ISO: PLW
***************************************************************************
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


Statement by Hon. Riosang Salvador
Minister of Community & Cultural Affairs
Head of Delegation

to the FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN
4-15 September, 1995, Beijing, China


MADAM PRESIDENT
DISTINGUSHED DELEGATES TO THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

I AM DEEPLY HONORED AND PRIVILEGED TO ADDRESS THIS AUGUST GATHERING AS THE
LEADER OF THE REPUBLIC OF PALAU DELEGATION TO THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE
ON WOMEN. 

MADAM PRESIDENT. I BRING YOU GREETINGS AND BEST WISHES FROM THE PRESIDENT
AND THE PEOPLE OF THE REPUBLIC OF PALAU AND TO ALL THE DISTINGUISHED
DELEGATIONS TO THIS HISTORICAL EVENT. PALAU IS CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL
REACH SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION OF OUR NEGOTIATIONS ON THE PROGRAM OF ACTION. 

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO EXPRESS MY GOVERNMENT'S GRATITUDE TO THE PEOPLE OF
THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA FOR THE EXCELLENT ARRANGEMENTS THEY HAVE PROVIDED
FOR US. 

THE REPUBLIC OF PALAU BECAME INDEPENDENT ON OCTOBER 1, 1994 AND WAS
ADMITTED AS A FULL MEMBER OF THE UNITED NATIONS LAST DECEMBER. 

AS A NEWLY INDEPENDENT NATION, THE REPUBLIC OF PALAU FULLY ENDORSES THE
THEME OF THIS CONFERENCE. NAMELY ACTION FOR EQUALITY, DEVELOPMENT AND
PEACE. PALAU REAFFIRMS ITS COMMITMENT TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN IN OUR
COUNTRY AND THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. 

AS A MATRILINEAL SOCIETY, PALAUAN WOMEN ARE ACCUSTOMED TO DECISION-MAKING
IN ALL SPHERES OF LIFE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. IN FACT, TWO HIGHEST TITLED
WOMEN, NAMELY, BILUNG, GLORIA G SALII AND EBILREKLAI, UMAI BASILIUS,
REPRESENTED BY MS KATHARINE KESOLEI, ARE PRESENT HERE AS MEMBERS OF THE
REPUBLIC OF PALAU DELEGATION TO THIS CONFERENCE. LIKEWISE, THROUGH
TRADITIONAL WOMEN ORGANIZATIONS, AND NON- GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS, CMC
AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES ARE FULFILLED. IN ESSENCE, PALAUAN WOMEN'S
ORGANIZATIONS ARE VERY MUCH THE CORE OF THE SOCIO-POLITICAL FABRIC OF THE
PALAUAN SOCIETY. THIS INSTITUTIONALIZED POWER, HOWEVER, IS BEING
CHALLENGED SINCE CONTACT WITH PATRIACHAL COLONISERS. 

THE WOMEN OF PALAU, LIKE THEIR SISTERS IN-OTHER PACIFIC COUNTRIES, ARE AT
THE CROSSROAD OF CHANGE - ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND CULTURAL - A
PHENOMENON WHICH THEY HAVE TO FACE AND COPE WITH IF THEY ARE TO MOVE
FORWARD INTO THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY COMFORTABLY, CONFIDENTLY AND
EFFECTIVELY. 

MADAM PRESIDENT, WE IN THE PACIFIC REGION ENJOY A HIGH DEGREE OF PEACE AND
FREEDOM RELATIVE TO OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD. HOWEVER, THERE STILL EXISTS
IN VARYING DEGREES, VIOLENCE, INEQUALITY AND DEGRADATION OF INDIGENOUS
PEOPLES' RIGHTS. 

FURTHERMORE, MADAM PRESIDENT, AS A SMALL DEVELOPING NATION MY GOVERNMENT
IS VERY MUCH CONCERNED WITH THE FAST GROWING TOURISM INDUSTRY AND ITS
IMPACT ON OUR NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES. LIKEWISE, MY GOVERNMENT IN
SOLIDARITY WITH MY OTHER COLLEAGUES FROM THE PACIFIC REGION STRONGLY
CONDEMNS NUCLEAR TESTING, AND THE DUMPING AND STORAGE, OF HAZARDOUS, TOXIC
AND RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS IN THE PACIFIC REGION. OUR PEOPLE'S LIVELIHOOD
DEPEND LARGELY ON ITS MARINE RESOURCES AND BLATANT DISREGARD TO OUR MARINE
ENVIRONMENT THREATENS OUR LIVELIHOOD. MADAM PRESIDENT, THE REPUBLIC OF
PALAU FULLY ENDORSES THE SENTIMENTS ARTICULATED IN THE THEME OF THIS
CONFERENCE AS A WAY FORWARD IN FACILITATING THE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF
WOMEN IN NATION BUILDING. TO THIS END, MY GOVERNMENT HAS PLEDGED ITS FULL
SUPPORT AND COMMITMENT FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF PALAUAN WOMEN, AS WELL AS
WOMEN OF THE PACIFIC REGION AS REFLECTED IN THE PACIFIC PLATFORM OF ACTION
AND THE JAKARTA DECLARATION. WE BELIEVE THAT BOTH, THE PACIFIC PLATFORM OF
ACTION AND THE JAKARTA DECLARATION ELOQUENTLY EXPRESS CONCERNS OF PALAUAN
WOMEN AND CONSTRUCTIVELY ENUMERATE STRATEGIES AND ACTION, TO ADDRESS SUCH
CONCERNS. 

IN CLOSING, MADAM PRESIDENT, I BELIEVE THAT THE COMMITMENTS MADE AT THIS
IMPORTANT HISTORICAL EVENT WILL REQUIRE NEW AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AT
BOTH NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEVELS TO ENSURE THE FULFILMENT OF THE
GOALS OF THIS CONFERENCE. 


THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT.