FSM President Jacob Nena at the 53rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly

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FSM President Jacob Nena at the 53rd Session of the United
Nations General Assembly

NEW YORK, 25 September 1998: Representatives from the
185 member states of the United Nations witnessed President Jacob
Nena as he addressed the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)
on 24 September 1998 during its 53rd session. President Nena
continued the general debate that began three days earlier as
he opened the fourth day as its first speaker of the morning.

In keeping with traditions of the South Pacific Forum, the
supreme body comprising of 16 independent Pacific states, President
Nena delivered a statement of regional perspectives and concerns
on wide ranging issues, as he addressed the world body as the
current chair of the South Pacific Forum. President Nena inherited
the chairmanship of the Forum for 1998-1999 when the Federated
States of Micronesia (FSM) hosted the 29th South Pacific Forum
meeting in the FSM last August.

As the 1998 Forum chair, President Nena, guided by the 1998
Forum Communique, advanced in his statement numerous issues needing
international advocacy which include Climate Change, the environment
as well as the importance the Pacific region attaches to the
upcoming 1999 United Nations Special Session on Small Island
Developing States.

In his statement on climate change the President spoke of
the Forum’s recognition of the legally binding commitments agreed
to in the Kyoto Protocol “as a significant first step forward
on the path of ensuring effective global action to combat climate
change”. “The Forum”, the President said, “encouraged
all countries to sign the Kyoto Protocol and to work toward its
earliest possible ratification.” And in referencing the
upcoming Fourth Conference of Parties to the Framework Convention
in Buenos Aires, Argentina, President Nena seized the opportunity
to stress the Forum’s call for “… substantial progress
in establishing the rules for international implementation mechanism,
particularly emission trading, the Clean Development Mechanism
and Joint Implementation to ensure that these mechanisms assist
the effectiveness of greenhouse gas reduction efforts.”

On the issue of the upcoming 1999 United Nations Special Session
on Small Island Developing States, the President reaffirmed the
Forum’s previous endorsement of the Barbados Plan of Action for
the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States.
While the Plan of Action is a comprehensive framework with potential
for the region and implementation efforts are underway, the President
also noted that much more remain unaddressed.

President Nena also took the opportunity to voice another
continuing concern to the Forum countries which regards the environment,
particularly, as it relates to shipment of radioactive waste
within the Forum economic zones. In his address before the Assembly,
Nena expressed the region’s strenuous and continuing protests
to the actions of industrialized powers. The Forum, he said,
“…continue to seek a strong regime of prior notification
to and consultation with, coastal states on planned shipments
of hazardous wastes, the development of a regime for compensating
the region for actual economic losses caused to tourism, fisheries
and other affected industries as a result of an accident involving
a shipment of radioactive materials, whether or not there is
any actual environmental damage caused.”

In addressing the FSM’s own concerns, President Nena reiterated
the very ongoing process of reforms in the FSM, which he said
requires, now more that ever, the continued support of donor
partners and international institutions. While also recognizing
the overwhelming responsibility of the United Nations with the
increasing problems facing the global community, he expressed
fear that the traditional role of the Organization in assisting
less advanced countries with their development could be marginalized.
The President reminded the world body of its historical role
in fostering the advancement of the developing world.

Turning to the FSM’s predominant resource and the planet’s
prevalent, yet least understood physical mechanism, the ocean,
President Nena spoke of the ocean-generated disaster of El-Nino
and expressed gratitude to donor nations who responded to the
plight of the Pacific island peoples suffering from this climatic
phenomenon.

A delegation from the FSM comprising of FSM Foreign Affairs
Secretary Epel K. Ilon; Chuuk Governor Dr. Ansito Water; Chuuk
Senate Vice President Isiro Choram; Chuuk State Senator Wiseman
Moses; Chuuk Director of Budget Nick Andon; and Special Assistant
to the President Josaiah Waguk as well as the FSM Permanent Representative
to the United Nations Ambassador Masao Nakayama witnessed the
occasion. The FSM New York and Washington-based diplomats were
also on hand for the occassion.

A full text of the President’s statement at the 53rd UNGA
is available at the FSM Permanent Mission’s Website at: http://www.fsmgov.org.
A video coverage is also available for on-demand playback for
convenience from the UN Website at http://www.un.org/ga/53/session.