Solomon Islands, 2013

It is with much

pride that the Government and the people of the Solomon

Islands join me in congratulating a fellow islander,

Ambassador John Ashe of Antigua and Barbuda, on

his election as President of the General Assembly at its

sixty-eighth session. As one of his Vice-Presidents, we

assure him of Solomon Islands’ support and cooperation

during his tenure in office.

I take this opportunity to commend his predecessor,

Mr. Vuk Jeremi. of Serbia, whose leadership guided us

through over 300 resolutions, the adoption of the Arms

Trade Treaty and the convening of a number of high-

level thematic debates. Solomon Islands also wishes

to acknowledge Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for

his service and commitment to our global world. I

would also like to welcome Kiribati, whose permanent

representation in New York completes the Pacific small

island developing States (SIDS) presence in a single

city.

My delegation welcomes the sixty-eighth session’s

theme, “The post-2015 development agenda: setting the

stage”. The world has changed since the Millennium

Development Goals (MDGs) were launched.

Populations have grown, cities have expanded, and

consumption and production patterns have pushed us

to our planetary boundaries. Solomon Islands’ MDG

national scorecard remains mixed. We have progressed

on some fronts and remain off track on others.

The post-2015 development agenda offers us

an opportunity to change the way we do business.

In that regard, Solomon Islands seeks a new spirit

of partnership that will reform the global economic

architecture. My subregion in the Pacific supplies

60 per cent of the world’s tuna. Over three decades, the

Pacific Islands have developed fisheries institutions and

legal and management frameworks. With international

support, we can supply the world with fish. Solomon

Islands, as Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries

Agency and of the parties to the Nauru Agreement,

calls for a new mindset that would provide the Pacific

Island States with the space and capacity to develop its

domestic industries and restructure the fishing fleets of

distant-water nations in the region.

The Pacific Fisheries Vessel Day Scheme has

allowed us to realize our development aspirations. Two

new fishing industries have established themselves this

year in Solomon Islands. We remain firm in our resolve

that the Scheme shall remain the central pillar in all our

fisheries negotiations.

Solomon Islands welcomes the President’s proposal

of convening a third thematic debate on sustainable

energy during this session. We note that 1.3 billion

people, half of whom live in least developed countries,

have no access to electricity. The Istanbul Programme

of Action recognizes that access to affordable, reliable,

renewable energy is crucial to accelerating sustainable,

inclusive economic growth, increased social equity and

a sustainable and clean environment.

Expanding energy access for our rural populations

and reducing energy costs are national priorities

for Solomon Islands. I am pleased to announce that

Solomon Islands joined the International Renewable

Energy Agency (IRENA) last month. We hope to work

with IRENA in unlocking some of our hydroenergy

potential. I am pleased to say that we already have a

working relationship with the World Bank and the Asian

Development Bank on hydro-projects. We are also in

discussion with the Clinton Foundation on harvesting

our geothermal potential. Once that gets off the ground,

it will be a private-public sector partnership. Bilaterally

a number of partners, including the Republic of China,

Italy and Japan, have people-centred solar programmes

in the country. Those programmes continue to light up

our community schools and villages. Renewable energy

also improves public service delivery to our rural

populations and empowers Solomon Islanders to make

sustainable choices in life.

Globally, the Pacific SIDS are themselves helping

to fill the information gaps in global renewable energy

databases, in cases where information on the Pacific

is lacking. A Pacific renewable energy database will

be developed in cooperation with the United Nations

Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the

Pacific. The vision is to focus on enhancing the

Pacific region’s inclusion in the international energy

dialogue and to provide sufficient data to inspire new

global partners to concentrate more on on-the-ground

investments, less on studies.

Infrastructure development is critical in opening

more opportunities for our rural populations. We

acknowledge New Zealand for the construction of

our second international airport and other partners,

such as Australia and the European Union, for the

wharves, airfields and roads they have helped to build.

Those structural investments allow Solomon Islands

to enhance its trade and strengthen the unity of the

country.

Climate change remains a global issue that needs

a global solution. We join all small island developing

States and least developed countries in conveying our

concern about the slow progress of climate change

negotiations. The alarming pace of climate change is

posing unprecedented threats to humankind’s survival.

In May, carbon dioxide concentration reached a

new threshold of 400 parts per million. For Solomon

Islands, this means that the livelihood and well-being

of our people are now under threat. Corals stop growing

at 500 parts per million.

We are heartened by the Secretary-General’s

proposal to convene a climate change summit next year.

