A/46/PV.7 General Assembly

The Assembly will now hear an address by Mr. Amata Kabua, President of the Bepublic of the Marshall Islands. Mr. Amata Kabua. President of the Reoublic of the Marshall Islands, was escorted into the General Assembly Hall.

On behalf of the General Assembly, I have the honour to welcome to the United Nations the President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, His Excellency Mr. Amata Kabua, and to invite him to address the General Assembly. President KABUA: Please permit me to extend to you. Sir, my warmest congratulations upon your election as the President of the General Assembly at this session. You have our confidence that your tenure will be marked with great success. To you. Mr. Secretary-General, we wish to express our highest regard and admiration for your outstanding leadership, particularly during the recent crisis in the Middle East, whereby you were able to redefine and strengthen the role of the United Nations as the most appropriate peace-keeping force in the world. I should also like to take this opportunity, on behalf of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, to extend our congratulations and best wishes to the other six nations that have become Members of the United Nations at the forty-sixth session of the General Assembly. It is a singular honour for me to speak to address the Assembly today as the representative of a new Member State of the United Nations, the Republic of the Marshall Islands. One week ago my country's flag was raised outside this noble edifice, joining the flags of the other Member nations. The past week has seen the fulfilment of one of my highest sspirations. I have been received with profound courtesy and consideration, for which my nation and I thank all the members warmly. We ahall always be grateful. Whan one searches for the Marshall Islaads on large map6 of the world, one may have difficulty finding Lhem, for they are shown as mere specks. Those specks represent 34 atolls and coral islands with an average elevation of just over one metre, situated in the centre of well over a million quare kilometres of the Pacific Ocean. The Marshallose people, about 45,000 all told, are descendants of the voyagers who came in canoes across the uncharted sea to find and settle our islands more than 2,000 years ago. In this remote environment with its temperate climate we formed our own nation and developed our own unique culture, which has withstood the test of time. As was the case with so many nations in this Orgaaization, the Marshall Islands experienced significant foreign contact during the nineteenth century, which in some ways forever altered the evolution and direction of our nation. During the past century we have experienced first hand the ravages of war and paid the high price of maintaining peace. We have been ruled by others while learning and developing the framework and institutions of modern democratic government for ourselves. We have maintained our culture and traditions while pursuing our economic development to better the quality of life of our people. In the end, these apparent contradictions have resulted in nothing less than a transformation of the Marshall Islands from an isolated, traditional Pacilic island society into a modern nation-State now taking its place ir. this world Organization that is premised on the principle of sovereign equality for its Members. Permit me to pawa hero for a moment to do romething that my advisers toll me lo not ofton dOD0 by nstionr whoro eovereigaty ha8 been newly restored after a century of colonisation8 to praire our last colonial Administrstor, which, am it happens, wae ret up over UI by this Qrganiaation. The plain truth of the matter ir that we could never have come 60 far as we have without the aid and encouragement of our former Trustee, now our good friend in a relationship of equality. I refer, of course, to the United States of America. I wish to confirm that the Republic of the Msrahall Islands binds itself to the principles l mbodiod in the Charter of the United Nations. My Government makes a pledge to conduct its affairs ae a responsible member of this Organisation. We earnestly and wholeheartedly enlist in the conssunity of those who work to develop planetary loyalty as a complement to national loyalty. The Marshall Islands has watched with great interest the events that have transpired over the past two yearsr and while we have not been a direct participant in there events we have none the less felt the impact of current world trends. While poop10 may differ ae to the long-term meaning of these event8, two things aeem to be quite clear. First, as the founding Member States of the United Nations envisaged, there is an essential need for the United Nationa to enable the nations of the world to collectively consider and deal with issues of international security. Although there will continue to be disagreement among Member States in this respect, the United Nations has also clearly demonstrated that it has both the potential and the ability to resolve international disputes and to maintain world peace. Secondly, in terms of economic and social advancement and development, the United Nations is the only institution that can realistically deal with these issues on a global scale. The tremendous differences between the constituent Members of the United Nations - large and small, wealthy and poor - can be reconciled and coordinated only through the United Nations itself. Indeed, it is perhaps this second point on the role of the IJnited Nations that will pose the biggest challenge in the future. Since the Second World War and the founding of the United Nations the primary challenge has been to deal with issues of international disputes, security, politics, problems associated with, and rorultiag from, the no-called cold war, and decolonisation with the emergence of the new nation States. No doubt, many of these issues will continue to require attention, with the United Nations taking the major role in laying the necessary foundation for the maintenance of world peace and