YouSaid · the spoken record

Kabua

lines on the record

24

first

2013-10-18

most recent

2023-06-13

sittings or episodes

4

sources

un-security-council

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

1. “It should also establish a doctrine that informs the mandates, structures, operations, reporting guidelines and enhanced capacity-training of all United Nations personnel, including peacekeepers, so that they can identify and deal with increasingly prevalent climate-related security challenges. In carrying out its mission, the Council must seek greater input from communities such as ours, which bear the costs of inaction by the world’s largest emitters. Finally, we reiterate our request for the Council’s support in obtaining an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on the obligations of States with respect to climate change. If we are to address the most pressing challenge of our time, we must engage all components of our multilateral system. That includes the full weight and power of the Security Council.”

   2023-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9345Resumption1 (2023) · source

2. “While the Pacific SIDS may be on the front lines of the crisis, climate change poses a global threat to the peace and security of all nations and peoples. The climate-security nexus is an issue that we can no longer ignore. In that spirit, we are calling for clear, tangible and transformative action now. We join the Pacific Islands Forum in calling on the Security Council to appoint a special rapporteur to produce a regular review of the holistic global, regional and national peace and security implications of climate change. In addition, the Council must become climate-sensitive in all its work. In practice, that entails many obligations. For one thing, the Council should consider climate-related risks in the execution of all of its peacekeeping and special political missions.”

   2023-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9345Resumption1 (2023) · source

3. “And forced migration, whether caused by gunfire or climate impacts, is always chaotic, destabilizing and disheartening. Warming ocean temperatures have bleached our coral reefs, which disrupts the subsistence, commercial fishing and ecotourism on which our people depend. Sea level rise has flooded our crops, causing food insecurity. The state of insecurity caused by climate-related disasters also reduces the incentives for foreign direct investment. The fiscal capacity required to address such issues comes at the cost of investment in development, health, education and social services. Those security threats are surely familiar to the Council, but in our case it is climate change that is to blame. Our expanded definition of security must inform the Council’s work in fulfilling its mandate.”

   2023-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9345Resumption1 (2023) · source

4. “For some of our countries, it is a matter of existence versus complete inundation. We are advocating for a holistic definition of security. While one might not expect the pristine blue waters of the Pacific to resemble the war zones with which the Security Council is familiar, forced migration, displacement, food and water insecurity and infrastructure damage are all downstream effects of climate change that threaten our state of peace. Our people are 15 times more likely to die from climate-related effects. Rising sea levels have inundated our coastal villages, causing displacement and forced migration. We have seen time and again that the forced relocation of a Pacific island village looks very much the same as it does in a war zone. Simply put, home is not just a location. It is a place where one is rooted and tethered.”

   2023-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9345Resumption1 (2023) · source

5. “Rising sea levels, ocean acidification and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events are putting undue strain on our economies, food supplies and natural environment. We represent the canary in the coal mine for what will come if we do not take concrete action to transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy and scale up climate finance for adaptation and mitigation. Leading into the twenty-eighth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, we once again emphasize the absolute imperative of limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. For our island States, 0.5°C represents more than a bureaucratic point of debate. It is the difference between a state of security and a state of chaos.”

   2023-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9345Resumption1 (2023) · source

6. “It is my honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the 12 Pacific small island developing States. We align ourselves with the statement delivered by the representative of Papua New Guinea on behalf of the Pacific Islands Forum, and would like to express our sincere gratitude to the United Arab Emirates for hosting this important debate on the interconnectedness of climate and peace and security. We have repeatedly stated that climate change is the single greatest challenge facing our island homes. While our countries are the smallest contributors to global climate change, we have found ourselves on the front lines of the crisis. Our way of life is facing extinction.”

   2023-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9345Resumption1 (2023) · source

7. “The international system can invite and encourage collective action in this regard between low-lying atoll nations, within regions and between small island developing States. Thirdly, it should identify the scale of resilience and adaptation actions, including large-scale interventions, needed to reduce security risks from sea level rise inundation. As a practical matter, the Council can examine at least a baseline assessment and if are those actions being taken adequately, or why they are not. Just because the questions are tough, or the nations concerned are remote and small, that is no reason for the Council to fail to take adequate action, particularly regarding a region that is now realizing wider geo- strategic engagement.”

