YouSaid · the spoken record

Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi

lines on the record: 262
first: 1999-09-24
most recent: 2020-09-24
sittings or episodes: 15
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

“Without that cooperation on the part of all Member States, reaching the objectives we all know should be achieved will continue to elude us. International terrorism is a global menace. It creates an atmosphere of collective fear and intolerance. It preys on the innocent, vulnerable and defenceless, and disrupts any progress towards peace and development. Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations should always be condemned unreservedly. Over the past several weeks, we have witnessed the tragedy of people fleeing their countries mired in the destruction from war and terrorism. Obviously, a credible and long- term response is needed to this grave crisis, which has cost so many lives and affected so many people. The individual actions of States cannot in themselves provide a solution.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“As present custodians of our world’s environment, we owe it to our children and future generations to do what needs to be done quickly and decisively before we run out of time. It is therefore imperative to complete the Paris climate agreement in time for the twenty-first session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in December to adopt an agreement that is ambitious, universally applicable, effective, binding, capable of swift implementation and universally owned and respected by all Member States. In the same way that nations in leadership roles are called on to do the right thing for our world, so must all Member States of the United Nations uphold their part of the bargain in the work that needs to be done.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“As for those suggesting that they are implementing bold actions for the sake of our vulnerable small island developing States, they should instead be reminded to take time to inform their constituencies and supporters alike, especially those who deny climate change, that in the final analysis the actions being recommended, if implemented, will ultimately benefit their economies, their own people and the survival of their own countries. The United Nations remains our last best hope to provide the political will and the commitment necessary to turn the tide against climate change. Samoa calls upon those States Members of our Organization in a position of world leadership to lead the charge in finding and implementing solutions to the causes of climate change.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Often at times we blame others for our misfortunes and the current status of our development, including by telling others what they should do, by when and how, but rarely saying what we can contribute to make a change. So when my country and our people are continuously exposed to the impacts of climate change, we want to be part of the solution by committing to doing everything possible for the benefit of our people, our generation and those to follow. That must be our universal message, simple and unambiguous.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“The divergent, yet inextricably linked interests of Member States demand that we seal a good deal in Paris. The Paris agreement should focus on bold national action and the inclusion of all stakeholders; it should be a timely reminder that no action is too small or insignificant. All contributions matter and every action counts, irrespective of the source. Importantly, it must place the responsibility of addressing climate change squarely on every individual leader in terms of 15-29701 3/28 A/70/PV.21 30/09/2015 what national actions he or she can commit to deliver as his or her country’s contribution to our collective task. Samoa is putting the final touches to its intended nationally determined contributions, which are quite ambitious and will be submitted in due course to the secretariat in Bonn.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“The narrow pursuit of self-interests, the use of economic and political expediencies should be set aside and must not be allowed to derail the goal of concluding a universal, ambitious and legally binding agreement. Climate change is also everyone’s job. While acknowledging that historical responsibility is real, allowing it to get in the way of making decisions to reach a comprehensive agreement would be a grave mistake. A durable climate change agreement in Paris will therefore be a test of multilateral solidarity. Time is running out. The impacts of climate change are getting worse daily. Playing the blame-and-shame tactics or waiting to be led but not willing to lead are no longer options, for no single nation, no single group of nations and no single organization on its own can win the war against climate change.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Without trust, they cannot be sustained. Apportioning blame for past wrongs would be counterproductive; it would not restore our environment to its pre-industrial state. Clearly we want leaders who view the world as a single constituency where everyone must work together within the limits of their capacity and capability to be part of the total solution. Sadly, some in our global community have been dismissive and remain unconvinced. Others, through their actions, have been indifferent and unsympathetic. But there is hope, and our whole focus is on Paris. What is needed is principled action. The Paris agreement will require a new brand of cooperation and a broader outlook.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“But when we have to do something because it will affect us personally, our children or family, nothing will prevent us from doing all that is possible within our power, especially if it affects our own safety and future. I hope that Member States, imbued not just with the projections of science but now with the advanced evidence of actual events, will be prepared to go the extra mile to do the maximum possible for their own future survival. Climate change is a societal problem requiring a decisive response from the global community. It is a challenge that should unite us, not divide us. No country can deal with this problem alone. We must work cooperatively in a partnership of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capability if we are to succeed. But true partnerships should be underpinned by trust.