PALIKIR, Pohnpei—Immediately prior to departing from the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, His Excellency David W. Panuelo—President of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM)—joined the Leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) in a special meeting with the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, to discuss issues of import to the Pacific. Representing the Micronesian sub-region, President Panuelo spoke on issues relating to Pacific regionalism and the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.
In his remarks, President Panuelo called for the resumption, and conclusion, of the negotiations on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (i.e. the BBNJ negotiations). “Last month,” the President said, “our negotiators traveled afar from the Pacific to attend what we expected to be the concluding session of negotiations to adopt a BBNJ instrument here at the United Nations. We must not make it a habit to postpone tough decisions. The global community must resume, and conclude, the BBNJ negotiations in 2023.”
President Panuelo also spoke about the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, and how Climate Change is the most existential security threat to the Pacific. “We are stewards of the ocean, inherited from our ancestors, and which we share with future generations. For this reason, the ocean is placed at the heart and center of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent that Forum Leaders adopted this past July. The Strategy is our North Star in our long-term vision, as a region, for securing the Blue Pacific Continent….Climate Change is the threat to the full realization of the Blue Pacific Continent.”
The President emphasized the importance of the 2021 Declaration on Preserving Maritime Zones in the Face of Climate Change-related Sea-Level Rise, which is the Pacific’s response to achieve legal stability, security, certainty, and predictability of maritime zones in light of the threat of Climate Change. In layman’s terms, the main idea behind the Declaration is that Pacific countries wish for all other countries to recognize and preserve current international borders so that, even as islands disappear, countries do not see their borders shrink.
The President reaffirmed the Pacific’s determination for a region free of environmental pollution by radioactive wastes and other radioactive matter, explicitly citing Japan’s intention to discharge Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) treated water into the Pacific as a concern. “We call on Japan to continue to adhere to the principle of transparency in sharing any scientific findings, environmental impact assessments, and data analysis gathered by scientists and experts, including the participation of an Independent Expert Group from our Pacific region.”
President Panuelo concluded his remarks by soliciting the United Nations to support the mobilization and capacity of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.
