I would like to congratulate
Mr. Sam Kutesa on his election to lead the General
Assembly at its sixty-ninth session. I wish to thank him
and the outgoing President, Mr. John Ashe, for their
leadership. I must also commend Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon, who has more than measured up to the
tremendous tasks associated with his high Office.
Allow me to extend my sympathies to the families
of the victims of the tragic and appalling events that
have recently unfolded around the world, from the
passengers on Malaysia Airlines Flight MH-17 to the
recent beheadings by the Islamic State of Iraq and
Syria, to the victims of the Ebola epidemic and natural
disasters. We will never forget those tragedies and the
loss of lives.
I am humbled to speak in this hallowed Hall for the
last time as President of my island nation, the Federated
States of Micronesia. Like my predecessors, I come
with great respect for this honourable institution. This
global Organization is best suited to address and solve
the pressing issues of our global family.
I have come to the United Nations compelled
by the dictates of conscience. We are all stewards of
God’s creation here on Earth. The bounties of Mother
Nature are priceless, and we all bear the obligation to
sustainably manage them.
Over 30 years ago, small island countries brought
the issue of climate change to the attention of the
United Nations. Some Members have criticized us for
focusing too much on climate change and sea-level rise,
but those issues influence our every decision and affect
every aspect of life in our islands. Across the globe, the
deadly impacts of climate change on the environment
are stark realities. Others can afford to speak of them
as future threats, but we in small island countries
are already facing the impacts, which are worse than
science predicted.
Micronesia means “little islands”, with atolls rising
only a few feet above sea level. According to the Fifth
Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change, human-caused climate change
is leading to sea-level rise, more frequent and more
intense typhoons and severe droughts. A small increase
in the sea level would be a catastrophe for the atolls
of Micronesia. Our islands contribute almost nothing
towards the causes of climate change, and yet we
face the brunt of its adverse impacts. Climate change
threatens our food and water security, the health of our
population, the health of our oceans and coral reefs,
our biodiversity and the very existence of our island
nations.
What are we doing about it? Collectively, in order
for small islands to survive, the Alliance of Small
Island States (AOSIS) advocates for limiting global
warming to well below a 1.5°C increase above the
pre-industrial temperature. That requires immediate
action from all stakeholders. Small Island Developing
States (SIDS) must not be asked to fight climate change
by themselves. On that note, we support the recently
launched World Bank initiative on carbon pricing.
Next year, the twenty-first session of the Conference
of the Parties to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (COP21), to be held
in Paris, will establish a new climate change treaty,
which will go into effect in 2020. However, the United
Nations Environment Programme has identified a pre-
2020 emissions gap. Therefore, AOSIS has also made
an important proposal to the work plan on enhancing
mitigation ambitions in order to close the gap.
Micronesia has made an equally important proposal
to amend the Montreal Protocol to phase down the
production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons
(HFCs), which are powerful greenhouse gases. That
action can reduce the global average temperature
increase by up to 0.5°C by the end of this century.
Reducing HFCs and other short-lived climate pollutants
can reduce the rate of sea-level rise by 25 per cent.
Near-term climate mitigation will give all atolls around
the globe a chance to survive.
The Montreal Protocol’s success and enormous
potential to protect the climate was recognized in The
Economist this week. The magazine has a separate
editorial entitled “Paris via Montreal: The quickest
way to cut greenhouse gases is to expand the Montreal
Protocol”. Indeed, the success of the Montreal Protocol
in the next six months is our ticket to a successful
outcome in Paris at COP 21. I commend the United
States of America and China for continuing to work
to fulfil their agreement to use the Montreal Protocol
to reduce HFCs. I call on other world leaders to join
Micronesia and adopt the proposed HFC amendment.
In the face of already occurring climate change
impacts, the best small island nations can do on the
ground is to try to anticipate and adapt to climate change
and instil the best possible disaster risk reduction and
response policies. Adaptation is therefore a priority
in Micronesia’s Climate Change Act, which was
recognized at the recent world summit of the Global
Legislators Organization for a Balanced Environment.
The Act implements our nationwide integrated disaster
risk management and climate change policy. The goal of
the policy is two-fold: first, to achieve economic growth
and self-reliance within a framework of sustainable
development, and secondly, to minimize the risks
associated with all human-induced and natural hazards,
including those associated with climate change.
Micronesia has also developed an agriculture policy
to address food and water security and strengthen
economic development. The policy also provides the
basis for action to revitalize sustainable agriculture,
while recognizing the major role played by traditional
farming systems and the importance of climate-resilient
crops. Other key national actions of Micronesia and
other SIDS are reflected in the Majuro Declaration for
Climate Leadership and the Palau Declaration on “The
Ocean: Life and Future”.
