Vanuatu

I bring to this gathering a warm greeting from the people of the Republic of Vanuatu. Mr. President, at the outset, I take this opportunity to congratulate you on your assumption of the presidency of the General Assembly at its fifty- ninth session. I also take this occasion to acknowledge with deep gratitude the contributions of your predecessor, who so competently steered the work of the fifty-eighth session to its conclusion. Here, I must also acknowledge the outstanding role of Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who has been resolute in his efforts to revitalize the Organization’s ability to address global concerns. My delegation reaffirms its support for Mr. Annan’s profound and meticulous leadership of the United Nations. I also take this opportunity to convey the condolences of my Government and the people of Vanuatu to the people of the Caribbean nations, in particular Haiti, for the loss of so many lives and for the extensive damage caused by the destructive forces of nature that recently swept through the region. We offer them our moral support and pray that the affected peoples will soon recover and that the devastated areas of their nations will be swiftly rehabilitated and rebuilt. Those inevitable natural calamities demonstrate once more the extreme and particular vulnerability of island States, which seriously affects national economies. Every year, from this rostrum, we reaffirm our faith and confidence in upholding the purposes and principles of the Charter. We entered the new millennium with much anticipation and hope of creating a just and better world for all our citizens. However, global insecurity and the varying dimensions of serious conflict have created a frightening situation. It is to be expected that the world will plunge into further turmoil unless the role of the United Nations — the only truly global body — is reinvigorated and recovers its legitimate responsibility of addressing the causes of conflict and maintaining peace and security. I come to the Assembly with some trepidation, as I see our world spiralling out of control unless its Members uphold the universality of the United Nations decision- making process in addressing global concerns. The world is at a crossroads and we meet here at a critical juncture. Around us, civil strife, wars, poverty, disease, famine, drought, natural disasters, terrorism, environmental degradation, depletion of land and marine resources and other phenomena are ravaging the world. The displacement of peoples from their natural habitats and the sacrilege of human suffering in many parts of the world demonstrate that 25 unless immediate remedial strategies are implemented, the global situation will continue to deteriorate. Moreover, the emergence of conflict in areas we once believed stable, the deterioration of law and order and the senseless killing of innocent peoples are painful reminders that we need to rethink our policies and decisions. Globalization has brought with it both opportunities and challenges, but for the small island States the challenges are much more ominous. Those are the realities. Those negative developments lead me to conclude that the United Nations is indispensable and that we all need to work as friends and equal partners. Globalization has brought nations together. We are interlinked and interdependent. That demands global cooperation and governance from all responsible Members of the Organization. Understandably, there are the vested interests of the powerful, but that only necessitates genuine cooperation and goodwill to achieve convergence of those interests. The United Nations role in that regard must remain fundamental in order to ensure compatibility with the international legal framework. Maverick policies and decisions will only create further divisions and hostility. With that in mind, I believe there is now consensus on introducing far-reaching reforms that make the United Nations relevant for all its Members, with the fundamental objective of preserving international peace, security and stability. My Government fully supports efforts to reform the United Nations system in order to ensure a stronger and more effective Organization. On that note, my delegation endorses the view of other delegations on the need to review the membership of the Security Council so that it will better reflect geographical distribution and the underrepresented groups of Member countries of the United Nations, without affecting the authority of the Council. I hope all the rhetoric that has come before the Assembly can be translated into concrete and practical action. We must be resolute in our collective desire to work together as sovereign nations in addressing the world’s problems through multilateral institutions. The blueprint for international cooperation has been established, but reforming certain structures in the United Nations system must be seen as a prerequisite if we are serious about moving forward. The Achilles heel of the current structure is the imbalance of power in the United Nations system. It has become so chronic that it has weakened the multilateral focus, cohesiveness and internationalism of the United Nations. The principles of democratization and good governance so actively advocated and championed by some Members must be reflected in the reorganization and decision-making process of the United Nations system. It is in this regard that Vanuatu supports the review of the permanent membership of the Security Council in order to include Japan and one representative each from the African continent, the Middle East and the group of small developing countries. A more representative Council will bring about openness and transparency, create confidence and ameliorate understanding and cooperation. A restructuring of the membership of the Security Council is long overdue. Diversity is essential there. My Government looks forward to the report of the Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Threats. Although the fight against terrorism takes centre stage, it must not overshadow the socio-economic development agenda and other serious security concerns affecting the developing world, and in particular small island States. Resources will inevitably be diverted towards combating terrorism in all its facets, but judicious decisions need to be taken. It is against that background that our delegation wishes to associate itself with statements made by other delegations on the imperativeness of supporting the development constraints of developing nations, and in particular the concerns of the small island States on vulnerability. At the Millennium Summit leaders adopted the eight Millennium Development Goals, with targets to be achieved by 2015. Although commitments have been made, the lethargic performance of many countries, including Vanuatu, demonstrate the need for more international support in assisting countries to meet those targets. The global economic situation today discriminates against many developing economies. Unfair trading practices and the imposition of intrusive