Solomon Islands, 2000

At the outset, Sir,

let me convey the congratulations and best wishes of

the Government and people of Solomon Islands on

your election as President of the fifty-fifth session of

the General Assembly. Your proven tremendous skills

as a consensus-builder and mediator will no doubt

guide the Assembly to adopt useful decisions on the

many important issues before us. My Government is

committed to working closely with you and all Member

States during this Millennium Assembly.

Solomon Islands warmly welcomes the admission

of our sister nation Tuvalu as a new Member of the

United Nations. This is further testimony that the

United Nations is indispensable and that its body of

international laws is vital to the protection and security

of small island developing States. We look forward to

working very closely with the delegation of Tuvalu.

The Government of Solomon Islands concurs that

conflict prevention should be the cornerstone of

collective security in the twenty-first century. We also

acknowledge that peace and democratic stability are

critical pre-conditions for economic growth and

sustainable development. Moreover, economic and

development cooperation have an important role to

play in fostering these pre-conditions.

As highlighted in our Millennium Summit

statement, the ethnic crisis in our country has

challenged national peace, security and stability. It has

resulted in the loss of human lives and property, the

closure of all key industries in our economy and the

displacement of more than 30,000 people. While it may

not be comparable to major conflicts in other parts of

the world, the net result in human loss and suffering is

relative. Therefore, the international community,

particularly the United Nations, must give equal

attention to every conflict situation. All Member

States, both large and small, must be treated fairly.

Challenges to the security and stability of small

island developing States like Solomon Islands are,

increasingly, beyond their capacity to cope. In such

cases, the support of the United Nations and the

international community at large is imperative. In the

context of our crisis, our smallness and remoteness,

limited resources, ethnic and cultural diversity and

history are fundamental considerations.

Restoring law and order is the number-one

priority for my Government as we strive to resolve our

conflict. There is no peace without security. While a

peaceful and comprehensive solution has to come from

Solomon Islanders themselves, international support to

sustain the peace process is necessary. Since we

launched our national peace plan, we have made some

progress in getting the conflicting parties to the table to

2

negotiate and agree to a ceasefire. A ceasefire

Agreement was signed by all parties concerned on 3

August 2000 and a National Monitoring Council to

oversee its implementation was subsequently formed.

Despite some violations of the Agreement, my

Government remains steadfast in our commitment to

achieving peace. Further peace talks have since taken

place in Honiara, the capital, and a draft framework

towards a peace agreement was adopted. A more

conclusive peace agreement will be negotiated in

Cairns, Australia. Recognizing the importance of civil

society participation in conflict resolution,

reconciliation and reconstruction, my Government will

continue to involve non-governmental organizations,

including women's and church groups.

May I express my Government's appreciation to

the South Pacific Forum countries for their

understanding and support during this challenging

time. I wish to mention in particular the recent visit by

a Pacific ACP ministerial mission led by the Foreign

Minister of Papua New Guinea to assess the current

situation and make recommendations to the joint

European Union/African, Caribbean and Pacific (EU/

ACP) Commission. We further appreciate the efforts of

the Governments of Australia and New Zealand in

facilitating our peace process through their logistical

support. To sustain long-term peace, Solomon Islands

will need the cooperation of its development partners

to rebuild the economy and to foster a development

path that creates employment, ensures fair distribution

of national resources and wealth and accommodates

our diverse cultural traditions.

Only the United Nations and other international

institutions have the scope and legitimacy to generate

the principles, norms and rules that are necessary if

globalization is to benefit everyone. The least

developed countries (LDCs), including Solomon

Islands, need international support to build the

capacities to enable us to become more effectively and

beneficially integrated into the global economy. The

Third United Nations Conference on the LDCs next

year will give the international community a unique

opportunity to review, assess and adopt policies and

measures that could effectively address the

development constraints of least developed countries.

Developing and sustaining competitiveness and

productive capabilities, like all other aspects of

development, is a long and often frustrating process.

My Government, however, is prepared to work with

our development partners to address these problems in

a renewed spirit of solidarity and shared responsibility.

The past decade has witnessed the adoption of

several international conventions and programmes of

action, from the environment and sustainable

development to social development and the

advancement of women. Their five-year reviews,

despite some progress, have indicated that insufficient

resources remains a major obstacle to wider

implementation, especially in rural communities in

developing countries. New and additional resources are

required if we are to make a difference. The United

Nations Intergovernmental Conference on Financing

for Development next year must produce a practical

outcome on how to mobilize financing for development

in the new millennium. The twenty-first century should

be a century for better implementation of international

programmes, a century for action rather than rhetoric.

The economic vulnerability and ecological

fragility of small island developing States must be an

integral basis for decisions on development

cooperation with these States. Such cooperation in my

view should continue to focus on better trading

opportunities, including market access, capacity-

building — in particular, human resources

development — and adaptation and mitigation

programmes to address climate change and sea level

rise.

Investment in renewable energy remains a

priority for Solomon Islands. Access to a reliable and

cost-effective energy source is imperative if our rural

population is to capitalize on the opportunities of the

information age.

The international community must mobilize

resources to implement the Secretary General's

recommendations on bridging the digital divide

between developed and developing countries.

Solomon Islands is committed to reform,

strengthen and enhance the effectiveness of the United

Nations system, including the Security Council, which

has primary responsibility under the United Nations

Charter for maintaining international peace and

security. Greater flexibility and understanding should

be demonstrated towards those that are striving to

become new permanent members of the Council,

including Japan and Germany. A similar attitude should

be shown towards the reconfiguration of the United

Nations regional groups to reflect present-day realities

3

and to accommodate those Member States, including

Australia and New Zealand, which wish to be placed in

their most appropriate regional or geopolitical

grouping.

Only an inclusive and universal United Nations

can effectively perform its mandate in the twenty-first

century. We must show greater understanding towards

those who request to participate in the work of our

Organization.

May I take this opportunity to reiterate the point

made by Solomon Islands during the Millennium

Summit relating to the principle of an all-inclusive and

universal United Nations. A case in point is that which

relates to the reunification of China, which would

foster greater stability in world affairs and effectively

bolster the activities of the Organization. This new

approach by the United Nations for the two Chinas will

enhance greater understanding in pragmatic diplomacy

and pave the way for efforts currently under way in the

Korean peninsula. This is not impossible to achieve, as

we saw just before the turn of the century in the

reunification of the two Germanys.

The challenges facing the United Nations in the

twenty-first century are daunting. An effective United

Nations demands the steadfast commitment and

support of all its Members. The rich and powerful must

pay their dues on time, in full and without conditions.

Above all, the United Nations needs global political

will and resources to maintain peace and security,

promote sustainable development, address

environmental degradation, combat poverty and disease

and foster respect for human dignity.

Human problems will always remain with us, but

the way to resolve them should be through dialogue

and discussion. This is the approach my Government is

taking towards resolving the current ethnic unrest in

our country. Attaining peace could be a painful and

slow process, it could be fragile and imperfect when

achieved, but we believe we can do it. We must,

however, go beyond achieving peace. We must provide

our people with the values and skills that will sustain

peace. As we enter the twenty-first century, let us

reaffirm our commitment to work in partnership with

others in pursuit of global peace and human security.