Solomon Islands, 2012

I wish to congratulate

Mr. Vuk Jeremić on his election as President of the

General Assembly at its sixty-seventh session. I also

commend his predecessor, Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz

Al-Nasser of Qatar, for his fine leadership during the

last session. In addition, I thank the Secretary-General,

Mr. Ban Ki-moon, for his tireless efforts in advancing

security, development and human rights, the three

pillars of the United Nations Charter.

Global security remains a serious challenge

today. States are increasing their military capabilities

and arms sales have tripled in the last year and are

reaching record levels. Closer to home, in the Asia-

Pacific region, new Cold War lines are being drawn

and low-intensity territorial disputes are brewing. That

situation provides the option of unilateral action, which

undermines the rule of law at the international level.

Those challenges now demand an effective multilateral

institution that responds meaningfully in real time to

uphold the rule of law. In that regard, Solomon Islands

welcomes this year’s theme on adjustment or settlement

of international disputes or situations by peaceful

means. It is our desire that States that find themselves

in international disputes adhere to the rule of law and

work towards ensuring global peace.

Solomon Islands emerged from an internal conflict

some 10 years ago. A regional peace initiative known

as the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands

(RAMSI) has helped restore law and order and created

an environment for nation-building and development.

Our gratitude goes out to all our regional neighbours.

A national truth and reconciliation commission that

was set up in 2009 to investigate the causes of the conflict submitted its report early this year. The Commission

has facilitated the national reconciliation and healing

process, and the Government has established a working

group to carefully consider the recommendations in the

report.

Solomon Islands commends the General Assembly

for convening the High-level Meeting on the Rule of

Law at the National and International Levels this week.

The rule of law is fundamental in guiding the conduct

of actors and addressing the realities within national

and international jurisdictions.

Since regaining peace and stability, Solomon

Islands has achieved some social and economic

progress. For example, economically, the country has

enjoyed steady growth in the last five years. External

reserves continue to improve and, as of February 2012,

they stand at 10 months import cover. In addition,

Solomon Islands is one of the 11 countries identified

by the World Bank in 2012 as having most improved

the ease of doing business in the country across several

areas of regulation. An economic core working group

has also been established to coordinate donor assistance

and is playing an important role in public finance

reforms, including debt management, and in creating

fiscal buffers that enable us to cushion external shocks.

In the health sector, I am pleased to report that we

have almost eradicated malaria from two of our nine

provinces. Infant mortality has significantly decreased

from 80 to 35 per 1,000 live births, and the maternal

mortality rate has also decreased from 500 to 200

deaths per 100,000 live births. The Government and

its development partners continue to fund medical and

health centres to deliver the services needed by our

people.

Major improvements in the law and order situation

have resulted in the reduction of major crimes and

created a safer environment in the country. We have

also successfully hosted a number of international

events, such as the Oceania football tournament of the

International Federation of Association Football, the

Festival of Pacific Arts and recently the visit by the

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. We have regained

our image of the country known as the happy isles in

the Pacific.

As part of our efforts to address governance

issues, Solomon Islands has intensified its national

consultations to determine the appropriate mechanisms

to improve political integrity and stability. National

consultations have been conducted to obtain feedback

from the community on the required institutions and

processes. Strengthening governance is expensive and

needs international partnership. I take this opportunity

to thank the Department of Political Affairs for its

assistance towards our electoral reforms.

After almost 10 years, RAMSI is now in its

transitional phase. The Government is working closely

with the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands

to ensure a smooth transition as the responsibility for

security and development is placed back in the hands of

the Government and community. My Government will

engage with various stakeholders, including United

Nations bodies, to consolidate the gains that have been

made so far and in building a resilient State.

Solomon Islands continues to strengthen its

relationship with the United Nations. This year we

opened a second diplomatic Permanent Mission in

Geneva. We are also pleased to see that the World Health

Organization office in Honiara has been upgraded from

a liaison office to the level of resident representative. We

request the United Nations Development Programme

(UNDP) to follow suit. I believe a stronger United

Nations presence at the country level will further

enhance understanding of the country’s development

priorities and challenges. The United Nations will only

be strengthened with a secretariat that represents the

diversity of its membership.

