Federated States of Micronesia, 2014

I would like to congratulate

Mr. Sam Kutesa on his election to lead the General

Assembly at its sixty-ninth session. I wish to thank him

and the outgoing President, Mr. John Ashe, for their

leadership. I must also commend Secretary-General

Ban Ki-moon, who has more than measured up to the

tremendous tasks associated with his high Office.

Allow me to extend my sympathies to the families

of the victims of the tragic and appalling events that

have recently unfolded around the world, from the

passengers on Malaysia Airlines Flight MH-17 to the

recent beheadings by the Islamic State of Iraq and

Syria, to the victims of the Ebola epidemic and natural

disasters. We will never forget those tragedies and the

loss of lives.

I am humbled to speak in this hallowed Hall for the

last time as President of my island nation, the Federated

States of Micronesia. Like my predecessors, I come

with great respect for this honourable institution. This

global Organization is best suited to address and solve

the pressing issues of our global family.

I have come to the United Nations compelled

by the dictates of conscience. We are all stewards of

God’s creation here on Earth. The bounties of Mother

Nature are priceless, and we all bear the obligation to

sustainably manage them.

Over 30 years ago, small island countries brought

the issue of climate change to the attention of the

United Nations. Some Members have criticized us for

focusing too much on climate change and sea-level rise,

but those issues influence our every decision and affect

every aspect of life in our islands. Across the globe, the

deadly impacts of climate change on the environment

are stark realities. Others can afford to speak of them

as future threats, but we in small island countries

are already facing the impacts, which are worse than

science predicted.

Micronesia means “little islands”, with atolls rising

only a few feet above sea level. According to the Fifth

Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel

on Climate Change, human-caused climate change

is leading to sea-level rise, more frequent and more

intense typhoons and severe droughts. A small increase

in the sea level would be a catastrophe for the atolls

of Micronesia. Our islands contribute almost nothing

towards the causes of climate change, and yet we

face the brunt of its adverse impacts. Climate change

threatens our food and water security, the health of our

population, the health of our oceans and coral reefs,

our biodiversity and the very existence of our island

nations.

What are we doing about it? Collectively, in order

for small islands to survive, the Alliance of Small

Island States (AOSIS) advocates for limiting global

warming to well below a 1.5°C increase above the

pre-industrial temperature. That requires immediate

action from all stakeholders. Small Island Developing

States (SIDS) must not be asked to fight climate change

by themselves. On that note, we support the recently

launched World Bank initiative on carbon pricing.

Next year, the twenty-first session of the Conference

of the Parties to the United Nations Framework

Convention on Climate Change (COP21), to be held

in Paris, will establish a new climate change treaty,

which will go into effect in 2020. However, the United

Nations Environment Programme has identified a pre-

2020 emissions gap. Therefore, AOSIS has also made

an important proposal to the work plan on enhancing

mitigation ambitions in order to close the gap.

Micronesia has made an equally important proposal

to amend the Montreal Protocol to phase down the

production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons

(HFCs), which are powerful greenhouse gases. That

action can reduce the global average temperature

increase by up to 0.5°C by the end of this century.

Reducing HFCs and other short-lived climate pollutants

can reduce the rate of sea-level rise by 25 per cent.

Near-term climate mitigation will give all atolls around

the globe a chance to survive.

The Montreal Protocol’s success and enormous

potential to protect the climate was recognized in The

Economist this week. The magazine has a separate

editorial entitled “Paris via Montreal: The quickest

way to cut greenhouse gases is to expand the Montreal

Protocol”. Indeed, the success of the Montreal Protocol

in the next six months is our ticket to a successful

outcome in Paris at COP 21. I commend the United

States of America and China for continuing to work

to fulfil their agreement to use the Montreal Protocol

to reduce HFCs. I call on other world leaders to join

Micronesia and adopt the proposed HFC amendment.

In the face of already occurring climate change

impacts, the best small island nations can do on the

ground is to try to anticipate and adapt to climate change

and instil the best possible disaster risk reduction and

response policies. Adaptation is therefore a priority

in Micronesia’s Climate Change Act, which was

recognized at the recent world summit of the Global

Legislators Organization for a Balanced Environment.

The Act implements our nationwide integrated disaster

risk management and climate change policy. The goal of

the policy is two-fold: first, to achieve economic growth

and self-reliance within a framework of sustainable

development, and secondly, to minimize the risks

associated with all human-induced and natural hazards,

including those associated with climate change.

Micronesia has also developed an agriculture policy

to address food and water security and strengthen

economic development. The policy also provides the

basis for action to revitalize sustainable agriculture,

while recognizing the major role played by traditional

farming systems and the importance of climate-resilient

crops. Other key national actions of Micronesia and

other SIDS are reflected in the Majuro Declaration for

Climate Leadership and the Palau Declaration on “The

Ocean: Life and Future”.

