Palau, 2001

Let me begin by

conveying my deepest sympathy and condolences to

the families and relatives of the victims of American

Airlines flight 587, which crashed in this great city two

days ago, exactly two months and one day after the 11

September terrorist attack. The people of New York are

once again being put to the test, and once again they

will come out of this tragedy more resolved and

determined, under the leadership of Mayor Giuliani and

Governor Pataki. While we pray for the victims and

their families, let us also pray that the crash, as tragic

as it was, will prove to be an accident and not an act of

terrorism.

In the wake of an unfathomable, barbarous act of

terror against a civilian population made up of citizens

from nations around the globe, we gather together in

unprecedented unity. We are united in our sorrow over

the losses arising from 11 September — the loss of

lives, the loss of friends and loved ones, the loss of

livelihoods and the loss of innocence, for want of a

better word. We are united in our condemnation of the

horrific acts perpetrated by an isolated group of

extremists who have no respect for human life. We are

united in our resolve that those responsible for the

atrocities of 11 September, and those who support

them, are a cancer in the body of nations — a systemic

blight which extends beyond the individual

perpetrators and which must be utterly eradicated, lest

it return and spread.

At the same time, we are united in our conviction

that their evil cannot be allowed to force us to abandon

respect for human rights and adherence to the rule of

law, which are fundamental principles of this

Organization. We are united in our recognition that, for

all their claims to holiness, those responsible for these

criminal acts of terror bear no legitimate claim to any

civilized religion and certainly do not represent the

noble and honourable beliefs of Islam. We are united in

our understanding that the peoples of Afghanistan are

also victims of the corruption and ill-fated control of

their Government by these criminals and their

supporters, as well as in our desire to assist in

improving the quality of life of the people of

Afghanistan. In all these things and more, we are

united to a degree that would have been unthinkable

before 11 September.

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This new spirit of cooperation reflects the most

positive feature of globalization — the feature which

pro-globalization factions do not often put forward and

anti-globalization forces never consider. It is the only

feature of globalization that Pacific island countries

such as Palau can see as being truly and inherently

positive — a feature that the Pacific island countries

have recognized among themselves for decades. That

feature is the acknowledgement that, ultimately, there

is only one system in which we exist, and the related

understanding that any act or condition within that

system affects each of us, although in varying ways and

degrees. In such a system, problems are best addressed

through coalition-building and a consensus-driven

approach, a process of give and take, involving the

widest possible range of participants. We see proof of

this as the world continues to cooperate in responding

to the 11 September attacks against humanity.

As I have said, in this new spirit of cooperation,

the process of decision-making and the implementation

of those decisions must be as open and participatory as

possible. This is especially true in the light of the need

to weave together military, financial, law enforcement,

trade, intelligence-gathering and foreign aid issues. In

these troubled times, it simply makes no sense to

isolate a proven ally in the fight against terrorism. Yet

that is what is happening. The Republic of China on

Taiwan, which could and should be a very valuable

asset in these and other cooperative actions, is

significantly restricted in the role it can play because it

has been barred from membership in this body. In fact,

it is the only nation in the world which has no voice in

this Organization.

Not only is the exclusion of Taiwan contrary to

the fundamental, inclusive principles of the United

Nations, but on a more pragmatic level it compromises

security in Asia and the Pacific. Lacking a neutral

forum for the non-violent, diplomatic resolution of any

disputes it might have with the People’s Republic of

China, the Republic of China on Taiwan is at a great

disadvantage in maintaining stable and peaceful

relations in the region. It is simply counterproductive,

from either a practical or a political viewpoint, to

exclude from this body a peaceful, democratically

governed, economically vibrant nation which embraces

human rights and plays a major role in other

international organizations.

Similarly, it makes no sense, in this new global

system, to ignore an entire bloc of nations because of

perceptions left over from an earlier, colonial-era

world. Yet the Pacific island countries are still being

marginalized in the various United Nations bodies and

processes. It is time to recognize that the Pacific island

countries are unique entities, island countries with

distinct traditions, cultures, needs, interests and

concerns and are not merely the leftovers of

colonialism. It is time to recognize that they are among

the youngest nations of the world, with special

requirements for assistance in assuming their proper

place in the global arena. Those needs, interests and

concerns are often overlooked against the larger

backdrop of the Asia-Pacific Group in the United

Nations. It is time to change that; to deal more fully

with the Pacific island countries as such, rather than as

an afterthought tagged onto Asia.

Resolutions have been put forward which could

correct the erroneous exclusion of the Republic of

China on Taiwan, pave the way to providing a properly

expanded role for the Pacific island countries as such,

and produce greater cooperation and broader support in

all the key works of the United Nations. Now is the

time for the membership to adopt those resolutions in

recognition of the need for full participation of all

peoples in the global events unfolding now and sure to

develop in the foreseeable future.

Moreover, it is equally important in this new

globalization and world order that the most important

organ of the United Nations, the Security Council, be

reorganized and restructured to reflect true

representation of this Organization. While we

commend and applaud the five permanent members of

the Security Council for their efforts and contributions

to world peace and security, the time has come for this

body to consider the inclusion of several Member

States as permanent members of the Security Council.

Japan, among few others, has certainly reached the

level and capacity to be one of the permanent members

of the Security Council. In this respect, we applaud the

recent decision of the Japanese Government to send

support forces to the United States-led coalition war

against international terrorism.

Finally, if it can be said that any good came from

the abominations of 11 September, it would be this:

countries of the world that gave little thought to

engagement and cooperation in a larger, global system

are now fully engaged and working side by side with

countries to which they were formerly antagonistic or

to which they gave only passing thought, at best. This

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new perspective can and should be applied to respond

to another global attack, one that is even more basic

than terrorism and will remain a threat to humanity

after the criminals of 11 September are brought to

justice.

This threat arises from the attack on our own

ecosystem through desertification, through the

reduction in global biodiversity and through global

warming and sea-level rise, all resulting from human

activities. These attacks, infinitely less dramatic than

those of 11 September, are nonetheless equally

systemic in nature and equally threatening to us all. It

is time to apply the same new understanding of global

dynamics, so forcefully driven home on 11 September,

to our environment.

We applaud and are very much encouraged by the

developments of the recently concluded seventh

session of the Conference of the Parties to the United

Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in

Morocco. To that end, I want to repeat my oft-stated

call for all nations to finalize negotiations on, sign,

ratify and implement the Kyoto Protocol as soon as

possible. Just as we must now directly confront the

effects of transnational acts of terror, we must now

directly confront the environmental consequences of

our own actions. Delay on either matter is unacceptable

and will only further compromise our well-being.

For perhaps the first time in its glorious history,

the phrase “United Nations” literally describes this

Organization. While we remain shocked, saddened and

deeply offended by the events giving rise to the new

unity, we must acknowledge and nurture whatever

good those events can be turned to. We now have the

ability to see the clear advantages of close cooperation

on matters which affect us all. Let us use the

knowledge, that wisdom gained from pain, and forge

even stronger, institutional reliance on cooperation,

consensus and coalition-building across the widest

possible constituency as we go forward in this new

global system.