Tuvalu Prime Minister Addresses UN General Assembly on Climate Change and Global Cooperation

Tuvalu's Commitment to the UN and Global Peace

• 🇹🇻 Prime Minister Feleti Teo of Tuvalu expresses honor in addressing the 80th UN General Assembly, conveying warm greetings and best wishes from his people.
• 👏 Congratulations are extended to the President of the 80th session and gratitude to the outgoing president for their leadership.
• ✨ The UN's 80-year milestone is celebrated as a testament to unity, multilateralism, and hope, with Tuvalu taking pride in its 25 years of membership.
• 🌍 The 80th anniversary is seen as a crucial moment for reflection and re-envisioning to ensure the UN remains true to its charter's objectives.

Climate Change: An Existential Threat to Tuvalu

• ⚠️ Climate change and sea level rise are identified as the greatest security threats to Tuvalu, impacting food, water, land, and economic security.
• 🌊 Tuvalu advocates for its special case as a vulnerable nation, seeking to influence international law regarding statehood continuity and maritime boundaries.
• 📜 Tuvalu has amended its constitution to ensure perpetual statehood and permanent maritime boundaries, regardless of land territory loss due to climate change.
• 🤝 The Falepili Union Treaty with Australia is highlighted, legally committing Australia to recognize Tuvalu's sovereignty and support human mobility with dignity.

Advancing Sea Level Rise Action and International Law

• 📈 Tuvalu welcomes the UN General Assembly's focus on sea level rise, including high-level meetings and the potential for a UN declaration.
• ⚖️ The recent advisory opinions of the International Court of Justice and the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea are commended for affirming states' obligations regarding climate change and statehood continuity.
• 📜 Tuvalu calls for an international treaty on sea level rise to codify legal rights and reaffirm statehood continuity and maritime boundary permanency.
• 🚫 The urgency of climate action should not be overshadowed by geopolitical competition or military conflicts.

Tuvalu's Climate Action and Ocean Stewardship

• 📊 Tuvalu has submitted its first transparency report to the UNFCCC and announced its NDC 3.0, a blueprint for resilience and a pledge for climate action, sustainable development, and a just transition to renewable energy.
• 💨 Beyond CO2 reductions, tackling methane and other short-lived gases is crucial to prevent irreversible tipping points.
• 🌊 As a large ocean state, Tuvalu reaffirms its commitment to conserving and sustainably using ocean resources, developing its first national ocean policy.
• 🌍 Tuvalu has ratified the BBNJ agreement and joined initiatives like the Ocean Resilience Coalition and the Friends of the Ocean and Climate.

Partnerships, Finance, and Sustainable Development

• 🤝 The principle of "Better Together" underscores the necessity of genuine and durable partnerships, especially for SIDS and LDCs like Tuvalu.
• 💰 Tuvalu reiterates the call for scaled-up adaptation finance, rapid operationalization of the loss and damage fund, and increased grants and concessional financing.
• ⚖️ International financial institutions are urged to reconsider eligibility criteria that do not reflect the multi-dimensional risks faced by vulnerable countries.
• 🏥 Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a leading cause of mortality, linked to food security challenges, and Tuvalu is committed to the political declaration on NCD prevention and control.

Gender Equality, Youth Empowerment, and Inclusivity

• 👩‍⚖️ Tuvalu reaffirms its commitment to gender equality, with its constitution prohibiting sex-based discrimination and a national gender equity policy in place.
• 🧑‍🎓 The importance of youth development and leadership is underscored, recognizing young people as active agents for change.
• 🇹🇼 Tuvalu regrets the exclusion of Taiwan from the UN system and calls for its admission as a member.
• 🇨🇺 Tuvalu supports the lifting of economic sanctions on Cuba and calls for its removal from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
• 🙏 Tuvalu expresses gratitude for the support and assistance from the UN and its partners as it approaches its 47th independence anniversary.