Federated States of Micronesia, 2005

I

take this opportunity to congratulate President Eliasson

on his election to lead our deliberations during this

very important session of the General Assembly. I

would also like to pay tribute to our outgoing President

of the fifty-ninth session, His Excellency Mr. Jean

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Ping, and our Secretary-General for their tireless

efforts and very considerable contributions to the

successful outcome of the High-level Plenary Meeting

that concluded just a week ago.

This year, at this historic session, we

commemorate a milestone in the rich history of the

Organization as we celebrate its sixtieth anniversary.

For us in Micronesia, the occasion also marks the

fifteenth anniversary of our joining the United Nations.

We are proud and motivated to be part of this great

Organization.

Our celebrations, however, should have a noble

purpose beyond honouring the past and the present.

This occasion should give focus to the long road ahead

of us. Inspired by the accomplishments of the past 60

years, we must forge ahead with strong determination,

confidence and vigour to meet the challenges that the

future holds for the Organization.

The Federated States of Micronesia does not

pretend to believe that the problems that we are called

upon to tackle are easy; they are not. But while we

have differences of opinion as to how they may be

effectively addressed, my delegation is encouraged by

the broad consensus that was reached during the high-

level panel meetings last week that the reform of the

United Nations and the attainment of the Millennium

Development Goals (MDGs) must be addressed one

way or another and sooner rather than later. No doubt

the consensus was forged in the conviction that the

United Nations, with all its shortcomings, still

represents the best hope for humankind to solve its

problems at the multilateral level. If that is the case, as

my country firmly believes it is, the Organization must

be reformed to reflect present day realities and to

effectively and efficiently achieve its enduring

objectives as enshrined in the Charter. For the sake of

our Organization’s credibility, for its long-term

sustainability, and for the millions of people around the

globe that pin their hopes on the United Nations, the

Organization must be reformed. My delegation fully

supports the call that has been made within the General

Assembly Hall for its comprehensive reform.

Consequently, let us give full consideration to the

reform of the Security Council. The challenges of the

twenty-first century demand that we should do so. With

the indulgence of members, I do not wish to go into

details here, as the position of my Government on the

issue has already been made known on several

occasions. I would only reiterate our call for the

inclusion of Japan and Germany, among the developed

countries, as permanent members of the Council,

because we believe they will contribute greatly to the

maintenance of peace and security. For those

aforementioned reasons, we also support the inclusion

of India, a developing country, as a permanent member

of the Security Council. Moreover, we will support the

inclusion of other developing countries from other

regions, if that reflects the choice of those regions. We

urge Member States to take bold and decisive action on

this issue.

The time has come for the “enemy State” clauses

in the United Nations Charter to be removed. They

have long become obsolete. The outcome document

rightfully reflects that fact.

The sixtieth General Assembly could not have

been more timely. It can take up the noble but

incomplete task of reinforcing and facilitating the full

implementation of the outcome of last week’s summit.

We have little choice but to complete that which was

left unfinished.

Consistent with the broader agenda of the

debates, we wish to reiterate the great importance that

we attach to the second phase of the World Summit on

the Information Society (WSIS) to be held in Tunisia in

November. For my country, whose population is

dispersed on many islands scattered over a vast area of

the Pacific, access to affordable and reliable

information and communication technologies (ICTs) is

critical to the socio-economic advancement of its

people. But harnessing the power of ICTs does not

benefit only a few. In the end, it is a win-win

proposition for us all — for developing and developed

countries alike. The responsible use and effective

dissemination of meaningful information is the key to

emancipation from human ignorance and is therefore

essential to socio-economic progress. It follows that

the means of collecting, evaluating, and transmitting

information must be shared and placed at the service of

humankind. It is for that reason that my country

continues to add its voice to those of other countries in

urging universal cooperation in the WSIS process. It is

a step forward along the road to achieving the MDGs.

Without it, the MDGs will mean little.

It is for the same reason that my Government

supports the Community of Democracies and

participates in its activities. In our view,

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democratization of the institutions of governance and

transparency in public policymaking — with due

regard to local conditions — are inseparable from

economic progress and collective security. After all,

the work of the Community does not contradict but

further reinforces the MDGs and, in a larger sense, the

time-honoured objectives incorporated in the Charter

of the United Nations.

It does not take a great deal of wisdom to realize

that, as a small island developing State, my country is

vulnerable to the extremely adverse impact of global

climate change. For the 15 years we have been a

Member of the United Nations, we have been vocal

here and elsewhere on the issue of climate change and

its adverse impact on small island developing States.

For us, it is an issue of security and survival. I reiterate

our appeal to those countries that have not yet ratified

the Kyoto Protocol to do so immediately and without

further delay.

A week ago during the High-level Plenary

Meeting, President Joseph Urusemal, like other

Micronesian Presidents before him, called attention to

the daunting challenges facing our country and other

small island developing States in pursuing sustainable

development and achieving the MDGs. I reaffirm their

calls here once again, and stress the urgent need for the

international community to fully and effectively

implement the Mauritius Strategy for the further

Implementation of the Programme of Action for the

Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing

States. The Strategy provides a way forward for these

countries and plays a crucial role in our ability to

achieve sustainable development and meet the MDGs.

As if the plethora of challenges I have spoken of

are not daunting enough for my country, the escalating

cost of fuel and its negative impact on our efforts to

meet development goals and pursue sustainable

development is a major cause of concern. That crisis

brings to the fore the need identified by small island

developing States for accelerated research and

development and a sharing of technologies in the areas

of renewable and alternative sources of energy. We

appeal to the international community to assist us in

those areas.

I take this opportunity today to reiterate the call

made by my President during the High-level Plenary

Meeting to further strengthen cooperation and linkages

between the United Nations and countries of the

Pacific, like mine. The need for the physical presence

of the United Nations system and its sustained

engagement in our development process is now more

compelling than ever. We cannot accept the notion that

our country is undeserving of the substantive presence

of the United Nations.

Over the past few months we have seen

encouraging signs in the Middle East. The historic

disengagement of Israel from the Gaza Strip and parts

of the West Bank is a step in the right direction and

should be commended. My Government appreciates the

political obstacles faced by the two parties and

encourages them to stay the course towards a peaceful

settlement of what has been a long, complex and

unpleasant experience. We call upon both parties to

spare no effort to actively pursue peaceful negotiations.

They should not be satisfied until the day comes when

Israeli and Palestinian children can play side by side

and live in peace, without fear.

As a young country that graduated from the

trusteeship regime of this Organization, my country

places high hopes in the United Nations. At 60, the

United Nations should not to be contemplating

retirement. Instead, the time has come for this great

Organization to strengthen and rededicate itself in

order to effectively and efficiently meet the challenges

of the new millennium.