In this International Year of Small Island

Developing States, the United Nations has convened

a number of important conferences whose outcomes

must be incorporated into the post-2015 development

agenda. In that regard, I stress the critical importance

of implementing the Small Island Developing

States Accelerated Modalities of Action — Samoa

Pathway — the purpose of which is to stimulate

sustainable development in SIDS through durable and

genuine partnerships.

We note with appreciation the report by the

Chairs of the Open Working Group on Sustainable

Development Goals and fully endorse the proposed

sustainable development goals (SDGs). We rely on

our development partners to assist us in undertaking

the actions identified in the Samoa Pathway and in

fulfilling the SDGs in ways that are appropriate for our

peoples and our cultures.

Clean energy and energy efficiency are two of the

key engines for advancing our sustainable and low-

carbon development. Therefore, our national energy

policy gives priority to energy efficiency and renewable

energy. By 2020, the share of renewable energy sources

will be at least 30 per cent of total energy production,

while electricity efficiency will increase by 50 per cent.

That will require harnessing sunshine, which we have

in abundance, as well as renewable wind and marine

energy resources. I call on our development partners

to assist us in implementing our national energy

policy, including through the SIDS Renewable Energy

Initiative.

Our ocean and its resources are of paramount

importance, but they are threatened by climate change

and ocean acidification, which damage coral reefs and

could alter the migration patterns of tuna, our most

commercially valuable resource. Foreign vessels,

which enjoy unprecedented returns from harvesting

our exclusive economic zone, need to help us maintain

the health, productivity and resilience of our ocean.

Micronesia must also receive fair compensation for the

value of its resources.

As part of a programme of sustainable use, we must

reduce the amount of by-catch being discarded, bring

it to shore and put it to good use. Illegal, unreported

and unregulated fishing (IUU fishing) continues to

threaten our ocean resources and undermines our

economic sustainability. We all must abide by the rules.

IUU fishing must be stopped.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have become

a leading cause of death in the Pacific. Therefore,

Pacific leaders have declared NCDs an epidemic. Such

diseases are lifestyle diseases, but they are compounded

by climate change, which destroys our food crops

and contaminates our water supplies. Tackling that

multisectoral issue requires broad cooperation and

support.

Human trafficking is one of the most serious social

diseases of modern society. It robs individuals of their

dignity, particularly women and children. Profiting

from human misery is despicable. Micronesia supports

the eradication of trafficking in all its forms. Objective

and transparent ratings of countries will help achieve

that goal.

We urge the establishment of the “One UN”

approach for the North Pacific. We are now benefiting

from the United Nations Joint Presence in the region,

but we need to increase its efficiency at the country

level. The One UN approach is timely as we position

ourselves to implement the Samoa Pathway and the

post-2015 development agenda, and it will help us

address our national priorities.

Despite the United Nations target of setting aside

0.7 per cent of gross national product for official

development assistance, most developed nations fall far

short of that goal. Small island developing States face

unique challenges owing to our extreme vulnerabilities,

including climate change. The need for financial and

technical assistance from development partners is

greater than ever, especially for human resources

development and the capacity-building of domestic

institutions.

Internationally agreed financial mechanisms such

as the Green Climate Fund must be fully capitalized

and sufficiently scaled up to support the post-2015

development agenda. We applaud Germany, France and

six other nations for pledging specific sums. We urge

those countries and the other major economic Powers

that are also the major polluters to deliver the funds.

My Government has liberalized its

telecommunications system, and the World Bank is

providing assistance in the form of grants for installing

a state-of-the-art fibre-optic system in my country. That

much-needed infrastructure will spur economic and

social development. We continue to look to the World

Bank, the International Telecommunication Union,

the Asian Development Bank and other development

partners to help us accelerate implementation of that

new system and provide for cyber-security.

The reform of the Security Council is long overdue.

A reformed Council should reflect the political realities

of today. It would be inconceivable to have a reformed

Council without permanent seats for Japan, Germany,

Brazil and India, as well as representation for Africa.

Micronesia is confident that the United Nations

can maintain international peace and security. It shines

like a bright beacon of hope for those suffering from

the ravages of war. Micronesia condemns senseless

killings, no matter where they occur. The Middle East

is a specific trouble spot that deserves this body’s

attention. Peace can be achieved through mutual

respect and economic stability, not by using civilian

lives as shields.

Micronesia also looks to the United Nations to

effectively address the global security threats posed by

climate change. Micronesia has taken an active role in

the international sustainable development and climate

change negotiation processes. We will continue seeking

solutions to those challenges, out of the conviction that

it is our moral obligation to protect Mother Nature

and her bounties. All countries must work together to

protect our children’s future.