ISO: COK *************************************************************************** The electronic version of this document has been prepared at the Fourth World Conference on Women by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women Secretariat. *************************************************************************** AS WRITTEN COOK ISLANDS MESSAGE TO THE UNITED NATIONS 4th WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN, BEIJING, CHINA 04 -15 SEPTEMBER PRESENTED by: HON: TIRIAMATE NGATOKORUA, ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR INTERNAL AFFAIRS AND RESPONSIBLE FOR WOMEN. YOUR EXCELLENCY MADAME CHAIR, DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS AND DELEGATES OF THE CONFERENCE, MEMBERS OF THE VARIOUS AGENCIES, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, KIA ORANA TATOU KATOATOA I TE AROA MAATA O TE ATUA. I BRING THE GREETINGS OF MY GOVERNMENT, THE PRIME MINISTER SIR GEOFFREY HENRY KBE, TRADITIONAL LEADERS AND THE PEOPLE OF THE COOK ISLANDS. MADAME CHAIR, IT IS THE FIRM BELIEF OF MY GOVERNMENT SINCE THE ATTAINMENT OF SELF-GOVERNMENT THAT ECONOMIC, POLITICAL, AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY HAS BEEN ACHIEVED BY THE PEOPLE; BY MEN, WOMEN AND YOUNG PEOPLE COLLECTIVELY. THE NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANISATIONS HAVE HAD A MAJOR ROLE TO PLAY IN THIS WITH GOVERNMENT INSTRUMENTAL IN FACILITATING THE PROCESS. OVER A YEAR AGO, A FORUM OF THIS NATURE WAS HELD IN JAKARTA, INDONESIA TO COLLECTIVELY ADDRESS THE CONCERNS OF THE PEOPLE OF ASIA AND THE PACIFIC ON ISSUES WHICH FOCUSSED ON FURTHER PROMOTING "THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN LEADING UP TO AND BEYOND THE YEAR 2000. " THE SMALL ISLANDS OF THE PACIFIC REGION SHARE COMMON GROUNDS IN MANY OF THE ISSUES RAISED AT THIS CONFERENCE IN THIS REGARD, MY GOVERNMENT HAS GIVEN PRIORITY TO ENSURING THESE CONCERNS ARE MAINSTREAMED IN THE PLANNED STRATEGIES AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY. WITH REGARDS TO THE JAKARTA DECLARATION, THE ISLAND COUNTRIES OF THE PACIFIC VOICED THEIR CONCERNS AT THAT FORUM AND MADE SUBSTANTIAL INPUTS TO IT. MY GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS THE CONTENT AND ASPIRATIONS OF THAT DECLARATION. PROMOTING THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN IN ALL SOCIETIES REQUIRES COMMITMENT OF BOTH GOVERNMENT AND THE COMMUNITY IN GENERAL. DONOR COUNTRIES, REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES AND UNITED NATIONS HAVE HAD A ROLE TO PLAY IN THE DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS OF MY COUNTRY AND MY GOVERNMENT MADAME CHAIR, ACKNOWLEDGES THAT WITH SINCERITY. MY GOVERNMENT ALSO BELIEVES THAT THE EFFORTS OF THE SMALL ISLAND NATIONS IN THE PACIFIC FOR A BETTER, SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC, POLITICAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF ITS PEOPLE