Nauru President Russ Kun says the UN system "is an outdated system that has been in place for too long". Photo: Pacific Islands Forum
By Pita Ligaiula, PACNEWS
The Pacific nation of Nauru has called on the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) for an urgent need to reform the global decision making at the United Nations.
"The United Nations must be fit-for-purpose, nimble on the ground and meets the global challenges we face today," Nauru President Russ Kun told world leaders in New York.
"We need to renew the UN Multilateral System, reform the Security Council and redesign the international financial architecture because it is just not working anymore, and it is an outdated system that has been in place for too long.
"In Nauru's case like other small island developing States, we become victims within the global architecture and compromise our freedom and voice as a sovereign State."
He said Nauru also joined the call to reform the international financial system to make climate and development finance more affordable and adequate and positioned to combat the scale of climate crises.
"Nauru looks forward to a meaningful COP28 in the United Arab Emirates, one that achieves the shared ambition and commitment to deliver progress and keep 1.5C within reach.
"We have seen ourselves the ever-increasing disasters; fires, typhoons, heat waves, and a burning ocean. What kind of legacy are we creating? It is essential that the global community accelerates its efforts to adapt and mitigate climate change and keep a1.5 Celsius limit to temperature rise within reach.
We call on all States to take ambitious action in their implementation of the Paris Agreement and decisions under the Paris Agreement including the Glasgow Climate Pact and the Sharm el-Sheik Implementation Plan. And we note our disappointment that the goal of $US100 billion a year has not been reached and that the distribution of funds allocated has not been equitable," President Kun said.
He also reiterated his call on the United Nation Secretary General to appoint a Special Representative on Climate and Security.
"This could improve the United Nations' ability to address climate-related security risk including through regular reporting on the security implications of climate change. Similarly, we see the need to seek additional paths to climate action and hope that the advisory opinions to come from ITLOS and ICJ will jump start more ambitious climate action," he explained.
He emphasised that the World cannot expect the trajectory of global emissions to slow down and reduce if viable, energy alternatives are not provided.
"Deep Seabed Minerals hold the answer with polymetallic nodules providing the alternative for big emitters to make a just energy transition away from fossil fuels and towards much cleaner and renewable energy technologies.
In this regard, Nauru calls on the members of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) to fulfil its obligation and finalise the Exploitation regulations that ensures collection of seafloor minerals are conducted with utmost responsibility, and respect to our marine ecosystem while providing benefits for all humankind," he stressed.
President Kun also welcomed the adoption of the BBNJ Agreement and called for other countries to ratify the treaty.
"As a Big Ocean State, a healthy productive and resilient ocean is a pillar upon which our future rests. We are proud to have been actively engaged in the negotiations and successful conclusion of the treaty on Biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ).
"Nauru welcomes the adoption of the agreement earlier this year and calls for international support to build our capacity to ratify and implement the provisions of the BBNJ agreement including the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilisation of genetic resource.
"We raise as we have before, the critical importance of ensuring sustainable fisheries. This includes ensuring that overfishing is not taking place, that fair prices are paid to small islands for fish taken from our water, and that we eliminate illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing," he said.
This article was originally published by PACNEWS.