In this International Year of Small Island
Developing States, the United Nations has convened
a number of important conferences whose outcomes
must be incorporated into the post-2015 development
agenda. In that regard, I stress the critical importance
of implementing the Small Island Developing
States Accelerated Modalities of Action — Samoa
Pathway — the purpose of which is to stimulate
sustainable development in SIDS through durable and
genuine partnerships.
We note with appreciation the report by the
Chairs of the Open Working Group on Sustainable
Development Goals and fully endorse the proposed
sustainable development goals (SDGs). We rely on
our development partners to assist us in undertaking
the actions identified in the Samoa Pathway and in
fulfilling the SDGs in ways that are appropriate for our
peoples and our cultures.
Clean energy and energy efficiency are two of the
key engines for advancing our sustainable and low-
carbon development. Therefore, our national energy
policy gives priority to energy efficiency and renewable
energy. By 2020, the share of renewable energy sources
will be at least 30 per cent of total energy production,
while electricity efficiency will increase by 50 per cent.
That will require harnessing sunshine, which we have
in abundance, as well as renewable wind and marine
energy resources. I call on our development partners
to assist us in implementing our national energy
policy, including through the SIDS Renewable Energy
Initiative.
Our ocean and its resources are of paramount
importance, but they are threatened by climate change
and ocean acidification, which damage coral reefs and
could alter the migration patterns of tuna, our most
commercially valuable resource. Foreign vessels,
which enjoy unprecedented returns from harvesting
our exclusive economic zone, need to help us maintain
the health, productivity and resilience of our ocean.
Micronesia must also receive fair compensation for the
value of its resources.
As part of a programme of sustainable use, we must
reduce the amount of by-catch being discarded, bring
it to shore and put it to good use. Illegal, unreported
and unregulated fishing (IUU fishing) continues to
threaten our ocean resources and undermines our
economic sustainability. We all must abide by the rules.
IUU fishing must be stopped.
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have become
a leading cause of death in the Pacific. Therefore,
Pacific leaders have declared NCDs an epidemic. Such
diseases are lifestyle diseases, but they are compounded
by climate change, which destroys our food crops
and contaminates our water supplies. Tackling that
multisectoral issue requires broad cooperation and
support.
Human trafficking is one of the most serious social
diseases of modern society. It robs individuals of their
dignity, particularly women and children. Profiting
from human misery is despicable. Micronesia supports
the eradication of trafficking in all its forms. Objective
and transparent ratings of countries will help achieve
that goal.
We urge the establishment of the “One UN”
approach for the North Pacific. We are now benefiting
from the United Nations Joint Presence in the region,
but we need to increase its efficiency at the country
level. The One UN approach is timely as we position
ourselves to implement the Samoa Pathway and the
post-2015 development agenda, and it will help us
address our national priorities.
Despite the United Nations target of setting aside
0.7 per cent of gross national product for official
development assistance, most developed nations fall far
short of that goal. Small island developing States face
unique challenges owing to our extreme vulnerabilities,
including climate change. The need for financial and
technical assistance from development partners is
greater than ever, especially for human resources
development and the capacity-building of domestic
institutions.
Internationally agreed financial mechanisms such
as the Green Climate Fund must be fully capitalized
and sufficiently scaled up to support the post-2015
development agenda. We applaud Germany, France and
six other nations for pledging specific sums. We urge
those countries and the other major economic Powers
that are also the major polluters to deliver the funds.
My Government has liberalized its
telecommunications system, and the World Bank is
providing assistance in the form of grants for installing
a state-of-the-art fibre-optic system in my country. That
much-needed infrastructure will spur economic and
social development. We continue to look to the World
Bank, the International Telecommunication Union,
the Asian Development Bank and other development
partners to help us accelerate implementation of that
new system and provide for cyber-security.
The reform of the Security Council is long overdue.
A reformed Council should reflect the political realities
of today. It would be inconceivable to have a reformed
Council without permanent seats for Japan, Germany,
Brazil and India, as well as representation for Africa.
Micronesia is confident that the United Nations
can maintain international peace and security. It shines
like a bright beacon of hope for those suffering from
the ravages of war. Micronesia condemns senseless
killings, no matter where they occur. The Middle East
is a specific trouble spot that deserves this body’s
attention. Peace can be achieved through mutual
respect and economic stability, not by using civilian
lives as shields.
Micronesia also looks to the United Nations to
effectively address the global security threats posed by
climate change. Micronesia has taken an active role in
the international sustainable development and climate
change negotiation processes. We will continue seeking
solutions to those challenges, out of the conviction that
it is our moral obligation to protect Mother Nature
and her bounties. All countries must work together to
protect our children’s future.