[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
Remarks by the President of the General Assembly,<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n Mr. Dennis Francis,<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n At a Press Conference on the Side-lines of the Pacific Island Forum Leader\u2019s Meeting<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n [As Delivered]<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n 6 November 2023<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Good morning and thank you for joining us.<\/p>\n Allow me to state upfront that I am honored to be here with you.<\/p>\n And I would like to use this opportunity to commend the Government and partner governments of the Pacific Island Forum in elevating this critical matter of sea-level rise for the attention of the international community, whose support and intervention is absolutely necessary to address these dire issues of climate change impacts.<\/span><\/p>\n You may have heard that I am\u00a0<\/span>the first President of the General Assembly to participate in the Pacific Island Forum.<\/p>\n And you may ask, why now?<\/p>\n My answer to that would be, why not?<\/p>\n Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ General Assembly is the world\u2019s most inclusive, deliberative, most democratic body for dialogue and diplomacy and problem solving.<\/p>\n Its membership includes 193 Member States. One country. One seat. One vote.<\/p>\n Small Island Developing States comprise nearly 40 Member States of the United Nations.<\/p>\n And Pacific Islands make up a sizeable group within island nations.<\/p>\n They are as deserving, as important, as warranting of support and engagement as any other Member State. And I say that both as President of the General Assembly, whose responsibility it is to represent all Member States, as well as a small islander myself, from Trinidad and Tobago.<\/p>\n But, whether it is out of my own sense of responsibility as an islander, or as a result of my role, the conclusion is the same: we have to work together to unify our positions in order to address the challenges we face.<\/p>\n And right here in the Pacific, for islands that are small, under-resourced, remote, and highly vulnerable, the challenges are first and foremost climate change and sea-level rise. They are, to be clear, existential, threatening your homes, your homelands, your heritage, your culture, your livelihoods, and your communities.<\/p>\n And I refuse to be a bystander to the disappearance and loss of such profound history and heritage, or to the hardship and pain of people, forced by necessity, to abandon their native homeland, rendered uninhabitable by rising sea-levels.<\/p>\n The General Assembly and the United Nations as a whole must act decisively to support small islands in meeting, as best they can, these daunting challenges.<\/p>\n This includes helping to address the immediate threats through adaptation and resilience building.<\/p>\n It includes, for example, helping to ensure that resources are available to communities to respond quickly and flexibly to disasters and\/or climate related events that destroy or damage sensitive and\/or necessary infrastructure and facilities.<\/p>\n It includes working to protect, for posterity, the rich and diverse tapestries of culture and heritage built by island communities over several generations.<\/p>\n And it includes removing any doubt or uncertainty that exists, politically, about the statehood, sovereignty and accompanying rights, including the maritime zones, that impacted countries have, as well as about the long-term status of their membership of the United Nations.<\/p>\n The message that I have brought with me is that I am working with small islands to address these issues, and I am championing them at the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ General Assembly in New York.<\/p>\n I hope to leave with a robust show of support and clear guidance from leaders in the region about how the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ General Assembly can effectively address these burning issues.<\/p>\n It is my intention to carry those messages and that advocacy with me to COP28, to the Fourth International Conference of Small Island Developing States, which will take place in Antigua and Barbuda, in the Caribbean, in May 2024.<\/p>\n The hope is, that the result will deliver constructive, decisive, and meaningful change for Small Island States. They need it urgently.<\/p>\n With that, I will turn it over to your questions.<\/p>\n And I thank you.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Remarks by the President of the General Assembly,\u00a0\u00a0 Mr. Dennis Francis,\u00a0\u00a0 At a Press Conference on the Side-lines of the Pacific Island Forum Leader\u2019s Meeting [As Delivered] 6 November 2023 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":361,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":" Remarks of the President of the General Assembly<\/p> H.E Dennis Francis<\/p> GA plenary meeting on the Monday, 30 October 2023<\/p> As Delivered<\/i><\/i><\/p> \u00a0<\/p> President of the International Criminal Court, Judge Piotr Hofmanski,<\/i><\/i><\/p> Excellencies,<\/i><\/p> Distinguished Delegates,<\/i><\/p> \u00a0<\/i><\/p> Today we gather to consider the annual report of the\u00a0International Criminal Court (ICC) \u2013 a\u00a0 critical pillar of the international legal order.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> The ICC stands as a perennial symbol of our shared commitment to justice and humanity\u2019s greatest aspirations.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> It serves as an emphatic reminder that\u00a0no one \u2013 I repeat, no one \u2013 should be exempt from accountability for the most serious crimes of concern to the international community,\u00a0and that regardless of their status, position or location, perpetrators of such crimes will invariably face the weight of justice.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> Indeed, when it comes to the most egregious crimes against humanity,\u00a0 accountability knows no exceptions and justifiably so.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> In those grave and heinous cases \u2013 when national legal systems prove unable or unwilling to bring perpetrators to justice \u2013 the ICC must step in.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> Accordingly, the ICC stands as a testament to our unshakeable resolve to end impunity, and moreover, to deter others from the commission of such crimes in the future.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> The Court is indeed a truly unique embodiment of our collective resolution to upholding the principles of justice and accountability.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> I express my\u00a0 fulsome appreciation to the Court for its diligent efforts,\u00a0 as indeed to its judges and its prosecutor, as well as to the dedicated staff who have laudibly committed themselves to the pursuit of justice \u2013 and indeed, to what is\u00a0right<\/i>.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> The report highlights both the progress and the challenges faced by the ICC this year, specifically as regards the prevention and punishment of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> These principles are fundamental to our global vision of peace and are integral to our mission of maintaining international peace and security, promoting respect for human rights, and delivering justice to those who have suffered the gravest injustices.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> Ladies and Gentlemen,<\/i><\/p> We must acknowledge that the Court operates in a multifaceted international landscape.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> Its jurisdiction spans cases where state parties have brought situations to the attention of the Court, including situations referred by the United Nations Security Council.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> While it may present a unique set of challenges \u2013this duality in referral mechanisms underscores the importance of international cooperation.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> Despite these challenges, the hope for universal ratification of the Rome Statute, and the Kampala amendments, serve as a profound affirmation of the ICC's enduring commitment to justice.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> As more countries join and support the ICC, the bold ambition of ending impunity for the most serious crimes becomes increasingly realistic to achieve.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> As we engage in this discussion, let us remember the voices of the victims, whose suffering must compel us to take meaningful action.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> I underscore the\u00a0need for universal cooperation with the court among Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Member States in our common pursuit of a more just and peaceful world.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> I call upon States to support the ICC where it faces constraints in its pursuit of justice, including predictable funding to effectively undertake its investigations and prosecutions.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> In line with the fundamental principle of complementarity, States should cooperate\u00a0with the ICC and with each other in investigations and prosecutions, including by sharing information and evidence to uphold the rule of law and ensuring accountability for the most serious crimes.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> Let us remain committed to strengthening the international legal framework and ensuring that the ICC continues to fulfill its essential role in our global efforts to prevent impunity and injustice and to promote lasting peace.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> I thank you and look forward to a fruitful discussion on this important matter.<\/p>","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[102],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-273691","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-press-statements","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\n
Report of the International Criminal Court,<\/p>