more than the half a million people of Solomon Islands, I wish to begin by congratulating you on your recent election as President of the General Assembly at our sixty-second session. Both you and Secretary General Ban Ki-moon have been selected by fate to pledge your devotion to duty in a cause challenged by humanity’s survival. We trust you to do what is right to attain the best for the rest of us.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Mr. President, I am privileged to stand before you today in the place of my Prime Minister, Mr. Manasseh Sogavare, to renew the firm commitment of the Government and the people of Solomon Islands to the principles, ideals and values that gather us together here annually for their re-examination and reaffirmation. The privilege of membership in the United Nations allows my country to sit amongst Member States and stand up for, as well as against, decisions on issues that either unite or divide us. Belonging to this Organization for almost half the time it has existed is a proud feat for a country that is barely 30 years old. The experience of nearly three decades of sovereign statehood has taught Solomon Islands many lessons that we can share with the rest of the world.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“The Republic of China, which is fully committed to the purposes and principles of the Charter, has the means to be an active contributor to the Organization’s work. Regrettably, threats have been made and actions taken against Solomon Islands and other Member States that have spoken on behalf of the Republic of China. Even the use of force against us has been threatened, in violation of the Charter’s principles and the letter and spirit of numerous General Assembly resolutions. Threats have no place at the United Nations. Finally, as we enter the twenty-first century, a more effective Organization requires the participation and dedication of all sectors of civil society. Let us renew our pledge to cooperate with the United Nations. It is time to join hands in shaping the present for the benefit of future generations.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The Government of the Republic of China is committed to the peaceful and equitable reunification of China. Peaceful reunification is also the stated goal of the People’s Republic of China. Both parties have offered strikingly similar proposals. Yet there has been no decisive movement towards negotiation. Delay makes them ever harder to initiate, increases tension across the Taiwan Strait and threatens international peace and security. Responsibility for peaceful reunification rests with the two parties and the international community. Bringing about and successfully completing negotiations will be a long and difficult process that would be greatly assisted by the participation of the Republic of China in the United Nations.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Seeking to maximize the economic return to Solomon Islanders, we are reviewing the process of granting licences and considering the establishment of facilities for lumber processing entirely within our country. Sustainable development in the Solomon Islands requires electrification, especially by means of solar and hydro energy. Whether to enhance rural life or to open new industries, electrification is essential. My 16 Government is giving energy resource development high priority. Embracing the purposes and principles of the Charter, Solomon Islands has on several occasions at the United Nations called upon the Republic of China on Taiwan and the People’s Republic of China to take the necessary steps towards opening negotiations to achieve reunification.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We are committed to upgrading the Solomon Islands College of Higher Education and transforming it into our National University. The Government is also focusing on programmes to increase agricultural productivity through research and better land use. We are pursuing policies to promote livestock development and aquaculture. Fishing remains a vital industry for us, and Solomon Islands has ratified the Agreement on the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks. Over half of my Government’s revenue comes from forest harvesting. Our ultimate goal is sustainable forestry. Reforestation and the conservation of our preserves are now essential elements of our environmental policy.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“To meet the demands of globalization, we are undertaking the expansion of investment and trade. With 80 per cent of its population of under 400,000 living in rural settings on hundreds of islands dispersed over 1,600 kilometres of ocean, Solomon Islands is using a village-centred development strategy that is democratic in origin and operation and sensitive to the cultural values of an ethnically and linguistically diverse people. My Government is placing increased emphasis on education and recreation for women and youth, who comprise three quarters of our population. Formal as well as informal programmes are being used to foster the study of agriculture, biology and other sciences, health care, appropriate technologies and the humanities.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“A deadly legacy of the Second World War continues to haunt the Solomon Islands. Over 100 ships laden with fuel and unexploded munitions rest on the bottom of our channels and on land. A large number of unexploded bombs still litter our shores. The leaking fuel contaminates fish breeding grounds and affects the aquatic food chain. Estimates of the costs of clearance run to $1 billion or more, but a thorough technical and financial assessment of the problem is required. Those countries that waged war in the Solomon Islands have a responsibility to assist us. Recognizing the need to restructure the Solomon Islands economy, my Government is closely reviewing several key areas, such as public expenditure, banking and the taxation regime. We will seek assistance from the international lending agencies and the developed countries.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We were pleased to co-sponsor General Assembly resolution 51/45 M in support of the International Court of Justice opinion. Solomon Islands continues its call for the creation of a forum of non- nuclear-weapon States. The forum, committed to the elimination of all nuclear weapons, and in keeping with the Court’s advisory opinion, would seek agreement on a unified approach to the full implementation of Article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and would monitor progress towards that goal. Solomon Islands, which has closely followed the Ottawa process, will enthusiastically sign the treaty banning anti-personnel landmines. We thank Canada for this initiative. Recognition must also be given to the International Committee of the Red Cross and several non- governmental organizations for their efforts.