I bring greetings from the people of Solomon Islands to this Hall.
We reaffirm our commitment to the principles of this 78-year-old Organization for a world of peace and shared prosperity, progress through partnership and a sustainable future with dignity and liberty.
The people of Solomon Islands extend our congratulations to a fellow islander from Trinidad and Tobago. His Excellency Ambassador Dennis Francis, on his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-eighth session. We also acknowledge his predecessor. His Excellency Ambassador Mr. Csaba Korosi. for his stewardship throughout the seventy-seventh session of the General Assembly. I wish him every success in his future endeavours.
I too would like to join the international community in conveying, on behalf of the people of Solomon Islands, our deepest condolences to the Government and the people of the Kingdom of Morocco and Libya, respectively. We pray for their speedy recovery and that the Almighty give strength and comfort to those who lost their loved ones, livelihoods and homes.
The choice of this year’s theme is very interesting given our current state of world affairs, and it is one that resonates well with Solomon Islands. Eight years ago. in this very Hall, we made a pledge to save our planet, eradicate poverty and address the climate crisis (see A/70/PV.4). Collectively, we resolved to adopt the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in our bid to ensure that no one is left behind. The Paris Agreement on Climate Change is also a testament of that unified resolve.
However, today the health of our planet has declined, and poverty has increased. We are also presented with a runaway climate crisis that threatens our very existence and questions our resolve. Those multiple predicaments, coupled with the toxic mix of geopolitical power posturing, conflicts and economic downturn, have called into question our collective commitments to the very purpose of our Organization and the effectiveness of multilateralism in our fast changing world.
Taking stock of our achievements, it is unacceptable that 85 per cent of the global Sustainable Development Goal targets are either off track or stagnant or have regressed. The gravity of that situation cannot be
ignored, especially for least developed countries (LDCs) and small island developing States (SIDS). The theme presented not only highlights the failure of multilateralism, but also raises the immediate need for us to restore our trust and reignite our solidarity by upholding our global commitment within the principles and spirit of the Charter of the United Nations. The theme further presents an opportunity for us to take stock of our own shortcomings and to see where we can breathe new life into the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. If it means re-engineering our method of collaboration and raising our ambition to bolster and accelerate global action in the next seven years, then we must start today.
As an LDC. we are heartened by the international community’s support to extend our preparatory period to graduate from such a status to 2027. We thank the international community for its solidarity and support. Solomon Islands remains committed to having our smooth transition strategy in place by the end of 2024. We are reviewing our 2016-2035 national development strategy, and we have prioritized infrastructure resilience, digital connectivity, technology transfer, investment, trade and energy reforms to ensure that our graduation is resilient, sustainable and irreversible. That is our effort to salvage and re sene the 2030 Agenda.
To propel our economic recovery and build our resilience, we need bilateral and multilateral support to advance our development aspirations and address our vulnerabilities. In that vein, we once again reiterate our call for an enhanced United Nations in-country presence. We therefore call for the immediate implementation of the six priorities of the Doha Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries 2022-2031 and for translating those commitments into reality. We also welcome the inclusion of Solomon Islands in the pilot phase of the early-warning systems through the resilience-building mechanism, and we look forward to the utilization of the sustainable graduation support facility to support our transition initiatives towards graduation.
The world’s commitment to multilateralism must be strengthened. Solomon Islands calls for stronger political will from the “haves” to grant LDCs non-reciprocal trade arrangements and Generalized System of Preferences arrangements. Good-neighbourly relations means caring and striving for all. The 47 LDCs account for only 1 per cent of global trade.
We acknowledge and value South- South cooperation because it is less restrictive and more responsive and is aligned to our national needs. We applaud the People’s Republic of China for its initiative in accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda through its Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative. During my discussions with President Xi Jinping in July. Solomon Islands and China reached an understanding to establish a comprehensive strategic framework that aims to achieve our National Development Strategy 2016-2035 and the 2030 Agenda through those transformative initiatives.
