Pacific Leaders sit down with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Pacific Leaders with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York on September 26, 2014

(September 26, 2014): Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) President Manny Mori attended a meeting held between the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum at the margins of the 69th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. The meeting was co-chaired by the UN Secretary-General and the President of Palau, Mr. Tommy Remengesau Jr., who is the current Chair of the Forum.

The Secretary-General recalled his recent visit to the region and his participation in the Third Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in Apia, Samoa. Pacific Leaders and the Secretary-General stressed the importance of the implementation of the Samoa PATHWAY. The Secretary-General reassured the Forum Leaders that the UN system would work as one to engage in the implementation of the commitments made during the SIDS conference.

Pacific Leaders commended the UN Secretary General on his leadership on climate change issues and the recently concluded Climate Summit. They agreed to the importance of fully capitalizing the Green Climate Fund. Leaders reaffirmed their support to conclude a legally binding climate agreement next year. Leaders sought support to enable the continued active engagement of Pacific negotiators in the upcoming Conference of the Parties (COP) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to be held in Lima and Paris.

They also discussed the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and the post-2015 development agenda. The UN General Assembly’s adoption of the report of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals was welcomed. Pacific countries appreciated the stand-alone goal on oceans and sea as well as the goals related to sustainable development and climate change. The Secretary-General took note of the Pacific Leaders Gender Equality Declaration and the Pacific Regional Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security and encouraged leaders to strengthen efforts to improve women’s political participation and economic empowerment and to eliminate violence against women.

The President of Palau concluded the meeting by stressing that the Pacific countries would continue to think of the United Nations as a critical partner to move their agenda forward.

The meeting between the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders and the UN Secretary General and his key staff has become a tradition at the margins of the General Assembly Leaders’ week.