Tuvalu, 2004

I have the greatest honour to

speak on behalf of the people of Tuvalu, who wish me

first of all to convey their warmest greetings to this

session of the General Assembly. We also extend our

sincere congratulations to you, Mr. President, on your

election and assure you of our full cooperation.

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We congratulate the outgoing President, Mr.

Julian Hunte of Saint Lucia, for his excellent

leadership. Coming from a small island developing State

ourselves, we are proud of the many achievements so

ably accomplished under his presidency.

We would also like to extend our warmest

gratitude to the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan,

and his staff for their dedication to the work of the

United Nations. The United Nations, through the

Secretary-General’s High Representative, participated

in the Pacific Island Forum Leaders meeting, held in

Samoa last month, at which a new strategy for regional

cooperation in the Pacific, the Pacific Plan, was

considered.

That is highly commendable. Like all Forum

members, Tuvalu looks forward to United Nations

solidarity and support, bilaterally and through the

Pacific Island Forum and other Pacific regional

organizations, in order to realize that Pacific initiative.

Tuvalu is privileged and proud to be in this most

indispensable body, the United Nations. Our presence

here demonstrates our belief in the noble principles and

goals of the United Nations. At the same time,

however, we are constantly reminded of our

responsibilities to all Tuvaluans, who every day worry

about their future economic, cultural, environmental

and long-term security and survival on our small,

isolated and extremely vulnerable islands.

Tuvuluans wonder if the pride of being in the

United Nations is commensurate with the many aspired

needs of our people. Is there any real value of being at

the United Nations to the villagers and local

communities, who can barely overcome the limitations

posed by the lack of opportunities, marginalization,

isolation, economic exclusion and their extreme

vulnerability?

It is our strong belief that to maintain its

legitimacy and relevance to all, the United Nations

needs to reassess its role and functions in order to

better reflect the reality of today’s world, in line with

its principle of sovereign, equitable participation and

representation. We therefore support ongoing reforms

in the work of the United Nations. In particular, we

support the increase in the number of both permanent

and non-permanent seats in the Security Council.

Expansion, in our view, should be considered on the

basis of responsible contribution to international

development and peace, and in this vein we would

support the allocation of a permanent seat to Japan. We

also believe more equitable representation of the

developing countries in the non-permanent seats of the

Council is vital and long overdue.

Security challenges continue to create worldwide

havoc, fear and uncertainty. Terrorist acts, including

the unfortunate seizure of a school in Russia, have

proven the continued existence of forces bent on

undermining the United Nations founding goals of

freedom, peace and security. They have also

underscored the urgency with which we, the United

Nations, must collectively combat these forces.

Tuvalu is fully committed to joining the fight

against international terrorism as required by Security

Council resolutions. But we would need to seek the

assistance of the United Nations and the international

community to help us fulfil those requirements,

particularly the reporting requirements of those

resolutions and of the international anti-terrorism

conventions.

Tuvalu recognizes the seriousness of the

HIV/AIDS epidemic in relation to the social and

economic development and security of Tuvalu and

other Pacific island countries. Given our exposure and

the level of mobility of our communities, particularly

our seafarers who serve on merchant ships worldwide,

there is an urgent need for assistance from the

international community, such as that provided under

the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and

Malaria, in order to combat the threats of the epidemic.

As is widely acknowledged, a serious challenge

to Tuvalu and to all small island developing States is our

unique vulnerability to external forces. That vulnerability

arises not from our own actions but simply from our

being islands with small economies, our isolation, our

fragmentation and the fragility of our natural

environments. These factors taken together translate into

significant constraints on development and a severe lack

of capacity to cope with the many changes taking place

in the world, especially through globalization.

Yet for us in small island developing States,

although we witness daily the forces of trade,

communications and travel creating a single global

community, the problems associated with poverty, lack

of opportunity, marginalization and environmental

decline continue to plague our efforts. There is a

genuine need for the United Nations and the

international community to better recognize the special

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and unique circumstances of small island developing

States and their aspirations to participate more

equitably in a globalized world.

Sustainable development, particularly for the

most disadvantaged and vulnerable developing States,

is most crucial. In June, Tuvalu undertook a

comprehensive review of its development priorities and

adopted a national sustainable development strategy

that we call “The Tuvalu Vision 2015”, premised on

international development agendas, including the

review of the Barbados Programme of Action for the

Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing

States, and aimed at building Tuvalu’s resilience in

coping with the challenges it faces.

The promotion of good governance, democratic

principles and respect for the rule of law is strongly

recognized as fundamental to the successful

implementation of that strategy. We acknowledge with

greatest appreciation the generous support of the

Governments of Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the

United Kingdom, Italy and the Republic of China on

Taiwan, the United Nations Department of Economic

and Social Affairs and the Asian Development Bank in

that exercise. We look forward to partnering with them,

and with others in the international community, in the

realization of that strategy.

