I extend to you, Sir,
and to this august Assembly warm greetings from the
Government and people of Fiji. May I take this
opportunity to congratulate you on your election to the
presidency of the General Assembly’s sixty-fifth
session and to pay tribute to your predecessor, His
Excellency Mr. Treki.
As I highlighted last year in my address (see
A/64/PV.10), Fiji and her people, through the Strategic
Framework for Change, have embarked on a path of
structural reform to modernize and liberalize our
economy in line with today’s global environment. As
part of this agenda, the Fiji Government has revamped
its foreign policy. Our new foreign policy direction
stems from the philosophical basis that, while we
determine our own destinies as sovereign States, we
must at the same time work in collaboration with all
Member States towards sustainable world peace,
substantive justice, dignity and respect for all.
However, we cannot achieve these objectives or
actually implement these noble principles if we simply
rely on predetermined political influences or
predetermined alignments. We must be prepared to
expand the range of our international relationships and
not simply subscribe to bloc voting. We must assess
and decide each issue on its merits. We must decide
each matter based on equality, substantive justice and
international law. We must keep an open mind. This
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approach will result in the manifestation of a fairer and
more just system for all Fiji’s citizens.
This significant shift in foreign policy direction
heralds Fiji’s globalization and maturity and
demonstrates Fiji’s intention to become a good and
engaged global citizen. Accordingly, over the past year
Fiji has formalized diplomatic relations with many
countries with which no ties previously existed. In
addition, Fiji has sought membership of the
Non-Aligned Movement. The broadening of our
engagement with the rest of the world was given
further impetus in Abu Dhabi in June, when, at the
Arab League’s invitation, a summit was held between
the Pacific small island developing States and the
member countries of the League which was hosted by
the United Arab Emirates.
This commitment to be a good global citizen is
further expressed through Fiji’s ongoing engagement
with the United Nations and its associated agencies and
secretariats. There is no better example of this
engagement than Fiji’s long-term contribution to the
cause of United Nations peacekeeping and
peacebuilding. Fijian servicemen and women currently
serve in peacekeeping missions in Iraq, southern
Sudan, Liberia, Darfur and Timor-Leste. I offer my
country’s tribute to the selfless service given by United
Nations peacekeepers and peacebuilders, past and
present, in the troubled regions of our world. We pay
special tribute to those who have made the ultimate
sacrifice to the cause of peacekeeping.
On the subject of peace and security, Fiji is proud
to have been among the Member States that in 2006
voted in favour of preparations for a robust and legally
binding arms trade treaty in 2012. We remain
committed to the work of the United Nations to curb
the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. Fiji
has ratified the Convention on Cluster Munitions and
regards this instrument as a welcome development for
humanitarianism and international disarmament. It also
remains fully committed to international efforts against
terrorism.
With respect to resolving the world’s territorial
and sovereignty disputes, Fiji stands firm with all
international efforts aimed at peaceful resolution
through a process of genuine dialogue. It welcomes the
recent resumption of direct negotiations between the
leaders of Israel and Palestine and hopes for a
successful outcome.
Fiji is an active member of the Special Political
and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee).
Following our participation in the ministerial mission
of the Melanesian Spearhead Group to New Caledonia
this year, Fiji sponsored the Fourth Committee’s 2010
resolution on New Caledonia. We urge all concerned
parties to accelerate the progress of the provisions of
the Nouméa Accord.
Over the past year, the Fiji Government has
implemented a number of legal changes that have not
only modernized our laws and brought about gender
and social parity, but have also ensured compliance
with international conventions. These changes include
the Crimes Decree, which eliminated the archaic rules
in respect of rape trials. We have implemented for the
first time a comprehensive law against domestic
violence to comply with our international obligation to
protect the welfare of women and children. We now
have child welfare laws which require the reporting of
violence against children or suspicion of abuse of
minors. These and other new laws assist in our
compliance with the Rome Statute by recognizing
crimes against humanity and incorporating them into
our domestic laws. Fiji was also present in June at the
Review Conference of the Rome Statute held in
Uganda and is of course supportive of the work of the
International Criminal Court. Reforms in our laws and
outlook have helped us comply with the Convention on
the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
They also support our efforts to achieve the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
I would like to reaffirm the critical points made at
last week’s MDG Summit and at the high-level review
of the Mauritius Strategy for the Further
Implementation of the Programme of Action for the
Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing
States. I make these points as one of the United
Nations Members classified as a small island
developing State. In spite of their considerable
domestic efforts in cooperation with the international
community, the small island developing States (SIDS)
have had very mixed results in achieving the
Millennium Development Goals. Going forward, we
and our development partners must examine where
gains have been made and where efforts have been
unsuccessful and identify country-specific priorities in
order to achieve the MDGs.
23 10-55122
The threat of climate change, particularly sea-
level rise, continues to hang over us all. While some of
us are more vulnerable than others, we must work in
concert as a responsible international family to
mitigate the adverse effects of this global phenomenon.
In this context, I reiterate the common call of the small
island developing States: that the promised fast-track
funding from the international community to finance
climate change adaptation and mitigation measures be
delivered without delay.
Through the Pacific small island developing
States, Fiji pledges to assist in securing increased
representation of the Pacific island countries in the
United Nations system. The aim is to also increase
employment of Pacific Island nationals within the
United Nations Secretariat and its affiliated bodies.
Here, I should add that Fiji is playing a prominent
role in the International Telecommunication Union
(ITU). I note that only a few days ago the Secretary-
General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, accepted a report on
digitalization, including accessibility to broadband. In
this area Fiji has also embarked on its own initiative
for accessibility to and improvement in,
telecommunications and information technology. This
includes the process of finalizing a national policy on
broadband and spectrum management. We therefore
appreciate the Secretary-General’s initiative in this
respect and urge him to carefully consider the report
and provide impetus at the global level through the
United Nations. Improved technology and e-access will
provide that trajectory in meeting the MDGs and
improving the lives of all our peoples.
As one of the founding signatories of the United
Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Fiji has
kept its oceanic obligations at the core of its foreign
policy. Fiji therefore follows, and also expects fellow
Member States to adhere to, the legal regime of the
exclusive economic zone that encompasses sovereign
rights.
Since it is the Year of Biodiversity, we call on the
International Seabed Authority to be vigilant in
safeguarding the environmental integrity of the world’s
seabed. Within this context, one of the great challenges
for Pacific small island developing States is to be
effective in conserving the Pacific Ocean’s fish stocks.
They are critical to our livelihoods, our economies.
Countries that overexploit these fish stocks must be
informed that the practice is unsustainable. As owners,
investors and harvesters, we should follow and adhere
to international law and chart a path to sustain stocks
for the benefit of all.
What I say today is that we must recognize that
meaningful dialogue is essential — within our
respective countries, within our respective regions and
in the world as a whole. Seeking to achieve resolutions
and solutions through dialogue is the way forward. In
the true spirit of international cooperation, we must at
all times, as sovereign States in our community of
nations, develop and maintain relationships based on
respect, dignity and equality. We must also decide on
issues and matters before this august Assembly based
on merit, justice and international law.
Once again, I congratulate you, Mr. President, on
your election and offer my best wishes for a productive
sixty-fifth session of the General Assembly.