Solomon Islands, 2001

At the outset,

let me express my sincere felicitations and those of my

Government and the people of the Solomon Islands, on

your election, Sir, as President of the General

Assembly at its fifty-sixth session. As you know, the

Republic of Korea and Solomon Islands enjoy very

warm and cordial relations. My delegation is therefore

delighted to see you presiding over this Assembly. Our

gratitude also goes to your predecessor, Mr. Harri

Holkeri, for the efficient manner in which he conducted

the work of the previous session. I also congratulate the

Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, on his well-

deserved reappointment for another term in office, and

on the award, to him and to the United Nations, of the

2001 Nobel Peace Prize.

The horrendous terrorist attack on the United

States on 11 September was an attack against humanity.

What we witnessed on that day was unimaginable. It

brought pain and loss on an inconceivable scale; there

can be no justification for it. This morning I visited

ground zero to pay my respects to the thousands of

innocent people buried there and to reaffirm the

solidarity of Solomon Islands with the Government and

the people of the United States of America.

Terrorism is an evil phenomenon which must be

eradicated. Individuals and organizations perpetrating

such evil must be brought to justice. Similarly, States

that harbour or provide safe haven for terrorist

activities must play their full part in eradicating this

menace.

The war against international terrorism must aim

to have far-reaching solutions, rather than be merely

reactive. Effective international cooperation is critical

to the global implementation of anti-terrorism

measures, in order to deny terrorists any weak spots

that they could exploit to launch their criminal

operations. Solomon Islands is taking steps towards the

ratification of the various international conventions

against terrorism. Countries such as mine need

technical support in law enforcement, surveillance and

information-sharing so as to effectively implement

these instruments. In this regard, I welcome President

Bush’s offer to help countries that need assistance in

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strengthening and implementing anti-terrorism

strategies.

While the war against terrorism is a matter of

urgency, the United Nations should not underestimate

the continuing need to address other global issues that

also threaten human security. Persistent poverty and

underdevelopment; environmental degradation; internal

conflict and war; the proliferation of weapons of mass

destruction, as well as of small arms and light

weapons; trade in illicit drugs; the deadly spread of

HIV/AIDS; and violations of human rights are all

complex global problems that continue to demand

concerted global responses.

With their limited resources and capacity, small

island developing States like Solomon Islands are

unable to cope with the magnitude of these problems.

Post-cold-war security now rightly embraces human,

environmental, economic and political dimensions.

The inter-ethnic crisis that the Solomon Islands

experienced between 1998 and 2000, and its

devastating impact on the country, is a sobering

reminder that peace and development are intrinsically

linked. One cannot be achieved if the other fails. In

most situations, including in our case, peace takes

precedence, as no rebuilding is possible without

security and stability. My Government has worked

resolutely to bring the warring factions to the table.

Our efforts culminated in the signing of the Townsville

Peace Agreement in October 2000 and of the Marau

Peace Agreement earlier this year.

The Townsville Agreement led to the cessation of

the conflict. However, progress in the implementation

of the Agreement’s disarmament provisions has been

slow. With a considerable number of high-powered

weapons still to be handed in, the peace process

remains fragile. A review of the Agreement was begun

recently, but it has been temporarily suspended. We are

confident that the review process will soon resume in

order to positively consolidate the ongoing peace

process.

At this juncture, I wish to acknowledge the

contributions of our development partners towards the

peace process, in particular the Governments of the

Republic of China on Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand

and the countries of the European Union. My

Government is also grateful to civil society institutions,

including the churches and non-governmental

organizations, for their efforts, especially at the height

of the crisis.

The challenge is far from over. With a shattered

economy and a delicate peace process, the task of

rebuilding the country and ensuring lasting peace is

formidable. It requires the patience, cooperation and

commitment of all Solomon Islanders. My Government

has adopted a National Peace Plan and Programme of

Action aimed at addressing the root causes of the

conflict through meaningful dialogue and discussion

and by encouraging a more participatory approach in

the country’s socio-economic and political

development. The recent ruling by our judiciary

affirming the constitutional legitimacy of my

Government has given us additional resolve to

implement this Plan and Programme of Action. In this

connection, the understanding and support of the

international community, in particular our development

partners, is important.

Development cooperation should strive to reduce

the vulnerability of societies to violent conflicts. Aid

should go beyond immediate humanitarian needs. It has

to be linked to peace-building initiatives in order to

make peace sustainable. Development assistance could,

therefore, be a means of conflict prevention and an

instrument for peace-building.

There is a clear imperative to address the poverty

and inequality that exist among our countries. But there

is also an irrefutable common interest for doing so, as

many of today’s problems — especially in the least

developed countries — are rooted in underdevelopment

and poverty. The timely implementation of the

outcomes of the Third United Nations Conference on

the Least Developed Countries is therefore imperative.

We are fully aware that primary responsibility to put in

place the necessary reforms for poverty reduction and

economic growth lies with the least developed

countries. Education, infrastructure development and

improving basic health services remain priority issues

for Solomon Islands.

