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STATEMENT BY

H.E. AMBASSADOR YOSIWO P. GEORGE

PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE
FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA
TO THE UNITED NATIONS

IN THE

SECOND COMMITTEE

ON AGENDA ITEM [89] (a), (b), (c)
ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

New York, October 20, 1994

Check Against Delivery

MR. CHAIRMAN:

I TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS ON BEHALF OF THE FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA OUR CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ON YOUR ELECTION TO GUIDE US IN THE WORK OF THIS MOST IMPORTANT COMMITTEE DURING THE 49TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

THE DISTINGUISHED DELEGATE OF AUSTRALIA HAS SPOKEN FOR ALL THE PACIFIC FORUM COUNTRIES INCLUDING THE FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA ON THE ISSUES LISTED UNDER AGENDA ITEM 89, ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. MY DELEGATION FULLY SUPPORTS THE VIEWS THAT WERE EXPRESSED, AND SO I WISH IN THIS BRIEF STATEMENT ONLY TO UNDERSCORE THE PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE THAT MY COUNTRY PLACES ON THE PROGRESS MADE DURING THE PAST YEAR, AND THE NEED FOR THIS ASSEMBLY TO ENSURE THAT PROGRESS CONTINUES.

SINCE WE ARE A SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATE, MY COUNTRY BECAME DEEPLY INVOLVED WITH THE VARIOUS UNCED-RELATED ACTIVITIES AS OUR FIRST PRIORITY WHEN WE TOOK UP MEMBERSHIP IN THE UNITED NATIONS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 46TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY. WE ARE DEEPLY APPRECIATIVE OF THE SPECIAL CONSIDERATION BEING GIVEN TO THE VULNERABILITY OF ALL SMALL ISLAND STATES TO THE THREAT OF SEA LEVEL RISE BROUGHT ON BY GLOBAL WARMING. WE ALSO ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE RECOGNITION OF THE SPECIAL DEVELOPMENTAL HANDICAPS OF SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WHICH LED TO THE BARBADOS CONFERENCE LAST MAY, AND THE ELABORATION OF A VERY PROMISING PROGRAMME OF ACTION. WE BELIEVE THAT OUR TRANS- REGIONAL COMMON- INTEREST GROUP, THE ALLIANCE OF SMALL ISLAND STATES, HAS OPERATED WELL WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF UN INSTITUTIONS AND THE GROUP OF 77 TO FOSTER CONCERTED ACTION BY THE UN COMMUNITY TO ADDRESS OUR PRESSING PROBLEMS MOST EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY.

WE ARE NOW AT A POINT, MR. CHAIRMAN, WHERE STAGES HAVE BEEN SET VERY WELL IN THE VARIOUS VENUES ON ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, AND IT IS TIME FOR SUBSTANTIVE ACTION. THE CLIMATE CHANGE AND BIODIVERSITY CONVENTIONS ARE IN PLACE AND THE FIRST CONFERENCES OF PARTIES ARE ABOUT TO BEGIN. THE BARBADOS PROGRAMME OF ACTION AWAITS THE IDENTIFICATION OF SPECIFIC MEASURES FOR ITS IMPLEMENTATION. THE COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IS NOW BEYOND ITS FORMATIVE STAGE. THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY HAS BEEN RESTRUCTURED AND REPLENISHED. THESE HAVE ALL BEEN NECESSARY STEPS, AND THEIR SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION IS TESTIMONY TO THE STRENGTH OF THE UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATION.

BUT AS WE MOVE FROM NEGOTIATING TO IMPLEMENTATION WE MUST NOT LOSE SIGHT OF THE FACT THAT THESE ARE NOT JUST THE OLD DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES DRESSED UP IN NEW CLOTHING. THE RIO CONFERENCE USHERED IN AN ENTIRELY NEW APPROACH, LINKING ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AS POSITIVE, COMPLEMENTARY PRIORITIES, HAVING EQUAL IMPORTANCE TO BOTH THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH. AND FOR THIS REASON, IN FUTURE, ASSISTANCE BY THE DEVELOPED WORLD TO THE DEVELOPING WORLD TAKES ON MUCH MORE THE CHARACTER OF INVESTMENT. THUS, IF INDEED THE BROAD PREPARATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE ARE TO BE CARRIED FORWARD INTO ACTIONS AND RESULTS, THOSE NATIONS HAVING POSSESSION OF THE RESOURCES REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE OUR COMMON GOALS MUST NOT APPLY THOSE RESOURCES GRUDGINGLY OR WITH HESITATION. I AM NOT SPEAKING HERE OF OPEN POCKETS OR BLANK CHECKS, BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THAT OUR EFFORTS MUST BE CAREFULLY PLANNED AND EXECUTED, IN COORDINATION WITH ONE ANOTHER. BUT THE ROAD WE HAVE STARTED DOWN WILL PROVE TO BE A SHORT ONE, ENDING IN A ROCKY TRACK, IF WE LACK THE COURAGE AND MUTUAL TRUST TO UPHOLD THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF BOTH DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IN THIS NOBLE ENTERPRISE.