harmony. In the view of the Marshall Islands, the time has rnme for the United Nations to give greater and broader recognition and attention to the economic and social issues facing the nations of the world. While isruea of international security are inexorably linked to economic and social ieeuee, the quality of life of mankind is, in the end, the most important and fundamental issue facing the nation5 of the world and this Organisation. Conristent with national agendas and policies, people need the opportunity and the freedom to develop themselves. Their unimpeded efforts will invariably result in the desired progress and development of their respective nationr. Recogniring and confronting this most important of all tasks is the only way ir which the world can have durable and lasting peace. This, we submit, is the biggest challenge facing the United Nations, and it is the fervent hope and desire of the Marshall Islands that the United Nations, through dedication and hard work, will be able to provide the requisite framework whereby mankind can truly improve his condition. It is a difficult challenge, but not insurmountable. However, we must begin to meet it at the individual level. In this respect, I am reminded of a poem by an author who is unknown to me: "If there is righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in the character. If there is beauty in the character, there will be harmony in the home. If there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nation. If there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world." One issue that 14 fundamental to economic and social progress, as well as to our very existence. is that of the environment. The problem of global warming - the so-called greenhouse effect - as a most formidable one. Au I mentioned earlier, the Marshall Islands is a country comprising entirely low-lying coral atolls in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It goes without saying that the consequences of global warming could be totally catastrophic for us as well aa for other countries similarly situated. Accordingly, we would make the following observations. First, scientists throughout the world are not in accord as to the magnitude of the entire problem. Some have predicted considerable atmospheric deterioration, resulting in a significant raising of the sea level within the next several years, while others see the effects of global warming as insignificant for the foreseeable future. This lack of consensus on the subject is most disturbing, and leaves us in a quandary as to what the future may hold. (RrBaimmlrs) Secondly, there is very little, if anything, that one of the smallest and most isolated countries in the world can do to alleviate the problem, other than continue to raise it in the international consnunity. The Marshall Islands is coqnirant of the uncertainties in this matter, as well as of the knotty issues to be resolved between the developed and the developing countries. We applaud the recent initiatives of the United Nations on the subject and fully support those initiatives. We are hopeful that through the efforts of the United Nations there will be consensus in respect of the extent of the problem, as well as a sound course of action to remedy, or at least allay, the effects of global warming. The Republic of the Marshall Islands is fully aware of the great importance of providing a sound system of education for its people, and we have committed a great deal of our limited resources to the education of our population. However, we also feel deep concern about the educational level in our schools. We need better schools, but are hard-pressed to develop them through our national resources alone. Nevertheless, we foresee that better school8, and a better start in life, can be realized in our islands through the globalisation of education. (Prrridrnt) AB I turn my thoughtr homeward, I moo a barefoot child mitting on a wooden bench or perhaps on a dirt floor in a one-room rchoolhouae on a remote island. Thir child need6 to be equippod with the necorsary knowlodge to be useful to his nation as well a8 to the world. In thin context, through education there lie many of the answers to many of our problema. I think of that child as IILWM~ up in an ancient Marrhallsso expression that is enshrined on our national meal, “s ml-“, which conveys to us the idea that a child ir a national resource just am is a sprouting coconut tree. tach must be nurtured aa it grows. Each generation in turn enriches the soil for thoae that follow. If children and trees reach their optimum growth they bear fruit that will sustain, replenish and enhance the community, the nation and, ultimately, the world itself. I believe that thia allegory is 8alisnt to the concept of the globaliration of education. As world-wide education takes place in the context of sharing and broadening existing knowledge, information and beliefs among the peoples of the world, we will in turn develop the necessary framework for succeeding generations by strengthening individual human development and the quality of life. In addition, we will have greater awar3ness of our commonalities and differences to better maintain world peace and order without the use of force. In education, we see bright hope in the concept of the global village. Improved communications can make a remote little school a campus of a world-wide university using existing technology to provide interactive long-distance education. Students can ask questions, receive answers and debate issues across continents and oceans. We believe that cooperation within the Uaitod Rations will play a dramatic role in bringing this dream to actuality within our lifetime. Sarller I roferrod to economic and racial issues as the biggest challenge that the United Nations is facing now and will bo facing in years to come. In terms of economic developrsent and trade issues, we note the tremendous differences and disparities which exist among the nations of the world. As a very small develuping nation, the Marshall Islands is aware of the recent initiatives and