YouSaid · the spoken record

Siaosi ‘Ofakivahafolau Sovaleni

lines on the record: 45
first: 2022-09-24
most recent: 2023-09-24
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

“It is about a world where every person can live with dignity, free from fear and discrimination. That requires courage, commitment, cooperation and recognizing with humility our shared humanity. Allow me to conclude by reminding the Assembly of how it was founded. The heart of the Charter lies in the determination to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war. We therefore must do our utmost to build trust in multilateralism through action. We must maintain and disseminate our commitment to the principles of the Charter. History will judge us by this. Our greatest achievements from our unity. For united we stand, divided we fall. God bless everyone and the United Nations.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“This century is still young, but never has it been more urgent in this century to rekindle our commitment to the values and principles upon which the United Nations was founded. We must live up to our pledge to uphold the Charter and demonstrate through action the timeless relevance of its purposes and principles. That is what I call living by example — global solidarity. Unless we breathe life and vigour into the Charter, we are helpless and condemned to relive the mistakes and horrors of the past. Let us draw inspiration and fortitude from the courageous actions of the founding members who established this esteemed institution, which we are now entrusted with for posterity. The theme of peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all is our road map for what we must deliver.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“In commemoration of United Nations Day. on 24 October, the Kingdom of Tonga and the Family Office for Sustainable Development will host the Environmental Symphony here in the General Assembly Hall. The purpose of the event goes beyond celebrating and reaffirming the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, which have guided humankind for the past 78 years. We want to mobilize Partnerships for the Goals in the lead-up to the 2023 twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 28). to be held in Dubai. I should like to add that we hope to welcome everyone to our region for COP 31. as we fully support Australia’s bid for a 2026 Pacific COP.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“I stress the vital role of political champions and support them in the journey to secure the Blue Pacific continent’s contribution to global stability, biodiversity restoration, the promotion of healthy food systems and the improvement of people’s well-being. My term as President of the sixth session of the SIDS DOCK Assembly will end in December. I express my profound gratitude to our members for the confidence placed in me and for the support provided during my tenure. The essence of life, existence and advancement lies in hope. Our young generation must be given more than the bleak outlook of more than 50 per cent of our SDG targets being weakly and insufficiently met. Today’s young people are the future custodians of the planet. We must actively promote and engage youth in a substantial manner to propel the attainment of the SDGs.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“The index must be regarded, first and foremost, as an action tool, focusing primarily on ensuring a more comprehensive understanding of vulnerability. We need a tool that can provide meaningful and effective assistance, where and when needed. We therefore call for the adoption of the index by the Assembly and its operationalization, incorporating a criterion for access by Pacific small island States to low-cost and longterm financing. At a high-level event this week on unblocking blue Pacific prosperity, co-chaired by the leaders of Palau. Tonga and the Bezos Earth Fund, the conference called for development partners and stakeholders to transform the Pacific region, with three key goals: first, effective ocean management; secondly, healthy and happy communities; and lastly, fit-for-purpose sustainable financing.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Uncertainty characterizes the global political, financial and economic situation. The past few years have brought about multiple crises having a disproportionate impact on the scope for sustainable development in SIDS over the next decade. We. as a region, and as a country, are united and determined in our pursuit of inclusive sustainable development for our citizens. It is a course that we seek to pursue together with members, and we invite their partnership. We are grateful for the Assembly’s resolution calling for the development of an index capable of capturing our special circumstances and vulnerabilities on our road to resilient and sustainable development. We must ensure that the multidimensional vulnerability index is not another academic exercise.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Tonga is committed to engaging in good faith in the negotiations of the exploitation regulations to ensure their embodiment of good industry practices and best environmental management practices. We acknowledge the contribution of the ISA towards the advancement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, contributing to 12 of the 17 SDGs. We commend its efforts to boost the capacity of developing States, including Pacific Small Island Developing States, through better access to critical data and support in consolidating national frameworks and regulations relating to activities in the Area. Tonga was honoured to host the small island developing States of the Pacific region in Nukualofa to prepare for the fourth International Conference on SIDS, to be held in Antigua and Barbuda in 2024. We live in times of profound paradigm shifts.