TURNING TO THE CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE, IT IS GRATIFYING TO NOTE THAT 94 COUNTRIES HAVE BECOME PARTIES. WE HOPE TO SEE THAT NUMBER CONSIDERABLY HIGHER BY THE TIME THE FIRST CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES CONVENES IN BERLIN, NEXT MARCH, BECAUSE IT WILL BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO CARRY OUT EFFECTIVE ACTION TO MEET THE THREAT OF HUMAN-INDUCED CLIMATE CHANGE WITHOUT THE UNIVERSAL PARTICIPATION OF THE WORLD COMMUNITY. IT IS NOTEWORTHY THAT THOSE COUNTRIES SOON EST TO BE AFFECTED BY GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE, NAMELY THE SMALL-ISLAND COUNTRIES, HAVE TABLED FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES A PROPOSED PROTOCOL TO THE CONVENTION WHICH WOULD REQUIRE SPECIFIC REDUCTIONS IN THE EMISSION OF GREENHOUSE GASES BY DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, ON A SPECIFIC TIMETABLE. ONGOING SCIENTIFIC ANALYSES BOTH BY THE IPCC AND OTHER SCIENTIFIC BODIES, HAVE CONFIRMED THE REALITY OF THE CLIMATE CHANGE PROBLEM, AND IN FACT, THERE ARE STRONG INDICATIONS THAT IT IS WORSE THAN WE SUPPOSED ONLY A FEW YEARS AGO. IN LIGHT OF THAT, IT IS CLEAR THAT ACTION OF THE KIND REQUIRED BY THE AOSIS PROTOCOL IS NECESSARY AT THE VERY OUTSET OF THE CONVENTION'S IMPLEMENTATION.

ANOTHER KIND OF ACTION THAT WILL BE REQUIRED, MOSTLY BY DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND PARTICULARLY SMALL-ISLAND COUNTRIES, ARE A VARIETY OF MEASURES TO ADAPT TO ADVERSE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE WHERE THOSE EFFECTS CANNOT BE AVOIDED. IN THE CASE OF ISLANDS AND LOW-LYING COASTAL AREAS, THIS HAS PRIMARILY TO DO WITH SEA-LEVEL RISE. DURING THE INC NEGOTIATIONS, SOME DEVELOPED COUNTRIES HAD MISGIVINGS OVER THE POTENTIALLY BROAD SCOPE OF ADAPTATION COSTS. NEVERTHELESS, THE CONVENTION DOES PROVIDE THAT DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, ESPECIALLY THOSE PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE, SHALL BE ASSISTED IN MEETING THE COSTS OF ADAPTATION MEASURES. IN THIS REGARD, OUR DELEGATION TAKES GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT FROM THE OUTCOME OF DISCUSSIONS AT THE MOST RECENT INC ROUND, WHERE AGREEMENT WAS REACHED ON A THREE-STAGE APPROACH THAT WILL BRING GREATER CERTAINTY TO THE CONCEPT, AND LEND CONFIDENCE TO FUTURE DISCUSSIONS ON THIS MATTER.

A VERY CRITICAL SUBJECT WHICH STILL AWAITS DETAILED DISCUSSION BY THE INC, IS THE MEANING OF THE TERM, "INCREMENTAL COSTS" AS IT APPEARS IN THE CONVENTION. THERE IS REASON TO FEAR THAT IF THE PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION DELAY ANY LONGER THE TASK OF DEFINING THIS TERM IT WILL, BY DEFAULT, BE DEFINED BY THE INTERIM FINANCIAL MECHANISM ALONG THEIR ACCUSTOMED VERY NARROW LINES.

SHOULD THIS OCCUR, IT WOULD SEVERELY RESTRICT ANY MEANINGFUL PARTICIPATION BY DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IN PROJECTS AIMED AT THE OBJECTIVE OF THE CONVENTION. THIS MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN.

