It is with much
pride that the Government and the people of the Solomon
Islands join me in congratulating a fellow islander,
Ambassador John Ashe of Antigua and Barbuda, on
his election as President of the General Assembly at its
sixty-eighth session. As one of his Vice-Presidents, we
assure him of Solomon Islands’ support and cooperation
during his tenure in office.
I take this opportunity to commend his predecessor,
Mr. Vuk Jeremi. of Serbia, whose leadership guided us
through over 300 resolutions, the adoption of the Arms
Trade Treaty and the convening of a number of high-
level thematic debates. Solomon Islands also wishes
to acknowledge Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for
his service and commitment to our global world. I
would also like to welcome Kiribati, whose permanent
representation in New York completes the Pacific small
island developing States (SIDS) presence in a single
city.
My delegation welcomes the sixty-eighth session’s
theme, “The post-2015 development agenda: setting the
stage”. The world has changed since the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) were launched.
Populations have grown, cities have expanded, and
consumption and production patterns have pushed us
to our planetary boundaries. Solomon Islands’ MDG
national scorecard remains mixed. We have progressed
on some fronts and remain off track on others.
The post-2015 development agenda offers us
an opportunity to change the way we do business.
In that regard, Solomon Islands seeks a new spirit
of partnership that will reform the global economic
architecture. My subregion in the Pacific supplies
60 per cent of the world’s tuna. Over three decades, the
Pacific Islands have developed fisheries institutions and
legal and management frameworks. With international
support, we can supply the world with fish. Solomon
Islands, as Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries
Agency and of the parties to the Nauru Agreement,
calls for a new mindset that would provide the Pacific
Island States with the space and capacity to develop its
domestic industries and restructure the fishing fleets of
distant-water nations in the region.
The Pacific Fisheries Vessel Day Scheme has
allowed us to realize our development aspirations. Two
new fishing industries have established themselves this
year in Solomon Islands. We remain firm in our resolve
that the Scheme shall remain the central pillar in all our
fisheries negotiations.
Solomon Islands welcomes the President’s proposal
of convening a third thematic debate on sustainable
energy during this session. We note that 1.3 billion
people, half of whom live in least developed countries,
have no access to electricity. The Istanbul Programme
of Action recognizes that access to affordable, reliable,
renewable energy is crucial to accelerating sustainable,
inclusive economic growth, increased social equity and
a sustainable and clean environment.
Expanding energy access for our rural populations
and reducing energy costs are national priorities
for Solomon Islands. I am pleased to announce that
Solomon Islands joined the International Renewable
Energy Agency (IRENA) last month. We hope to work
with IRENA in unlocking some of our hydroenergy
potential. I am pleased to say that we already have a
working relationship with the World Bank and the Asian
Development Bank on hydro-projects. We are also in
discussion with the Clinton Foundation on harvesting
our geothermal potential. Once that gets off the ground,
it will be a private-public sector partnership. Bilaterally
a number of partners, including the Republic of China,
Italy and Japan, have people-centred solar programmes
in the country. Those programmes continue to light up
our community schools and villages. Renewable energy
also improves public service delivery to our rural
populations and empowers Solomon Islanders to make
sustainable choices in life.
Globally, the Pacific SIDS are themselves helping
to fill the information gaps in global renewable energy
databases, in cases where information on the Pacific
is lacking. A Pacific renewable energy database will
be developed in cooperation with the United Nations
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the
Pacific. The vision is to focus on enhancing the
Pacific region’s inclusion in the international energy
dialogue and to provide sufficient data to inspire new
global partners to concentrate more on on-the-ground
investments, less on studies.
Infrastructure development is critical in opening
more opportunities for our rural populations. We
acknowledge New Zealand for the construction of
our second international airport and other partners,
such as Australia and the European Union, for the
wharves, airfields and roads they have helped to build.
Those structural investments allow Solomon Islands
to enhance its trade and strengthen the unity of the
country.
Climate change remains a global issue that needs
a global solution. We join all small island developing
States and least developed countries in conveying our
concern about the slow progress of climate change
negotiations. The alarming pace of climate change is
posing unprecedented threats to humankind’s survival.
In May, carbon dioxide concentration reached a
new threshold of 400 parts per million. For Solomon
Islands, this means that the livelihood and well-being
of our people are now under threat. Corals stop growing
at 500 parts per million.
We are heartened by the Secretary-General’s
proposal to convene a climate change summit next year.