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Solomon Islands has signed the Waigani Convention to Ban the Importation into Forum Island Countries of Hazardous and Radioactive Wastes and the Nouméa Convention to protect the region’s marine and terrestrial environments. For these and similar treaties, it is important that relevant international standards be met by the responsible parties. Solomon Islands, which has ratified the Treaty of Rarotonga, continues to support the creation of a nuclear- weapon-free southern hemisphere, as well as similar zones elsewhere. We worked closely with Marshall Islands and Western Samoa in arguing before the International Court of Justice that the use of any nuclear weapon would violate international and humanitarian law. Our position was largely upheld by the landmark advisory opinion the Court handed down last year.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We vigorously support the Alliance of Small Island States draft protocol to the Framework Convention, and we will continue in the joint effort towards the achievement of a legally binding instrument to be negotiated in Kyoto this December. We are moving quickly to enact legislation 15 that will enable Solomon Islands to meet its obligations under the Climate Change Convention. Solomon Islands, which has ratified the Convention on the Law of the Sea, is committed to the adoption of a seabed mining code with strong provisions for protecting the marine environment. In 1998 we will actively participate in the International Year of the Ocean. We are committed to the international nuclear non- proliferation regime. Of special concern to us is the transport, dumping or storage of radioactive and other dangerous wastes in the Pacific region.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Solomon Islands will give serious consideration to permanent membership for Germany, Japan and several developing countries. Since the present permanent members insist on retaining the veto, it must be restricted to questions relating to Chapter VII of the Charter. Solomon Islands and other States in the great continent of Oceania are especially sensitive to environmental change. Our commitment to the principles of the Rio Declaration and the objectives of Agenda 21 is reflected in Solomon Islands’ ratification of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The Solomon Islands Government supports the Secretary-General’s programme of reform. We have no illusions, however, that it will be easy for the Member States to reach a consensus on its adoption. Certain controversial proposals face intense debate, but we are confident that the outcome of our deliberations will benefit all. These discussions should take place in only one forum so that small delegations such as my own can fully participate. In an ideal United Nations, the future design of the Security Council could be characterized as “equality of membership, yes; the veto, no”. Political reality, however, requires another approach. The Security Council should be expanded, with permanent and non-permanent seats for developed and developing States.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“In the twentieth century brutal local and global conflicts, the development and use of the cruellest weapons, the attempted extermination of entire peoples and a seemingly endless cold war gave credibility to the nightmare visions of that earlier generation. We are now engaged in the difficult process of understanding and transforming this legacy of horror into something we can use for humankind’s benefit. In this effort the United Nations is vital. Solomon Islands welcomes the adoption of the Agenda for Development and looks forward to the conclusion of the discussion of the scale of assessments and the issue of the capacity to pay. For the small developing States, an effective and financially stable United Nations that meets the challenges of development, as well as of the Organization’s other core activities, remains critical.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The extraordinary and rapid changes with which this century is ending understandably fuel uncertainty and fear of the future as we participate in the transformation of the world through international communications, commerce and law, as well as medicine, science and technology. Even humankind’s successful venture into outer space draws doubters and critics alike. During the last years of the nineteenth century, rapid scientific and technological innovation, armed conflict and the migration of vast numbers of people generated uncertainty and the fear of civilization’s decline among the influential circles of Europe. Intellectuals wrote about the ongoing degeneration of humankind and envisioned cataclysmic wars.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“As President of the fifty-first session of the General Assembly, Malaysia’s Ambassador Razali Ismail provided enthusiastic leadership and challenging proposals that helped advance the reform process. We thank him. Solomon Islands gratefully recognizes the debt owed to the people of the Secretariat, the specialized agencies, the assistance programmes, the humanitarian and peacekeeping operations of the Organization and allies such as the International Committee of the Red Cross. Often working under difficult and even dangerous conditions, these men and women are heroes of our time. They will continue to have our full support.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in less than 10 months in office, has demonstrated insight and a refreshing openness that is felt throughout the Organization. His proposals to create a more effective and efficient United Nations are having a significant impact on our efforts here. The Solomon Islands delegation will work to achieve the consensus his programme for reform needs. Mr. Hennadiy Udovenko, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, brings to the presidency of the General Assembly more than a decade of experience at the United Nations and participation in the historic political and economic transformation of his country. In this time of change at the United Nations, his diplomatic skills will prove indispensable.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Eight weeks ago, the people of Solomon Islands elected a new Parliament that brought to office the “Alliance for Change”, a reform- oriented Government committed to revitalizing the nation and its economy. Programmes to fulfil the public’s desire for sustainable development are being designed and implemented with professionalism, transparency, accountability and due respect for traditional values. The demand for change is being heard in the villages and towns of Solomon Islands, as it is elsewhere. Change for the better, however, is not easily achieved. It requires people with vision and the judgment and courage to inspire productive action. The United Nations and the General Assembly are blessed with such people.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)