policies on national economies — including that of Vanuatu — affect those economies by opening them up to unfavourable conditions that only favour stronger nations. The post-Cancún period poses extreme challenges to the economic survival and socio- 26 economic stability of many small developing nations like Vanuatu. My Government’s initial focus is on the social sector, namely, on health and education. The Government’s prioritized action agenda, which was launched last year in consultation with our development partners, is the catalyst for Vanuatu’s medium- to long-term strategic planning. This development policy framework is consistent with achieving the targets of the Millennium Development Goals and emphasizes the need to empower our rural population through infrastructure- and capacity- building initiatives. We appeal to our development partners to adequately assist us in its implementation. On that note, my delegation wishes to express its gratitude to the United States of America for granting Vanuatu eligibility to access development funding from the Millennium Challenge Account. The primary responsibility for development lies with a State itself. Yet, external influences and conditional aid have not adequately corresponded with Vanuatu’s development priorities and achievements. The pretext for meting out foreign advice conditioned with development assistance has been to improve governance and other sectors considered vital in establishing a strong economy. In Vanuatu’s case that line of argument has not produced tangible results, with restricted progress being reflected in our continuous struggle with reforms that are more or less dictated by external forces. Both the recipient and the external assistance must be balanced and sensitive to national interests. Too often, that normal reaction is misunderstood by some of our development partners. From Vanuatu’s perspective, externally driven reforms must be buttressed by an equal partnership that respects local tradition, culture and the rights of all citizens without disturbing the essential uniting mechanisms of society that have successfully held us together over time. An exploitative agenda can only erode and dismantle those ingrained mechanisms, leaving us vulnerable to the rapid changes affecting all of us today. Vanuatu embraces democracy and the concepts of governance and transparency, but they must be tailored to suit the traditional system without affecting the relevance and significance of those far-reaching principles. In recent times, the history of the Organization has been characterized by indecision, which blemishes the record of the United Nations. I speak about the longstanding issue of self-determination, and in particular the case of West Papua, and I do so while being cognizant of the Charter and while espousing the principles that continue to guide the Organization’s efforts in the process of self-determination. The United Nations must be consistent in its decisions for the recognition and respect of the fundamental rights to self-determination for the people of West Papua. The truth surrounding the so-called Act of Free Choice must be exposed to the Melanesian sisters and brothers of West Papua and the rest of the international community. Saddest of all is General Assembly resolution 2504 (XXIV) of 1969, concerning West Papua. How can the United Nations continue to ignore the cries of over 3 million people demanding justice? As world leaders, we have time and again expressed serious concerns and dissatisfaction about the fact that certain decisions and actions by the United Nations or its bodies were not consistent with the purposes and intentions of the Charter. However, in the case of West Papua, absolutely nothing has been done to rectify the gross violation of internationally accepted practice. It is therefore our joint responsibility to address this grey area of history. The continuing disputes and concerns raised with regard to the legality of United Nations-endorsed instruments that have been concluded throughout the years — such as the New York Agreement of 1962, to govern the United Nations administration of the so- called Act of Free Choice in West Papua — is a clear example challenging the integrity and validity of United Nations resolutions at that time. In our opinion, the United Nations-conducted exercises were a total farce conditioned only to suit the geopolitical climate of that period. The United Nations cannot, and must not, continue to turn a blind eye to its own past failures. It is morally, politically and legally wrong to do so. The Netherlands in particular, which was the former colonial authority, should also recognize that it should shoulder some responsibility in helping to resolve the unfortunate situation of West Papua in a peaceful and transparent manner. Why is no one accountable for those unjust decisions affecting the lives of millions of people today? Vanuatu therefore calls for the establishment of a special commission of inquiry to review the United Nations conduct in relation to the 1969 Act. We also call for the United Nations to send a fact-finding mission to examine the situation in West Papua with regard to human rights abuses and other related issues. And we call for the reinscription of West Papua on the 27 list of Non-Self-Governing Territories. Those are critically challenging responsibilities. On a final matter, my delegation strongly reaffirms its support for resolution 2758 (XXVI), which was adopted during the twenty-sixth session, in 1971, and which recognized the legal and political representation of the People’s Republic of China as a Member of the United Nations. Vanuatu again reiterates its unwavering support for one China and urges all members of the United Nations to work in the interests of world peace and stability in the Asia- Pacific region. In conclusion, I must bring to the attention of the Assembly another priority issue that is of grave importance to my Government and nation. I would once again like to raise the matter of the relocation of the Pacific Operations Centre of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) from Vanuatu to another location. My Government was not properly consulted in that regard, and requests that the decision to relocate the Centre from Vanuatu be reconsidered. If the Centre’s relevance in the region is being questioned, then my Government would propose that a proper review be carried out with a view to restructuring the ESCAP office in order to relocate the Pacific Operations Centre to Bangkok. Programmes and activities under ESCAP responsibility may be better coordinated through the United Nations Development Programme activities in the region. I hope that wisdom will prevail as the debate continues on our future destiny. Despite all our differences and diversity, human security for all is our main goal. That should remain the focus of the United Nations agenda. The cardinal question is whether Members will allow the United Nations to undertake serious reforms in meeting the challenges ahead. The future remains in our hands.