Fiji, 2010

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.