A/69/PV.51 General Assembly

In relation to the report of the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing, submitted under sub-item (a) of agenda item 13 and agenda item 115, and circulated in document A/69/315, a dedicated plenary meeting will be held at a later date to consider the report.

Nauru has the honour to speak on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS). We align ourselves with the statement to be delivered by the representative of Bolivia on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. At the outset, I would like to once again congratulate the Government and the people of Samoa on hosting the very successful Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS). *1462672* 14-62672 (E) We also acknowledge the leadership and efforts of those who contributed to and played an instrumental role in achieving a strong outcome document, the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway (Samoa Pathway). The Samoa Pathway has made its place in the United Nations history books as the first- ever United Nations conference to close its negotiations in New York and thereby allow the time in Samoa to be used to deepen discussions on partnerships. As the General Assembly adopts the draft resolution containing the outcome of the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States (A/69/L.6), allow me to highlight a few key points. Despite progress in addressing our challenges, SIDS still experience gaps in the implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action and the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States. The Samoa Pathway, if fully implemented, will set the course for a shift in the way we collaborate on development. The Samoa Pathway is a concise, focused and action-oriented document that requires us to move away from the business-as-usual approach. Providing a road map and an implementable strategy is only a first step. The question now is: How can we effectively implement the Pathway and deliver on the commitments made to SIDS? And how do we make sure that no SIDS are left behind in the post-2015 development agenda? First, meeting the sustainable development needs of SIDS requires efforts from all of us. The theme of the Conference — the sustainable development of SIDS through genuine and durable partnerships — highlighted the fact that commitments have been made to strengthen international cooperation at all levels. The Conference stressed that such partnerships should be based on mutual trust and accountability and that SIDS should be equal partners in them. Genuine and durable partnerships are key for supporting the implementation of our concrete targets and goals. They must involve the private sector, civil society, youth, women, persons with disabilities and older persons. Capacity-building and institution-strengthening for SIDS, rather than endless workshops, are critical for SIDS to take ownership of their sustainable development and build their resilience. For our partners, more discipline will be required to fulfil long-standing promises in the form of commitments that give us the tools and resources we need to plan for the future. For our part, we must exercise more discipline when it comes to identifying where we most need support and demonstrating that investments are put to good use. The international and regional systems must build an implementation mechanism that ensures that our goals are met and that makes corrections if we start to veer off course. In the light of the foregoing, we welcome the approximately 300 partnerships registered in Samoa that address key SIDS priorities: sustainable economic development, climate change and disaster risk management, oceans, seas and biodiversity, social development in SIDS, health and non-communicable diseases, youth and women, sustainable energy, water and sanitation, food security and waste management. Secondly, effective implementation requires sufficient and predictable means, including financing, capacity-building, technology transfer, data collection and management, partnerships and technical cooperation, and institutional support. The provision of adequate means of implementation will help deliver on all commitments. In this connection, we stress the importance of including SIDS priorities in the discussions and future outcome of the third international conference on financing for development, which will be one of the important inputs regarding means of implementation for the post-2015 development agenda. Thirdly, we need to track progress. We need a robust global monitoring system that strengthens accountability at all levels in the follow-up to the implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action, the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action for Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, and the Samoa Pathway. The review of the United Nations system’s support to SIDS, which was agreed in Apia, will most certainly contribute to improving accountability and improving the delivery of commitments made for the sustainable development of SIDS. This will allow the United Nations system to be more effective as a key partner and may also require the SIDS to ready themselves for global development shifts. We should prepare to transform the Samoa Pathway into action including through national sustainable development strategies and goals. We look forward to the Secretary-General’s recommendations on parameters for this review. The role of the high-level political forum in the follow-up to the implementation of the Samoa Pathway is critical. We reiterate our strong request that the adequate time of a full day be allocated to the follow-up on the Samoa Pathway in the body’s meetings. Lastly, the Samoa Pathway is a fundamental and critical road map for us SIDS. However, it will not deliver on its objective of achieving our sustainable development if it is not integrated in the relevant processes of the post-2015 development agenda. An inclusive post-2015 development agenda must address the needs and priorities of countries in particular situations, such as SIDS. Not addressing climate change or ocean degradation, which are two of the main development inhibitors for SIDS, will result in leaving many behind. To conclude, I would like to reiterate our sincere gratitude to our colleagues and partners who have heard SIDS’ concerns throughout the process and have made efforts in reaching consensus. It is my sincere hope that the next international conference of SIDS will not include a section entitled “Implementation gaps”.

I am honoured to be speaking on behalf of the 12 Pacific small island developing States (SIDS) present at the United Nations, namely, the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, the Republic of Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and my own country Tonga. At the outset, the Pacific SIDS would like to align themselves with the statement just delivered on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States. I take this opportunity to profoundly thank and congratulate the Government and people of the Independent State of Samoa on the memorable hosting of the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States, in September this year. Also, as the region that played host to the Conference for the first time ever, we are particularly proud of its success. Our gratitude also extends to the co-Chairs, New Zealand and Singapore, the members of the bureau, the United Nations Secretariat and all participants that contributed. The SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway (Samoa Pathway), which we look forward to adopting, reaffirms the special case of SIDS and the vulnerabilities and challenges they face with regard to the effects of natural disasters and climate change, among other things, and stresses the continued importance of the support of the international community in pursuit of sustainable development. The Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States is a crucial blueprint for broad-based improvements to the welfare of populations in all islands. It recognizes that for sustainable development to be possible, islands must take requisite actions in all three dimensions — social, environmental and economic. The plan elaborates a detailed road map — based on actions across 20 different headings, from climate change to marine resources, tourism to trade, and health to culture — that is one of the more detailed and valuable outputs that has resulted from cooperative action among small island developing States in all regions. However, Pacific SIDS acknowledge that implementation of the Mauritius Strategy has at times been uneven. Some islands especially affected by the global economic recession have regressed. In spite of the considerable efforts of Pacific States, many have been unable to attain internationally agreed goals and targets, including those set out in the Millennium Development Goals. These shortfalls are best understood as a reflection of the enormous challenges faced by Pacific SIDS and by SIDS globally. With low agricultural capacity, a small base of natural resources and some unique infrastructure challenges, often compounded by geographic remoteness, SIDS face a set of additional hurdles in efforts to promote sustained, inclusive, and equitable economic growth. And these challenges are compounded by the reality of escalating adverse impacts of climate change. Extreme weather events, rising sea levels and ocean acidification, among other impacts, will make it harder to accomplish gains in sustainable development. These issues were emphasized by the International Conference in Samoa, whose theme was “The sustainable development of small island developing States through genuine and durable partnerships”. The Samoa Pathway follows the Mauritius Strategy in specifying actions that SIDS, together with their partners, can undertake in a variety of areas to further all three pillars of sustainable development. As the theme of the SIDS Conference stressed, partnerships and the support of the international community are critical to success. Pacific SIDS welcome the annual adoption by consensus of resolutions on this topic as an important signal of that continued genuine and durable partnership. Now the time for implementation has come. Already we are working in the Second Committee to follow up on three key areas: first, how to monitor the success of the partnerships announced in Samoa, as well as future partnerships; secondly, how to continue the conversation in future United Nations deliberations, including the high-level political forum; and thirdly, how United Nations support for SIDS can be strengthened. How we define the follow-up will determine how the commitments made will be translated to success on the ground. Finally, we Pacific SIDS reiterate our commitment to taking ownership and leadership and to working with relevant stakeholders at all levels in ensuring that the Samoa Pathway attains the success that it deserves, while also laying a solid foundation that will serve as a springboard that complements the pursuit of the sustainable development goals set by the global community.

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the 14 States members of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). CARICOM aligns itself with the statement made by the representative of Nauru on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States. At the outset, CARICOM wishes to reiterate its gratitude to the Government of Samoa for hosting the successful Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States. The pride of the Samoan people permeated every aspect of the Conference in Apia. We wish also to acknowledge the support of Member States and the United Nations system during the preparatory process and the Conference itself. The unique and particular vulnerabilities faced by small island developing States (SIDS), which constrain our development, are well known. As such, the international community recognized SIDS as a special case for sustainable development in Agenda 21. That recognition is echoed in the Barbados Programme of Action, the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, and now the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway (Samoa Pathway). For CARICOM, the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States and its outcome document, the Samoa Pathway, embody a renewed global commitment to supporting SIDS in their efforts to achieve sustainable development. The outcome document, by building on the lessons learned since the Barbados Programme of Action and the Mauritius Strategy, provides SIDS with a renewed vision and road map for sustainable development. Accordingly, the need for the full and effective implementation of the Samoa Pathway cannot be overstated. In that regard, CARICOM member States look forward to working with stakeholders at the national, regional and international levels. We also look forward to the creation of the partnership framework, as called for in paragraph 101 of the Samoa Pathway, which will play an integral role in ensuring the effective follow-up and review of the 300 partnerships and initiatives registered in Samoa, with a total value of $1.9 billion reflected in pledges. The adoption of the Samoa Pathway comes at a critical moment for us, as we find ourselves on the cusp of deliberations on the elaboration of a post- 2015 development agenda that must set the world on a sustainable development course for current and future generations. That agenda must be underpinned by a strong commitment to an inclusive, transformative, people-centred development agenda with poverty eradication at its core. The post-2015 development agenda must also recognize the differences among countries and the need to accommodate those differences within the context of the new development agenda. CARICOM firmly believes that the Samoa Pathway constitutes a foundational input to shape the post- 2015 development agenda, taking into consideration the unique and particular challenges that SIDS face, including areas such as access to concessional financing for development, debt relief, poverty eradication, the scourge of non-communicable diseases, challenges in the development and management of statistics and statistical systems, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and technology transfer and capacity- building. We call on Member States to integrate SIDS priorities into the elaboration of a post-2015 development agenda. CARICOM also recognizes the role of the high- level political forum on sustainable development in providing oversight for the SIDS agenda. In that regard, we reiterate the call for priority to be given to SIDS issues on the forum’s agenda and for the forum to provide the necessary monitoring and follow-up of the Barbados Programme of Action, the Mauritius Strategy and the Samoa Pathway.

At the outset, Singapore aligns itself with the statement made by the representative of Nauru on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS). Just over two months ago, Samoa hosted the highly successful Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States, in Apia, from 1 to 4 September. Our warmest congratulations and heartfelt thanks go to the Government and people of Samoa for their wonderful hospitality and for ensuring that the Conference was a resounding success. The adoption of the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway (Samoa Pathway) by the Conference was the culmination of many months of hard work by all stakeholders involved. It was also a testament to the goodwill and spirit of international cooperation that were so evident during the negotiation process. As co-Chair of the Preparatory Committee of the Conference, Singapore was privileged to play a small role by ensuring that the negotiations on the Samoa Pathway were concluded in a timely fashion in New York, ahead of the Conference itself. Now that the Conference is over, we need keep up the momentum to focus on the full implementation of the Samoa Pathway and the many partnerships launched at the Conference. In that regard, Singapore sees the adoption of the Samoa Pathway by the General Assembly as a crucial milestone. It will signal the international community’s continuing commitment and resolve to ensure the full implementation of the Samoa Pathway. Singapore is happy to do its part to implement the Samoa Pathway and has prepared a dedicated three-year technical cooperation package for small island developing States (SIDS) under the Singapore Cooperation Programme. The package will provide further customized technical assistance and fellowships in areas that are relevant to the capacity-building needs of SIDS. That includes customized programmes for senior SIDS officials in areas such as sustainable development and climate change, disaster management, public health and non-traditional security. Singapore will also offer 150 civil aviation fellowships for courses at the Singapore Aviation Academy and 30 fellowship awards for the Maritime Public Leaders’ Programme conducted by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. We hope that those programmes will make a meaningful contribution to the implementation of the Samoa Pathway through capacity-building and increased resilience. Singapore stands ready to work with our fellow SIDS and our partners in making the Samoa Pathway a reality.

We welcome the outcomes of the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States, in Apia. We thank the Government and people of Samoa for their superb organization of that important meeting and for their hospitality. We view the outcome document of the Conference, the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway (Samoa Pathway), as a key benchmark for international efforts to ensure the sustainable development of that category of countries and as a much-needed contribution to intergovernmental negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda. Guided by friendly relations and responsible partnership, the Russian Federation has consistently increased its donor assistance to small island developing States. Our overall assistance to that category of countries for the past four years stands at about $20 million. We focus our assistance on existing, critically important areas, in particular modernizing infrastructure, strengthening public administration mechanisms, developing trade potential, improving educational systems and health care, ensuring energy security and enhancing resilience to natural disasters. Our goal is to draw on existing capacities and experience in practical cooperation to ensure the effective implementation of the Samoa Pathway programme. As a first step, we are currently exploring the possibility of collaborating with the United Nations Development Programme on a major long-term project to improve disaster preparedness for small island developing States. To conclude, allow me to say that we support the adoption by the General Assembly of draft resolution A/69/L.6, on the Samoa Pathway.

China welcomes the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS), which was successfully held from 1 to 4 September in Apia. We also welcome the adoption of the outcome document, the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway (Samoa Pathway). We would like to express our appreciation to the United Nations and the host country Samoa for their work. We support the proposal adopted at the Conference on the establishment of effective long-term partnerships to promote the sustainable development of small island developing States (SIDS) and focus attention on the development concerns of SIDS. In China’s view, looking forward, we should concentrate on the following areas. First, we should take on the challenge of climate change together. Secondly, we should formulate the post-2015 development agenda as scheduled. Thirdly, we should earnestly implement our commitment to international cooperation for development. Fourthly, we should establish a more rational international system of governance. In recent years China has furthered its practical cooperation with SIDS and has proved itself an honest, lasting and reliable partner for them. Since the beginning of this year China has provided 23 SIDS with 235 assistance projects amounting to a total of ¥1.5 billion. In November 2013, our Government announced that it would provide ¥1 billion in concessional loans to SIDS of the region. Meanwhile, the China Development Bank has announced a $1-billion special loan to support infrastructure development, water supply facilities, small hydropower stations, ecological farms and bio-gas technologies in SIDS. We are focusing on helping these countries remove the bottlenecks in their sustainable development. In the future China will work with the countries concerned on implementing the Samoa Pathway and will continue with its efforts to help them achieve sustainable development.

We have heard the last speaker in the debate on these items. We shall now proceed to consider draft resolution A/69/L.6. I give the floor to the representative of the Secretariat.