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“While that may sound overly simplified, its real value lies in the change of perspective which this reorientation should bring and in how we view our respective roles when trying to address climate change. This, I think, should be beneficial to all. Because we are now all affected by climate change in one way or another, that should energize everyone to do their utmost, either as current or future victims of climate change impacts, so as to ensure that we address the root causes urgently and in a decisive manner. After all, human nature tells us that when we are asked to do something for a friend or someone else, the impact is not the same because there is no sense of obligation, commitment or urgency.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“What is happening across our planet is quite significant because it discredits the perception long held by some that climate change is a small island developing States concern only. Nothing could be further from the truth. Events of the recent past have demonstrated that climate-related disasters do not discriminate between poor and rich countries, big or small. Climate change affects us all, developed and developing countries alike, although in varying degrees. I submit therefore that this realization should shape our overall approach going forward to the Paris Climate Change Conference in December and beyond. It should, I hope, also help to shift the focus in the relationship, in the specific context of climate change, from that of donor/recipient or donor/victim to one of partner/partner in a joint partnership.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“2/28 15-29701 30/09/2015 A/70/PV.21 But times are changing and the world has witnessed in recent months and years an epic outbreak of horrific natural disasters unprecedented in the 70-year history of our Organization. Tsunamis, hurricanes, earthquakes, flooding, bush fires and droughts have resulted in the loss of countless lives and untold sorrow and suffering. Especially noteworthy is the fact that developed countries are no longer insulated from the reach and destructive force of these events. Some countries and regions have been visited by climate-related and natural events like cyclones, bush fires, flooding, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, droughts, tornados, and so on.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Some might have concluded already that climate change is not life-threatening and does not affect them, either because their countries are huge in size or have well-developed infrastructure to shield them from any real damage from climate change impacts. It may also be that there is an implied sense that if the large problems of the bigger, stronger, more populous and well-developed countries are solved, then the solutions to the afflictions of SIDS will automatically follow. As a result, challenges facing SIDS are conveniently viewed by others through the same lens that blurs the distinctions and fails to bring out the truth about the urgency and dire consequences of the problems we face because of climate change.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“We have also consistently called for a loss and damage mechanism to be anchored in a new Paris agreement to be treated separately from adaptation. With the gradual operationalization of the Green Climate Fund, we have asked SIDS representatives on the Green Climate Fund Board to ensure that the spirit and letter of the governing instrument of the Fund, as they relate to those areas that will be beneficial to SIDS, are retained and not compromised. Our pleas over the years on the 1.5°C and the loss and damage caused by climate change have largely gone unnoticed. At least the countries our messages had been intended for have remained unconvinced, but I hope not uninterested. Part of this, I think, is due to some misguided notion that climate phenomena and related events affect small island developing States only.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Just a few months ago, I was privileged to attend the special Security Council open debate on the security concerns of SIDS (see S/PV.7499). It was an important opportunity to highlight in the Council the security threat posed by climate change to all our small island developing States. Against the backdrop of the existential threat climate change poses, especially to atolls and low- lying islands, SIDS have long advocated for ambitious mitigation efforts to be undertaken by Member States with the capacity to do so, and for a global goal of limiting the rise in average global temperature to well below 1.5°C in order to prevent some of our low-lying islands from being submerged by sea-level rise.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“It has significant security implications and its impact threatens the continued existence and viability of some small island developing States. Even those countries that to date have been in denial of the climate change phenomenon must surely now accept the weight of scientific evidence. Samoa is a small island developing State of the Pacific, a region recognized and acknowledged as most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Our islands contributed the least to the causes of climate change, yet stand to suffer the most and are least able to adapt effectively to the adverse impacts. Climate change is a security risk of far greater proportions than many people are prepared to admit. For some of the low-lying Pacific islands, climate change may well lead to their eventual extinction as sovereign States.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“These will give way to the onset of the cyclone season, which is predicted to have a high likelihood of severe cyclones in our Pacific region. As this is a cross-cutting issue, ambitious actions or solutions at the national and international levels to try to address the root causes of climate change will inevitably end up either being compromised, watered down or put aside due to political, social and economic considerations taking precedence over basic climate logic. Climate change is not a concern of small island developing States alone; it impacts every country, but some — such as small island developing States — more extensively like than others because our capacity to respond quickly and effectively is constrained by our realities. In summary, climate change cannot be wished away. It is real, irreversible and already happening.