Such initiatives carry significant importance in promoting, implementing and achieving the 2030 Agenda on the Sustainable Development Goals. We call on all partners to adopt that transformative partnership model. If we are to rebuild trust and reignite solidarity, then let us start by changing how we engage and by reforming our international financial architecture. Our appetite for transformative change has never been higher, and we look forward to working closely with all partners that are genuine to partner with us in our path to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
I call for the establishment of a permanent seat for SIDS in the decision-making body within the international financial architecture to ensure inclusivity. As a small island developing State, we support the fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States, scheduled to be held in Antigua and Barbuda in May 2024. The gathering is expected to present a road map of collective action to succeed the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action Pathway. We have every confidence that that new partnership will be ambitious and will recommit global action to the unique and special needs of SIDS.
On the matter of the development of the multidimensional vulnerability index. Solomon Islands supports the call for the adoption of the multidimensional vulnerability index and its implementation and operationalization during the seventy-eighth session of the General Assembly. That is a SIDS initiative, which takes into account the cross-dimensional vulnerability of SIDS to recover and build back better. Therefore, the modus operand! of the international financial institutions must be reformed to address our special circumstances of vulnerability.
There can be no sustainable development without peace, and no peace without sustainable development.
The world cannot achieve the Sustainable Development Goals with all the conflict and wars that are going on. The past seven years have shown us that. Solomon Islands reiterates its call for the cessation of all conflict, including the Ukraine war. We must restore faith in our Charter and give peace a chance. We must better understand each other, listen to each other more and seek diplomatic solutions to all conflicts. Wars have exacerbated our vulnerability, have broken our trust and undermine our solidarity. It remains a great distraction from our development agenda. Swords must now be converted into ploughs. It is time that we sow seeds of peace so that we can reap the fruit of progress, prosperity and sustainability.
We continue to call for an expanded, democratic, equitable, transparent and accountable Security Council that represents today’s realities. That includes a dedicated seat for small islands developing States. Nine years ago. Solomon Islands registered its interest in serving on the Security Council for the period from 2031 to 2032. Today we continue to seek international support for our candidature, and we thank those that have given their support. We again reiterate our strong belief in multilateralism and reaffirm our commitment to the spirit and purpose of the United Nations Charter.
Solomon Islands will host the 17th Pacific Games — the region’s largest and premium multi-sport event — for the first time in our history from 19 November to 2 December. Our shores will be graced by the presence of more than 5.000 athletes from 24 countries and territories within the Pacific region, including Australia and New Zealand. We stand united and proud to deliver on that regional commitment.
Solomon Islands is grateful and appreciates the ongoing support from our bilateral and multilateral partners, in particular the People’s Republic of China, which has become our leading infrastructure partner. We also thank Saudi Arabia. Australia. New Zealand. Indonesia. Papua New Guinea, the Republic of Korea and Japan for their support.
Countless voices have echoed the same sentiment, namely, that climate change remains the single-greatest threat to our people and planet. But have we seriously and truly taken heed? The ambition under the Paris Agreement remains low. We need to keep the 1.5°C target alive and close the mitigation gap. The global stocktake under the Paris Agreement is critical to keeping everyone honest and knowing where we are. what we need to do and how to keep the 1.5°C goal alive. The loss and damage mechanism needs to be resourced and operationalized. Global trust needs to be restored to uphold the credibility of the Paris Agreement. We must walk the talk by taking drastic climate action.
Solomon Islands welcomes the deliberations of the International Court of Justice on the Vanuatu initiative for climate change. We must accelerate our transition to a low-carbon economy and further support the Port Vila initiative for a just transition from fossil fuels. Developed countries must take the lead in financing the construction of climate-resilient safe islands in SIDS. That must be a global priority.
Solomon Islands is pleased to inform the General Assembly that we ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The National Disability Inclusive Policy and the Mental Health Policy provide the implementation framework to ensure that the rights of persons with disabilities are promoted and protected at all levels. We are cognizant of our duty to provide an enabling environment and mechanisms that enable our people to exercise their fundamental rights, as provided for under our Constitution.
Solomon Islands reaffirms the right to self-determination. as enshrined under the United Nations Charter. On the question of New Caledonia and French Polynesia. Solomon Islands notes with deep concern the credibility of the latest referendum in New Caledonia. We urgently call on the relevant body and stakeholders to look into that matter.
