Kiribati

I bring warm greetings from the people of Kiribati, on whose behalf I address the Assembly. I wish to join previous speakers in congratulating you, Mr. President, on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty- sixth session. We gather here every year as world leaders to represent our peoples and to discuss issues of concern to the global community. At this session our theme is the role of mediation in the settlement of disputes by peaceful means, which is appropriate in its reminder to us that peace and security are indeed crucial to the continued harmonious existence of mankind on this planet. As a global community we constantly face many challenges to our political, social and economic stability. Natural and human-induced disasters have caused much suffering in different regions of the world. Countries and peoples are facing all kinds of security threats from armed conflicts, terrorism, human trafficking, economic recession, climate change and its associated impacts. As a result, many communities suffer daily from increasing poverty, hunger and dislocation. But how can all this be happening in a supposedly rational world community under the scrutiny of this global body? Is our existing Organization in its current form equipped to deal with these emerging issues, or is it time to review the structure and effectiveness of our international governance system? The lack of progress on climate change negotiations clearly demonstrates the wide divergence 11-51191 30 of positions on the issue. I believe that unless we can approach any mediation with trust and commitment, we will be caught in the vicious circle of starting with our differences, in our obsession to protect what we perceive to be our critical national interests. I would like to thank the Secretary-General for his comments based on his experience during his recent visit to Kiribati. His views are those of an independent observer who came, who saw and who believed. His comments are a powerful endorsement of what we, the most vulnerable countries, have been saying over the years, and my hope is that this will communicate the need for urgent action to all who possess a sense of moral responsibility. Climate change will remain the curse of our planet. Most nations perceive it to be a future event, but for the very few it is already reaching disastrous levels. Some will argue that climate change does not fall within the conventional definition of a security threat, but that is simply because it may not be so for them at this point in time. In Kiribati, many young people go to sleep each night fearing what may happen to their homes overnight, especially during very high tides. The accelerated and continued erosion of our shoreline is destroying settlements, and as I speak, some communities are relocating on the island. I was glad that the Secretary-General was able to understand and feel for himself the sense of threat that our people and those of similarly vulnerable countries experience on a daily basis. In the international climate-change forums there is ongoing dialogue and negotiation in an attempt to find amicable solutions to this threat. But there is an ongoing disagreement on how to address this global challenge. The question is: how much longer must we continue to argue about this? When are we going to do something about it? Our people and our children, whose lives and future are under serious threat, look to us for leadership. The urgency of the need for action cannot be overemphasized. At Cancún, it was my understanding that there was agreement on the need for an urgent package to address the situation of the most vulnerable countries, which are now being seriously affected by the adverse impacts of climate change. Next year, we will gather again as world leaders to take stock of what we have done since the Rio Summit in 1992. It is my fervent hope that, in the light of current scientific evidence and based on the experiences of the most vulnerable countries, we as a global community will embark on bold and innovative initiatives to address the climate change challenge. I acknowledge with gratitude the adoption of resolutions 63/281 and 65/159 on the possible security implications of climate change and the protection of our global climate for present and future generations. And I thank those who saw and supported the need to classify climate change as a security issue. In December, there will be another United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban. I acknowledge that climate change negotiations will take several years to conclude, but I also believe that there is common ground on which there is no real debate. The urgent need for the flow of adaptation funds to address the more urgent adaptation needs of the most vulnerable countries is a matter on which I believe there is general consensus. But what is the point in consensus if no concrete action follows? Kiribati was one of the countries that did not sign the Copenhagen Accord because of what we saw as its serious shortcomings, but we were subsequently persuaded to associate ourselves with it on the premise that doing so would trigger the flow of much-needed adaptation funds that had been pledged. Today, we continue to await those funds. We all want to achieve sustainable development. We are grateful to those who have continued to assist and partner with us on this journey, but our efforts at achieving sustainable growth will continue to be frustrated by external factors. Ongoing uncertainty in the global economic climate and rising food and fuel prices remain major challenges to our sustainable development efforts. On top of all that, our increasing preoccupation with the impacts of climate change will progressively dominate our national agenda. It is no surprise, therefore, that we continue to be off track in the achievement of most of the Millennium Development Goals and the implementation of our sustainable development agenda under our national development plan. Every step we take forward we are knocked back two or three due to the many challenges we face. It is therefore imperative that climate change adaptation funds be mobilized at the earliest opportunity. Otherwise, we will be forced to divert development resources towards the most urgent adaptation needs. Therefore, as we move towards Durban, it is our hope that the Green Climate Fund can 31 11-51191 be operationalized as soon as possible to allow the most vulnerable countries to attend to their adaptation needs from new resources. In the same vein, we believe that all nations and peoples — including Taiwan — that play a role in international affairs, including contributing to climate change, should also be part of the solution. During these difficult times, and facing challenges to our existing world order, we can ill afford to isolate any nation that has the capacity to assist in our struggles. I believe that, as a global community, we must be united in our efforts to address any security threat to international peace and security, be it within States or between States. We need to forge consensus in our collective action to promote and maintain our collective security. Let us work together as a global community to address the many conflicts and disputes that are posing serious security challenges to our well- being, before they consume and condemn our civilization to oblivion. In closing, I share our traditional blessing of health, peace and prosperity.