Solomon Islands, 1997

Eight weeks ago, the

people of Solomon Islands elected a new Parliament that

brought to office the “Alliance for Change”, a reform-

oriented Government committed to revitalizing the nation

and its economy. Programmes to fulfil the public’s desire

for sustainable development are being designed and

implemented with professionalism, transparency,

accountability and due respect for traditional values.

The demand for change is being heard in the villages

and towns of Solomon Islands, as it is elsewhere. Change

for the better, however, is not easily achieved. It requires

people with vision and the judgment and courage to inspire

productive action. The United Nations and the General

Assembly are blessed with such people. Secretary-General

Kofi Annan, in less than 10 months in office, has

demonstrated insight and a refreshing openness that is felt

throughout the Organization. His proposals to create a more

effective and efficient United Nations are having a

significant impact on our efforts here. The Solomon Islands

delegation will work to achieve the consensus his

programme for reform needs.

Mr. Hennadiy Udovenko, Minister for Foreign Affairs

of Ukraine, brings to the presidency of the General

Assembly more than a decade of experience at the United

Nations and participation in the historic political and

economic transformation of his country. In this time of

change at the United Nations, his diplomatic skills will

prove indispensable.

As President of the fifty-first session of the General

Assembly, Malaysia’s Ambassador Razali Ismail provided

enthusiastic leadership and challenging proposals that

helped advance the reform process. We thank him.

Solomon Islands gratefully recognizes the debt owed

to the people of the Secretariat, the specialized agencies,

the assistance programmes, the humanitarian and

peacekeeping operations of the Organization and allies such

as the International Committee of the Red Cross. Often

working under difficult and even dangerous conditions,

these men and women are heroes of our time. They will

continue to have our full support.

The extraordinary and rapid changes with which this

century is ending understandably fuel uncertainty and fear

of the future as we participate in the transformation of the

world through international communications, commerce and

law, as well as medicine, science and technology. Even

humankind’s successful venture into outer space draws

doubters and critics alike. During the last years of the

nineteenth century, rapid scientific and technological

innovation, armed conflict and the migration of vast

numbers of people generated uncertainty and the fear of

civilization’s decline among the influential circles of

Europe. Intellectuals wrote about the ongoing degeneration

of humankind and envisioned cataclysmic wars.

In the twentieth century brutal local and global

conflicts, the development and use of the cruellest weapons,

the attempted extermination of entire peoples and a

seemingly endless cold war gave credibility to the

nightmare visions of that earlier generation. We are now

engaged in the difficult process of understanding and

transforming this legacy of horror into something we can

use for humankind’s benefit. In this effort the United

Nations is vital.

Solomon Islands welcomes the adoption of the

Agenda for Development and looks forward to the

conclusion of the discussion of the scale of assessments

and the issue of the capacity to pay. For the small

developing States, an effective and financially stable

United Nations that meets the challenges of development,

as well as of the Organization’s other core activities,

remains critical.

The Solomon Islands Government supports the

Secretary-General’s programme of reform. We have no

illusions, however, that it will be easy for the Member

States to reach a consensus on its adoption. Certain

controversial proposals face intense debate, but we are

confident that the outcome of our deliberations will

benefit all. These discussions should take place in only

one forum so that small delegations such as my own can

fully participate.

In an ideal United Nations, the future design of the

Security Council could be characterized as “equality of

membership, yes; the veto, no”. Political reality, however,

requires another approach. The Security Council should

be expanded, with permanent and non-permanent seats for

developed and developing States. Solomon Islands will

give serious consideration to permanent membership for

Germany, Japan and several developing countries. Since

the present permanent members insist on retaining the

veto, it must be restricted to questions relating to Chapter

VII of the Charter.

Solomon Islands and other States in the great

continent of Oceania are especially sensitive to

environmental change. Our commitment to the principles

of the Rio Declaration and the objectives of Agenda 21 is

reflected in Solomon Islands’ ratification of the

Convention on Biological Diversity and the United

Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. We

vigorously support the Alliance of Small Island States

draft protocol to the Framework Convention, and we will

continue in the joint effort towards the achievement of a

legally binding instrument to be negotiated in Kyoto this

December. We are moving quickly to enact legislation

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that will enable Solomon Islands to meet its obligations

under the Climate Change Convention.

Solomon Islands, which has ratified the Convention on

the Law of the Sea, is committed to the adoption of a

seabed mining code with strong provisions for protecting

the marine environment. In 1998 we will actively

participate in the International Year of the Ocean.

We are committed to the international nuclear non-

proliferation regime. Of special concern to us is the

transport, dumping or storage of radioactive and other

dangerous wastes in the Pacific region. Solomon Islands has

signed the Waigani Convention to Ban the Importation into

Forum Island Countries of Hazardous and Radioactive

Wastes and the Nouméa Convention to protect the region’s

marine and terrestrial environments. For these and similar

treaties, it is important that relevant international standards

be met by the responsible parties.