   2023-02-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9260Resumption1 (2023) · source

8. “First, the Council should take note of the ongoing action taken by the Marshall Islands and in concert with actions of Pacific Island Forum members regarding geo-referenced maritime boundaries. These boundaries are intended to preserve both stability and the legal definition of our unique regional characteristics, including our Pacific waters. Our own territorial integrity and sovereignty remain defined as state practice, even as we face severe threats, including sea level rise. Secondly, it should address the importance of security and common state fragility in our Oceania region and encourage the United Nations system, including the Peacebuilding Fund, to strengthen engagement in supporting national structures for security, including climate dimensions, and to spur further local community engagement.”

   2023-02-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9260Resumption1 (2023) · source

9. “The Security Council must spare no effort in seeking to build upon its presidential statement of 20 July 2011, in which the Council expressed “concern that possible security implications of loss of territory of some States caused by sea-level-rise may arise, in particular in small low-lying island States.” (S/PRST/2011/15, p. 2) Where the Council does not speak further, individual members can and must act. Many of the needed tools are already in front of the Council, and more focused action from the international system can be invited. What is needed most is the political will to start the job, supported by a United Nations special representative. I would like to offer the Council the following three points.”

   2023-02-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9260Resumption1 (2023) · source

10. “As a low-lying atoll island nation, I want to first congratulate Malta, a dear fellow island nation, on assuming the presidency of the Council and extend to it our appreciation for convening this important and critical debate. We have repeatedly outlined not only the security implications of sea-level rise, but also action pathways well within the Council’s mandate. This includes addressing traditional security benchmarks — forced displacement and resettlement between populations — and overall fragility, as well as unpacking complex issues concerning resilience and sovereignty itself. For atoll and low-lying island nations like my own, these are not sudden issues. We have considered these security implications since the earliest climate policy discussions.”

    2023-02-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9260Resumption1 (2023) · source

11. “If the Council is serious about conflict prevention, then it should take to heart our voice and that of other small island nations.”

    2017-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7857 (2017) · source

12. “As a low-lying nation, it is important that we understand such linkages in the wider security and political context. We recall the Council's 2011 presidential statement on climate and security (S/PRST/2011/15), which states that there are security implications on the loss of territory for low- lying nations and the risk of aggravating certain threats to international peace and security. Those are not words to be ignored. They must be understood in regions like ours where fragility is a worsening baseline. I urge the Council in its future work not only to strengthen engagement on conflict prevention resolution, but also to assure that there is an agenda item and regularized treatment of small island States. It is unlikely that we will be at the immediate front of conflicts, but the longer-term trend points in very dangerous directions.”

    2017-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7857 (2017) · source

13. “Long-term risks of instability are growing and are coupled with growing youth populations and overwhelming unemployment. The treatment of our security cannot be considered apart from that of much larger geostrategic interaction. For many, including those in the Pacific, our baseline is State fragility and we are uniquely vulnerable to external shocks. Others might see our sovereignty and marine resources asjust a string ofpearls to be collected in a contest between the growing rivalries of major world Powers that is fought across the Pacific Ocean. Our Pacific regional statement made a compelling case for increased attention to the relationship between climate change and security, where there are important linkages within and across all regions.”

    2017-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7857 (2017) · source

14. “I would call the Council's attention to the July 2015 open debate on peace and security challenges facing small island developing States (SIDS), which was convened by the presidency of New Zealand (see S/PV.7499). The debate revealed new dimensions of security analysis across SIDS regions and it should not be an isolated event. It is imperative that the Council establish a regular agenda item or regularized treatment of this topic. Small islands States make up nearly 20 per cent of the membership of the United Nations. Our populations are small, our water is vast, and our location often sits between the edges of major and often conflicting global Powers. Yet based on the Council's agenda, one would think that we barely exist. However, basic math reveals that the Council is overlooking concerning emerging trends across our region.”

    2017-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7857 (2017) · source

15. “That will further build global confidence and avoid or minimize security disasters before they occur. We fully support the Council's increased attention and appropriate engagement on the role of women and young women in conflict prevention and resolution. The Marshall Islands affirms the Pacific Islands Forum's Regional Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, adopted in 2012, and we call for renewed efforts to take it forward. I do not see the treatment of gender and security as something rooted in an ideological high ground or any particular political agenda. Rather, I urge the Council to look at it through a very practical lens, and consider the impacts upon, and the active role of, half of the world's population in addressing peace and security.”

    2017-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7857 (2017) · source

16. “Furthermore, I would also like to congratulate the Secretary-General and to thank him for taking on such a tremendous challenge at this time. As we begin this new calendar year, it is of paramount importance that the Security Council be better able to demonstrate credible and responsive leadership. If indeed the world is at a moment where a large question mark hangs over multilateralism, then confidence must be strengthened. The Marshall Islands is a small nation but it is very much a full and equal Member of the United Nations - one whose deeper history is also marked by the imprint of global conflict and threat. Our firm view is that more proactive approaches are needed to address to conflict prevention, and stronger political will is necessary to drive it forward.”

