Solomon Islands - Prime Minister Addresses General Debate, 72nd Session

Manasseh Sogavare, Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, addresses the general debate of the 72nd Session of the General Assembly of the UN (New York, 19 - 25 September 2017).

• Categories: Meetings & Events / General Assembly
• Video Length: 00:26:25
• Production Date: 22 September 2017
• Asset Language: Arabic; Chinese; English; French; Russian; Spanish
• Personal Subject: MANASSEH SOGAVARE
• Subject Topical: GENERAL DEBATE
• Geographic Subject: SOLOMON ISLANDS
• MAMS Id: 1977321
• Parent Id: 1976473
• Alternate Title: 72_SB

Description

Manasseh Sogavare, Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, spoke at length about the negative impacts of climate change, which are occurring at an alarming rate on its shores, as presenting a clear and present danger.

“For us Pacific Island nations, climate change continues to be our enemy [and] we are invaded by this enemy every day,” he said.

He also condemned the recent testing of ballistic missiles by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea over the Pacific Ocean as an insult to the people of the Pacific. “We are ocean people. The sea is our sanctuary. It is the foundation of our heritage,” he underscored, denouncing any pollution and contamination of that ocean, which its peoples depend on for their livelihoods.

The Prime Minister highlighted that an unstable climate, and the subsequent displacement and relocation of people, can exacerbate some of the core drivers of conflict – such as migratory pressures, clash of cultures and competition for resources. “These are threats to the very existence of humanity and could very well morph into threats to global peace and security,” he said, adding that Pacific small island developing States have been requesting the Security Council to address the issue of climate change.

• Scripts: File; sb_en.pdf (560.54 KB)