In connection with draft resolution A/69/L.6, entitled “SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway”, I wish to put on the record the following statement of financial implications on behalf of the Secretary- General, in accordance with rule 153 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly. Under the terms of paragraphs 101, 119 and 124 (b) of the outcome document, which is annexed to draft resolution A/69/L.6, the General Assembly would request the Secretary-General, in consultation with Member States, to present recommendations, including through the use of intergovernmental mechanisms, for a partnership framework to monitor and ensure the full implementation of pledges and commitments through partnerships for small island developing States (SIDS). The framework should ensure that partnerships focus on the priorities of small island developing States, identify new opportunities to advance the sustainable development of and ensure the full implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action, the Mauritius Strategy and the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway (Samoa Pathway). The recommendations should be presented to the General Assembly for consideration and action at its sixty-ninth session. The Assembly would request that the Secretary- General conduct a comprehensive review of the United Nations system’s support for small island developing States with a view to enhancing the overall effectiveness of such support and the respective roles in supporting the development of small island developing States, and would invite the General Assembly, at its sixty-ninth session, to determine the parameters of the review. The Assembly would also request the Secretary- General, building on previous reports, to provide to the Assembly at its seventieth session the findings of the review and his recommendations thereon in his regular report entitled “Follow-up to and implementation of the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States”. The Assembly would request the Department of Economic and Social Affairs to continue to maintain a partnerships platform focused on the small island developing States and to regularly convene the inter-agency consultative group to report on the full implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action, the Mauritius Strategy and the Samoa Pathway, with adequate and timely analysis based on relevant targets and indicators relevant to small island developing States, in order to ensure accountability at all levels. The Samoa Pathway calls on the United Nations system to continue to support small island developing States in pursuing their sustainable development and implementation of the Samoa Pathway. It assigns enhanced responsibilities to the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). While interdepartmental collaboration will be pursued whenever possible, the Department of Economic and Social Affairs will take the lead in coordinating implementation and follow- up to the outcome document, keeping Member States informed, through solid analysis and data, as well as monitoring and reporting on implementation and the partnerships that were announced before and during the Samoa Conference. Pursuant to paragraph 101 of the outcome document, DESA is undertaking the necessary consultations with Member States. At the end of 2014, it will conduct a survey to elicit Member States’ views on the kind of partnership framework that would best enable monitoring and ensure the full implementation of commitments made through partnerships. It will also consult other stakeholders engaged in partnerships through expert group meetings and other channels. In September 2015, the General Assembly is expected to provide further guidance on the framework, based on the recommendations of the Secretary- General. The framework is expected to include, among other elements, a Web-based partnerships platform, for which the Department has already developed a prototype. Linking the follow-up to partnerships from Samoa with the track following up on the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) will allow the SIDS partnership framework to benefit from lessons learned and synergies with the Rio+20 partnership follow-up. With regard to the request contained in paragraph 119, the General Assembly is invited to determine the parameters of the review of United Nations system support to SIDS at its sixty-ninth session. It should be noted that in paragraph 9 of draft resolution A/C.2/69/L.24, which is under consideration by the Second Committee, the Assembly would request the Joint Inspection Unit to provide recommendations to assist the Assembly in determining the parameters of the review. Given that consultations regarding the partnership framework and the system-wide review are ongoing among Member States, it is not possible at this stage to determine the resource requirements for paragraphs 101 and 119. When the consultations with Member States are completed and the parameters of the review have been identified, the Secretary-General will revert to the General Assembly with budgetary implications, if any, in accordance with established procedures. Pursuant to operative paragraph 124 (b), DESA will, first, develop a road map for implementation of the Samoa Pathway; secondly, support and coordinate the development of targets and indicators for the outcome document and, thirdly, carry out research and analysis of national, regional and international actions being undertaken by a range of stakeholders. The work on targets and indicators will focus on the specific provisions contained in the Samoa Pathway. It will also be closely related to the targets being identified by the General Assembly for the follow-up to the post-2015 development agenda. The work on developing targets and indicators, as well as further in-depth, analytical and research- oriented work, will allow DESA to ground policy recommendations on SIDS, on behalf of the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the high-level political forum, in scientific analysis and sound data. DESA will mobilize its various divisions with expertise in SIDS, data and statistics, and vulnerability. It will work in collaboration with the Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States and experts in the United Nations system and beyond, seeking complementarity with other ongoing processes. In order to implement the requests contained in paragraph 124 (b) of the outcome document, DESA will need to undertake substantial analytical, quantitative and coordination work. The additional requirements arising from the additional mandate will involve developing appropriate targets and indicators for Samoa Pathway implementation, with emphasis on data and evidence-based reporting, and ensuring the science-policy interface. That will include developing a number of targets and indicators to assess progress on the main provisions of the Samoa Pathway. Those targets and indicators will need to be consistent with the targets and indicators being developed in the context of the post-2015 development agenda. In that regard, a new sustainable development officer post at the P-4 level in the SIDS Unit would be required to undertake substantive analysis and research on thematic issues, with emphasis on data and evidence-based reporting and ensuring the science-policy interface, including the development of targets and indicators for each relevant paragraph of the Samoa Pathway. The substantive analytical work, which will be undertaken on a recurrent basis, will ensure support to the effective follow-up, monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the Samoa Pathway, filling a critical gap in the support for SIDS with respect to the development of quantitative targets and indicators for each thematic chapter of the Pathway, leading up to the mid-term review in five years. The cycle will then continue until the convening of the next SIDS conference, which, based on the current cycle, will be in 10 years. Should the General Assembly adopt draft resolution A/69/L.6, additional resources in the total amount of $470,100 would be required for the establishment of one temporary post, starting 2016, at the P-4 level, under section 9, “Economic and Social Affairs”, to the amount of $358,000; section 29D, “Office of Central Support Services”, to the amount of $73,500; and section 37, “Staff Assessment”, to the amount of $38,600, for which consideration will be made in the context of the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2016-2017. Accordingly, the adoption of draft resolution A/69/L.6 would not give rise to any financial implications for the programme budget for the biennium 2014-2015.

The Assembly shall now take a decision on draft resolutions A/69/L.6, entitled “SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway”. May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt it?

Before giving the floor to the speakers in explanation of vote on the resolution just adopted, may I remind delegations that explanations of vote are limited to 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats.

The United States would like once again to thank the Government and people of Samoa, and the United Nations offices and agencies and the intergovernmental organizations that have worked in partnership with Samoa to host a very successful conference. We were very pleased to be closely involved in the negotiations at United Nations Headquarters, in New York, that produced the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway (Samoa Pathway), which we have just adopted (resolution 69/15, annex), and we join in applauding it. While we are pleased to hear that there are no programme budget implications for the current budget cycle, we find the Secretariat’s oral statement in that regard to go beyond what is needed to support the outcome document, and we question the rationale for the numbers, as they have not been adequately considered by Member States in any appropriate forum. We request that the Secretariat evaluate its resources and staffing in light of budgetary constraints among Member States, and the imperative to work smarter and more effectively as we face development and other challenges. We look forward to discussions in the appropriate forums, and thus our adoption of the resolution should not be read as an endorsement of the anticipated budget estimates. Separate from the budgetary issues, the United States has submitted a written statement, already included in the formal record of the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States, explaining its position on a few other aspects of the outcome document. As we pause today and remember fondly the hospitality and leadership of Samoa and the impressive success of the Conference, the United States takes this opportunity again to emphasize that it deeply values its long-standing relationship with the small island developing States (SIDS) and that we are committed to working in partnership with all stakeholders to promote the sustainable development of SIDS in all regions through the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway.