WOULD BE WASTEFUL, IF THOSE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE DETRIMENTAL TO OUR QUALITY OF LIFE, CONTINUE TO BE CARRIED OUT BY MAJOR WORLD POWERS. I REFER MADAME CHAIR, TO THE DECLARATION OF OUR RICH BUT FRAGILE ECO- SYSTEMS OF OUR ENVIRONMENT ON WHICH THE LIVELIHOOD OF OUR PEOPLE DEPEND ON. THE DUMPING OF NUCLEAR WASTE, THE UNDERTAKING OF NUCLEAR TESTING, THE LOGGING OF OUR FORESTS, THE DEPLETION OF OUR FISH STOCK IN OUR ENCLOSED ECONOMIC ZONE AND WATERS ARE BUT A FEW EXAMPLES. AND WHILE ON THE TOPIC OF NUCLEAR TESTING MADAME CHAIR, MY GOVERNMENT WISHES TO EXPRESS ITS DISAPPOINTMENT AT THE DECISION BY CHINA TO CONTINUE ITS TESTING ON NUCLEAR WEAPONS. MY GOVERNMENT FIRMLY BELIEVES THAT THE PATH OF PEACE AND TRANQUILLITY IS NOT THROUGH CONFLICT AND WAR. AS EXPRESSED BY OUR PRIME MINISTER, SIR GEOFFREY HENRY KBE, WHEN OUR COUNTRY, ALONG WITH OTHERS REMEMBERED THE END OF WORLD WAR II. I QUOTE: "OF ALL GOD'S CREATURES, THE MOST NOBLE AND INTELLIGENT IS THE ONE WHICH WREAKS HAVOC AND DESTRUCTION ON ITSELF AND ITS FELLOW CREATURES. IT CAUSES IRREPARABLE DAMAGE, LEAVES PAIN AND HEARTACHES IN ITS DESTRUCTIVE PATH, YET PERSISTS TO FURTHER IMPROVE ITS TECHNOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS AT BEING THE BEST KILLER ON THIS FRAGILE PLANET. IT IS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND AT TIMES, WHY THIS NOBLE CREATURE CONTINUES TO DO THIS TO ITSELF." UNQOUTE IT IS THEREFORE WITH BITTER DISAPPOINTMENT MADAM CHAIR, THAT MY GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE, ALONG WITH OTHER PACIFIC COUNTRIES, CONTINUE TO CALL ON THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT TO CEASE THE TESTING OF HER NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN MORUROA. WE CANNOT ACCEPT THE REPEATED INSISTENCE BY FRANCE THAT THERE IS NO DAMAGE DONE TO MORUROA AND ITS SURROUNDS AND WHILE WE WILL NOT PRETEND TO HAVE THE SCIENTIFIC CAPABILITY TO ANALYSE THE OUTCOMES OF THESE TESTS, COMMON SENSE DICTATES THAT LARGE AND INTENSIVE EXPLOSIONS MUST EVENTUALLY FIND RELEASE OF THE DEADLY DEBRIS RESULTING FROM THESE. IF THESE TESTS ARE SAFE, THEN FRANCE SHOULD HAVE CONDUCTED THE ACTIVITY IN THE VAST UNDERGROUND OF THAT COUNTRY INSTEAD OF THE PACIFIC. HOWEVER MADAM CHAIR, IN CALLING FOR THE CESSATION OF NUCLEAR TESTING IN MORUROA, MY GOVERNMENT WOULD ALSO APPEAL TO THOSE WHO MAY BE CONSIDERING THE SAME COURSE OF ACTION AS FRANCE, TO PLEASE, DESIST. EVIL BREEDS EVIL, AND WAR IS EVIL. TO INSIST ON MAINTAINING A SUPERIOR LEVEL OF NUCLEAR CAPABILITY IS SURELY A PASSPORT TO CONTINUED HUMAN SUFFERING AND DESTRUCTION, WITH WOMEN AND CHILDREN THE WORSE AFFECTED VICTIMS. IT IS TIME MADAM CHAIR FOR THE HUMAN RACE TO POUND THE ROAD OF TRUST TO EACH OTHERS FRONT DOOR. IT IS TIME TOO FOR WOMEN TO TAKE UP THE REIGNS OF CONTROL IN ALL COUNTRIES SO RESOURCES AND ENERGIES MAY BE DIRECTED TOWARDS DEVELOPMENTAL PROGRAMMES WHICH WILL