Marshall Islands, 2002

I bring to the

Assembly warm greetings from President Kessai H.

Note.

On behalf of the Republic of the Marshall

Islands, I am honoured to congratulate Mr. Jan Kavan

on his election to this high office. Let me also take this

opportunity to thank the Secretary-General for the hard

work that he and the Secretariat have undertaken in

preparation for this General Assembly.

I am also very pleased to extend a warm welcome

and congratulations from the Marshall Islands to the

people of Switzerland and of East Timor, as the newest

Members of the United Nations.

It is unfortunate that this, the fifty-seventh

session of the General Assembly, is meeting in the

shadow of the anniversary of the terrorist attacks that

shocked our host country — and the world — on 11

September 2001. Modern terrorism is an issue of

concern for all peoples, regardless of nationality or

religion. It is an issue that no nation can afford to

ignore.

While sharing in the feelings of terror, horror and

sorrow caused by the terrorist attacks in the United

States, the people of the Marshall Islands are hopeful

that the Member States of the United Nations will

continue to join together in working towards global

peace and security. I urge this body, which collectively

represents the moral force of all Member States, to do

everything in its power to eliminate the threat of

terrorism.

I am pleased to announce that the Marshall

Islands has recently completed a process of national

priority-setting and of assessing Government policy.

We have thoroughly reviewed the state of our nation

through the holding of a National Economic and Social

Summit, whose findings have formed the basis for our

long-term sustainable development plan, entitled

“Republic of the Marshall Islands Vision 2018”.

This process of review was guided by

consultations with all stakeholders and all sectors of

our society. Extensive discussions and interviews were

carried out in order to ensure that all members of the

Marshall Islands community would have the

opportunity to contribute to our vision for the future.

The Marshall Islands Government has determined

that all development policies and objectives will be

guided by the vision generated by the Summit, and we

are now in the process of implementing the core ideals

of this blueprint for sustainable development.

In developing our national vision, the Marshall

Islands Government has also responded to the

international agenda as set by the United Nations. We

have ensured that our policies will reflect the all-

important priorities of good governance, respect for

fundamental human rights, protection of the

environment, and conservation of natural resources. We

have also taken account of social development

objectives and of the need to invest in the areas of

health and education. We are confident that, by linking

our national priorities to the international agenda, the

correct policy decisions will be made.

During the 1990s the Marshall Islands went

through a period of structural adjustment and reform at

the demand of the international donor community. We

have faithfully carried out these costly and socially

disruptive reforms, in the hope that some form of

reward would be forthcoming. We now have in place a

forward-looking and pragmatic set of policies, and we

are eager to translate them into action for the

betterment of the lives of our people. Yet there are few

who are willing to assist us in achieving this goal.

I therefore stand here, at the fifty-seventh session

of the General Assembly, to advocate for a new

international paradigm: one that recognizes both the

unique challenges facing small island developing

States such as the Marshall Islands, as well as the

unique resources and gifts that such nations possess —

resources that can benefit the whole of the international

community only through substantive and sustained

partnerships.

It is time to reconceptualize the relationship that

exists between more established and less-established

nations, from one of donors and recipients to one of

mutual beneficiaries and collaborators. Only in this

way will it be possible fully to realize the promise of

true international cooperation and development.

The Marshall Islands has so much in the way of

native intellectual, environmental and cultural

resources to share with the international community.

We look forward to creating new forms of partnership

with entities around the world — partnerships that will

redound to the benefit of the global community and of

all its residents.

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The partnerships that are most meaningful to us

are ones of a practical nature. Our communities, and

those of many other nations like the Marshall Islands,

are seeking partnerships of action that offer pragmatic

and practical solutions that are coordinated and

targeted for maximum effect.

The Marshall Islands shares challenges that are

uniquely peculiar to many small island States: a

precariously fragile environment that is highly

sensitive to the threat posed by global warming; a

narrow economic base that imposes constraints on the

potential for progressive and sustainable development;

and an institutional milieu that is slowly developing the

capability of harnessing the benefits of science and

technology.

In relation to our international partners, the

Marshall Islands is particularly concerned about the

following issues. First of all, we are concerned about

the environment. The Marshall Islands Government

recognizes the need for a coordinated and

comprehensive approach in seeking appropriate

solutions to the challenges posed by environmental

degradation and pollution.