Solomon Islands, which has ratified the Treaty of

Rarotonga, continues to support the creation of a nuclear-

weapon-free southern hemisphere, as well as similar zones

elsewhere. We worked closely with Marshall Islands and

Western Samoa in arguing before the International Court of

Justice that the use of any nuclear weapon would violate

international and humanitarian law. Our position was

largely upheld by the landmark advisory opinion the Court

handed down last year. We were pleased to co-sponsor

General Assembly resolution 51/45 M in support of the

International Court of Justice opinion. Solomon Islands

continues its call for the creation of a forum of non-

nuclear-weapon States. The forum, committed to the

elimination of all nuclear weapons, and in keeping with the

Court’s advisory opinion, would seek agreement on a

unified approach to the full implementation of Article VI of

the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons

and would monitor progress towards that goal.

Solomon Islands, which has closely followed the

Ottawa process, will enthusiastically sign the treaty banning

anti-personnel landmines. We thank Canada for this

initiative. Recognition must also be given to the

International Committee of the Red Cross and several non-

governmental organizations for their efforts.

A deadly legacy of the Second World War continues

to haunt the Solomon Islands. Over 100 ships laden with

fuel and unexploded munitions rest on the bottom of our

channels and on land. A large number of unexploded

bombs still litter our shores. The leaking fuel contaminates

fish breeding grounds and affects the aquatic food chain.

Estimates of the costs of clearance run to $1 billion or

more, but a thorough technical and financial assessment

of the problem is required. Those countries that waged

war in the Solomon Islands have a responsibility to assist

us.

Recognizing the need to restructure the Solomon

Islands economy, my Government is closely reviewing

several key areas, such as public expenditure, banking and

the taxation regime. We will seek assistance from the

international lending agencies and the developed

countries. To meet the demands of globalization, we are

undertaking the expansion of investment and trade.

With 80 per cent of its population of under 400,000

living in rural settings on hundreds of islands dispersed

over 1,600 kilometres of ocean, Solomon Islands is using

a village-centred development strategy that is democratic

in origin and operation and sensitive to the cultural values

of an ethnically and linguistically diverse people. My

Government is placing increased emphasis on education

and recreation for women and youth, who comprise three

quarters of our population. Formal as well as informal

programmes are being used to foster the study of

agriculture, biology and other sciences, health care,

appropriate technologies and the humanities. We are

committed to upgrading the Solomon Islands College of

Higher Education and transforming it into our National

University.

The Government is also focusing on programmes to

increase agricultural productivity through research and

better land use. We are pursuing policies to promote

livestock development and aquaculture. Fishing remains

a vital industry for us, and Solomon Islands has ratified

the Agreement on the Conservation and Management of

Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks.

Over half of my Government’s revenue comes from

forest harvesting. Our ultimate goal is sustainable forestry.

Reforestation and the conservation of our preserves are

now essential elements of our environmental policy.

Seeking to maximize the economic return to Solomon

Islanders, we are reviewing the process of granting

licences and considering the establishment of facilities for

lumber processing entirely within our country.

Sustainable development in the Solomon Islands

requires electrification, especially by means of solar and

hydro energy. Whether to enhance rural life or to open

new industries, electrification is essential. My

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Government is giving energy resource development high

priority.

Embracing the purposes and principles of the Charter,

Solomon Islands has on several occasions at the United

Nations called upon the Republic of China on Taiwan and

the People’s Republic of China to take the necessary steps

towards opening negotiations to achieve reunification. The

Government of the Republic of China is committed to the

peaceful and equitable reunification of China. Peaceful

reunification is also the stated goal of the People’s Republic

of China. Both parties have offered strikingly similar

proposals. Yet there has been no decisive movement

towards negotiation. Delay makes them ever harder to

initiate, increases tension across the Taiwan Strait and

threatens international peace and security. Responsibility for

peaceful reunification rests with the two parties and the

international community. Bringing about and successfully

completing negotiations will be a long and difficult process

that would be greatly assisted by the participation of the

Republic of China in the United Nations. The Republic of

China, which is fully committed to the purposes and

principles of the Charter, has the means to be an active

contributor to the Organization’s work.

Regrettably, threats have been made and actions taken

against Solomon Islands and other Member States that have

spoken on behalf of the Republic of China. Even the use of

force against us has been threatened, in violation of the

Charter’s principles and the letter and spirit of numerous

General Assembly resolutions. Threats have no place at the

United Nations.

Finally, as we enter the twenty-first century, a more

effective Organization requires the participation and

dedication of all sectors of civil society. Let us renew our

pledge to cooperate with the United Nations. It is time to

join hands in shaping the present for the benefit of future

generations.