FSM Permanent Mission to the United Nations Coordinates Visit
of South Pacific Forum Secretary General to New York.
NEW YORK, 8 October 1998: Secretary General W. Noel
Levi, CBE, of the South Pacific Forum made a one week visit to
the United Nations (U.N.) Headquarters in New York from 3-7 October
1998. The visit is part of the Secretary General’s annual commitment
to fulfil Forum Leaders directives for him to maintain the Forum
Observer’s seat at the U.N.
In its role as chair of the group of South Pacific countries
in New York (SOPAC) – the FSM President chairs the Forum for
the 1998-1999 period -, the Permanent Mission of the Federated
States of Micronesia to the United Nations undertook the coordination
of the Secretary General’s visit which includes meeting with
U.N. Deputy Secretary General Ms. Louise Frechette; Under-Secretary
for Political Affairs Kieran Pendegrast; Under-Secretary for
Economic & Social Affairs Netin Desai and UNDP Associate
Administrator Rafeeuddin Ahmed. Other meetings arranged were
with the Director of the Asia-Pacific Region Division, the Small
Island Developing States (SIDS) Unit and with the SOPAC Ambassadors.
Prior to making his round of meetings with UN officials, the
Forum Secretary-General called on SOPAC Chair FSM Permanent Representative
to the United Nations Ambassador Masao Nakayama for a briefing
session with the Ambassador.
The Forum Secretary-General’s visit culminated in his address
in the Second Committe general debate where Mr. Levi advocated
the Forum’s position on issues such as climate change, vulnerability
index, the 1999 United Nations Special Session on Small Island
Developing States (UNSSSIDS), among others.
In a show of Pacific solidarity, all SOPAC missions to the
United Nations were present in the Committee room during the
Secretary General’s presentation. The Secretary General was accompanied
on the visit by Ms. Makurita Baaro, Director of Political and
International Affairs Division, and Ms. Fiu Williame-Igara, Regional
Coordinator Adviser, both from the Forum Secretariat.