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Tonga continues to be fully committed to the effective implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 1994 Agreement on implementing Part XI of the Convention. We reaffirm the sovereign rights of States recognized and enshrined within UNCLOS and the 1994 Agreement. We attach the greatest possible importance to the sustainable use of ocean resources, whether living or non-living. Tonga recognizes the important role played by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) in administering and managing the Area in line with its legal mandate under Part XI of UNCLOS. As one of the evolving organs of UNCLOS, it is vital that States parties avoid instances of arbitrary interpretation of the Convention.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Tonga had the honour of co-chairing the twenty-third meeting of the United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea. Its theme — “New maritime technologies: Challenges and opportunities” — highlighted the potential benefits of new maritime technologies. New technologies ought to help address threats facing the ocean, build resilient oceans and coastal communities and mitigate the impacts of climate change. That is a condition for achieving the goals of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. It is also essential to accomplishing the aims of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, notably Sustainable Development Goal 14.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“It is now imperative to ensure that this recognition is translated into tangible capacity-building, the transfer of marine technology and sufficient support to enable the Pacific to emerge as an even more proactive leader on initiatives that safeguard, preserve and sustainably utilize the ocean and its resources. In support of the Pacific Islands Forum Declaration on Preserving Maritime Zones in the Face of Climate Change-related Sea Level Rise. Tonga has committed to securing the limits of the Blue Pacific continent. We are doing it to promote the stability, security, certainty and predictability of maritime entitlements, irrespective of the impacts of climate -change -related sea level rise. Along with Finland.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Urgent remedial actions are imperative if we are to minimize the imminent threat and mitigate the damage we are currently facing. We are encouraged by the Assembly’s adoption through resolution 77/321 of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction. We now have a foundation to ensure that our work on the conservation and protection of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction continues into the future, and Tonga looks forward to joining States parties in its implementation. We are pleased that the new Agreement recognizes the special circumstances of SIDS such as those in the Pacific.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“We reaffirm that strengthening multi-hazard early- warning systems is highly relevant in implementing the Sendai Framework. Tonga has taken the lead in that area for our region by implementing a nationwide early- warning system throughout Tonga with communication and siren systems. As has often been said, we are small land States and vast ocean nations. In fact, our very being and our identity cannot be separated from our precious ocean. The Secretary-General’s report on oceans and the law of the sea (A/77/331) emphasizes that the ocean remains under constant threat from human activities. Marine biodiversity is being disturbed due to overexploitation and ocean acidification. More than a third of fish stocks are being harvested at unsustainable levels and coastal waters are polluted with chemicals, plastics and human waste.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Again, timely access to finance prevents small island States from making that progress on their own. Today, and as we have done frequently in the past. I therefore call for action to review the largely uncoordinated funding mechanisms, prioritize short-term post-disaster financing needs and address long-term risk reduction. I also call for far greater investments in increasing resilience, especially in the education and health sectors. Possessing the tools to demonstrate resilience is a significant part of that preparation. Long-term risk mitigation and reduction are also intrinsically linked to early-warning systems. We acknowledge the Secretary-General’s Early Warnings For All initiative announced at COP 27 last year and affirm Tonga’s commitment to its implementation.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“The climate financing commitments made by developed countries fall significantly short of the promised $100 billion per year, starting in 2020. That brings me to climate justice. Tonga was encouraged by the General Assembly’s historic adoption by consensus of resolution 77/276. led by Vanuatu and a core group of countries, requesting an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on the obligations of States regarding climate change. It marks an important milestone in our decades-long struggle for climate justice. Earlier this year. I attended the midterm review of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. Again, as my colleagues from the Pacific have already reiterated, our countries need to see more progress, as we remain at the forefront of the battle against climate-related hazards.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“We urge for providing vulnerable SIDS countries with increased and streamlined admission to the loss and damage mechanism. While maintaining full accountability, we must establish more efficient and speedy means of accessing standard operating procedures. Owing to the magnitude and urgency of this issue in our region, we wholeheartedly back the formation of a Pacific fund offering direct assistance to Pacific small island States in their efforts to tackle the effects of climate change. Indeed, my country is determined to take a lead on the issue, having been appointed a champion of climate financing for the Pacific. I can only say it again — for decades now the Pacific leaders have been calling on the international community to take urgent climate action. Have our voices been acknowledged and our pleas earnestly addressed?”