Government Information Office
MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Tuesday, 15 October 2019
Nauru President vows to
deliver on "unfulfilled promises"
The President of Nauru His
Excellency Lionel Rouwen Aingimea says the highest priority of his
administration will be to restore "what has been lost" to
Nauruans.
Speaking to the UN General
Assembly in New York recently, Mr Aingimea said "After an economic
collapse followed by many years of stagnation, far too many
Nauruans have been left behind and they are hungry for improvements
in the quality of their lives.
"It is the highest priority of my
administration to restore to them what has been lost. To return
what has been taken and deliver on the promises that have gone
unfulfilled for too long."
Mr Aingimea said the immediate
focus for his government was reforming the health and education
systems.
"Teacher retention is a
persistent challenge and student truancy has risen to alarming
levels," he said.
"Also, the lack of good job
opportunities that require a diploma has led some families to
question the value of a quality education."
He stressed that too many people
are being lost to non-communicable disease like diabetes.
"We are losing our loved ones and
their expertise," he said. "We are losing our history. We will
require multi-lateral assistance, or we risk losing our future as
well."
Mr Aingimea also warned of the
potential economic impact in the Pacific on tuna fishing.
"Sea level rise is not only about
an existential threat to our small and low-lying island. Climate
change also threatens an economic Armageddon if tuna fishery
disappears," he said.
"Nauru supports a proposal for
the Pacific small island-developing states to appoint a UN special
representative on climate and security, whose work must begin with
an assessment of the UN's capacity to respond to climate
disasters."
Mr Aingimea said work being
carried out by the International Law Commission, established by the
UN General Assembly, on the issue of rising sea levels and
international law, was of "tremendous importance to the
Pacific".
"The issue around baselines and
rising seas is critical, and we believe it is in the interests of
all states to give serious consideration to the impact of sea-level
rise on the livelihoods of their people," he said.
"Security for our oceans is a
problem which must be tackled by everyone. Illegal, unreported and
unregulated fishing is a great threat and economic loss for our
small economy."
Mr Aingimea said "reasons for
optimism" included the major redevelopment of the nation's port and
the country's higher ground initiative, which aims to move housing
and critical infrastructure.
"The new port has the potential
to become a hub of commerce for our island and the wider Pacific.
Value-added services for fishing and shipping vessels will become
viable in Nauru," he said.
"The new port facility and the
high ground initiative, along with an aggressive push on renewable
energy and efficiency, serve as the major cornerstones of a
sustainable major development strategy that has the potential to
create good jobs, generate new revenue streams and radically
improve our fiscal situations."
ENDS///
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NAURU
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