It is my honour to convey to
the Assembly the warm greeting of “Yokwe” from the
Government and people of the Republic of the Marshall
Islands.
Every September, world leaders take to the stage
of the General Assembly to broadcast our common
concerns. But I am concerned that this poetic ritual too
often hides the problem of political will. In January, the
Secretary-General outlined two key political priorities
for leaders: addressing climate change risks and the
growing insecurity within Syria. As autumn sets in, it
is evident that efforts are falling short.
This year, leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum
expressed strong concern about the use of chemical
weapons by the Syrian Government and called for
leadership on the part of the members of the Security
Council to resolve that threat. While I am optimistic
about recent diplomatic developments, the common
international voice may come too little and too late for
what could have already been prevented. That is only
one example of a growing list of the tragic human costs
of inaction. How many more mistakes will the world
make in distant conference rooms? For how long can we
turn a blind eye to realities and headlines?
Pacific nations are now dedicated to changing
the pace. This month, Pacific Islands Forum leaders
adopted the Majuro Declaration for Climate Leadership.
Although many of our States are small, the common
responsibility to act falls on all Governments and
persons, no matter how different we are.
The Marshall Islands is well on track to achieve
the complete solarization of our outer islands — a goal
we are meeting with assistance from Japan’s Pacific
Environment Community funds and from the European
Union, Taiwan, Italy, France and other donor partners.
The entire region is also aggressively cutting its
emissions through the Pacific New Energy Drive. The
message to our partners, the world’s largest emitters, is
clear. If we can do it, they can too. Climate change is
a risk that demands direct political ownership, and it is
high time that other leaders stand alongside the Pacific
in showing the statesmanship so urgently needed.
Simply repeating well-worn negotiation slogans has not
got the world anywhere. It is time for new solutions. I
strongly urge my fellow leaders to engage eye to eye
at the Secretary-General’s climate summit next year.
Never has the need for true statesmanship been as dire.
Global efforts on climate change are falling short,
and low-lying island nations, such as mine, are already
paying the earliest costs of what is fast becoming a
global crisis. In every sense, the world must build for
future risks, and we are still setting course based on
current conditions, as is often the case. It is the seas
that are rising — not the islands that are sinking. I will
not concede my own land or my nation; nor will I rest
until my fellow world leaders have signed on to act, not
just out of economic convenience, but out of a common
responsibility of all to strive for upward momentum.
Our Pacific legacy is not as small island States,
but as large ocean nations. We are stewards of what
is a truly global resource — our oceans and fisheries.
Even a casual glance at a map reveals a world of deep
and vast blue, and not only scientists but our own local
communities see change in our waters. Local and global
ocean impacts affect not only every region, but also
global food security. I join with other Pacific leaders in
urging dedicated treatment of the oceans as a post-2015
United Nations sustainable development goal.
Pacific nations, including the States parties to the
Nauru Agreement, are leading the world in changing
fishing practice. We are not only leading the world in
advancing sustainable fisheries, but at the same time
boosting our own economic growth. Perhaps no other
effort or region is such a strong textbook example of
sustainable development in action. But for all of the
expressed plenary sympathies and common international
responsibility, existing legal commitments to safeguard
fisheries all too often fall victim to the short-term
trade interests of our partners. We Pacific leaders
will sacrifice neither our resources nor our growth or
livelihood for quick returns; our future generations are
not for sale. The threat of harmful fisheries sanctions
from distant fishing nations — perhaps as punishment
for our conservation efforts — is hardly a helping hand
either to our regional development or to international
food security.
Next year’s international meeting on small island
States and development partnerships, to be held in
Samoa, will offer our political partners a moment for
careful reflection. Is the global thirst for rare earth
minerals beneath our waves and is the hunger for
our vast fisheries so great as to outstrip our rightful
economic development and our conservation efforts?
Perhaps it is high time that island leaders set forward
our island vision of partnership and collaborate
accordingly. We cannot forge progress through political
will alone. Here, Pacific Islands Forum leaders have
forged a ground-breaking mutual dialogue to enhance
and improve effective United Nations partnerships in
our region. Those are not isolated words; already, the
United Nations, together with our bilateral partners, is
playing a valuable role in working with the Marshall
Islands to recover from a climate-driven drought and
other coastal flooding emergencies.
But we need not wait for disasters. In every sector
of basic development and environmental efforts, our
door is open for increased collaboration among the
United Nations, our regional resources and bilateral
partners. The statements of sympathy in the plenary are
all too often not translated into effective, island-tailored
results. Our in-country United Nations presence still
has a long way to go in truly delivering as one and
better addressing pressing threats. I encourage a direct
discussion between the United Nations and our region
on practical efforts to enhance in-country effectiveness
and collaboration. No one people or nation should be
passed over.
Even as the United Nations enters into a new
discussion in setting the stage for the post-2015
development agenda, improved progress towards the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) remains
no less a priority. I would also like to recognize the
contributions that Taiwan has made in helping my
country in efforts to achieve the MDGs.
Pacific Islands Forum leaders have, for the first
time, recognized the role of the United Nations in
authorizing nuclear-weapon testing during the Cold
War and welcomed the recommendations of the
United Nations Special Rapporteur’s recent report
(A/HRC/21/48/Add.1). Nuclear testing in the Marshall
Islands is no mere historical event, but an international
legacy that will stay with us for generations. While the
bulk of the unmet responsibilities still rest with our
historical Administering Power, the United States, the
United Nations can, for its part, no longer ignore its
own role during the Trusteeship era.
I am strongly encouraged by the Secretary-
General’s commitment to addressing the ongoing
impacts of nuclear testing in the Pacific and look
forward to practical steps in that regard.
My Government is gratified to note
that — with solid international support and cross-
strait cooperation — the Republic of China on Taiwan
has increased its meaningful participation in United
Nations specialized agencies and mechanisms. We will
continue to encourage positive interaction between the
two sides of the Taiwan Strait in the international arena.
Too often, despite our own aspirations, we struggle
to move inches when urgency demands miles. We wish
to inform the Secretary-General that our political will
stands ready and that our hands are extended for a
durable partnership.