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“planting a million plants by the end of this year and joining the 30x30 initiative. The Sixth Assessment Report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change underscores that the 1.5 C goal is achievable if emissions peak by 2025 and are halved by 2030. It can therefore be done — but do we have the will? We urge all Member States to do their utmost to keep emissions below 1.5 C and strongly encourage the completion of the first global stocktaking. Here and there we get glimpses of hope. The decision on the loss and damage fund announced at the twenty-seventh Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 27) was a historic one. Yet it is now with a sense of urgency that we must operationalize the loss and damage fund.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“The dangers are more pressing than ever, putting not only lives and livelihoods at risk but also our economies and our fundamental identity. We are running out of time. We call on the international community, both the public and private sectors, to collaborate with us on identifying sustainable solutions to these problems. Our collaboration is crucial, as it is the only way we can achieve our commitment to a more sustainable and robust future for all. Day by day. climate change becomes more of an existential menace to Tonga and the Pacific. Tonga has been making genuine efforts to combat the effects of climate change on our means of subsistence for a very long time. Our goals include decreasing the electricity sector’s reliance on fossil fuels by 70 per cent by 2025.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“It is imperative that we promptly provide predictable, stable and substantial support for nations struggling with financial difficulties. Tonga and other small island developing States (SIDS) require greater access to concessional finance to support our development endeavours and strengthen our resilience to external shocks. We fully support the call for debt relief for countries that find themselves in dire circumstances, particularly those that have been severely affected by natural disasters or other external shocks. We are firmly convinced that addressing the underlying reasons for debt vulnerability in small island States is critical. It is particularly relevant because SIDS are acutely vulnerable to the multifaceted and urgent challenges posed by climate change. We have been raising the issue for decades.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“The challenge at hand is to prevent the SDGs from being relegated to the status of yet another unattainable goal. Despite the difficulties, it is imperative that we investigate the root causes of our significant lag in attaining our development targets. The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023: Special Edition tells us that more than half of the world has been left behind. We deny people, we deny kids and we deny hope. More than 50 per cent of the SDG targets are considered weak and inadequate. Gender, poverty, hunger and climate targets make up 30 per cent of the targets that have either stalled or reversed. That is not acceptable. One key aspect of that relates to financing for development, of course. Tonga supports reviewing the international financial architecture to ensure that it is fit for purpose.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Without trust, or worse, when trust is eroding, our joint efforts to foster peace, security and sustainable development are rendered futile and become unattainable. It is therefore our duty to rebuild the trust on which the United Nations was founded. It will take more than dialogue. It calls for concrete action that demonstrates our commitment to shared values. Multilateralism has proved to be our most cost-effective instrument for fostering global solidarity and tackling global challenges, and it must continue to be. We must reflect on whether we are truly serving the intended goals of the Charter of the United Nations. Why have we fallen so far behind? What have we not done right? In my remarks I will delve into the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“These disruptions affect the lives of millions, provoke excessive inflation and raise fuel and food prices. Many people worldwide have a growing sense of uncertainty about how they will meet their own basic daily requirements. Our window to engage in discussion beyond talks is closing rapidly. It is our responsibility to act. The way to retain people’s trust and inspire hope is by taking action and achieving results. This session demands that we take urgent and collective action. However, that can be achieved only in the presence of trust and enduring peace. Trust is the foundation for any productive and sustainable human interaction, including international cooperation. Trust and respect are the drivers of thriving and sustainable change.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“The heightened frequency and severity of cyclones, rising sea levels caused by melting polar ice. plastic and pollution in our oceans, heatwaves and fires are bringing suffering to my country and its people and to our Pacific region. There are many related consequences. We are confronted with ever-increasing rates of non-communicable diseases, persistent inequalities, declining basic living conditions and mounting violence against women and girls. There has also been a substantial surge in the trafficking and use of unlawful narcotics, cross-border criminal activities, disinformation and cybercrime. Many of those are borderless challenges that concern us all and call for collaboration. The increasing geopolitical mistrust and conflicts are worrisome, particularly given the pressing need for multilateral action.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
““Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all”, is more urgent than ever, and I thank Secretary- General Guterres for his stewardship of the United Nations during these very challenging times. I would like to offer my heartfelt condolences to the Governments and the peoples of Lahaina. Hawaii, in the United States, and of Morocco and Libya. The people of my country feel for the families of the victims as they are dealing with the tragic losses of lives in the disasters that occurred recently in their countries. We are convening at a time when people, countries, regions and our world are confronting multiple challenges in quick succession. Climate change threats have reached an existential level.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“I bring warm greetings from the Kingdom of Tonga and congratulate the President on his assumption of the presidency of the General Assembly at its seventy-eighth session. I also thank his predecessor. Mr. Csaba Korosi. for his able stewardship in promoting solutions built on solidarity, science and seeking sustainability. Our delegation fully supports the President’s vision of peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for the seventy-eighth session. The Assembly’s essential work is in expert hands with his leadership, and we hope it will continue and improve. The theme for this session.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“May we show resolve, courage and partnership to meet the challenges before us and turn the needle to hope for present and future generations. May God guide and bless the General Assembly and all its members, observers and staff in our shared journey during this session to the destination of finding solutions through solidarity, sustainability and science.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Vanuatu’s initiative to seek an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the obligations of states under international law to protect the rights of present and future generations against the adverse impacts of climate change in order to clarify the legal consequences of climate change. Tonga has joined all of the other Pacific Leaders in supporting that initiative, which is a step in the right direction. The initiative of Tuvalu and Antigua and Barbuda to establish a commission of SIDs on climate change and international law that will be tasked with developing and implementing fair and just global environmental norms and practices is also a step in the right direction. I conclude by reiterating Tonga’s support for President Korosi’s important work.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We note the invaluable work of the International Law Commission, in particular the Study Group on sea-level rise, for its work in advancing deliberations on this topic with a view to strengthening the UNCLOS framework, particularly in addressing the modern realities of sea-level rise. We further note the high debt sustainability analysis of Forum island countries and emphasize the need for debt instruments to be simple, manageable and implementable, given countries’ limited resources, the time-bound nature of debt instruments and the increasingly constrained development finance landscape worldwide. We also committed to revitalizing the Pacific Leaders Gender Equality Declaration in 2023. Our Pacific collective will remain and remains our strength in our advocacy for faster and more action by the international community.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We must build future-proof, sustainable and resilient education systems. To that end, we must scale up financial investment. Pacific Islands Forum leaders have committed to strong regional action for a shared stewardship of the Pacific Ocean. They endorse the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. The Pacific Ocean covers one third of our planet’s surface, and it is our desire to act as one blue Pacific continent. We continue to note with grave concern the threat posed by sea- level rise to our blue Pacific. We commit ourselves to ensuring that climate change-induced sea-level rise does not challenge our maritime zones delineated under UNCLOS, as reflected in the 2021 Declaration on Preserving Maritime Zones in the Face of Climate Change-Related Sea-Level Rise.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“As the events of 2022 have so cruelly shown us, internet connectivity is a lifeline for Tonga. Our economy and our society are dependent on well-functioning domestic and international communications. The security required to protect such connectivity is therefore vital to our sustainable development. In this regard, I wish to recognize the work of New Zealand, Australia and the International Telecommunication Union/UNESCO Broadband Commission. Education is at the core of peace and sustainable futures. Tonga recognizes and welcomes the opportunity to share in the Transforming Education Summit, held earlier this week. The Summit provided an opportunity to once again reiterate our collective call to put education front and centre for inclusive and sustainable development for all.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Tonga has a large proportion of our people living in diasporas near and far, with two out of three Tongans living overseas. Remittances equal some 40 per cent of GDP. This is why it is of concern to us to find ways to reduce the cost of remittances. I am honoured to be appointed President of the sixth session of the Assembly of SIDS DOCK. In this capacity, I launched the Global Ocean Energy Alliance (GLOEA) on 29 June in Lisbon. GLOEA is an initiative focused on accelerating the development of ocean energy technologies and projects through partnerships that mobilize technical, human and financial resources and are aimed establishing a global community of shared interest — a community capable of developing a pipeline of bankable ocean energy projects to serve islands, cities and coastal nations.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We must expeditiously conclude those exploitation regulations that will ensure that appropriate conservation and environmental management practices are in place when exploitation activities begin. The conservation and protection of our high seas remain a priority for Tonga. I refer in particular to the negotiations to conclude an international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction. Tonga is optimistic that the considerable amount of work that has gone into this process, along with further progress on resolving key issues of divergence, will enable us to come to a positive conclusion. Let us conclude this historical instrument to support our obligations under UNCLOS.