developments on economic and trade issues in the context of our own national development agenda. Achieving economic prosperity at both the national and the international level is a difficult task and is an unending challenge for all mankind. Much of the economic progress of the world has been frustrated by political unrest and unreasonable barriers that often derail courses of action and interaction among nations. We are hopeful that the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) negotiations will be productive and successful. Lasting peace and security among nations is the most fundamental underpinning for economic progress in the world. In this connection, the United Nations should be accorded much of the credit due in achievirlg the necessary peace and security to foster a healthier environment for economic advancement. Since the Second World War, the nations of the world have advanced with greater experience and knowledge in technologies and economic strategies. Today, we see a greater interdependence among the nations of the world in matters of economic development. As we viev it, the emergence of regional economic blocs is indicative of a new trend that has great potential through further international cooparationr a trand ia which now l coaomic concoptr and rtrato9iea are applied to achiovo groator and roundor l conoaic progress in all re9ioar of the rorld. ?h aro hopeful that the succesrful and full participation of all natioas in the variour re9iooal economic blocr will eventua:ly pava the way for tba croation of a now and unified global economic eystem. The Marshall Islandr im takirq some stops in economic dsvolopment, which is essential to it8olf and which alro may be beneficial to other nations. As our economy 9row8, we hope that our small nation can become a part of this trend in the sense of what w call “the Pacific way”: that is, no nation should be left out. Pinally, I should like to touch briefly on the subject of current r?rld events in term of what ir often referred to au the emergence of a new world order, particularly from the viewpoint of a very anal1 nation such as the Marshall Islands. As we seek to determine the meaning of recent world events in the context of historical trends, we must st.art by acknowledging that the world has never been fully at peace. The history of regional and world peace and attempts to bring about such peace is really, in essence, mankind’s history of conflict and war. Peace exists when there is an absence of conflict or political, economic and social problems that form the basis for conflict. To the extent that there is a diaceraibls pattern to the history of world conflict it has throughout the cen~;lries mostly been regional or simply man fighting with his itmnediate neighbours. Mankind lacked the technological ability to engage in a global conflict until this century, in which we have seen the waging of two world wars followed by a cold war that was premised on building and maintaining giant armnalr a8 a daterrent in order to maintain world peace. low, in the light of current world went8 ua 8.0 that the likelihood of anoth8r world conflict h88 boon greatly diminirhod with the United Nation8 truly taking its place a8 the premier organi8ation for the maintenance of world peace. Non8 the 1088, we are 8imultaneou8ly witnessing a resurgence of regional and internecine conflict. Doss this mean that the world ir returning to the part, or doe8 it mean that we are ushering in a new rara? I personally would vary much like to believs that it ir th8 latter, and that what the world ir experiencing at present in terms of conflict repre8ents the lart convul8ion8 in the process of attaining true and lasting world peace. Over the last few yeara w have witnerrsd dramatic eventa which have fundamentally altorod the political, racial, economic and physical landscape of the world. There changer prorent ua with the challenge and opportunity to re-examine the law@, inrtitutionr and value8 which have governed the relatioarrhipr of pooplor and nations. It ir in thie rpirit that we offer some thoughts in respect of what ir currently referred to aa the new world order. The formation of the United Nationa aome 46 years ago, with its vision of a new era of peace, human right8 and international co-operation, brought great hope and promise to the world’m peoples. Indeed, the United Nations has helped to usher in an unprecedented degree of international co-operation, mutual respect and understanding among the peoples and nations of the world. However, at the name time, it has become increasingly evident that the available international machinery and processes need to be greatly strengthened to ensure peace and security in the world and to address newly emerging global issues. Long-term solutions to the many issues facing the world will require a new and comprehensive vision of a global society, supported by a new system of values. This recognition does not imply the abandonment of legitimate loyalties, the suppression of cultural diversity or the abolition of national autonomy. It calls for a wider loyalty, for a far higher aspiration than has thus far animated human efforts. It clearly requires subordination of national impulses, needs and interests to the imperative claims of a unified, peaceful and prosperous world. I wish once again to express heartfelt thanks and gratitude on behalf of the Republic of the Marshall Islands on the occasion of our accession to (FxaaidmL~a) membership in the United Nations. Wo look forward to working with all of you, with the staff of the United Nations and with the specialised agencies. It is an honour to be serving as an active Member of the United Nations, and as a full participant, in striving to meet the goals of the Orqanieation and the challenges of the future. Once bgain, -1 Tata - thank you very much. T&m (interpretation from Arabic)8 On behalf of the General Assembly. I wish to thank the President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands for the statement he has just made. l!lr.knala~Praridsntof__tha.ofmMQ6-~n ES.GQ_Ltdd from the81 W .