We commend the Barbados Programme of

Action, which, in conjunction with the outcome forged

at the Johannesburg Earth Summit, will provide a

guiding framework for sustainable development for

small island States, such as the Marshall Islands. The

wide divergence of views expressed in Johannesburg

posed many challenges, but also produced rich insights

into areas where our common strengths lie, and into

how these might best be utilized.

Further, it is vital that the international

community recognize the great challenge to life and

culture that is posed by global climate change. This

threat to life and culture is felt most acutely by nations

such as the Marshall Islands — nations that face the

very real threat of complete obliteration if our oceans

rise by even marginal levels.

On behalf of the Marshall Islands, I commend

those States that share our concerns and have signed

and ratified the Kyoto Protocol. May I also urge the

remaining non-signatory States to consider the vital

importance and urgency of this issue. If the

international community does not act now, the future

will see the disappearance of many small island

nations, which in turn will have immeasurable

economic, environmental and immigration

consequences for the entire global community.

Secondly, an issue that is particularly relevant to

the Marshall Islands is that of nuclear cleanup and non-

proliferation. The Marshall Islands seeks partnerships

with members of the international community that will

help raise to new levels the dialogue about nuclear

weapons and their testing.

The people of the Marshall Islands have suffered

greatly at the hands of a world that is continually

preparing for war. We are restrained by the persisting

legacy of toxic nuclear waste, which poses challenges

far beyond our financial and scientific capability to

solve. Our food chain continues to be affected, and our

development is thwarted by our inability to use

damaged lands.

I am pleased to state that the United States

Congress is currently reviewing our situation, and we

are hopeful that the outcome will contribute towards

amelioration of this problem. Nevertheless, we believe

that our hard-learned lessons can help to inform and

instruct the international community in future debates

about the use and testing of nuclear weapons.

And thirdly, another issue that is particularly

pertinent for our people is that of oceans and fisheries.

As a nation whose entire livelihood depends on the

resources of the sea, the Marshall Islands Government

pledges its unwavering support for the Law of the Sea

management regime. In particular, we emphasize the

importance of Article 63 (1) of the Convention, which

speaks of the need for States to agree on measures

necessary to coordinate and ensure the conservation

and development of shared stocks.

The Marshall Islands is also pursuing the

establishment of national fisheries industries that will

gradually enable the replacement of foreign fishing

fleets; the delineation of our own exclusive economic

zone; and the establishment of international guidelines

to protect our oceans for generations of future

fishermen and the people who count on the work they

do for survival.

I have mentioned only a few of the priorities that

my delegation will be seeking to raise at the

appropriate moment in the upcoming committee

debates and in our interactions with United Nations

agencies and our development partners. There are, of

course, many other issues of concern to both the

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Marshall Islands and the international community as a

whole — issues with which all of us will wrestle in the

coming years.

Among the most important challenges faced by

this body is the continued exclusion of the Republic of

China on Taiwan from the United Nations. The

Marshall Islands Government reiterates its concern that

the exclusion of a nation of peaceful and law-abiding

citizens is not consistent with the inclusive ideal of the

United Nations. I therefore urge each and every one of

you, all of us, to overcome our biases and to allow the

admission of the Republic of China on Taiwan to the

United Nations.

Another important challenge faced by this body is

the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The Marshall

Islands considers that urgent diplomatic action is

required in order to work towards a peaceful solution

to this threat to international peace and security.

The Marshall Islands wishes to emphasize its

support for the expansion of the United Nations

Security Council. We believe that there should be an

increase in the number of both permanent and non-

permanent members of the Council and that such

expansion should include members from both

developed and developing countries. This would

significantly broaden the representation base of the

Council and thus reinforce its ongoing validity.

May I take this opportunity to congratulate the

international community on its support for the newly-

established International Criminal Court. The Marshall

Islands is hopeful and confident that the Court will

prove to be a powerful mechanism in the

administration of justice at the international level. We

are, however, currently considering the making of a

bilateral agreement under Article 98 of the Rome

Statute and will determine this issue after a careful

assessment of the implications of such an agreement.

Finally, I wish to reaffirm the strong commitment

in fellowship and solidarity of the Marshall Islands

with all the Member States of this body.

Long live the United Nations. God bless the

United Nations.