Solomon Islands recognizes the sovereignty,

independence and territorial integrity of Fiji.

We will continue to dialogue with Fiji and call on

the region and the international community to support

Fiji’s “Engaging with the Pacific” process and its road

map to the 2014 general elections. We welcome Fiji’s

commitment to hold its general elections in 2014.

Solomon Islands has also strengthened its mediating

role at the subregional level through the Melanesian

Spearhead Group (MSG). The MSG is made up of Fiji,

Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and the

Front de libération nationale kanak socialiste. Within

the MSG secretariat, a peacekeeping unit has been

established. However, Solomon Islands and the other

MSG members believe that the United Nations remains

the bedrock of international peace and security.

The promotion of human rights is fundamental

to creating a culture of peace and security. Solomon

Islands welcomes the ongoing intergovernmental

process to strengthen the effectiveness of human rights treaty institutions during this session. We recognize the

universality of human rights and call for the elimination

of double standards and the politicization of human

rights violations.

On the situation in the Middle East, I believe

the United Nations is uniquely placed to provide a

comprehensive solution to the region’s complex issues,

including the current situation in Syria. It is a region that

deserves freedom, democracy and long-term security.

Solomon Islands continues to support the work of the

Quartet and the good offices of the Secretary-General

in defusing tensions and advancing political discussion

on a two-State solution for Israel and Palestine.

There is no justification for the killing of innocent

civilians, wherever it may occur. We therefore join

the international community in expressing our deep

concern about the sad events in Benghazi.

With respect to Non-Self-Governing Territories in

the Pacific, Solomon Islands supports New Caledonia’s

aspirations to self-determination. I wish to inform

the Assembly that, last month, members of the MSG

undertook a second ministerial visit to the territory

to monitor progress under the Noumea Accord. We

encourage all efforts to enable the Kanaks to assume

leadership in determining their future. Solomon Islands

also joins its regional neighbours in supporting the

reinscription of French Polynesia in the list of countries

to be decolonized. We also support other peoples

within the Asia-Pacific region that aspire for self-

determination and independence.

I welcome the work done by the General Assembly

on strengthening the smooth transition process for

countries graduating from the group of least developed

countries. In working towards graduating from the

group, we are embarking on a number of development

initiatives. Under the Istanbul Programme of Action,

Solomon Islands is pursuing three high-value national

investments. First, with support from New Zealand, a

second international airport is being constructed in the

western part of our country. Secondly, the submarine

fibre-optic cable project is expected to go on line by

2014. Thirdly, Solomon Islands is in the process of

establishing two tertiary universities, the Solomon

Islands National University and the University of South

Pacific Solomon Islands Campus.

Those national projects place Solomon Islands on

a path to transforming its economy and ensuring that

inclusive and equitable economic growth takes root in the country. We have done this by unlocking domestic

and regional resources through the establishment of a

debt strategy in partnership with the private sector and

the Asian Development Bank.

Furthermore, we are taking steps to maximize

returns from our natural resources. As a party to the

Nauru Agreement, we have closed off pockets of high

seas between our exclusive economic zones in a bid

to protect and manage fish stocks. In that regard, we

have adopted the Vessel Day Scheme to guarantee an

equitable share of benefits. We hold the position that the

Scheme must be embodied in bilateral and multilateral

fisheries agreements. We call on all distant-water

fishing nations to respect that principled position.

In the mining sector, we are now a member of the

Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, and we

continue to develop policy and translate it into local laws

and regulations. Mining presents a major opportunity

to broaden our economic base. In that regard, we will

be granting mining leases to a major nickel-mining

company before the end of the year. It is estimated that

the company will produce around 69,000 tons per year

and generate significant job opportunities.

At the United Nations Conference on Sustainable

Development (Rio+20), we charted a new course to

develop an improved paradigm for advancing and

measuring the three pillars of sustainable development.

The full and timely implementation of the Rio+20

outcome (resolution 66/288, annex) is crucial. As we

approach 2015, we must accelerate efforts to achieve the

Millennium Development Goal targets in the remaining

three years.