Solomon Islands notes with deep concern the six- decade embargo imposed on Cuba. That unilateral action undermines the spirit of multilateralism and Cuba’s progress towards achieving the 2030 Agenda. We urge our friend and partner, the United States of America, to lift the unjust economic embargo placed on Cuba. That is an opportunity to rebuild trust and reignite solidarity. Embargoes do not augur well with the resolve of this organ to leave no one behind. On behalf of the people of Solomon Islands. I take this opportunity to thank Cuba for the support to our health sector through the training of our medical doctors in recent years.
Two days ago. Solomon Islands became one of the first signatories to the agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, a subsidiary to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. In collaboration with the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries
Agency. Solomon Islands will host a summit on the implementation of SDG 14.4 in Honiara next year. That will be done in coordination with the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Ocean. The summit will showcase Pacific leadership in tuna fisheries management. The outcome will feed into the third United Nations Ocean Conference, to be held in June 2025.
We note the ongoing work of the current intergovernmental negotiating committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. That is critical to maintaining the health, productivity and resilience of our ocean and is in line with 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.
The Pacific had been a victim of power politics long before we became a member of this Organization. The Battle of Guadalcanal is recorded in history as one of the fiercest battles of the Second World War. a war that was not of our making. The lack of urgency eight decades ago to remove the unexploded ordnance (UXO) comes at a great cost to Solomon Islands in finance and in lives. At this juncture. I would like to thank the Government of the United States of America for their continued assistance to the efforts to date. However, more needs to be done to address that threat. I call on responsible countries to remove the UXO and compensate the lives affected and lost.
Since the inception of the United Nations in 1945. the Pacific Islands has remained a stage for power projection by developed nations. As a consequence, from 1946 to 1996. approximately 300 nuclear devices were tested in the Pacific, including in the Marshall Islands. French Polynesia and Kiribati. Did we have a say in that? We did not. Those countries and their people must be compensated commensurably. The nuclear footprint of big Powers in the Pacific is intrinsically carved into our history and genes. To this day. certain populations continue to suffer from health issues because of nuclear testing and dumping in the Pacific.
As a signatory to the 1985 Treaty of Raratonga and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, our commitment to keeping our blue Pacific continent nuclear-free is non-negotiable. We ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty earlier this year, which is a testament to our conviction and principle for a nuclear-free Pacific. We remain concerned about the development of military nuclear investment within the Pacific region, its potential to trigger a nuclear arms race and its implication for our nuclear-free status.
Solomon Islands stands with like-minded Pacific islanders and is appalled by Japan’s decision to discharge more than 1 million tonnes of treated nuclear wastewater into the ocean. We note that the assessment report of the International Atomic Energy Agency is inconclusive and that the scientific data shared remains inadequate, incomplete and biased. Those concerns were ignored. If that nuclear wastewater is safe, it should be stored in Japan. The fact that it is being dumped into the ocean shows that it is not safe.
The effect of that act is transboundary and intergenerational and is an attack on global trust and solidarity. The message is therefore clear: our lives and our people do not matter. The increased warming and acidification of the ocean against the discharge of treated nuclear water over a period of 30-plus years poses worrisome risks for our people’s well-being and future. We call on Japan to explore other options in addressing the treated nuclear wastewater and to immediately stop discharging it into the Pacific Ocean. If we are to rebuild trust and reignite global solidarity, we must be honest and frank in protecting our oceans, which are the lifeblood of our people.
I am morally and ethically obliged to speak for humankind, the voiceless and our children’s children. We are the ocean. It is our past, our present and our future. It is the foundation of our very existence. It is our identity. Please stop the discharge of nuclear treated water, or history will judge us.
In conclusion, in framing the future, we want, and we need, a reformed rules-based international system that is ready for the future and responsive to today’s reality. A change of attitude and approach is needed. The need to understand and reach out to the vulnerable is critical. We must restore our faith in the United Nations Charter and end all wars. We must renew and reaffirm our focus with vigour, matched with resources to deliver on our 2030 Agenda. We have only one life to live. Let us therefore right the wrongs of the past by rebuilding trust and reigniting solidarity to accelerate action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all.
I conclude by paraphrasing Winston Churchill: Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duty and so bear ourselves that, if humankind and the United Nations
last for 1.000 years, men and women will still say: this was their finest hour.
hi mi tugeda — you and me together — for a better United Nations. To God be the Glory, great things He has done. May God bless all present, and may God bless the United Nations.