MR. CHAIRMAN, THERE IS NO DENYING THAT THE FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA, ALONG WITH MANY ISLAND COUNTRIES, MUST DEVELOP IN ORDER TO MEET THE NEEDS OF FUTURE GENERATIONS. DEVELOPMENT IS NOT A PRIORITY - IT IS A NECESSITY. ANY ISLAND COUNTRY MUST EXAMINE CAREFULLY THE PROSPECT OF SUBSTANTIAL ECONOMIC GAIN FROM OUTSIDE VENTURES THAT ARE ATTRACTED FOR WHATEVER REASON, INCLUDING GEOGRAPHIC SITUATION. BUT EVEN DEVELOPMENT IMPERATIVES MUST BE APPROACHED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WE CANNOT LONG SURVIVE IF WE DO NOT RESPECT OUR RESOURCES, ESPECIALLY OUR MARINE ENVIRONMENT. IF WE LOSE THE BOUNTY OF OUR OCEAN, WE ARE FINISHED.

THE FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA IS FULLY COMMITTED TO THE PROMOTION OF RESPONSIBLE FISHING PRACTICES WITHIN ITS OWN EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE, THE ZONES OF ITS NEIGHBORS IN THE PACIFIC REGION, AS WELL AS IN THE CONTIGUOUS HIGH SEAS AREAS ADJACENT TO THE ZONES. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF LIVING MARINE RESOURCES CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED BY RATIONAL UTILIZATION AND RESPONSIBLE FISHING PRACTICES. IN THIS CONNECTION, MY GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS A BINDING LEGAL DOCUMENT AS THE FORM OF OUTCOME FOR THE ONGOING CONFERENCE ON STRADDLING AND HIGHLY MIGRATORY FISH STOCKS. MY GOVERNMENT IS ALSO DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE PERSISTENCE OF THE DESTRUCTIVE PRACTICE OF LARGE-SCALE PELAGIC DRIFT-NET FISHING IN PARTS OF THE WORLD AND LENDS ITS VOICE TO THE CHORUS CALLING FOR FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GLOBAL MORATORIUM ON THIS PRACTICE.

OUR CORAL REEFS, MR. CHAIRMAN, IS ANOTHER KEY ELEMENT IN THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT THAT MUST BE PRESERVED. WE NOW KNOW THAT THE OCEAN WATER QUALITY ITSELF COULD BECOME A THREAT TO LIFE IF WE DO NOT STRICTLY APPLY THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE ON A REGIONAL BASIS. BY THAT I MEAN THAT COUNTRIES IN OR ADJOINING THE OCEAN MUST REFRAIN FROM ACTIVITIES WHICH, THOUGH PROFITABLE, RUN THE RISK OF IRRETRIEVABLY POLLUTING THE WATER WITH TOXIC OR RADIOACTIVE SUBSTANCES.

FINALLY, MR. CHAIRMAN, WE ARE ALL AWARE OF THE VERY HEAVY SCHEDULE OF MAJOR CONFERENCES AND OTHER MEETINGS RELATED TO ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT THAT HAVE BEEN TAKING PLACE ALL OVER THE WORLD. THESE MEETINGS ARE NECESSARY TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE UNCED AGENDA, AND IT IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT THAT DEVELOPING COUNTRY PARTIES PARTICIPATE ACTIVELY AND WITH CONTINUITY. I WANT TO EXPRESS SINCERE THANKS TO THE DONOR COUNTRIES WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED SO GENEROUSLY TO VOLUNTARY FUNDS, AS WELL AS THOSE WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED BILATERALLY, WITHOUT WHOSE ASSISTANCE WE, FOR ONE, WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ATTEND MANY OF THESE MEETINGS. IT IS ALSO FAIR TO SAY THAT THE VARIOUS PROCESSES THEMSELVES COULD NOT HAVE EVOLVED SO WELL HAD THERE NOT BEEN WIDE PARTICIPATION BY COUNTRIES REGARDLESS OF THEIR ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES. NATURALLY, SINCE MUCH WORK LIES AHEAD, WE HOPE THAT DONORS WILL SEE THEIR WAY CLEAR TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING THESE FUNDS EVEN AS THE OCCASIONS AND NEEDS INCREASE. YOU MAY BE ASS U RED, MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT THE FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA DOES NOT TAKE SUCH GENEROSITY FOR GRANTED.

THANK YOU.