Undoubtedly, investment of overseas

development assistance resources to support our efforts

can accelerate development. Donor countries and

agencies must be more inclined to ensure that they do

not give with one hand, only to take away with the

other. In a globalizing world, donor partners’ policies

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in virtually every sector — including trade and

investment, financial systems and the environment —

must help promote development for the poorest. In the

absence of that, the goal of attaining sustainable

development and managing globalization in a way that

maximizes its benefits for all will be difficult to

realize.

In the same spirit, I call on the development

partners to consider more practical and realistic

measures to deal with the huge amount of debt burden

that poor countries continue to shoulder. Development

partners must continue to positively consider measures

such as writing off debts; for even the Heavily Indebted

Poor Countries Debt Initiative and the Paris Club

initiatives to address the problems of highly indebted

and poor developing countries have been cumbersome

and slow.

The International Conference on Financing for

Development, which is to be held in Mexico next

March, offers a unique opportunity for achieving

consensus on how to mobilize new and additional

resources for development. Solomon Islands looks

forward to participating actively in the Conference.

Agenda 21 remains a valid blueprint for the

management of the Earth’s environment and the

sustainable development of its resources. The World

Summit on Sustainable Development, to be held in

Johannesburg next year, 10 years after Rio, should

reach consensus on ways and means to ensure wider

and effective implementation of Agenda 21 and

subsequent international programmes, including the

Barbados Programme of Action for the Sustainable

Development of Small Island Developing States.

The ocean and its bounty continue to be a

principal resource for Solomon Islands. Our priorities

concerning oceans include sustainable fisheries

management, habitat protection and avoidance of

marine pollution. For us, the success of national

development planning depends significantly on the

continued health of the marine environment.

The unique circumstances of small island

developing States must be fully understood by the

international community as we strive to address the

serious threats of natural disasters, climate change and

sea-level rise. The Kyoto Protocol remains a significant

first step on the path to ensuring effective global action

to combat climate change. The international

community must now build on the outcomes of the

seventh session of the Conference of the Parties to the

Framework Convention and work further towards the

resolution of all outstanding negotiating issues.

We must recall the vision which the United

Nations was created to serve, i.e. that each and every

human being deserves to live in dignity, be well

nourished, be educated, have access to decent health

care and decent work, be respected and consulted, and

be able to develop their talents and creativity. Our

challenge is to strengthen the United Nations and other

international institutions to strive more effectively

towards that vision. Solomon Islands remains

committed to the reform initiatives of the Secretary-

General.

This session should also continue with efforts to

make the work of the General Assembly more efficient

and effective. Furthermore, discussions on the reform

of the Security Council have gone on for too long

without substantial progress. Greater flexibility is

required in order for this process to be completed. The

goal is to have a more democratic, transparent and

effective Security Council.

In what is surely one of the bitter ironies of our

times, free and democratic Taiwan, home to 23 million

people and a peace-loving country, has been excluded

not only from the United Nations and all its specialized

agencies but also from nearly every other

intergovernmental organization in the world. Although

the Republic of China on Taiwan willingly abides by

international norms, standards and obligations, it is not

able to enjoy the same normal standard privileges and

treatment accorded to others. This is simply unfair and

unjust. The time has come to reconsider the exclusion

of the Republic of China from the United Nations. The

Republic of China on Taiwan was a founding member

of the Organization. It is a model of economic success

and democratic politics. Taiwan has continued to share

its development experiences with the wider

international community when given the opportunity.

Its continuing assistance during humanitarian crises

also deserves full commendation.

Solomon Islands’ appeal for Taiwan’s

representation and participation in the United Nations

system is premised on the principles of justice, dignity

and the right of the people of Taiwan to be heard and

represented in the international arena and for them to

be able to enjoy the same benefits that the rest of us

enjoy. My Government firmly believes that Taiwan’s

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membership in the United Nations will effectively

serve to facilitate peaceful dialogue between the two

Chinas and provide a solid basis for a lasting

reconciliation between them. Dialogue is the only

means to resolve differences, and parity and mutual

respect must be the foundation upon which both sides

can build trust and confidence. The United Nations is

the best forum to nurture that trust and confidence. The

issue of Taiwan’s membership is consistent with the

United Nations principle of universality. But, above all,

it must be acknowledged that the Republic of China on

Taiwan is fully committed to fulfilling the obligations

of the United Nations Charter.

Finally, next month my country is going to the

polls to elect a new parliament, and thereafter a new

Government will be formed. This election manifests

our continuing commitment to constitutional and

parliamentary democracy. It is a critical election, as it

will confer a new mandate for the next Government to

continue with the ever-important responsibilities of

ensuring the rule of law, rebuilding the economy and

further consolidating the current peace process.

Those are difficult tasks, but we are determined

to write a new page in our young history — a new page

that should provide for ethnic harmony and co-

existence, comprehensive and lasting peace, economic

prosperity, and, above all, engender and nurture a

better future and hope for our children and future

generations.