UN RC Remarks at UN Day Celebrations in Vanuatu

It is a privilege to do so on Ni-Vanuatu soil—a land that stands as a beacon of resilience, hope, and inspiration for the United Nations and the global community.

Vanuatu is often regarded as one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries. The Ni-Vanuatu face this reality every year, bracing for severe cyclones with unyielding resolve. These are storms that devastate livelihoods, sometimes wiping out 20-40% of GDP. Cyclone Pam alone, in 2015, affected 64% of Vanuatu’s economy, 60% of its population, and destroyed 96% of food crops. Thousands were forced to relocate temporarily, homes and villages were leveled, and critical infrastructure had to be rebuilt. Rising sea levels have intensified these challenges, sparking internal migration and requiring the relocation of villages across various islands. 

Yet, alongside these trials, Vanuatu’s story is also one of unwavering strength and solidarity. Every year, across 83 beautiful islands, communities come together to rebuild, recover, and grow stronger as a family. This resilience embodies the Melanesian warrior depicted in Vanuatu’s coat of arms—standing boldly before the mountain, ready to face fortitudes. 

And despite such challenges, Vanuatu achieved various extraordinary milestones.  In 2020 Vanuatu graduated from the world’s Least Developed Countries list, joining only five other nations to do so in the past 40 years. Vanuatu continues to amplify its voice on the global stage, spearheading initiatives like the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion on climate and leading calls at COP and other forum, emphasizing that the countries least responsible for climate change, like Vanuatu—with Pacific emissions at only 0.02%—are those most affected. Vanuatu is shaping global discussions and compelling the world to act on climate change.

As the UN, and as your Resident Coordinator, we stand alongside you. Vanuatu embodies the spirit of not just a Small Island Developing State, but a great ocean nation, driven by a resilient and determined people.

I am pleased to announce that your request to invite the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Climate Change and Human Rights has been accepted. The Special Rapporteur will be visiting Vanuatu next month, and I hope many of you will have the chance to meet with her during this important mission.

The UN is your UN; today’s celebration is your celebration. For 44 years, since joining the United Nations upon independence, Vanuatu has contributed to our shared commitment to a peaceful world, and to multilateralism. This institution is yours, and as your Resident Coordinator, I pledge to work tirelessly in solidarity with Vanuatu. In the recent meeting between the UN Secretary-General and Vanuatu’s Prime Minister, the Secretary-General expressed our unwavering solidarity with Vanuatu—a message I reaffirm here today.

The UN was founded to support all countries and all people, leaving no one behind—especially countries like Vanuatu. Peace and sustainable development are goals we must achieve together. As His Excellency, the President, stated before me, let me add despite current pressures on multilateralism, there is no alternative, but to working together, standing in solidarity across nationality, religion, gender, and age.

The climate crisis continues to loom large. Without immediate collective action, we are on course for a devastating 3.1°C rise in global temperatures. Even as 1.5°C alone would still be challenging for Vanuatu and the Pacific, where sea levels are rising faster than almost anywhere else.

Vanuatu recently joined other nations in endorsing the Pact for the Future, a landmark declaration pledging collective action on critical global issues. This commitment includes fast-tracking the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), advancing the Paris Agreement on climate change, addressing the root causes of conflict, and accelerating progress on human rights, including women’s rights.

Vanuatu is a UN priority country. When the Secretary-General first visited the Pacific in 2019, Vanuatu was among the nations he visited, and during his recent visit to Tonga, he specifically requested to meet the Vanuatu delegation. 

Soon, we will work together on the UN’s next two-year country implementation plan (CIP) in Vanuatu—a shared agenda encompassing peace, people, planet, and prosperity. And we will approach this as the Honorable Prime Minister highlighted and requested from development partners recently during the PIF meeting: support that should be based not on any other interest but that of the Pacific, Vanuatu, and the people of this beautiful country.

We are committed to ensuring that women and youth are integral to these processes. With a median age of just 20 years, Vanuatu has a youthful population ready to shape the future. The Pact for the Future underscores this vision, acknowledging our responsibility to forge a sustainable world for generations to come.

Vanuatu is a beacon of hope for the Pacific. I am immensely proud of the recent referendum on political reform, the Pacific-wide campaign for a fossil-fuel-free future led by Vanuatu, and the country’s single use plastic ban. 

The story of the UN and Vanuatu is a shared narrative—a story of hope, resilience, and an unwavering determination to build a better future. 

May I kindly ask you to charge your glass. 

I would like to raise a toast: to the H.E. Nikenike Vurobaravu, the President and to the Republic of Vanuatu, 

To a future rooted in peace, prosperity, sustainability, and the strength of our global family.