As a poorly resourced small island developing

State and a least developed country as well, even our best

efforts to escape the cycle of poverty and marginalization

are doomed to failure without the meaningful support of

the international community, civil society and the

private sector. The Millennium Declaration, the

Monterrey Consensus and the Johannesburg Plan of

Implementation have all provided clear road maps for

partnerships towards sustainable development. The

signposts offered under these road maps will remain

mere rhetoric unless they translate into real

developments, responsive to the unique needs of small

island developing States such as Tuvalu.

It is for these reasons that full and effective

implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action

for the Sustainable Development of Small Island

Developing States is ever so crucial. Tuvalu is very

encouraged by the progress so far achieved in the

review of the Programme.

However, success in the further implementation

of the Barbados Programme of Action will depend

entirely on a better appreciation of the unique situation

of small island developing States such as Tuvalu, easier

access to and the provision of adequate financial and

technical resources, development aid and the

dissemination of appropriate technology, particularly

for new and renewable energy and capacity-building.

In terms of natural resources, Tuvalu is truly a

small island country in a big ocean. The Pacific Ocean

surrounding our islands provides the vital source of our

livelihoods and our economic and social development.

Increasingly, however, we are concerned with the real

threats of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing

and of ocean pollution from waste, particularly from the

trans-shipment of highly radioactive and toxic materials

through our region. We seek the understanding of the

international community to help us save our oceans and

support fully the Pacific Islands Regional Ocean Policy

adopted by our Government leaders in 2002.

The overall decline in overseas development

assistance in real terms is cause for serious concern.

The failure of developed countries to fulfil the United

Nations minimum target of providing 0.7 per cent of

their gross national product in overseas development

assistance to small island developing States translates into

lower economic growth as well as a further widening

development gap for small island developing States

such as Tuvalu. This needs to be addressed urgently.

An important source of financial flows to

developing countries, particularly to small island

developing States such as Tuvalu, is migrant workers’

remittances from developed countries. Indeed,

remittances from our overseas workers, and

particularly Tuvaluan seafarers serving abroad, provide

a substantial source of income, which is so vital for

social and economic development in Tuvalu. Tuvalu

fully supports giving urgent international attention to

the issue of migrant workers’ rights, including the

maintenance of international standards specifying

minimum requirements for certificates of competency

and provisions for the safety and security of migrant

workers, in order to ensure the continuation of this

vital source of capital for SIDS.

The international meeting in Mauritius in January

must result in a stronger commitment from the

international community and in pragmatic and doable

actions on the ground in all small island developing

States.

An issue of continuing concern to Tuvalu is the

question of the representation of the Republic of China

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on Taiwan in the United Nations. Regrettably, this

Organization cannot be said to be universal without the

rightful representation of the 23 million people of the

Republic of China on Taiwan. Tuvalu feels that the

active and responsible participation of the Republic of

China on Taiwan in world affairs — especially in trade,

commerce and international development — without

representation in the United Nations is unjust and

morally wrong and needs to be corrected.

We in Tuvalu, a mere three meters above sea

level, live in constant fear of the adverse impact of

climate change and the rising sea level. Our livelihoods

and sources of food security are already badly affected.

With increased ground water salinity, land erosion and

coral bleaching, we experience total anxiety. The threat

is real and serious and is like a slow and insidious form

of terrorism against Tuvalu.

Tuvalu, therefore, accords significant importance

to the United Nations Framework Convention on

Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol, as they

provide the most appropriate global framework to

reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We congratulate

the Framework Convention secretariat as the

Convention marks its tenth anniversary this year.

However, we are deeply concerned by the failure and

the lack of leadership on the part of industrialized

countries in the implementation of commitments and in

the ratification and enforcing of the Kyoto Protocol.

We in small island developing States recognize

that all nations must take steps to mitigate greenhouse

gas emissions at some stage. However, Tuvalu believes

that the Kyoto Protocol must be the first step in this

direction for now and for setting the way forward in

the future. The Protocol as such must enter into force

without delay. However, the industrialized countries

must act first as it is their legacy of emissions that is

creating the problems of today. Actions must also

include assisting small island developing States in their

adaptation to the adverse effects of climate change,

particularly in terms of urgently providing adequate

financial and technical resources in line with the

responsibilities and obligations under the Framework

Convention.

As we mark the tenth anniversary of the

Framework Convention, and as we begin to explore

future actions against climate change and sea-level

rise, we appeal for more attention from the United

Nations, whose raison d’être is to ensure world peace

and security, and for stronger leadership by the

international community against this global threat.

In conclusion, we want to say that efforts aimed

at the sustainable development of small island States

like Tuvalu will have no meaning unless the issue of

climate change and sea level is addressed decisively

and with urgency. Tuvalu’s interest in enforcing Kyoto

is not self-serving. The more serious consequences of

not acting now, as we are already witnessing the world

over, will be felt everywhere.

It is our hope that, out of this common house of

our United Nations family, there will emerge better

understanding and goodwill for the long-lasting

security and survival of Tuvalu, of SIDS and of the

whole world.

God bless the United Nations.