We hope that the summit will not be a talkfest, but that it

will garner the necessary political will of Member States

to increase their level of commitment to reducing and

phasing down greenhouse-gas pollution commensurate

with scientific guidelines. The summit remains our best

hope for preventing the impact of climate change from

reaching an irreversible level. We once again register

our regret that certain countries have reneged on their

historical responsibility and unilaterally decided to opt

out of their multilateral obligations.

The world will celebrate 2014 as the International

Year of Small Island Developing States. The SIDS

conference is scheduled to be held in Samoa next

year. We count on the world to enable small island

developing States to eradicate poverty, build resilience

and unleash the potential of our youths. That will

require the enhanced implementation of the Barbados

Programme of Action and the Mauritius Strategy for

Implementation towards an evidenced-based outcome.

In seeking a sustainable future for our people, last

year we announced that we would establish a national

university. I am pleased to say that we launched

Solomon Islands National University in April. A

second university, the University of the South Pacific,

has also completed all formalities and is expected to

begin the construction of its fourth campus in one of

our provinces. The development of human capital will

allow Solomon Islands to build a knowledge-based

society and have more job-ready nationals to meet our

development needs.

This week the international community convened

the first inaugural meeting of the High-level Political

Forum on Sustainable Development. In preparation for

the Forum, the Pacific small island developing States

formed the Pacific Islands Development Forum this

year. Solomon Islands is one of the founding members

of the Forum, an alliance of States and non-State and

private-sector actors that focus on the green economy

in the context of sustainable development. The Pacific

Islands Development Forum intends to speak with a

united voice in the High-level Political Forum. Pacific

SIDS look forward to working with the Forum.

I am pleased to announce that Solomon Islands

began a new journey two months ago. The 10-year-old

Pacific Islands Forum Regional Assistance Mission

to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) — led by Australia

and supported by New Zealand and Pacific small

island developing States — went through a transitional

phase. RAMSI, provided for under Chapter VIII of

the Charter of the United Nations, now provides only

police assistance. The success of the transitional phase

belongs to our people and our region. On that note, I

take this opportunity, on behalf of the Government

and the people of Solomon Islands, to express our

profound gratitude and appreciation to all our regional

neighbours. We thank them very much.

Multilateralism remains a cornerstone of Solomon

Islands’ foreign policy. Country ownership remains a

foundation of any cooperation and programme. This

year, under United Nations Development Programme

leadership, the United Nations Development Assistance

Framework for the Pacific (2013-2017) was launched.

The $292 million programme covers 14 Pacific

countries and territories, all with the same priorities.

We call on the United Nations to align itself with

Solomon Islands national sustainable development

strategy 2011–2020. It is for that reason that over the

years we have called for an enhanced United Nations

country presence. We renew the call to upgrade the

United Nations Development Programme country

office from the level of deputy resident representative

to that of resident representative.

A peaceful, just and stable democracy is critical for

sustainable development. Solomon Islands continues

to invest in strengthening its governance system. A

political party integrity bill is being introduced in

our national Parliament. The political party bill aims

to give more power to our electoral commission to

properly manage our national election process. We

are also putting in place a sustainable, cost-effective

and inclusive voting registration system. That is an

expensive exercise; we have sought partnership with

the United Nations, the European Union and Australia.

We thank our partners for their ongoing support to

our electoral reform programme. That assistance

complements work done on e-governance. Solomon

Islands this year established a metro area network as

a single secure network connecting 85 Government

offices. We hope that will improve the efficiency and

effectiveness of the Government’s computer machinery.

Solomon Islands would like to see a strong United

Nations. We are encouraged by the Assembly’s

commitment to achieving real progress on reforming

and revitalizing two of our principal organs, the

Security Council and the General Assembly. We assure

the Assembly of our support on those two endeavours.

My delegation also welcomes the modernization of

the Secretariat Building and the conference rooms and

the renovation of the General Assembly. We are also

pleased to note that United Nations competitive exams

will be held in my capital in the next two months. We

are holding the exams for the third consecutive year.

I thank the Secretariat, and in particular the United

Nations human resources personnel, for their outreach,

and sincerely hope the nationals selected will contribute

to the diversity of the Secretariat.

Changing global realities have seen the emergence

and expansion of South-South cooperation. This year,

Solomon Islands established two new diplomatic

missions in Cuba and Malaysia, respectively. On

18 April, Solomon Islands raised its flag in Havana. We

also welcomed Cuba as a Pacific Islands Forum post-

forum dialogue partner three weeks ago. Similarly, in

Malaysia last month the first resident Solomon Islands

Ambassador presented his credentials. We intend to

strengthen our ties with the wider Asian and Pacific

region, including the Association of Southeast Asian

Nations and India. We have some 100 medical students

in Cuba; the first graduates are expected in 2014. We

thank Cuba for its cooperation.

