Solomon Islands, 2006

I bring warm

greetings from the Government and the people of

Solomon Islands. Allow me to begin by conveying my

most heartfelt and sincere congratulations to you,

Madam, on your election as President of the General

Assembly at its sixty-first session. Solomon Islands is

confident that, as a result of your leadership, guidance

and service to the world, our work to achieve global

peace, progress and prosperity will bear fruit. My

delegation assures you of our cooperation and support

during your term in office.

Solomon Islands would also like to take this

opportunity to applaud and pay tribute to your

predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Jan Eliasson, Foreign

Minister of Sweden, who, with truly admirable skill,

led us in achieving many reform initiatives following

last year's World Summit, in particular the

establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission and

the Human Rights Council, the launch of the Global

Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the adoption of the

development resolution, management reform,

Secretariat mandate review and the Declaration on

HIV/AIDS.

It would be remiss of me not to thank our

Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Kofi Annan, for

his distinguished service to this premier institution. He

has been a constant catalyst for change and has

distinguished himself by combining leadership with

vision, initiative, patience, respect, persistence and

faith in this institution. Solomon Islands continues to

render him and the Secretariat staff our support. We

wish the Secretary-General well in his future

endeavours and sincerely thank him for his service.

Solomon Islands would also like to join others in

warmly welcoming the newest Member, the Republic

of Montenegro, which was admitted into the United

Nations family in June this year. We wish the new

nation every success and look forward to working with

it for the common good of the globe.

Democracy remains the bedrock of the Solomon

Islands political system. My Government came to

power four months ago, following the country’s

seventh national election since its attainment of

political independence 28 years earlier. We were

fortunate in having the Electoral Assistance Division of

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the United Nations Department of Political Affairs

monitor and coordinate the international observers who

oversaw this election. Despite the positive verdict of

the international observers, a minor hiccup occurred

during the second part of the election and led to three

days of rioting. Solomon Islands looks at that incident

as a wake-up call, urging that more be done for the

development of its growing population. I am pleased to

say that the incident is now behind us, stability has

been restored and a Commission of Inquiry has been

set up to look into the matter.

Solomon Islands would like to thank all those

that participated in the election observer programme

including the Commonwealth, the Pacific Islands

Forum, Australia, New Zealand and the United Nations

Development Programme (UNDP). My Government

has gone ahead and put in place some integrity

legislation that will strengthen the development of the

party system in Solomon Islands and bring about

needed political stability.

Like many young democracies, Solomon Islands

is being challenged and tested. Governance is

expensive and needs support in order to be nurtured

and to flourish. Political ideology should belong to all,

not only to those that can afford it.

The Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon

Islands, led by Australia and supported by New

Zealand and all the Pacific Islands Forum countries,

has just completed its third year. My Government has

renewed the Regional Assistance Mission’s term for

another twelve months, given the Mission’s success in

transforming the country from a fragile to a stable

State. Solomon Islands is undertaking a comprehensive

review of the Mission in an effort to strengthen the

existing partnership, with the objective of broadening

the scope and role of the Mission so that it can take a

more development-oriented approach.

The theme of this session, “Implementing a

Global Partnership for Development”, demands a

renewed commitment to existing partnerships between

developed and developing countries and presents an

opportunity to reorder and close the North-South

divide through a strengthened multilateral system.

Just last week, more than one quarter of the most

vulnerable Members of the United Nations, the least

developed countries, met here in this Assembly to

review the Brussels Programme of Action. These

countries have special needs and require special

attention. While we welcome the declaration issued by

the High-level Meeting on the midterm comprehensive

global review of the implementation of the Brussels

Programme of Action, it is not the declaration that

implements the Brussels Programme of Action, rather

it is our action in honouring our international

obligations and commitments.

Solomon Islands is a country of small

communities, scattered across nine hundred islands.

