STATEMENT BY
H.E. MASAO NAKAYAMA
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF
THE FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA
TO THE UNITED NATIONS
IN THE
FIFTY-THIRD
UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
BEFORE THE PLENARY
ON AGENDA ITEM 38:
OCEANS AND THE LAW OF THE SEA
New York, November 24, 1998
Check Against Delivery
Mr. President,
I have the honor to address this Assembly on behalf of the SOPAC
group, the ten South Pacific Forum member countries represented here
at the United Nations in New York, namely Australia; the Republic of
Fiji Islands; the Republic of the Marshall Islands; New Zealand; the
Republic of Palau; Papua New Guinea; Samoa; Solomon Islands; Vanuatu;
and my own country, the Federated States of Micronesia.
Mr. President,
The ocean, for obvious reasons, is of immense importance to the
South Pacific Forum island countries. The Pacific island countries,
although varying greatly in terms of resource endowments and land
mass, all share a common bond - the Pacific Ocean. We are oceanic
states and together we occupy a vast area of the Pacific Ocean that
comprises almost a third of the entire surface of the earth. At the
29th South Pacific Forum meeting held in the capital of the Federated
States of Micronesia last August, our leaders focused a great deal of
attention on fisheries and other issues relating to the marine
environment.
For centuries, the ocean has always been our provider and its
bounty is the principal resource for the economic survival of many of
us. The sea brings us together and its resources represent the most
tangible asset for the future sustainable economic development of
many of our island communities. We are concerned that the great
potential that the ocean holds, however, cannot be realized if
continued human induced pollutants, and the protection and management
of this vital resource are not comprehensively addressed by this
body, and other regional and non-governmental bodies.
We particularly welcome the effort of the world community to focus
attention on the ocean by proclaiming this year 1998 as the
International Year of the Ocean. As the year 1998 draws to a close,
we call upon all members of the international community to
re-dedicate their efforts towards ensuring the protection of this
valuable resource, and to safeguard it from any activities that may
create any detrimental effect and endanger the ocean environment. We
welcome the significant trend towards universal participation and
adherence to the legal regime established by UNCLOS and we call upon
states that have not ratified UNCLOS and the three institutions
created by UNCLOS to do so.
Mr. President,
Cooperation amongst States is an essential requirement for the
successful implementation of UNCLOS. The Forum countries are pleased
to note the inclusion of specific recognition of the obligation to
cooperate in this year's draft resolution on driftnet fishing and
other fishing issues, which we hope will command consensus in this
Assembly. We reaffirm the importance we attach to sustainable
management and conservation of the marine living resources of the
world's oceans and seas, and the obligations of States to cooperate
to this end.
Cooperation is also recognized as an essential element of the
Implementing Agreement on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory
Fish Stocks, and in particular regional approaches are required to
put its provisions into practice. We welcome the inclusion in this
year's resolution of the operative paragraph on the Fish Stocks
Agreement and we urge all members who have not already done so to
sign and ratify the Agreement as a matter of priority. In the Pacific
we have taken a pro-active approach and have engaged in dialogue with
the Distant Water Fishing Nations who fish in our waters. We are now
involved in full negotiations with them on a regional arrangement for
the conservation and management of our tuna resources.
The Forum countries welcomed the progress achieved during the
Third Session of the Multilateral High Level Conference (MHLC3), now
known as the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Conference, held
in Tokyo in June 1998. The valuable support of the Government of
Japan in hosting this important Conference is greatly appreciated. We
are also particularly grateful to H.E. Mr. Satya Nandan who has
supported this process and provided valuable and impartial advice in
his guidance as Chairman of the negotiations.
We take particular note of the significant steps achieved in the
negotiations for the development of a legally binding conservation
and management arrangement at the Conference. The importance of this
arrangement cannot be over stressed in its contribution towards the
maintainance of sustainable fisheries in the region beneficial to
both the Distant Water Fishing Nations (DWFNs) as well as the Forum
island countries, many of whose economic livelihood are dependent on
this one resource.