For more than two decades, the General Assembly

has called overwhelmingly for the lifting of the more

than five-decades-old economic blockade imposed on

Cuba by our friend and partner the United States of

America. Confrontational lines will need to be replaced

with dialogue and cooperation. We cannot look to the

future if we cling to the past. We hope that a forward-

looking policy will be embraced by the United States of

America in easing the blockade.

I turn now to bilateral cooperation with Papua New

Guinea, my Melanesian neighbour. Papua New Guinea

continues to provide opportunities for young Solomon

Islanders in terms of employment and scholarships.

Visa-free work schemes have been launched, and trade

relations continue to grow to new heights.

In my subregion, the Melanesian Spearhead

Group — composed of Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu

and Solomon Islands — represents one of the most

diverse regions of the world. A quarter of the world’s

languages are spoken by the more than 8 million people

of the subregion. Enhanced free trade has unified the

culturally rich diverse populations. Today, the Group

is exploring other economic, security and political

cooperation.

On Fiji, Solomon Islands welcomes the progress

put in place by the Government of Fiji for the people

to freely express themselves through the parliamentary

elections scheduled for 2014. Solomon Islands notes

the adoption of Fiji’s new Constitution and wishes

the Government and people of Fiji every success in

determining their own future.

The inalienable right to self-determination is a

key pillar of the United Nations. With respect to New

Caledonia, members of the Melanesian Spearhead Group

continue to support the Territory’s self-determination

process in accordance with the Charter of the United

Nations, the relevant human rights instruments and the

Noumea Accord. In regard to the Territory of French

Polynesia, I take this opportunity to thank the General

Assembly and all Pacific small island developing States

for adopting by consensus resolution 67/265, on the

self-determination of French Polynesia in May. The

questions of the Territories of French Polynesia and

New Caledonia are scheduled to be discussed by the

Fourth Committee next week.

On human rights, Solomon Islands recognizes

that all States bear the responsibility to protect their

citizens. We believe that all States must take feasible

steps to ensure that the rights of their people are

protected. Solomon Islands, in that regard, condemns

all human rights violations against civilians, wherever

they may occur.

On the Middle East, we continue to watch with horror

the daily carnage and the humanitarian catastrophe in

Syria. We note with concern the preliminary findings

of the United Nations investigation team confirming the

use of chemical weapons. Solomon Islands welcomes

the Russian and United States initiatives to destroy

chemical weapons in Syria, and further supports all

efforts to find a diplomatic and political solution to the

civil war.

On Israel and Palestine, we support all international

efforts for the two States to resume negotiations and

achieve a just, lasting and sustainable peace.

Solomon Islands remains an arms-free State. We

note that the use of conventional and unconventional

arms in the wrong hands threatens international peace

and stability. Solomon Islands welcomes the recently

adopted Arms Trade Treaty and hopes that major

players in the arms trade will sign that international

framework. That will strengthen the Treaty. Solomon

Islands continues to follow and assess the Treaty’s

progress.

On the question of the Republic of China, Solomon

Islands call for the Republic’s meaningful participation

at United Nations specialized organizations. We would

like to acknowledge the Republic of China’s recent

participation in the Assembly of the International

Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as a guest of the

organization’s President. We recognize that as a first

step. We continue to seek observer status for the

Republic of China both at ICAO and at the United

Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Those requests mirror the observer status that the

Republic of China currently enjoys at the World Health

Assembly.

Solomon Islands continues to serve on the United

Nations Executive Board. We welcome the new

Executive Director of UN-Women, Ms. Phumzile

Mlambo-Ngcuka, and assure her of our cooperation.

We note with concern that the UN-Women strategic

plan for 2014-2017 is underfunded. We call for political

and financial support for the plan. We support the

Executive Director’s call that priority be given to the

economic empowerment of women in rural areas.

We hope the Executive Board can also address UN-

Women’s representation vacuum in the Pacific.

Gender violence remains an issue in Solomon

Islands, and my country joins the international

community in condemning sexual violence.

We continue to seek an inclusive society. In

partnership with an Australian entity, Solomon Islands

organized national games for persons with disabilities

in our country and other events. Although we still

have a long way to go in creating a disability-friendly

society, we remain determined to achieve that end.

Let me close where I began. The post-2015

development agenda is our shared agenda. We must

remain united and work as one, with one aim, to deliver

one set of goals, under a single process with common

but differentiated responsibilities. Present and future

generations depend on what we do today.