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Climate change is the single most urgent challenge confronting humankind; it is facilitated largely by human-induced activities driven for the most part by profit motives, with some degree of insensitivity to the consequences of such action on others, particularly those vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, who are usually ill-prepared to adapt and in most cases had barely contributed to the causes of climate change in the first place. Climate change is not a future phenomenon. It is real, irreversible and is already happening with far more frequency. It is no longer a question of when; rather, it is about the severity of the magnitude of the impacts and the full cost society must bear. Even now in my country, we are suffering drought conditions.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“That is also a priority goal enshrined in the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway, the outcome document of the third International Conference on SIDS. Climate change will continue to be the major preoccupation and priority policy determinant for Samoa well into the future. I think that the same would be true for all our Pacific island countries and the wider SIDS. Thus, to contextualize our perspective on climate change, allow me to share with representatives a part of our narrative. First, here are some givens.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“In my firm belief in the importance of the work of our Organization, I have tried to attend the annual General Assembly debates as often as possible since becoming Samoa’s Prime Minister. I am therefore acutely aware of the diversity and gravity of issues confronting our Organization and the need sometimes to refer to them in one’s statement. However, partly in recognition of the new Agenda we have now agreed to implement and as a gesture to the seventieth anniversary of our Organization and the imminent danger of climate change for small island developing States (SIDS), my statement in essence is devoted to Sustainable Development Goal 13, “Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts”.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Last Friday ushered in a new era in our search for an innovative plan of action for people and the planet. The significant milestone event was the adoption by the United Nations of the new set of Sustainable Development Goals as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (resolution 70/1). Our 17 Sustainable Development Goals are inspirational and ambitious. They are global in nature and universally applicable to every United Nations Member State, developed and developing alike. Every Goal is important and deserves priority attention. They are interrelated, they carry equal weight and they all matter. Achieving some Goals at the expense of others is not a preferred option. All Goals must be realized, which should be the overriding objective.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“The United Nations was established to prevent wars, bring peace and security, and protect human rights through multilateralism and intergovernmental cooperation. The architecture of the Organization we have today is very complex, and, inevitably, there are imperfections. However, the fact that we have consistently met without failure at the General Assembly each year is irrefutable proof that our Organization works at many and different levels. It is hard to imagine where the world would be without the United Nations. It is why Samoa’s support for our Organization is unwavering.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The Inter-Agency Consultative Group for SIDS is perhaps an arrangement that could benefit from Member State representation as well, where open discussions can take place around effective implementation of the SAMOA Pathway and the post-2015 development agenda. Some of our development partners, traditional and new, have reached out to help us. What they have in common is trust and respect for our views and needs. Bilaterally, regionally and internationally, they are partnering with SIDS to overcome some of the constraints imposed by limited land and narrow natural resource bases, isolation and downward agricultural production, sustained food security for our expanding populations, and the need to provide a meaningful existence for our people and communities in the rural areas.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“It is important that the intergovernmental architectures of our respective SIDS regions be included in the process, which means working together. We cannot afford a situation where we have intergovernmental organizations developing separate policies and implementation arrangements and partnerships for the same things. We must work together. Finally, we must break down what has been a traditional them-and-us perception on both sides of the divide between Member States and the Secretariat established to serve our collective needs. It has not served either side well; we are in fact on the same side. I would therefore encourage any coordination mechanisms established to ensure representation of both in order to promote transparency and a balance of perspectives and interests.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“It is important therefore in the defining and refining of the sustainable development goals and post-2015 development agenda that we account for groups like SIDS and ensure that the indicators developed are also applicable to their situations. Building on the existing processes and experiences in the SIDS countries and their respective regions and subregions is critical in that regard. Fortunately, we are on the back of a successful SIDS Conference whose theme focused on effective means of implementation through partnerships. We must ensure therefore that the means to implement the SAMOA Pathway is solidly incorporated into the post-2015 development framework. Those arrangements are well entrenched in the High-level Political Forum and the review arrangements of the Economic and Social Council.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“No country can succeed on its own. Only by working collaboratively can we be successful. As we approach the new post-2015 development agenda, the culmination of many years of international negotiations and agreements on sustainable development, we must ensure that while a one-framework approach is important, it does not equate to a one-size-fits-all formula for purposes of implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Indeed, the applicability of the Millennium Development Goals and their indicators to small island countries proved difficult, and much tailoring was necessary before those global targets were seen as relevant enough for us to meaningfully participate.