    2017-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7857 (2017) · source

17. “The Republic of the Marshall Islands aligns itself with the statement delivered by the representative of the Federated States of Micronesia on behalf of the Pacific small island developing States. I wish to thank the delegation of Sweden for convening this debate and to congratulate it warmly on assuming the Security Council presidency for this month. I also wish to extend congratulations on behalf of my Government to the new members of the Security Council. I wish them every success during their tenure. Moreover, through you, Mr. President, I would also like to convey my personal gratitude to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden, Ms. Margot Wallstrom. It is wonderful to have met her in person and to have witnessed her exemplary leadership.”

    2017-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7857 (2017) · source

18. “A range of further means may be considered, including the United Nations regional gender architecture, United Nations in-country assistance - which is highly lacking - and resource allocation decisions. The Biketawa Declaration sets out the framework for regional conflict prevention and management of political crises. Our regional action plan is a key platform to better integrate gender into that security framework and thus represents a specific response to relevant Security Council resolutions. In conclusion, the countries of the Pacific Islands Forum are committed to work with like-minded countries to ensure that our necessary local efforts and our contributions to the United Nations will always encourage and support resolution 1325 (2000).”

    2013-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7044 (2013) · source

19. “Earlier this year, a regional reference group was established to oversee the regional action plan's implementation. The action plan provides a detailed regional framework to enhance women's and young women's leadership in conflict prevention and peacebuilding, mainstream gender and ensure the protection of women's and girls' human rights in humanitarian crises and in transitioning from conflict, disaster or post-conflict situations - all with a mechanism to accelerate the implementation of existing international, regional and national commitments on women, peace and security. The action plan assists in addressing gaps and advancing solutions.”

    2013-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7044 (2013) · source

20. “The Pacific region is working to achieve better participation in formal conflict prevention and management and post-conflict recovery efforts, as well as oversight and accountability mechanisms for the security sector. The region recognizes the value of having women at the negotiating table in leadership roles and the need to provide sufficient recognition and resources to ensure that they are able to do their work. In December 2010, as part of the tenth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), a Pacific regional working group on women, peace and security was established. In June 2011, the Forum Regional Security Committee gave the group the policy task of developing a regional action plan, which has been formally recognized by our leaders.”

    2013-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7044 (2013) · source

21. “In times of natural disaster, which are increasing in the Pacific region, women and girls are more prone to sexual violence in the context of displacement due to the loss of their homes or traditional protection mechanisms though their family or clan structures. In many Violent situations in the Pacific region, women have demonstrated their capacity to contribute to solutions as mediators, providers of safe havens, or in working to improve local communities. Women and young women have also played an important part in conflict prevention, management and recovery in the region. Women have generally been first to actively work across ethnic divides, despite considerable risks.”

    2013-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7044 (2013) · source

22. “A range of potential drivers is apparent, rangining from economic inequalities, land, governance, alienated youth, urban migration and inter-group tensions, with results that inevitably disrupt the lives of women and their families and increase the risk of sexual and gender-based Violence. More recently, the Forum leaders have recognized climate change as the greatest threat to the livelihood and well-being of the peoples of the Pacific. Climate impacts can lead to forced displacement, with clear implications for women, and raise security questions that have no simple solutions or easy precedents.”

    2013-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7044 (2013) · source

23. “At the same time, despite some very positive overall gains, progress in the region towards gender equality is slow, with only mixed results since the Forum issued the Pacific Leaders Gender Equality Declaration last year. Despite some positive steps, including the number of women serving in important and very senior Government positions, women's parliamentary representation in the Pacific is the lowest ofany region in the world. The region has recently witnessed and continues to be affected by armed conflict, civil unrest and local-level conflicts over resources, as well as increasingly violent crimes and political crises. Women and children constitute a disproportionate number of those affected. Women face a variety of security challenges in the Pacific, including water and food security, loss of land, Violence, and economic empowerment.”

    2013-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7044 (2013) · source

24. “This is the first time I have spoken on behalf of the Pacific Islands Forum States in this Chamber. On their behalf, I want to first offer our sincere congratulations to you, Sir, on assuming the presidency, as well as to thank you and the members around the table for convening and holding this important meeting. I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Pacific Islands Forum States represented at the United Nations: Australia, the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and my small atoll nation, the Republic of the Marshall Islands. The Pacific Islands Forum members stand on the leading edge of evolving security issues - situations in which women play a critical role to play in working towards stability.”

    2013-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7044 (2013) · source