Sustainable development for Solomon Islands can be

achieved only through a global partnership in which

development is directed at rural communities. The

approach must have a sense of urgency and the

common purpose of enabling the rural population to

exploit their resources thanks to the transfer of

appropriate technologies and thus to realize their

economic aspirations.

The shape and future of international relations

depends on how we manage change. According to

Charles Darwin, it is not the strongest of the species

that survives, nor the most intelligent, but rather the

one most responsive to change.

I am pleased to note that this year the United

Nations is looking at expanding its presence in the

Pacific region. Such an approach strengthens United

Nations relations with its Members. In that regard,

Solomon Islands looks forward to the proposed

upgrading of the UNDP sub-office in Honiara to the

country level.

Solomon Islands notes that the first part of the

2005 World Summit Outcome Document features rural

and agricultural development. My delegation is

heartened by a proposed joint UNDP/United Nations

Capital Development Fund project for the

strengthening of the Solomon Islands provincial

government system and for investing in provincial

infrastructure and communications. The project has the

merit of strengthening all democratic principles and

bringing the State closer to its people. My Government

stands ready to assist such a worthwhile project in any

way it can. Solomon Islands calls on all partners to

contribute to it and to better the lives of a people

whose needs have been neglected for so long.

Solomon Islands follows developments in the

Middle East with concern, in particular in Iraq,

Lebanon and Palestine. It is sad to see parents burying

sons in a conflict that claims the lives of more children

than soldiers. Solomon Islands associates itself with

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the observation of the Under-Secretary-General for

Humanitarian Affairs, Jan Egeland, that something is

truly wrong. Under such difficult circumstances, we

must find the strength to trust one another and work

tirelessly to find a permanent, sustainable and lasting

solution to the crisis. The world looks to this

Organization for a solution, and we must not fail it.

That can only be done if we are prepared to take a

holistic approach in seeking a permanent solution to

the Middle East question, by embracing all parties in

the region and working in the spirit of the United

Nations Charter and through dialogue and consultation.

On Security Council reform, in the words of our

Secretary-General, “no reform of the United Nations

will be complete without the reform of the Security

Council” (A/61/1, para. 161). The time is ripe to

balance ongoing reforms with Security Council reform.

The Council’s failure to act — for various political

reasons — to contain certain conflicts calls into

question its effectiveness, given its responsibility for

the maintenance of international peace and security.

The most vulnerable Members of the Organization do

not have the luxury of waiting, because conflicts and

potential conflicts may take root. More than 5 billion

dollars has already been spent on United Nations

peacekeeping missions — money that would be better

spent on development.

Only by enlarging the Council and arming it with

improved working methods can we make it truly

representative and accountable to the wider

membership of this Organization. Solomon Islands

would like to see countries such as Japan and Germany

as permanent members, together with emerging Powers

such as India and Brazil.

On the question of the representation of Taiwan,

the continuous refusal by this Organization over the

past 13 years to discuss the representation of the 23

million people of Taiwan at the United Nations is a

matter of serious concern. This creates an institutional

gap in an Organization where we are all supposed to

stand equal. My delegation wishes to register its

disappointment at the fact that its right even to discuss

the issue was denied last week. Solomon Islands feels

that the purposes and principles of the United Nations

Charter continue to be violated in this respect. The

time has come for this institution to act according to

the rules that guide the behaviour and conduct of

Members and to have an honest debate on the issue.

Solomon Islands renews its call on the United Nations

to recognize the right of the 23 million people of

Taiwan to be represented at the United Nations.

Solomon Islands is also concerned about security

threats on the Taiwan Strait. My delegation calls on all

Member States to distinguish our collective interests to

preserve peace from narrow interests that threaten

peace. Solomon Islands further calls on the United

Nations, the body responsible for the maintenance of

international peace and security, to mediate and engage

with the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan and other

stakeholders in finding a permanent solution to this

issue.