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Within the Pacific region, our solidarity with our neighbours in meeting challenges means a guaranteed Samoan police presence in the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands and under the umbrella of the Pacific Islands Forum. A durable peace settlement in the Middle East continues to elude us, but that is not grounds to be pessimistic. We should support every effort to create conditions conducive to the successful establishment of an independent Palestinian State alongside a secure and safe State of Israel. Finally, those bent on creating fear and panic throughout the world will stop at nothing to achieve their aims. We must not be held hostage to their devious designs. Individually and collectively, we must step up our efforts to combat the threat of international terrorism in its many manifestations.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Moreover, what we need to achieve is a human face of SIDS to every issue that comes before the United Nations, be it security, human rights, climate change, development, gender or indigenous issues. That way, SIDS issues will be at the forefront of the United Nations agenda. They will remain topical and relevant and be taken up, debated and acted upon daily, weekly or monthly — and not conveniently set aside to be discussed only when we have another SIDS conference 10 years from now. Samoa continues to support United Nations peacekeeping efforts worldwide. Small though we are, Samoan police continue to serve side by side with officers from other countries in places that require the intervention of the United Nations.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“This is an opportunity to ensure that the United Nations is fit for the purpose when it comes to supporting SIDS. There is ample scope for improvement, and we look forward to engaging fully in the process. The time for business as usual has long passed. Let us work for an approach to SIDS that shows the United Nations at its best. The SAMOA Pathway is a well-crafted intergovernmental agreement that has the seal and stamp of approval of the United Nations membership. Going forward, it falls on SIDS themselves to be prepared to lead and own the SAMOA Pathway if it is to be sustainable. Together with the specific entities within the Secretariat charged with advocating and championing SIDS causes, they should be more proactive and assertive. Jointly, they must reposition themselves to engage better in a more effective and visible partnership.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The Conference had as its theme “The sustainable development of SIDS through genuine and durable partnerships”. We are ready to build on our existing partnerships. We may be small, but we are also able to demonstrate the impact of our people and our countries in successful, twenty-first century partnerships. We may be small and sometimes invisible to many. However, we know that united the SIDS are a strong and positive group. The Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) is showing its determination in a growing range of areas and forums. Samoa, like other Pacific islands, is proud of its place within AOSIS. The SAMOA Pathway asks the Secretary-General to undertake a comprehensive review of how the United Nations system supports SIDS.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The international community has a very full agenda. We as nations are being pulled in many directions. This general debate and the sixty-ninth session of the General Assembly will show just how packed the agenda is. The follow-up to the SIDS Conference will be part of that agenda. It is our hope that, despite all the political, economic and other demands on the countries of the world, the realities of SIDS, so clearly spelled out in Apia and in the Small Island Developing States Accelerated Modalities of Action — the SAMOA Pathway — are able to retain the attention of the wider international community. We took seriously the commitments made to SIDS at the Conference and we will remain deeply mindful of how those commitments are turned into actions.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Part of the dilemma we continually face is the misconception that SIDS challenges are minuscule in comparison to the needs of other special groups and regions, and that their one and only concern is climate change. Nothing could be further from the truth. My country was honoured to host, on behalf of the Pacific region, the once-in-a decade International Conference on Small Island Developing States three weeks ago. Our primary goal in hosting the Third SIDS Conference was to have the spotlight of international attention fall on SIDS, their challenges and realities. Now that the spotlight has faded, we hope that the increased understanding and appreciation of SIDS issues and challenges gained at the Conference will not be forgotten over time or sidelined by other competing priority issues.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“This is particularly important for small island developing States (SIDS), which risk a reversal of the development gains they have made due to crises far from home. To cement and build upon development goals already achieved, international peace and security must be maintained, and it is the responsibility of all Member States, particularly those on the Security Council, to work in close cooperation to ensure that this happens. Samoa belongs to the group of small island developing States, a United Nations-recognized group with special needs and inherent vulnerabilities, not by choice, but by dint of factors completely outside its control.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Global interconnectedness has brought innumerable benefits to all countries, but it also increasingly brings risks from distant corners of the Earth. As such, it is imperative that the United Nations and its Member States commit to tackling threats to international peace and security, especially through the Security Council. Specifically, States Members of the United Nations must increase their collaboration and cooperation to find solutions to challenges to peace and security, and work diligently to implement them. The United Nations was founded upon the values of collective security and, for small nations, remains a critical forum in which to contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security, stability and prosperity.