We hope that the summit will not be a talkfest, but that it
will garner the necessary political will of Member States
to increase their level of commitment to reducing and
phasing down greenhouse-gas pollution commensurate
with scientific guidelines. The summit remains our best
hope for preventing the impact of climate change from
reaching an irreversible level. We once again register
our regret that certain countries have reneged on their
historical responsibility and unilaterally decided to opt
out of their multilateral obligations.
The world will celebrate 2014 as the International
Year of Small Island Developing States. The SIDS
conference is scheduled to be held in Samoa next
year. We count on the world to enable small island
developing States to eradicate poverty, build resilience
and unleash the potential of our youths. That will
require the enhanced implementation of the Barbados
Programme of Action and the Mauritius Strategy for
Implementation towards an evidenced-based outcome.
In seeking a sustainable future for our people, last
year we announced that we would establish a national
university. I am pleased to say that we launched
Solomon Islands National University in April. A
second university, the University of the South Pacific,
has also completed all formalities and is expected to
begin the construction of its fourth campus in one of
our provinces. The development of human capital will
allow Solomon Islands to build a knowledge-based
society and have more job-ready nationals to meet our
development needs.
This week the international community convened
the first inaugural meeting of the High-level Political
Forum on Sustainable Development. In preparation for
the Forum, the Pacific small island developing States
formed the Pacific Islands Development Forum this
year. Solomon Islands is one of the founding members
of the Forum, an alliance of States and non-State and
private-sector actors that focus on the green economy
in the context of sustainable development. The Pacific
Islands Development Forum intends to speak with a
united voice in the High-level Political Forum. Pacific
SIDS look forward to working with the Forum.
I am pleased to announce that Solomon Islands
began a new journey two months ago. The 10-year-old
Pacific Islands Forum Regional Assistance Mission
to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) — led by Australia
and supported by New Zealand and Pacific small
island developing States — went through a transitional
phase. RAMSI, provided for under Chapter VIII of
the Charter of the United Nations, now provides only
police assistance. The success of the transitional phase
belongs to our people and our region. On that note, I
take this opportunity, on behalf of the Government
and the people of Solomon Islands, to express our
profound gratitude and appreciation to all our regional
neighbours. We thank them very much.
Multilateralism remains a cornerstone of Solomon
Islands’ foreign policy. Country ownership remains a
foundation of any cooperation and programme. This
year, under United Nations Development Programme
leadership, the United Nations Development Assistance
Framework for the Pacific (2013-2017) was launched.
The $292 million programme covers 14 Pacific
countries and territories, all with the same priorities.
We call on the United Nations to align itself with
Solomon Islands national sustainable development
strategy 2011–2020. It is for that reason that over the
years we have called for an enhanced United Nations
country presence. We renew the call to upgrade the
United Nations Development Programme country
office from the level of deputy resident representative
to that of resident representative.
A peaceful, just and stable democracy is critical for
sustainable development. Solomon Islands continues
to invest in strengthening its governance system. A
political party integrity bill is being introduced in
our national Parliament. The political party bill aims
to give more power to our electoral commission to
properly manage our national election process. We
are also putting in place a sustainable, cost-effective
and inclusive voting registration system. That is an
expensive exercise; we have sought partnership with
the United Nations, the European Union and Australia.
We thank our partners for their ongoing support to
our electoral reform programme. That assistance
complements work done on e-governance. Solomon
Islands this year established a metro area network as
a single secure network connecting 85 Government
offices. We hope that will improve the efficiency and
effectiveness of the Government’s computer machinery.
Solomon Islands would like to see a strong United
Nations. We are encouraged by the Assembly’s
commitment to achieving real progress on reforming
and revitalizing two of our principal organs, the
Security Council and the General Assembly. We assure
the Assembly of our support on those two endeavours.
My delegation also welcomes the modernization of
the Secretariat Building and the conference rooms and
the renovation of the General Assembly. We are also
pleased to note that United Nations competitive exams
will be held in my capital in the next two months. We
are holding the exams for the third consecutive year.
I thank the Secretariat, and in particular the United
Nations human resources personnel, for their outreach,
and sincerely hope the nationals selected will contribute
to the diversity of the Secretariat.
Changing global realities have seen the emergence
and expansion of South-South cooperation. This year,
Solomon Islands established two new diplomatic
missions in Cuba and Malaysia, respectively. On
18 April, Solomon Islands raised its flag in Havana. We
also welcomed Cuba as a Pacific Islands Forum post-
forum dialogue partner three weeks ago. Similarly, in
Malaysia last month the first resident Solomon Islands
Ambassador presented his credentials. We intend to
strengthen our ties with the wider Asian and Pacific
region, including the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations and India. We have some 100 medical students
in Cuba; the first graduates are expected in 2014. We
thank Cuba for its cooperation.
