Palau
H. E. Mr. Elias Camsek Chin, Vice President
25 September 2008
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Statement Summary
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ELIAS CAMSEK CHIN, Vice-President of Palau, pledged, on behalf of the President and the citizens of his country, full cooperation for the success of the goals of the United Nations. The crisis of climate change was the greatest challenge in the world today. The problems of rising oceans and greenhouse gases were of utmost urgency since small island States were in danger of disappearing entirely. He called for an agreement on quantified emission reductions targets for the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.
The Pacific Small Island Developing States had submitted a draft resolution to the Assembly’s sixty-second session requesting the Security Council to consider the security implications of climate change. The resolution would be re-submitted this year. Actions needed to be taken in the meantime, however. Although a minor contributor to greenhouse gases -- and despite the detrimental economic consequences -- Palau had taken significant steps to reduce its reliance on fossil fuel. He also called for all regional fisheries management organizations to join the small island States in adopting measures to protect the world’s ocean ecosystems.
Committed to combating terrorism, Palau officials had met with the Counter Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED) to seek assistance in addressing money laundering and terrorism financing. More steps should follow, however, since drafting and adopting legislation, although the first step to changes, would be meaningless unless it led to actual enforcement. He called for the establishment of a voluntary trust fund that would allow smaller countries to actualize successful anti-terrorism strategies.
Acknowledging its continued support to the G-4 resolution, put forward by Brazil, Germany, India and Japan, he appealed for the reform of the Security Council to ensure genuine and positive changes in the Organization. Japan and India should both be granted seats on the Council.
He concluded with hope for the new submission dates of the Extended Continental Shelf, beyond May 2009, which would allow developing countries to preserve claims to the resources in those waters. He requested assistance from the international community so that a full submission to the Commission on the limits of the Continental Shelf could be successfully achieved.
[Source: GA/10754]
