P.M. Tuilaepa leads Pacific in first meeting with U.N. chief

29 September 2017, 12:00AM

Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, as the Chairman of the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, led a delegation from the Forum for their first meeting with new United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres.

The meeting was held at the United Nations HQ in New York where Tuilaepa and other Pacific leaders had converged for the 72nd UN General Assembly.

Speaking during the meeting, Tuilaepa highlighted the overarching theme of the Forum, ‘The Blue Pacific – Our Sea of Islands – Our Security through Sustainable Development, Management and Conservation’ to reinforce a sense of shared stewardship of the Pacific Ocean and reaffirm the connections of Pacific peoples with their natural resources, environment, culture and livelihoods. The Forum Chair called for close collaboration with the UN to drive the Blue Pacific.

Pacific Forum Leaders and Secretary-General Guterres discussed the 2030 Pacific Roadmap for Sustainable Development, which was endorsed in Apia by the Forum leaders to ensure coherent implementation and accountability for global commitments, including the 2030Agenda and the S.A.M.O.A Pathway.

Forum Leaders called on the UN to support the Pacific’s interest in strengthening implementation of their Roadmap, particularly through the development of Pacific-relevant statistics as well as more meaningful accountability measures for partnerships under the S.A.M.O.A Pathway.

Secretary-General Guterres acknowledged the contribution of Pacific countries for the early ratification of the Paris Agreement. 

He also emphasized the leadership role of Pacific countries in the UN’s deliberations and processes related to oceans. 

Commending the leadership of Fiji during the June Ocean Conference, the Secretary General confirmed the support of the UN system in ensuring that the outcomes of the Oceans Conference were brought to COP23 in Bonn in November. 

The Secretary-General also announced that he would convene a Climate Summit in 2019 in New York and stepping up efforts to reduce vulnerability of Small Island States will be a top priority.

Forum Leaders reaffirmed that Fisheries remains a priority for the Pacific Island Countries and that increasing the economic returns and ensuring the sustainable management of fisheries in the region is of utmost important.

Forum Leaders also discussed with the Secretary-General the region’s peace and security priorities, including the success of the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands, and the importance of including women and youth in peace-building efforts. 

Recalling the Pacific experience of nuclear testing, Leaders conveyed their concern about the provocative stance exhibited by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to test nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, and particularly its threats toward Guam as a close Pacific neighbor.

Pacific Leaders conveyed their support to Secretary-General Guterres’s efforts to reform the UN to make it more responsive and reflective of Member States’ needs in an evolving world.

29 September 2017, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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