REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY HERSEY KYOTA

MR. PRESIDENT,

MR. SECRETARY GENERAL,

EXCELLENCIES,

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:

It is indeed an honor and a privilege for me to address this august body on behalf of the Government and the people of the Republic of Palau. His Excellency, President Kuniwo Nakamura, sends his warm greetings and wishes everyone a successful deliberation during this 55th General Assembly of the United Nations. He also wishes to congratulate and welcome the newest member of the U.N., our good pacific neighbor, Tuvalu.

During the recently concluded Millennium Summit, we addressed many global issues, which pose problems and threats to mankind at national, regional and international levels. These problems must be seriously looked into by this body and other international and regional organizations in order to find their solutions or provide remedies to alleviate the suffering they pose to our world and its peoples. These problems ranging from hunger, poverty, tuberculosis, malaria and spread of HIV/AIDS to global warming, environmental degradation and vulnerability are not just responsibilities of the countries or regions that are most affected. Every member of the global community must play its part in order for this planet and its inhabitants to survive these destructive forces.

Today we live in an era where the production of food is at an all time high. Advanced technology in the area of food production- improved farming and agriculture methods- are readily available and can be successfully applied to widespread areas that are traditionally not suitable for agriculture and farming. In a similar context, medical research and information can and should be shared universally. An integrated approach with an intervention in the field of HIV/AIDS is critically called for in many developing countries. The collaborative health research projects focusing on the biology of this disease and the development of tools for its prevention and control, including diagnostics, drugs and vaccines, must also be made available and affordable to the many third world countries seriously plagued by this disease. As a global community charged with the responsibility for the security of mankind, we must confront the real danger of HIV/AIDS and work collectively toward the eradication of this horrible disease.

Uncontrolled and unregulated human activities have affected and will continue to affect our ecosystem, thereby endangering and threatening our very existence. Global warming is a difficult and scientifically complicated phenomenon. Even today, scientists are still divided on this issue, particularly on its causes and effects. While some agree that emission of greenhouse gases and human and industrial activities are responsible for climate change and global warming, others maintain that the changes occur naturally, and because the earth is so resilient to such changes, none of these occurrences will have permanent effects. However, as a small island country in the Pacific, Palau has seen and experienced the actual impact of sea level rise, unpredicted weather patterns and an extreme rise in the sea water temperature, all of which are signs and indications of global warming and climate change. Many island countries all over the world have also experienced these catastrophic changes.

Mr. President, esteemed members of this assembly, let us, as world leaders, work individually and collectively towards the real solutions of global warming. The blueprint and foundation of this important task are set forth in the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol. Let us fulfill our roles.

During the Millennium Summit we also presented institutional issues that should be seriously considered by the entire membership of this organization. Two further issues were raised by Palau during the Summit - open membership and representational participation in all bodies of the United Nations. The lack of action on these issues, as a body, is quite contrary to and detrimental to the objectives of the United Nations.

With regards to open membership Palau believes that any state, which meets the traditional and standard definition of independent state, should be allowed membership in the U.N. To this end, it is the position of the Republic of Palau that the contributions of Taiwan to the global community, particularly the developing world, more than qualify the Republic of China on Taiwan to fully participate in the United Nations as a full-fledged member. In this regard, Palau strongly supports full membership of the Republic of China on Taiwan to the United Nations and appeals to all member-states of this body for their support.

Countless achievements, concerning the welfare and security of this planet and its inhabitants, have been accomplished by this august body since its inception fifty-five years ago. Many important organs and bodies within the U.N organization have been created and even some had been reorganized since then to further promote and enhance the institution's objectives and goals. However, one very important organ within the U.N. system, the Security Council, has virtually remained unchanged since inception. Palau truly believes that this important organ should be reorganized and restructured to increase both permanent and non-permanent members in order to strengthen its work and effectiveness. We, therefore, maintain our support of the Millennium Declaration expressing the determination to intensify our efforts to achieve a more comprehensive reform of the Security Council.

Reform can only materialize if we all agree to a common formula by which the number of permanent and non-permanent members should be increased. The Republic of Palau further maintains that any increase in the permanent membership of the Security Council should reflect a member-state's contribution to international peace and security and its capability to effectively carry out the objectives of the Council. A few countries have surely reached that plateau to serve as permanent members of the Security Council.

Finally, the Republic of Palau reaffirms its commitment toward global partnerships in this world of interdependent economies as an essential step toward the achievement of sustainable development. At the 54`h UNGA the Vice President of the Republic of Palau, The Hon. Thomas E. Remengesau, Jr., addressed this assembly and spoke of a tri-partite scientific project, involving the United States of America, Japan and Palau, that was still in its developmental phase.

I am deeply honored to inform this assembly that last month the Government of Japan completed the constructional phase of the project and officially handed the facility to the Government of the Republic of Palau. The next phase is to furnish the facility with the right equipment and tools necessary for scientific research.

When fully completed, the Center will provide scientists and researchers a state of the art facility for research in the area of coral reefs and marine organisms. Medical research will also be conducted. In addition, the Center will serve as tourist attraction, as different exhibits on marine life and a large aquarium will be in display. At this juncture, we convey our gratitude to the Governments of Japan and the United States of America for their support in this noble endeavor and welcome any input and contribution from the scientists and researchers of the rest of the member-states to utilize the facility, as we all work toward the common goal of safeguarding and utilizing our environment for the betterment of humanity.

The International Coral Reef Center project in Palau is a clear example of cooperation between developed and developing nations in promoting sustainable development. Financial resources and mechanisms, environmental utility and transfer of sound technology, cooperation and capacity building, have been made available to support this important initiative.

The Republic of Palau continues to be challenged and challenges every member-state to build on the achievements of the last eight years since the Rio Summit, to look critically at the problems that are still facing us, and to make firm commitments on further progress. Kom kmal mesulang (Thank you very much).

HEAD OF PALAU DELEGATION

UNITED NATIONS