Mr. President,
Mr. Secretary-General, Excellencies,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let me at the outset congratulate you, Mr. President, on assuming your role as presiding officer over this august body. I also congratulate your predecessor, Ambassador Peter Thomson of Fiji for a job well done for the past year. I must also mention our distinguished Secretary-General Mr. Antonio Guterres. In the few months since attaining the leadership of our Organization, he has already shown himself to be more than equal to the tremendous tasks associated with his high office.

As we gather here today in this great Hall of the United Nations, natural disasters and calamities are striking in many parts of our world. Hurricanes, typhoons and earthquakes have devastated communities and displaced thousands of people in just these past few days. To the victims and families around the world, I offer our sympathies and condolences on behalf of the people and the Government of the Federated States of Micronesia.

We condemn terrorist attacks that have taken innocent lives. Micronesia pledges its resolve to stand united against terrorism in solidarity with affected nations. On behalf of the Micronesian Government and people, I offer our deepest condolences to all those nations and families who have suffered losses at the hands of terrorists.

Mr. President,

As we witness recent record-breaking “mega storms”, we cannot ignore the connections to climate change, especially to ocean warming and sea-level rise. In the wake of these devastating events, we must not only stay committed to our collective fight against climate change, we must double our efforts.

Climate change is one of the most serious threats to global peace and security, threatening the very existence of our islands. It needs to be at the top of the agenda of the General Assembly. As the United Nations undertakes efforts to reorient around the priorities of peace and prevention, the UN system will have to adapt. In this regard, we reiterate our call for the appointment of a Special Representative on Climate Change and Security.

Climate change mitigation is also essential to achieve the goals and targets of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, including eradication of poverty, ending hunger, building resilient infrastructure and shared prosperity. Without progress in fighting climate change, our sustainable development efforts will be futile. This is particularly true for small island developing states.

The Paris Agreement has provided an avenue to enhance cooperation in our fight against climate change, and the world must seize the moment. Micronesia expresses grave concern that some countries have chosen to break with the international community and neglect the Paris Agreement, contrary to the best scientific advice. As a small island developing nation at the forefront of the battle, Micronesia calls on all States to fully engage in global efforts to implement the Paris Agreement, to support the Green Climate Fund and access thereto, and to contribute innovative climate solutions.