Samoa

Samoa warmly congratulates you, Sir, on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly at this historic moment — a very challenging time. Samoa pledges to you and to Sweden its full support and cooperation throughout the sixtieth session of the General Assembly. I also want to pay tribute to your predecessor, Mr. Jean Ping of the Gabonese Republic, for his outstanding service and effective guidance during the fifty-ninth session. Just a few days ago in this very Hall, we met to take stock of progress and map the way forward in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs are not merely a set of targets, but encompass a process which addresses the varied challenges to human development. While some progress has been made over the past five years, much more remains to be done. It is therefore imperative that concerted global efforts be strengthened, in terms of political commitment and resource mobilization, if the outcome of the summit envisaged in the summit outcome document is to be achieved. Samoa is progressing well towards achieving the MDGs by the target period of 2015. Challenges remain, however, and they are being addressed through legislative and policy initiatives and the creation of innovative partnerships with the donor community and civil society. Samoa reiterates its support for the ongoing efforts to modernize and strengthen the United Nations. We thank the previous President of the Assembly, as well as the Secretary-General, for their laudable work and tireless efforts in advancing the reform and revitalization of the Organization. It is our belief that reform measures must provide for a transparent, democratic and expanded Security Council, in both the permanent and non-permanent membership categories, and for an effective and strengthened Organization that reflects the realities of the twenty-first century. Substantive changes are therefore required with regard to both the General Assembly and the Security Council, as well as to other bodies of the United Nations system. We congratulate President Ping, in particular for his stewardship and leadership throughout the negotiations for and the adoption of the summit declaration last week. This is the sixtieth anniversary of the United Nations; the time is surely ripe now to implement the reforms needed to revitalize our Organization and enable it to effectively realize the principles and goals identified in the declaration. The courageous efforts of the Israeli and Palestinian authorities to find a sustainable peace solution deserve our applause and prayers for continuing success. While there have been positive developments in the Middle East, the violence and acts 7 of terrorism in Iraq and in other parts of the region remain causes for grave concern. Terrorism, perpetrated by those with no respect for human decency and life, continues to plague our world. No cause or grievances can justify acts that kill and maim innocent people. Heinous and murderous acts of terrorism serve only the purposes of those who want to destabilize society and usher in a dark age for our world. Samoa therefore condemns terrorism in all its forms in the strongest terms and will continue to support the international campaign to overcome that scourge to human dignity and security. The peacekeeping and security advocacy work of the United Nations around the world has our full support. Samoa presently has police contingents serving with peacekeeping missions in Timor-Leste and in Liberia. Within our Pacific region, Samoa also contributes police support to the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) under the auspices of the Pacific Islands Forum. RAMSI conforms to its regional responsibilities under Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter and recognizes the sovereignty of the Solomon Islands. Samoa is pleased to note that the membership of the International Criminal Court will soon number 100. Samoa adds its voice to the appeal for the early ratification of and accession to the Rome Statute establishing the Court by those States that have not yet done so. The Court brings to justice those who commit genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes and is therefore an important institution in upholding international humanitarian standards and the protection of human rights. For those reasons, it would be a mistake to undermine the effectiveness of the Court in any way. Instead, the Court should be given the necessary support to give it universality. Samoa remains extremely concerned about the proliferation of nuclear weapons and their threat, not just to international peace and security, but to the very existence of life on our planet. We regret deeply that the Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, held in May 2005, was unable to agree on steps to strengthen the non-proliferation regime. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) are the main instruments for controlling the spread of nuclear weapons. The South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty highlights the seriousness with which the issue of the threat of nuclear weapons is viewed in our region and we call on States who have not done so to ratify the Treaty’s Protocols. Clearly, adherence to the requirements of the NPT, the CTBT and other conventions on disarmament is vital. Samoa therefore joins the call for all United Nations Members to sign on to those treaties and for States parties to honour their obligations to them. Small arms and light weapons have been used time and again in violent conflict, contributing to the destabilization and devastation of communities in many countries, including in the Pacific. The proliferation of small weapons is a major problem. We therefore fully support the holding of a review conference on small arms next year, in particular with a view to concluding a treaty to control the trade in small arms and stop them from reaching areas of violent conflict. As the current Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum, I wish to report that since the General Assembly session last year new and positive developments have taken place in the Pacific region. The programme of Pacific Regional Assistance to Nauru, a regional response to assist Nauru rebuild its economy, is in progress. With assistance from the United Nations, an autonomous government is now being established in Bougainville. I am also pleased to announce that the Pacific Plan — a road map to further strengthen regional cooperation and integration to achieve our region’s priority goals of economic growth, sustainable development, good governance and security — is nearing completion and is expected to be considered and approved by Pacific Forum leaders at their next summit, in Papua New Guinea, in October of this year. The Pacific Plan will also improve Pacific countries’ capacities to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. The Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, adopted in January 2005, sets out long-term action plans for the sustainable development of small island developing States (SIDS). While we accept that the primary responsibility for the implementation of the Mauritius Strategy lies with us, there is still a critical need for the sustained and long-term commitment of our partners to focus on the special 8 case of SIDS and to take their specific vulnerabilities, and the challenges generated thereby, into account. We therefore call on the United Nations system and the international community to provide the necessary support to implement and monitor the Mauritius Strategy. As has often been repeated from this rostrum, trade is the surest path to greater wealth and a vital component of sustainable development for SIDS. We therefore support the successful conclusion of the Doha Round, which took the vulnerabilities of small States fully into account in the negotiations, particularly with regard to special and preferential treatment for small economies. Let me conclude by reaffirming Samoa’s commitment to multilateralism and to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.