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Samoa encourages all Member States to take this spirit of cooperation forward, and to harness and follow this example when dealing with other critical global issues. As we meet here at the United Nations, the rise in extremism has a taken a turn for the worst. Radical militants are committing unspeakably brutal and barbaric atrocities across the Middle East, and threatening to spread their evil brand further afield. As a small island nation in the Pacific Ocean, these threats can seem extremely far removed from my country of Samoa. However, in the globalized age in which we live, all countries are threatened by challenges to international peace and security. Developments in one State invariably have effects in others, and this is true of my country, far away as we are.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The Security Council resolution was adopted with the highest-ever number of sponsors and was swiftly followed the next day by General Assembly resolution 69/1, which unanimously approved a proposal to establish the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response. Samoa welcomes the rapid, decisive and coordinated response of United Nations Member States and agencies, and in particular the proactive role the Secretary-General played in mobilizing both the political will and the material resources necessary to respond to this grave crisis. The global response to the Ebola outbreak is a powerful illustration of what is possible when States collaborate and coordinate to assist each other in achieving common and critical goals. Such unified responses have tangible results and save lives.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Its reach is global and if it is not treated it may prove unstoppable. It has no respect for national borders or Government sovereignty, and its victims are selected indiscriminately. Born and unborn babies are robbed of their youth, girls and boys of their adulthood, and women and men of their productive lives, their dignity and worth, while countries are dispossessed and deprived of their valuable human assets. Can we win the war on Ebola? Samoa believes that we can and we should. That was why we were honoured to be among the 134 co-sponsors of Security Council resolution 2177 (2014) on peace and security in Africa, with reference to Ebola, last Thursday.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Only through enlightened leadership and the concerted efforts of all countries, with the major greenhouse gas emitters at the forefront, do we stand a chance of lessening the destructive impact of climate change and of reaching a credible post-Kyoto climate agreement next year. Samoa calls upon those States Members of our Organization that are in a position of world leadership to lead the charge and to undertake the tasks that need to be implemented quickly and decisively so that the Paris conference can deliver on an ambitious climate change agreement that is effective, binding, capable of swift implementation, and universally owned and respected by the 193 States Members of the United Nations. The Ebola outbreak is a deadly pandemic causing chaos and untold suffering in parts of West Africa.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We are focusing more on symptoms than on the root causes, and the solemn truth is that things will only get worse if we do not act collectively now. However, a ray of hope, best captured in the following fundamental truths, is couched delicately in this ominous prediction. First, climate change is a societal problem requiring decisive political leadership and a whole-of- society approach. Every individual effort and every national action counts because in unity we succeed, but in division there is little we can do. Secondly, we need a global solution if we are to succeed. The United Nations is our last best hope. It is indispensable to a sustainable solution that we provide the necessary commitment to turning the tide against climate change. Thirdly, climate change is solvable, and the solution is firmly in our hands.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Governments must yield — not to vested interests and expediency of time, but because it is the ethical and just thing to do. Our timelines are slipping by fast and soon we will be playing catch-up. Yet each day lost to indecisiveness and wrangling on petty points only intensifies the challenges we face. The Lima and Paris climate conferences will provide the best openings for the world to redeem itself. States Members of the United Nations should step forward with a sense of urgency and commitment to addressing climate change today, not tomorrow. It should not just be science and real life experiences that force us to act, but also our consciences. Against this backdrop, the Climate Summit on Tuesday was timely. Its message was clear and simple. Our actions to address climate change are grossly inadequate.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Apportioning blame for the present state of our environment is in itself yet another human failing. It serves no useful purpose. Being judgemental will not restore our environment. Those who exploit the traditional divide between developed and developing countries and ideological and political differences do so conveniently, to mask their own unwillingness to be part of the solution to an impending global catastrophe. There is too much at stake for the world to just sit idly by. Strong visionary leadership that rises beyond the dictates of vested national interests and political tenures and views the world as a single constituency where everyone must work together within the limits of their capacity and capability to be part of the total solution is at a premium.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Known crises of global dimensions pale in comparison to what climate change poses to our world as a whole and to the future security of some of our low-lying islands as sovereign States. Climate change is indifferent to the suffering of countries touched by its destructive reach. The victims can be rich or poor, large or small, resilient or vulnerable, but they hardly matter. It impacts all. For some there are already existential implications looming. Others may consider the effect on them to be minimal. Such complacency would be a grave mistake and tantamount to gross negligence. If climate change is not addressed comprehensively, the consequences for our planet will be dire indeed and will affect all countries. No country should therefore stay detached and unconcerned before the plight of the majority. All countries must work together.