Second Committee
Agenda item 18: Sustainable Development
Statement by: H.E. Jeem S. Lippwe
Permanent Representative
New York, 15 October 2024
Chair,
The delegation of Micronesia congratulates you and your bureau on your election and assures you of our full support.
Since the time Micronesia became a member of the United Nations in September 1991, we have been grappling with the severe impacts of climate change. We cannot emphasize enough how it is the single greatest threat to our home. For us, every degree, every inch of sea-level rise, and every delay matters. We continue to call on our global community to step up with stronger and urgent action.
Time is running out to prevent average global temperature from surpassing 1.5 degrees. We are already at 1.2, according to the latest science. The 1.5 degrees goal is the limit for our small islands. Beyond ihat lies a danger zone with deadly heat that will cost lives, impact our food and water systems, and drown many of our low-lying islands.
Carbon Dioxide stays in the atmosphere for hundreds of years. So while it is critical for the world to cut those emissions, the benefit of those cuts will not be felt until later this century. We need to control temperatures now. We call upon the larger emitters to prioritize reduction of the non-CO2 pollutants – especially, methane, fluorinated gasses, and black carbon. The IPCC and more recent scientific reports explain that this is the only way. We urge all of us to take greater action now and call on all parties to the Paris Agreement to include ambitious nonCO2 goals and measures in their 2025 round of NDCs.
As we take action on non-CO2 pollutants, we also need all countries to come together and agree on a global plan to transition away from fossil fuels in a fair, just and equitable manner. We must accelerate all of our efforts to tackle the climate crisis
Chair,
Food insecurity poses a significant challenge, particularly in the context of climate change. Micronesia is prioritizing food security to safeguard the livelihoods of our citizens from the threat of hunger. We are undertaking our first comprehensive national initiative to enhance the resilience of Micronesia’s most vulnerable communities. This initiative, is Micronesia’s first Green Climate Fund project. It is a 5-year endeavor that commenced in 2021 and will continue to 2026 focusing on climate-resilient food security for farming households throughout the nation.
Chair,
The health of our people is essential to Micronesia’s nation building efforts. Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) present significant threat to our collective well-being, undermine workforce productivity, and exacerbate poverty. Unfortunately, the Pacific region experiences some of the highest NCD rates, with Micronesia among the most affected. In response to this health crisis, we are implanting measures to enhance the well-being of our people. Among other initiatives is the Small Islands Food and Water Project (SIFWAP), which will run until 2028. This multi-country project aims to enhance access to sustainable and healthy diets with the objective of strengthening household resilience through improved food, nutrition, water security, and livelihood opportunities in the small island communities.
Chair,
Micronesia is committed to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7, which addresses affordable and clean energy. On July 9-10, 2024, we convened our inaugural Energy Forum bringing together national and state leadership, state utility companies, planners, energy officers, donors, development partners, private sector representatives, civil society organizations, and marginalized communities from rural and remote islands. The forum reaffirmed our commitment to collective actions aimed at ensuring that all individuals and households in Micronesia have access to affordable and environmentally sustainable renewable energy by 2030. Furthermore, the Energy Forum is working towards a long-term vision of a carbon-zero future by 2050.
Chair,
Sustainable Development Goals 14 and15 are vital to our nation. The Micronesia Challenge illustrates our commitment to environmental stewardship and conservation. In 2006, we made a challenge with others in our region to safeguards our area’s exceptional biodiversity and ecological integrity. Recently, we have revised our targets to aim for the conservation of 30% of terrestrial resources and 50% marine resources by 2030. Furthermore, we launched the Blue Prosperity Micronesia (BPM) in 2019, a partnership between the Government of the Federated States of Micronesia and its four states, in collaboration with the Waitt Institute, to promote sustainable ocean use in our region. This government led program builds upon our commitments to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Micronesia Challenge, focusing on protecting 30% of FSM waters, enhancing fisheries management, and fostering the development of blue economies.
Chair,
Micronesia is actively striving to enhance the livelihoods of our citizens today to build a brighter future for the next generations. While climate change remains the greatest threat to our nation, we must ensure that our people do not face hunger, that their health is prioritized, that clean and accessible energy is provided, and that our oceans and lands are preserved.
I thank you.