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We must achieve the goals outlined in SDG 14 if we are to survive. Anything less is unacceptable, and we must do whatever we can within our available resources. We were pleased to participate in the seventh Our Ocean Conference in Koror, Palau, and in the second United Nations Ocean Conference, held in Lisbon, and we look forward to continuing such conferences to ensure that the oceans and seas are a priority in the global sustainable development agenda. It is through such engagement that partnerships were formed and resulted in Tonga producing its first-ever Tonga Ocean Management Plan in 2021. Tonga continues to recognize the importance of the legal mandate provided by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). As a member of the International Seabed Authority, Tonga continuously engages in the work of the Authority.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Tonga is a small island developing State, but it is also a large ocean State. Some 99 per cent of our sovereign territory is the ocean, and through generations we have borne our serious responsibility to protect the ocean. The ocean is our beating heart; it serves as the foundation of our economy and the lifeline for sectors from tourism to fisheries to ocean transport and international shipping. The conservation and sustainable use of the ocean and its resources are at the forefront of our concerns and interests. Tonga joins Member States that have argued for the importance of the ocean and seas to global sustainable development. Tonga aspires to play its role in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities, particularly in responding to mitigating IUU risks.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“The adverse impacts of climate change make Tonga the third most vulnerable country in the world. That threatens our territorial integrity, land, water, health, infrastructure, food security, biological diversity, livelihoods and ecosystems. It threatens our peoples’ mental health and sense of nationhood. Climate change is an existential threat to people and our desire for international peace and security. We must limit global warming to 1.5°C. We reiterate our call for this issue to be a permanent item on the Security Council’s agenda. The Security Council must be seized of the matter because of its clear links to traditional threats to international peace and security. Whether it is sea-level rise, loss of territory or the mass migration it leads to, this is a trigger for violence and a threat to peace and security.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We also acknowledge the support provided by UNICEF and the World Health Organization on infection, prevention, control, risk communication and surveillance. That support was critical to Tonga’s preparedness and response plan. Finally, on 1 August, we were able to again open our borders. We did so emphasizing preventative health measures to mitigate risks and ensure a safe reopening. Tonga has one of the world’s highest rates of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) globally. NCDs, such as cardiovascular disease, cancers and diabetes account for approximately 80 per cent of deaths in Tonga. We must provide continuous support to meet our current goal, in line with the SDG of reducing NCD- related deaths by one third by the year 2030. Climate change continues to be the single greatest existential threat facing the blue Pacific.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We must build back better and build national resilience to external threats and risks. We improve the quality of services and affordability to the community and achieve progressive and sustainable economic growth. We are committed to reducing the risks and harmful effects of natural disasters, particularly through risk- informed development efforts and enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response. In February of this year, after two years of keeping COVID-19 at bay through the closure of our border, Tonga experienced its first community outbreak. Over the previous two years, we had vaccinated our people. We now have 90 per cent fully vaccinated. I must thank Tonga’s development partners for providing support, both directly and through the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) Facility.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“The volcanic eruption and tsunami cut access to basics for people and cut a precious lifeline for an island nation — our communications. The widespread economic and social damage and, sadly, loss of lives are estimated by the World Bank at 36.4 per cent of Tonga’s gross domestic product (GDP). In our hour of need, we recognize with our deepest appreciation the response of Member States and their peoples. We recognize the support of philanthropic institutions, the United Nations system and other intergovernmental organizations, development partners, the private sector, non-governmental organizations and individuals. We thank them — malo ‘aupito — for standing in solidarity with Tonga ain our hour of difficulty. My Government has renewed our national priorities.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“That threatens our very existence, and certainly our efforts for the inclusive and sustainable development of a small economy like Tonga’s. All Tongans will forever recall 15 January 2022. The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted. The explosion was of an intensity so great that some research compares it to the impact of a nuclear explosion. We made the news of the world — not the news we looked for. Research documents that the explosion may have created a tsunami almost as high as the Statue of Liberty. Plumes of hot gas, ash and water vapour were projected into the atmosphere, reaching a height of 36 miles. The ensuing tsunami devastated our economy. Several islands were completely or severely destroyed. People were displaced and then evacuated to neighbouring islands.