Solomon Islands is implementing its national

development strategy for the period 2011-2020.

We call on our development partners to align their

assistance with the priorities that are contained in our

national development strategy. The proposed post-

2015 development agenda must take into account any

shortcomings in the implementation of the Millennium

Development Goals, and the sustainable development

goals must be viable economically, community-based

and time-bound. We look forward to working with

the experts who will be establishing the framework.

Solomon Islands is pleased to be one of the 50 countries

that UNDP will consult in developing the post-2015

global development agenda. We request that this

consultation process also mainstream issues of concern

to small island developing States into the agenda of the 2014 Global Conference on the Sustainable

Development of Small Island Developing States.

I join my colleagues in the Alliance of Small Island

States in reiterating that climate change is an urgent

and irreversible threat to humanity. Solomon Islands is

deeply troubled by the current low ambition level of the

pledges by developed countries. There is a discrepancy

between what has been pledged and what is necessary to

stabilize temperature decrease. That means mitigation

must be prioritized at the eighteenth ordinary meeting

of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention

on Biological Diversity in Doha and greenhouse-gas

emission levels meaningfully decreased. We need to

have certainty that we are working towards a temperature

increase of no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius, and not

3 to 5 degrees Celsius, in order to ensure the survival,

viability and sustainable development of small island

developing States and least developed countries.

We deeply regret that some countries have opted

out of the Kyoto Protocol, some have refused to take

a second commitment and others have remained

undecided on taking a second commitment.

However, at the national level I am pleased to

announce that, in June, Solomon Islands launched its

national climate change policy, which mainstreams

climate change into all sectors of the country. Solomon

Islands is a country with rich biological and cultural

diversity. It is a member of the Coral Triangle Initiative

on coral reefs, fisheries and food security. This year, 22

Pacific Island countries and territories came together

in Solomon Islands to showcase their cultural diversity

and heritage. The region has indigenous biological and

cultural diversity, which makes it an indigenous and

biocultural hot spot. That hot spot remains fragile and

exposed to threats and needs international support. We

will be seeking ways and means of having that initiative

featured on the global agenda.

The reform of the Security Council must keep pace

with the changing global realities. We support the call

to make the Security Council more representative,

relevant and effective. After four sessions, we are

concerned about the slow progress of negotiations and

hope to see progress during this session.

My Government recognizes Taiwan’s flexible,

moderate and rational foreign policy, which continues

to promote friendly cross-Strait relations. Solomon

Islands continues to support Taiwan’s meaningful

participation in the United Nations system, including its aspiration to be a member of the International

Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the United

Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

(UNFCCC). Although not a member of ICAO, Taiwan

manages more than 1 million f lights and 40 million

passengers per annum. Similarly, Taiwan is the twenty-

second-largest emitter of greenhouse gas, but it is not

a member of UNFCCC. I firmly believe that it is our

shared responsibility to engage Taiwan in our efforts to

advance sustainable development and address climate

change.

With regard to Cuba, I thank the Government and

people of Cuba for the support they have provided to

the medical students of Solomon Islands. We join the

international community in calling for the immediate

lifting of the United States economic and trade embargo

against Cuba. Solomon Islands encourages the United

States to respect the principle of good-neighbourliness.

Finally, with regard to gender equality and the

empowerment of women, I would like to thank Member

States for their confidence in electing Solomon Islands

to the Executive Board of UN-Women. I also welcome

the call by the Secretary-General to convene the World

Conference on Women in 2015. Solomon Islands further

acknowledges the $320 million in regional assistance

from Australia to support gender programmes for

Pacific island countries. Women play a very important

role as peacemakers and leaders in Solomon Islands

society. Our gender challenge has grown with time.

Today we have national gender programmes that

support empowerment. We look forward to working

closely with Australia and the other Board members in

advancing the cause of women and girls.

Solomon Islands is committed to working closely

with the President in establishing an inclusive,

transparent and effective multilateral system. I would

also like to assure him of our support for our common

endeavour to build a peaceful and secure world for our

children and future generations.