This year we will be electing a new Secretary-

General. Solomon Islands, a member of the Asian

Group, would like to see a Secretary-General who has

an interest in our subregion. For the last 28 years, since

Solomon Islands joined this noble institution, no

Secretary-General has ever visited my part of the

world. We would like to see our future Secretary-

General engage more closely with Member States on

the other side of the globe.

On the subject of terrorism, Solomon Islands

once again reiterates its condemnation of all forms of

terrorism, in whatever form and manifestation,

wherever and whenever it may occur. Recent attacks in

India and in various parts of the world underscore the

fact that terrorism remains a threat to all. Solomon

Islands looks forward to an early conclusion of the

comprehensive terrorism convention and is pleased that

talks between the United Nations Counter-Terrorism

Committee and Member States, including those in the

Pacific region, have begun. It is our hope that the

consultations will address the gaps in national

mechanisms and, where possible, have a regional

approach to the issues. I am pleased to report that, with

the assistance of New Zealand, Solomon Islands

expects to fulfil some of its counter- terrorism

reporting obligations during the course of 2007.

Mr. Chidyausiku (Zimbabwe), Vice-President,

took the Chair.

At last year’s World Summit, 170 of our Heads of

State and Government agreed to ensure the fuller

participation of developing countries, in particular the

least developed countries, in the global system. The

lack of agreement at the Doha Round continues to hurt

small island open-market economies, such as that of

Solomon Islands. We hope that enough political will

can be garnered to confront existing differences and

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ensure that a universal, rules-based, open,

non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading

system is established.

Solomon Islands continues to benefit from North-

South cooperation to sustain its growth. We must also

continue to work on enhancing South-South

cooperation. I am pleased to note that developing

countries, such as Papua New Guinea, have provided

needed assistance in education and security. My

Government is paying closer attention to renewable

sources of energy with the help of India, Taiwan and

Indonesia. It is our hope that, with the cooperation of

all our partners, appropriate technologies will be

transferred, so that communities can have access to

modern and affordable energy. In this connection, the

Global Environment Fund and the United Nations

Environment Programme could look at facilitating such

initiatives. Solomon Islands would like to thank India,

Taiwan, Indonesia, China and the United Nations

Department for Economic and Social Affairs for

enabling experts from the Pacific Islands to meet and

work on such programmes.

A number of developmental opportunities have

emerged since the 2005 World Summit meeting.

Among other things, a HIV/AIDS declaration has been

adopted. Solomon Islands would like to see the Global

Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria provide a

complete package for the Pacific region, ranging from

awareness to treatment. It is cheaper to invest in a

problem that is small than to treat a full-blown

pandemic. Solomon Islands would like the Global

Fund to reconsider the Pacific regional project

submitted during the sixtieth session.

Solomon Islands notes with regret that the recent

five-year review conference of the 2001 Programme of

Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit

Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All its

Aspects did not agree on a final document. Solomon

Islands continues to believe that the root cause of the

emerging gun culture is development-related. At some

stage, such conferences should focus more on

addressing poverty issues within vulnerable countries,

where gun culture is likely to emerge, in a global effort

to address the issue once and for all.

On the issue of international migration, which

was taken up at last week’s High-level Meeting,

Solomon Islands, together with its regional neighbours,

continues to seek opportunities to manage short-term

labour migration within its subregion and globally.

While nothing concrete has emerged, the regional

discussion has allowed us to better understand the

receiving States’ position and, hopefully, will allow us

to work towards striking an agreed balance. Solomon

Islands feels that the pull factor from the South to the

North is natural and serves as a win-win factor for the

South that provides needed labour for the North’s

growing economies, while at the same time benefiting

the South financially.

The United Nations offers opportunities for

Member States to become responsible global citizens.

Solomon Islands would like to see mission recruitment

procedures at country level. We are also seriously

looking at participating in selected United Nations

civilian police missions.

Finally, a reformed and strengthened United

Nations represents our best hope for a better future.

Solomon Islands reiterates its commitment to work

within the framework of international cooperation to

address today’s economic, social, cultural and

humanitarian challenges.