BRING ABOUT PEACE AND EQUALITY AMONGST AND BETWEEN NATIONS AND PEOPLES. CONTINUED MISTRUST WILL ONLY LEAD TO ARMED CONFLICT. MY GOVERNMENT MADAM CHAIR APPLAUDS AND SUPPORTS THE STAND TAKEN BY NEW ZEALAND, AUSTRALIA AND OTHER PACIFIC ISLANDS COUNTRIES IN THEIR EFFORT TO STOP NUCLEAR TESTING IN MORUROA. AND WHILE WE MAY NOT HAVE THE ECONOMIC OR POLITICAL CLOUT AS DO MANY OTHERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, WE HAVE A RIGHT TO BE HEARD ON THIS CRITICAL ISSUE OF CONCERN WHICH AFFECTS NOT ONLY THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE OF THE COOK ISLANDS, NOR THOSE OF OUR PACIFIC ISLAND NATIONS, BUT INDEED MADAM CHAIR, THE LIVES OF PEOPLE WORLD-WIDE. AS STATED PREVIOUSLY, THE PATH TO PERMANENT PEACE CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED IF WE PUT ASIDE SELF-INTEREST, LAY DOWN ALL ARMS, AND TOGETHER BUILD A BETTER WORLD FOR ALL OUR CHILDREN AND THEIR CHILDREN. MY GOVERNMENT MADAME CHAIR, ALSO BELIEVES THAT IMPORTANT CULTURAL VALUES WHICH ARE FUNDAMENTAL TO THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR SOCIETIES MUST BE MAINTAINED AND RESPECTED. TRADITIONAL CUSTOMS CONTINUE TO PREVAIL IN OUR COUNTRIES. FURTHERMORE, MY GOVERNMENT RECOGNISES THE CHIEFS AND TRADITIONAL LEADERS OF THE VARIOUS TRIBES OF OUR ISLAND STATE FOR INSTANCES, AND HAS ENSURED THEIR INCLUSION IN CERTAIN DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES OF THE COUNTRY. RECENTLY, MY GOVERNMENT INCORPORATED TRADITIONAL RITUALS INTO THE COUNTRY'S DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS, THUS ACKNOWLEDGING THAT PEOPLE ARE THE AGENTS AS WELL AS THE BENEFICIARIES FOR SUCH DEVELOPMENT. AND THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT ISSUES OF OUR COUNTRY, IS IMPORTANT. MADAME CHAIR, MY GOVERNMENT HAS RECENTLY ADOPTED ITS FIRST NATIONAL POLICY ON WOMEN. THIS POLICY IS CURRENT WITH REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL VIEWS AS REFLECTED IN THE ASIA/PACIFIC DECLARATION APPROVED IN JAKARTA IN 1994 AND SUBSEQUENTLY IN THE "GLOBAL PLAN OF ACTION" NOW FOR FINAL ADOPTION BY THIS CONFERENCE. A "NATIONAL PLAN OF ACTION" TO IMPLEMENT THE AFORE-MENTIONED POLICY HAS A SERIES OF PRACTICAL AND MEANINGFUL PROGRAMMES WHICH WILL BE UNDERTAKEN BY BOTH GOVERNMENT AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE MY GOVERNMENT BELIEVES THAT CONTINUING EDUCATION AT ALL LEVELS OF SOCIETY IS VITALLY IMPORTANT AND WILL ATTEMPT TO DIRECT RESOURCES TOWARDS THIS IMPORTANT AREA OF DEVELOPMENT. FINALLY, MADAME CHAIR, MY GOVERNMENT WISHES TO THANK YOU AND YOUR ORGANISING COMMITTEE MOST SINCERELY, FOR ALL THE PREPARATIONS CARRIED OUT FOR THIS CONFERENCE. VERY SINCERE GRATITUDE IS ALSO EXTENDED TO THE GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA FOR HOSTING THIS 4TH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN AND FOR THE HOSPITALITY EXTENDED TO ME AND MY DELEGATION. KIA ORANA E KIA MANUIA.