The Forum called on developed States to honor their obligations
and commitments to provide financial assistance to facilitate the
participation of Pacific Island Countries at future inter-sessional
working group meetings and Multilateral High Level Conferences. Such
assistance would assist the Forum island countries in the discharge
of their management and conservation responsibilities.
At the 29th Forum, our leaders reiterated their endorsement for
the concept of the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) for member
countries of the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA). This will be
progressively implemented for those vessels of the Distant Water
Fishing Nations (DWFN) operating in the exclusive economic zones of
FFA countries. We call upon the Distant Water Fishing Nations (DWFNs)
operating in the region to support this VMS initiative. We believe
that requiring the use of VMS is currently the most effective and
cost efficient method available for monitoring and surveillance of
fishing activities in our respective EEZs, and is therefore a vital
tool in our efforts to combat illegal fishing activities.
Mr. President,
The SOPAC delegations have been participating actively in the
negotiations of the two resolutions to be adopted under the Oceans
and Law of the Sea agenda item. We thank the coordinators of both
resolutions for their hard work in sensuring that all interested
delegations had the opportunity to participate in the discussions. We
would also like to thank the Secretary-General for his very useful
reports prepared under this agenda item and to acknowledge the very
important work carried out by the Division of Ocean Affairs and the
Law of the Sea.
For the SOPAC delegations the resolution on drift-net fishing,
unauthorised fishing in zones of national jurisdiction and the high
seas; fisheries bycatch and discards; and other developments is one
of particular relevance and importance. As Chair of the Forum, and on
behalf of the SOPAC delegations, I would like to voice in the
strongest terms our support for this draft resolution and the deep
collective concern we have regarding the continuing problems that
this resolution addresses.
It is with great disappointment that we note the continuing report
of drift-net fishing taking place in contravention of the terms of
the moratorium agreed upon by the international community in
Resolution 46/215. This unacceptable mode of fishing has caused the
loss of countless marine mammals and seabirds, as well as sharks,
turtles, and other species. We call upon all States which have not
done so to take immediate and effective action to ban illegal
drift-netting. In this context, we are pleased to see that for the
first time the draft resolution draws attention to the problem of
transfer of illegal nets to other parts of the world. If Governments
are serious about their commitment to the ban in moratorium they must
take action to ensure that the enforcement of the drift-net ban in
some parts of the world does not result in the same nets turning up
in other parts of the world. SOPAC delegations reiterate their views
that Governments have a responsibility to confiscate and destroy
illegal drift-nets. Clearly, efforts to address this problem would
also be assisted by developing effective disciple on the
manufacturing and distribution of driftnets.
The resolution also calls on States to take greater enforcement
measures to ensure that their vessels do not fish in areas under the
national jurisdiction of other States unless authorised by that State
and in accordance with the terms of that authorisation. The issue of
unauthorised fishing is a crucial one for the South Pacific, and we
endorse the call in the draft resolution to development assistance
with monitoring and control of fishing activities.
Another important target area for development assistance, in the
view of our delegations, should be the facilitation of attendance by
representatives of developing coastal states, in particular, small
island developing States, at significant negotiations on fisheries
and other marine issues - such as the process taking place in the FAO
towards the adoption of plans of action on incidental catch, sharks
and overcapacity. It is important that small island states be able to
participate in such meeting where important decisions are being taken
regarding fisheries and conservation issues.
The SOPAC delegations look forwards to the Commission for
Sustainable Development's session next year focussing on Oceans and
Seas. We believe that given CSD's broad representation from all
sectors engaged in ocean issues, both government and non-government,
it is particularly well placed to take an overview of developments in
the area of oceans and seas. We hope the discussions at CSD will lead
up to a more integrated and effective approach to the problems of the
oceans.
I thank you Mr. President.
|