My delegation would like to make an explanation of position after the adoption of resolution 69/15. First, I would like to express our appreciation to the co-Chairs and co-facilitators of the Preparatory Committee for their hard work throughout the process. I also extend my gratitude to the host country, Samoa, for its hospitality and diligent work. Japan is determined to continuously support the efforts of the small island developing States (SIDS) to implement the outcome document of the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway (Samoa Pathway). Japan is pleased to join the consensus on the Samoa Pathway on achieving sustainable development through genuine and durable partnerships. This is a priority to which Japan attaches great importance. It is, however, deeply regrettable that the estimates on the proposed programme budget 2016-2017 were not issued until last evening. Japan believes that cost information should be made available to Member States well in advance of the adoption of a resolution. My delegation has many questions and reservations about the oral statement, including the basis of its estimations regarding paragraph 124 (b) of the outcome document. Let me clarify that the costs related to the resolution should be considered in the process of the consideration of the programme budget of the next biennium, in due course. The oral statement is not by any means binding on Japan.

Canada welcomes the adoption of the important outcome document of the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States (resolution 69/15, annex). However, with regard to the oral report on budgetary implications, we are concerned with the Secretariat’s interpretation of resource requirements, which goes beyond what we understood was needed to support the outcome document. Furthermore, Canada is disquieted by the approach taken by the Secretariat in raising this request. We ask that the Secretariat carefully analyse its resource requirements on the basis of what the General Assembly needs and introduce them in the approach forum at the appropriate time. We would stress that the adoption of today’s resolution is no way an endorsement or commitment to the financial requirements mentioned in the oral statement.

Australia was pleased and proud to support the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States in Samoa in September this year and to contribute to the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway (Samoa Pathway) outcome document (resolution 69/15, annex). At the outset, Australia would like to once again thank and congratulate the Government and the people of the Independent State of Samoa for hosting such a successful conference. Although Australia is not a small island, most of our neighbours are. The interests of small island developing States (SIDS) are vitally important to my country, in particular because Australia sees the stability and prosperity of SIDS in our region as integral to that of our own, but also because we want to see all small islands in the Pacific and beyond thrive and prosper and realize their full potential for the benefit of their peoples. Critical to that prosperity is the promotion and realization of economic growth and the sustainable management of oceans. One of the strengths of the Samoa Pathway is the prominence it gives to those vital issues. We are also very pleased with the focus in the Samoa Pathway on women’s equality and economic empowerment and the importance of sound governance. Those priorities align well with those of Australia’s aid programme, built as it is on the experience of decades of work with SIDS partners. As we move forward, we need to work together in partnership to implement this important document. We also need to forge a post-2015 development agenda that takes action on issues identified in the Samoa Pathway, including economic growth, oceans, women’s equality, peaceful societies and effective institutions. Australia is pleased to warmly welcome the formal adoption of the Samoa Pathway, and we look forward to working together in partnership with SIDS towards its effective implementation.

We have heard the last speaker in explanation of position. I now give the floor to the observer of the European Union.