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Samoa congratulates the President on his election and lends its full support to the agenda that will guide our work during his tenure. In the same spirit, I applaud our Secretary-General and Samoan Prince Tupua Ban Ki-moon for his firm commitment and strong leadership in steering our Organization during this particularly turbulent and difficult period for the world. As members of the global family, our futures and interests are inextricably linked. Crises with a global reach threaten to engulf the world and affect all nations irrespective of whether they caused or contributed to the crisis. Climate change is one such crisis. It is the world’s most urgent problem and the greatest moral challenge of our time.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Let me conclude by conveying our gratitude to all our partners — developed and developing, big and small, Governments and non-governmental organizations, civil society and the private sector — for their dedicated support, which has helped my country to reach a new threshold in its journey as a State Member of the United Nations. Our new status as a non-least developed country beyond January 2014 can be sustained only with the support of Samoa’s truly genuine and durable partners.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Samoa has also proposed to utilize the Conference as a platform to launch specific, concrete SIDS partnerships as the most effective means to implement some of the group’s challenges and as a legacy of the Conference. In advancing the SIDS development agenda, the Samoa Conference strategically provides a window for SIDS as a group to agree on their priorities and to consolidate their positions ahead of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s leaders’ summit on climate change in 2014, the post-2015 United Nations development agenda now under discussion, and the negotiations for a successor climate-change treaty post- 2020, which are in progress.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development called for the convening in 2014 of a Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States, to remind the international community that small island developing States (SIDS) face unique challenges and vulnerabilities requiring dedicated support and to help build their resilience. Samoa is honoured to host that Conference in September 2014, on behalf of the Pacific small island developing countries. The Barbados interregional meeting endorsed “The sustainable development of small island developing States through genuine and durable partnerships” as the overarching theme of the Conference. A renewed global partnership will help SIDS to manage a multitude of risks, so that they can pursue inclusive economic growth, social development and environmental sustainability.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We therefore welcome the joint proposal by the United States and Russia and the willingness of Syria to have its chemical weapons destroyed under the competent United Nations authority. We expect total compliance, which is required for this initiative to succeed. As long as weapons of mass destruction such as chemical weapons continue to exist, some megalomaniac will sooner or later resort to their use, with deadly consequences for the world. The ultimate safeguard is, of course, the destruction of all such weapons, whether chemical, biological or nuclear.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“The renewed efforts made and great courage shown in the process of restarting the stalled Middle East peace plan for the Israeli and Palestinian peoples has our strongest endorsement. It gives rise to hope that the two-State solution, which is the only option with realistic prospects for lasting peace, can still be achieved. The number of areas of tension and trouble spots around the globe is increasing, and they are getting deadlier. The availability of weapons of mass destruction and, now, their use in Syria is unnerving. The untold suffering brought about by the Syrian crisis has touched many hearts, and the latest episode, where we watched in utter disbelief the use of chemical weapons to kill indiscriminately defenceless victims and even children, is incomprehensible.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“The United Nations needs to adapt to the changing contemporary international environment or risk being bypassed in favour of institutions and groupings that are more responsive to the needs of Member States. The High-level Political Forum is one such welcome reform, and Samoa is very pleased to have participated in its inaugural meeting this week. Still more fundamental reform is required to address the existing imbalances in the current power structure of the Security Council through the enlargement of both categories of membership and improvements to its working methods, so as to reflect the realities of the present time and to enhance the Council’s role and effectiveness.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We place great faith in the rule of law and the vital protection it offers to all States, especially to weak and small countries such as mine, with no armed force and not affiliated with any military grouping. The International Criminal Court (ICC) is an important part of the architecture of world peace based on the rule of law, and we are pleased to have been the second State party to ratify the two Kampala amendments to the Rome Statute last year. With the deposit yesterday of the ninth instrument of ratification, we hope that the Kampala amendments will come into force soon and that the ICC will become the first court since the international military tribunals in Nuremburg and Tokyo to hold individuals responsible for crimes of aggression.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“While nations desire peace and talk of peace, far more of the national wealth goes towards the development and acquisition of ever more sophisticated and destructive weapons of mass destruction. Our Pacific region was the scene of a great deal of nuclear testing, with some islands still bearing the scars of those tests. Our regional response was the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty, the Rarotonga Treaty, to ensure that nuclear testing in the Pacific would be a thing of the past. Samoa reaffirms its continued support for a nuclear-test-free world. Early agreement must be reached to ban nuclear testing and to cease the creation and manufacture of more nuclear weapons.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)