Vanuatu and the United Nations
Ambassador Odo Tevi | |
The
1980s: the Lini and Van Lierop years
In 1980, when the newly independent
As Vanuatu's ambassador, and following instructions from the ni-Vanuatu government, he campaigned within the U.N. against
In 1988, Van Lierop became Vice-President of 43rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly.[3] In 1990, he was chairman of the United Nations' Special Committee on Decolonization, in keeping with Vanuatu's long-standing efforts in that field.[4]
Climate change and Small Island States' vulnerability
In 1990, Van Lierop became the first chairman of the Alliance of Small Island States, a position which he held until 1994;[5][6] he emphasised the importance of the fight against climate change, to which Small Island Developing States are particularly vulnerable.[7]
This has remained Vanuatu's emphasis to this day. Addressing the United Nations General Assembly in September 2008, ni-Vanuatu President Kalkot Mataskelekele stated:
- "I join my fellow colleagues from the Pacific region in our call to the international community for more concerted action in addressing climate change as a security issue. Unless the present trend of global warming is reversed through sincere and concerted international action through the UN framework, some of our Pacific colleague nations will be submerged. If such a tragedy does happen, then the UN and its members would have failed in their first and most basic duty to a member nation and its innocent people."[8]
Continued support for West Papua
Vanuatu in the 2000s and 2010s has not entirely ceased to promote the cause of decolonisation. In September 2004, Foreign Affairs Minister
- "In recent times the history of the Organization has been characterised by indecision that have (sic) blemished the record of the United Nations, and I speak to (sic) the longstanding issue of Charter espousing the principles that continue to guide the Organization's efforts in the principle of self-determination. [...] The truth surrounding the so-called Act of Free Choice must be exposed to the Melanesian sisters and brothers of West Papua, and the rest of the international community; the saddest of all is the UN General Assembly Resolution 2504 on West Papua in 1969. How can the UN continue to ignore the cries of over three million people demanding justice?"[9]
In August 2018, Foreign Affairs Minister
References
- ISBN 2-7099-1125-6, pp.272-273
- ^ HUFFER, Elise, Grands hommes et petites îles: La politique extérieure de Fidji, de Tonga et du Vanuatu, op.cit., pp.272-273
- ^ "Africana Diplomacy: The U.N. Experience on April 2" Archived 2008-11-19 at the Wayback Machine, Seton Hall University, March 28, 2008
- International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism", UN Chronicle, March 1990
- ^ "Climate Change and Small Island States: The Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)" Archived 2008-11-01 at the Wayback Machine, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, 2000
- ^ "Momentum Towards the Success of Sixth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change" Archived 2008-10-21 at the Wayback Machine, Vanuatu government website, September 2000
- ^ "US feels heat on global warming stance", New Scientist, February 16, 1991
- ^ President Kalkot Mataskelekele's address to the 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, September 26, 2008
- ^ Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade Barak Sope's address the 59th session of the United Nations General Assembly, September 28, 2004
- ^ "Vanuatu to take West Papua cause to UN", Radio New Zealand, 14 August 2018
- ^ "Vanuatu steps up UN bid for West Papua rights, new referendum", Pacific Media Centre, 20 September 2018
- ^ "Vanuatu will continue West Papua initiative" Archived 2018-11-14 at the Wayback Machine, Pacnews, 6 September 2018
- ^ "‘PNG will not back Vanuatu push for West Papua’", Post Courier, 20 September 2018
- ^ "DECLARATION DE L'Honorable Charlot SALWAI TABIMASMAS, Premier Ministre de la République de Vanuatu, Seventy-third session of the United Nations General Assembly (in French)
- ^ "Indonesia accuses Vanuatu of 'inexcusable' support for West Papua", The Guardian, 2 October 2018
External links
- Official website of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Vanuatu to the United Nations
- Chargé d'affaires Alfred Carlot's address the 56th session of the United Nations General Assembly, November 14, 2001
- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Serge Vohor's address the 57th session of the United Nations General Assembly, September 18, 2002
- Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade Barak Sope's address the 59th session of the United Nations General Assembly, September 28, 2004
- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sato Kilman's address the 60th session of the United Nations General Assembly, September 21, 2005
- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sato Kilman's address the 61st session of the United Nations General Assembly, September 26, 2006
- Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade George Wells' address the 62nd session of the United Nations General Assembly, October 1, 2007
- President Kalkot Mataskelekele's address to the 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, September 26, 2008