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“This has limited our access to appropriate financing, debt relief and aid. Greater responsiveness to our special circumstances has come about over time as the unique factors affecting the entire range of our political, social, economic and environmental development issues have been taken into account. We express appreciation to the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda and the United Nations high-level panel of experts on a multidimensional vulnerability index (MVI) for the release of the interim report on the development of the MVI. We look forward to its finalization and adoption by December 2022. Tonga, like so many of our Pacific neighbours, faces natural disasters of unprecedented severity and frequency.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“SIDS are and must remain a special case for development. We are not a footnote; we face unique vulnerabilities. Once again, it is with urgency that we call on all States to show solidarity with the peoples of the SIDS. We call on their support especially during the preparatory process for the SAMOA successor arrangement. Only a few short years remain to implement the Samoa Pathway. Tonga welcomes the Secretariat’s work on a monitoring framework for the SAMOA Pathway implementation. Already, three decades have elapsed since small island developing States called for an index recognizing our special circumstances and vulnerabilities. The international financial system has used measures not necessarily adapted to our special circumstances, our challenges and our ecological and economic vulnerabilities.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Let us admit that situations have worsened since we last met. This is also why we thank the Secretary- General for his Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022. I believe that it provides a road map out of crisis. The promises of the global agenda we agreed to risks becoming promises we did not keep. We must keep our promises, especially to the vulnerable populations such as those of small island developing States (SIDS). We must focus. There are areas which need immediate action to rescue the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and deliver meaningful progress for people and the planet by 2030. The successor agreement to the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action, known as the Samoa Pathway, will be critical, notably in regard to the support by the international community for small island developing States.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Earlier this year, Tonga co-sponsored several General Assembly resolutions in support of the people of Ukraine. Tonga continues to urge a peaceful resolution of the conflict to save unnecessary loss of lives and minimize any further devastations. Tonga is far from this conflict, yet its ripple effects are felt by all of us. Tonga, like so many others, is faced with higher costs of fuel, food, and basic supplies. Inflation is double-digit. These are inflation rates that we have not experienced in decades. More than ever, it is urgent that we progress toward implementing the goals of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development set seven years ago. At half-time, the reality is that the existential threats posed by climate change, pandemics and conflict have increased. This is not some temporary inconvenience. This is about our survival.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“With urgency we must, among so many other issues, overcome the severe economic, financial and social impacts of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) global pandemic, and accelerate action on climate change, ocean health, energy transformation, the sustainable use of natural resources, cybersecurity — and I could go on. For this we must unite, and we must be determined to work together for solutions. The very peaceful existence of humankind and that of the planet hosting us are at stake. We must unite to find the way forward in an equitable multilateral system and a cooperation fit for purpose, fit for the future and respectful of our differences but united by our shared desire for an inclusive, hopeful and sustainable future for all.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Our shared planet and our people face complex and multifaceted challenges, and we must act now. We have the responsibility and the duty to find common ground. Together, we must deliver the transformative solutions needed to build peaceful, inclusive, healthy and resilient societies — societies looking with hope to their futures because they can live in a planet we sustain in peace and health for current and future generations to come. The President’s theme — our theme — is a timely and relevant theme to guide our work during this session. The global challenges are vast; they are many; they are interlinked. They all are ultimately about maintaining international peace and security.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“It is my honour and privilege to address the General Assembly for the first time as Prime Minister of Tonga. I offer my warmest congratulations to Mr. Csaba Korosi on his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-seventh session. I assure him of our delegation’s full support. May I also thank his predecessor, Mr. Abdulla Shahid, for his leadership of the Assembly at its seventy-sixth session. He led a presidency of hope during unprecedented times. I also wish to commend the tireless efforts of our Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Guterres. I thank the Secretary-General for his leadership during these most trying times. Before us is a critical, crucial theme “A watershed moment: transformative solutions to interlocking challenges”.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)