Palau, 2025

The Assembly will hear an address by His Excellency Sir John G. Webb, President of the Republic of Palau. I request protocol to escort His Excellency and invite him to address the Assembly. Madam President, Secretary General, Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Delegates, It is my great honor to address this Assembly at a milestone moment, the 80th anniversary of the United Nations. Eighty years ago, nations scarred by war came together to say, never again. They built this organization on the belief that cooperation, not conflict, could guide humanity forward. Today as we reflect on that founding vision, let us remember the United Nations was not built for the powerful, but for all nations, large and small. In Palau we have a saying, small twigs banded together can light the fire that can bring the pot to boil. This wisdom reminds us that even the smallest among us, when united and determined, can drive meaningful change. The recent International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion affirms this truth, that our voice, though often overlooked, carries the weight of justice. We thank Vanuatu for their leadership and recognize the Pacific youth who co-led this charge. The advisory opinion confirmed what we have always known, 1.5 degrees is not optional. It is now the benchmark for international law. Let us defend this limit as the political, moral, and legal anchor of the Paris Agreement. The world is at war. Defense spending is at an all-time high, approaching $3 trillion annually. We have many problems. And now more than ever, we need to come together. We are also at war. Our shores are being invaded by seawater. Our homes are being blown away by storms. Our roads are being washed away by torrential rains. Our reefs are overheating. Our fish are disappearing. And our land is on fire. This is our daily battle. And ahead of COP30 in Belem, we must see new nationally determined contributions submitted without delay, particularly from major emitters. And they must be aligned with the 1.5 degree trajectory. We applaud Australia's leadership in setting incredibly ambitious and achievable 2035 emissions reduction targets and developing clear strategies to reach its net zero emissions pathway by 2050. Australia leads the way in supporting Pacific Islands in accelerating the energy transition. This is a testament to the kind of leadership needed to defend and ensure a safe and prosperous future for all. However, ambition without implementation is an empty promise. For CIDS, the fight depends on climate finance. Too often, our countries are trapped in systems that are overly complex, slow, inaccessible. Finance must be predictable and adequate. It should not create new debt. It should free us to implement our NDCs, adapt to climate change impacts, and address loss and damage. The 1.5 degree Celsius limit remains our lifeline. And finance is the key to achieving it. We need investment, not in defense, but for us to combat our greatest threat, climate change. It is not aspirational. It is the scientifically grounded guardrail that protects the most vulnerable from the worst climate impacts. Madam President, our region has served as the world's moral compass on climate justice. We have helped secure the 1.5 degree goal in Paris. We have pushed for a mechanism on loss and damage. If the world is serious about 1.5, we urge you to come to our region to see with your own eyes what the Pacific is facing and be moved to act. That is why COP 31 must be a Pacific COP, hosted by Australia, shaped in partnership with the Pacific. Madam President, on the issue of climate solutions, deep sea mining has been incorrectly promoted as a silver bullet for the climate crisis. If we rush forward without understanding the consequences, we risk inflicting irreparable harm. The loss of biodiversity, the release of carbon, damage to our water column, and the destruction of fisheries that sustain our people is unfathomable. At UNOC 3, 38 countries, including Palau, came together to support a moratorium, and our message is clear. We must let science guide before we exploit the deep sea. The historic BBNJ agreement enters into force in January, and while Palau is proud to be the first ratifier, we couldn't have lit this fire alone. Like the Palauan proverb of the twigs, crossing the collective effort of over 60 countries demonstrates that we are better together. While we celebrate this achievement, we need even more nations to join this commitment to truly safeguard our ocean's future. Colleagues, the BBNJ agreement presents an unprecedented opportunity to design new ocean governance institutions where SIDS have a voice from the start. We are Big Ocean States, and we call on our partners, including the EU, to support a SIDS seat in the BBNJ governance structure. Excellencies, the stakes for SIDS could not be higher. Our economies are small, our vulnerabilities are acute, and our physical space is painfully narrow. The Antigua and Barbuda agenda for SIDS gives us a blueprint for resilient prosperity, but it cannot stand without tools. That is why the Seville commitment matters. The world has finally recognized that the financial system cannot be fair if it measures only income and ignores vulnerability. Multilateralism is our only shield, yet too often it is sidelined, blacklisted, and cut off from finance and boxed in by rules we did not write. We demand a seat not as bystanders, but as equal architects of our shared future. We call for the full and immediate integration of the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index into the policies and frameworks of international financial institutions, multilateral development banks, and international organizations. It is time that we move the MVI from theory to practice. As we commemorate 80 years of this United Nations, we must look honestly at the strengths and its shortcomings. We welcome the Secretary General's UN80 initiative, but let me be clear, reform cannot be cosmetic. This UN must be more responsive, more equitable, and more focused on delivery. Madam President, Palau knows too well the heavy cost of war. Having endured the devastation of World War II on our islands, that history reminds us not only of the suffering left in the wake of conflict, but also the sacred value of peace. Palau has always stood for dignity of every human life and for the peaceful resolution of disputes through dialogue and respect for international law. Our positions, whether in support or restraint, are always guided by a deeper purpose, the pursuit of peace that is just, lasting, and stable. We believe that a durable solution, one that envisions two peoples, Israelis and Palestinians, living in two democratic states, side by side, in peace and in dignity and security within mutually recognized borders, is essential for lasting peace. Russia's unprovoked war against Ukraine is a stark reminder that when international law is disregarded, peace everywhere is placed at risk. It is only through respect for the rules-based order that all nations, large and small, can live securely. Continuing in that spirit of respect for life and stability, I must raise an important issue of principle. Years ago, China wrongly interpreted UNGA Resolution 2758, and today it continues to claim that Taiwan is a part of the People's Republic. The end result has been Taiwan has been silenced. The 23 million people's voices have been kept unheard, keeping Taiwan out of fully participating in the UN system and contributing to the world. Palau believes that inclusivity, which includes Taiwan, strengthens the United Nations, and that no community should be barred from contributing to the solutions of our world that it so desperately needs. Madam President, let me close with another Palauan proverb. It's about tides. An incoming tide should lift everyone. The choices we make together are about lifting all of us, ensuring the next generation inherits a world that sustains them just as it has sustained us. As we face today's greatest challenges—climate change, ocean decline, debt, inequality, wars, and conflict—no nation can carry the weight alone. But together, guided by the spirit of the UN's founding, and strengthened by 80 years of hard-learned lessons, we can turn the tide. Let this Assembly be remembered not only for the words we speak, but for the actions we take, and for the resilience we build, the justice we uphold, and the future we secure for the generations yet to be born. We are better together. God bless you. Sulang, thank you. Thank you. On behalf of the Assembly, I wish to thank the President of the Republic of Palau.