The European Union (EU) and its member States are pleased to join the consensus on the outcome document of the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States, the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway (Samoa Pathway). We reiterate our commitment to supporting SIDS’ efforts aimed at achieving their sustainable development, including through the full and effective implementation of the Samoa Pathway, in particular the setting up of a partnership framework. The European Union and its member States are proud of our long-standing tradition of partnership with SIDS. We have long supported their efforts to address their specific vulnerabilities. We have been, and remain, a leading donor and key trading partner for SIDS. The time has come for the EU and SIDS to move our traditional donor-recipient relationship forward towards a more comprehensive relationship. The Samoa Conference was an opportunity for us to strengthen existing partnerships and help establish new ones founded on SIDS ownership, mindful of the local context, inclusive of all relevant stakeholders, and based on trust, mutual respect, transparency and mutual accountability, while pursuing measurable objectives and tangible results. We also express our profound gratitude to the Government and the people of the Independent State of Samoa for the excellent facilities, staff and services provided, for the arrangements made in hosting the Conference, and for the hospitality extended to the participants. We were very surprised, however, to be presented with an oral statement from the Programme Planning and Budget Division on resolution 69/15. We see no justification for generating an oral statement and disagree with some of the rationale given. We understand that the numbers were only estimates presented in accordance with an extensive interpretation of rule 153 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly. We stress that the estimates presented today do not prejudge the Secretary-General’s submission to the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Question and the Fifth Committee on a proposed budget for the 2016-2017 biennium. We also believe that some estimates can factually be excluded from consideration as requirements under the present resolution. Overall, these estimates should not be perceived as having been endorsed by Member States today. We are particularly concerned that those estimates came unexpectedly, long after negotiations were over and on the eve of the adoption by the General Assembly. They do not seem to fully reflect the spirit of negotiations, especially as regards paragraph 124 (b). That paragraph was negotiated in good faith, and at the time of the informals no reference was made to the need for additional Department of Economic and Social Affairs resources so that it could “continue to maintain a partnerships platform... and to regularly convene the inter-agency consultative group”. Finally, we strongly believe that increased transparency regarding estimate budgetary figures for the current or upcoming budget cycles should be provided during the negotiation process, in full accordance with the relevant rules of procedure.

I now give the floor to the Minister of Communications and Information Technology of Samoa.

On behalf of the Government and the people of Samoa, it is my privilege and honour to place on record our deepest appreciation to you, Sir, for your sterling and considerate leadership in providing an avenue, in our Assembly’s busy agenda, for facilitating the adoption of the Small Island Developing States Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway (Samoa Pathway). On behalf of all small island developing States (SIDS), our partners and the whole membership of the Organization, we thank you for your support and understanding, as evidenced in today’s adoption by consensus of the Samoa Pathway (resolution 69/15, annex). Further, the bureaux of the preparatory meetings and of the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States deserve special mention for steadying and guiding our deliberations efficiently and with professionalism. But our thanks would not be complete without mentioning the unwavering support of the Secretary- General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, who is always advocating for SIDS issues and leading by example. The Conference would not have achieved the success it enjoyed, were it not for the steadfast leadership of the Conference Secretary-General, Mr. Wu Hongbo, and the supportive secretariat he ably led. And to all who contributed to turning the Samoa Pathway into to what it is today, we offer our deepest admiration. The adoption by the General Assembly of the Samoa Pathway is a momentous occasion and a high point in the enduring efforts of small island developing States to focus world attention on their sustainable development needs as a United Nations-recognized group facing special circumstances and having inherent vulnerabilities, not of their choice but due to factors completely outside of their control. But every journey in life has a point of reference. Today, we are celebrating another chapter in SIDS’ evolving existence that began 29 months ago, when the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, “The future we want” (resolution 66/288, annex), called for the convening in 2014 of the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States. That call was not lost on Samoa’s Prime Minister, who, in his statement to the Rio Conference on 22 June 2012, offered Samoa to host the SIDS conference. According to his vision, hosting a global conference is a rare privilege that comes once a decade, but the real honour and motivation lies in the opportunity to have the spotlight of international attention fall on SIDS’ challenges and realities and to share with the international community Samoa’s story about the primacy and importance of successful partnerships firmly rooted in mutual trust and respect, which, for over five decades, have been the foundational pillars of Samoa’s journey as an island nation. It was also important to demonstrate that being SIDS or least developed countries should not discourage poor and vulnerable nations from stepping forward to achieve economic, social and political progress. When we started the process, it was a leap of faith into uncharted waters. Useful signposts along the way included General Assembly resolution 67/207 of December 2012, welcoming Samoa’s offer to host the Conference; the Assembly’s decision 67/558 of May 2013, on the dates for the Conference; the Assembly’s subsequent endorsement of the modalities, in December 2013, in resolution 68/238; and the approval of the outcome document by the Preparatory Committee in July 2014, seven weeks before the Conference. To cap it all, the Conference adopted the SAMOA Pathway outcome document on 4 September. At times, those milestones appeared untenable, far- fetched and unachievable. Some of us at home began to question whether we had made the right decision to host the Conference in the first place, and there was always a lingering doubt about whether we had the perseverance and determination to pull off that national undertaking. But persevere we did, determined we were, and compromise we practiced. Flexibility became the norm, but being resolute and principled became our moral compass. True to our collective sense of obligation to Pacific countries for their trust in us as the host for our region, to our SIDS constituency for its continuous support, and to our partners for their confidence by rallying and rendering every assistance imaginable to ensure that no one felt let down, we continued to navigate our way through and to tell our story as truthfully as we saw it, untroubled by whether people thought foul of us and our motives. But there was no ulterior goal at all other than to share the truth with the rest of the world about our special case, our challenges and realities, and the imperative to build and enhance our overall resilience. After all, some of our islands have the high moral ground to insist on having their stories told from the lens of their experiences, untainted by power politics, world agendas, misplaced assumptions and unfounded concerns. Looking back now, any doubts we might have had about a successful outcome are truly water under the bridge. We have the benefit of hindsight and actions about which we can speak. Through the unanimous adoption of resolution 69/15 today, the General Assembly has rewarded the SIDS’ resolve with its trust and repaid our fortitude with its confidence and faith. For those partners who believed and stood by us from day one through the thick and thin of the negotiations and the almost endless logistical preparations, no reward suffices, because none is expected. In the Assembly, Samoa and SIDS have found genuine and durable friends. Resolution 69/15 is brief, but it belies the level of detailed discussions necessary to arrive at such an outcome. The Samoa Pathway is a finely balanced intergovernmental agreement that has the zeal and stamp of approval of the United Nations membership. It is the blueprint for SIDS sustainable development for now and in the immediate future. We hope that the increased understanding and appreciation of SIDS issues and challenges gained at the Conference will not be forgotten or relegated in priority due to the competing agendas of more influential Member States. The international community has a very full agenda. The follow-up to the SIDS Conference will be part of that agenda and we hope that, amid all the demands — political, economic and other — the realities of SIDS so clearly spelled out in the Samoa Pathway will be able to retain the attention of the wider international community. We took seriously the commitments given for SIDS at the Conference, and we will remain deeply mindful of how those commitments are turned into actions. So as we approach the new post-2015 development agenda, we must ensure that, while a single-framework approach is important, it does not equate to one-size-fits- all for purposes of implementation, monitoring and evaluation. It is important that the agreed sustainable development goals and post-2015 development agenda take into account groups like SIDS so as to ensure that the indicators developed are also applicable to their situations. Similarly, we want the upcoming United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, to be held next year in Japan; the third International Conference on Financing for Development, to be held in Lima; and the United Nations Climate Change Conference, to be held in Paris, to use our Samoa Pathway as an authoritative source from which to draw inspiration for their respective outcomes. I cannot resist restating what my Prime Minister said in his closing remarks at the SIDS Conference in Apia: “I hope the Samoa Pathway will not be viewed as an end in itself to be used only as a reference point until the next SIDS conference. Much investment in genuine goodwill by SIDS and their partners went into agreeing to the SAMOA Pathway as the blueprint for SIDS sustainable development for now and the immediate future.” We need a comprehensive review of the SIDS- specific United Nations institutions responsive and supportive to SIDS in our collective efforts to address their sustainable development aspirations in the post- 2015 development agenda and beyond. We also call for the establishment of a robust global monitoring system that will strengthen accountability at all levels and ensure an adequate and timely analysis and update of the implementation of the Samoa Pathway. As composer of the Conference theme song “There Is Hope”, I appeal to all Member States to help us turn SIDS island voices into global choices so that there will indeed be hope for SIDS today, tomorrow and in the future. Let me reminisce and admit that Samoa will never be the same again, because we invited close to 4,000 representatives to our shores, and at the end we had to say good-bye to 4,000 genuine friends of Samoa. An enduring momento that will live on forever with our people is the fact that when the Secretary-General arrived, he was Mr. Ban Ki-moon, yet when he left he was bestowed the Samoan princely title of Afioga Tupua Ban Ki-moon. To conclude, I say to all those who made it to Samoa, our people were privileged to be the host for the SIDS Conference. We continue to treasure the memories of their presence in our small paradise, and it is my sincerest wish that their memories of their brief sojourn in my country be as pleasant as ours.

The Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 13 and its sub-item (a) and of agenda item 115.