For more than two decades, the General Assembly
has called overwhelmingly for the lifting of the more
than five-decades-old economic blockade imposed on
Cuba by our friend and partner the United States of
America. Confrontational lines will need to be replaced
with dialogue and cooperation. We cannot look to the
future if we cling to the past. We hope that a forward-
looking policy will be embraced by the United States of
America in easing the blockade.
I turn now to bilateral cooperation with Papua New
Guinea, my Melanesian neighbour. Papua New Guinea
continues to provide opportunities for young Solomon
Islanders in terms of employment and scholarships.
Visa-free work schemes have been launched, and trade
relations continue to grow to new heights.
In my subregion, the Melanesian Spearhead
Group — composed of Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu
and Solomon Islands — represents one of the most
diverse regions of the world. A quarter of the world’s
languages are spoken by the more than 8 million people
of the subregion. Enhanced free trade has unified the
culturally rich diverse populations. Today, the Group
is exploring other economic, security and political
cooperation.
On Fiji, Solomon Islands welcomes the progress
put in place by the Government of Fiji for the people
to freely express themselves through the parliamentary
elections scheduled for 2014. Solomon Islands notes
the adoption of Fiji’s new Constitution and wishes
the Government and people of Fiji every success in
determining their own future.
The inalienable right to self-determination is a
key pillar of the United Nations. With respect to New
Caledonia, members of the Melanesian Spearhead Group
continue to support the Territory’s self-determination
process in accordance with the Charter of the United
Nations, the relevant human rights instruments and the
Noumea Accord. In regard to the Territory of French
Polynesia, I take this opportunity to thank the General
Assembly and all Pacific small island developing States
for adopting by consensus resolution 67/265, on the
self-determination of French Polynesia in May. The
questions of the Territories of French Polynesia and
New Caledonia are scheduled to be discussed by the
Fourth Committee next week.
On human rights, Solomon Islands recognizes
that all States bear the responsibility to protect their
citizens. We believe that all States must take feasible
steps to ensure that the rights of their people are
protected. Solomon Islands, in that regard, condemns
all human rights violations against civilians, wherever
they may occur.
On the Middle East, we continue to watch with horror
the daily carnage and the humanitarian catastrophe in
Syria. We note with concern the preliminary findings
of the United Nations investigation team confirming the
use of chemical weapons. Solomon Islands welcomes
the Russian and United States initiatives to destroy
chemical weapons in Syria, and further supports all
efforts to find a diplomatic and political solution to the
civil war.
On Israel and Palestine, we support all international
efforts for the two States to resume negotiations and
achieve a just, lasting and sustainable peace.
Solomon Islands remains an arms-free State. We
note that the use of conventional and unconventional
arms in the wrong hands threatens international peace
and stability. Solomon Islands welcomes the recently
adopted Arms Trade Treaty and hopes that major
players in the arms trade will sign that international
framework. That will strengthen the Treaty. Solomon
Islands continues to follow and assess the Treaty’s
progress.
On the question of the Republic of China, Solomon
Islands call for the Republic’s meaningful participation
at United Nations specialized organizations. We would
like to acknowledge the Republic of China’s recent
participation in the Assembly of the International
Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as a guest of the
organization’s President. We recognize that as a first
step. We continue to seek observer status for the
Republic of China both at ICAO and at the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Those requests mirror the observer status that the
Republic of China currently enjoys at the World Health
Assembly.
Solomon Islands continues to serve on the United
Nations Executive Board. We welcome the new
Executive Director of UN-Women, Ms. Phumzile
Mlambo-Ngcuka, and assure her of our cooperation.
We note with concern that the UN-Women strategic
plan for 2014-2017 is underfunded. We call for political
and financial support for the plan. We support the
Executive Director’s call that priority be given to the
economic empowerment of women in rural areas.
We hope the Executive Board can also address UN-
Women’s representation vacuum in the Pacific.
Gender violence remains an issue in Solomon
Islands, and my country joins the international
community in condemning sexual violence.
We continue to seek an inclusive society. In
partnership with an Australian entity, Solomon Islands
organized national games for persons with disabilities
in our country and other events. Although we still
have a long way to go in creating a disability-friendly
society, we remain determined to achieve that end.
Let me close where I began. The post-2015
development agenda is our shared agenda. We must
remain united and work as one, with one aim, to deliver
one set of goals, under a single process with common
but differentiated responsibilities. Present and future
generations depend on what we do today.