Excellencies,
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to the Permanent Mission of India on a day of high importance to all of us.
Oceans are a precious human heritage, uncluttered by boundaries, which have shaped our human journey from the scattered loneliness of early existence to the glory of so many civilizations. Indeed, they were instrumental in the creation of a more civilized and shared world. The health of oceans is, in many ways, synonymous with the health of our planet. Today, oceans offer a fulcrum for the next stage of shared and therefore sustainable growth.
India has a long tradition of partnership with sovereign island states, especially those from the Pacific region. This partnership has been institutionalized in the form of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) that was launched in 2014.
As you are aware, a couple of weeks ago, India hosted the India-Pacific Islands Sustainable Development Conference in Fiji which saw several partnership projects being finalized.
I am very happy that today we are embarking on another partnership project with our friends from Pacific islands – including Kiribati, Nauru, Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Tonga, Solomon Islands and Cook Island - in association with the UN Office for South-South Cooperation.
May I stress that we should change the way we look upon island nations. If the 21st century is going to an egalitarian age, then nations are no longer big or small – they are equal and sovereign. Their capacities may vary, but their rights – and indeed obligations – do not.
Excellencies,
This is the first time that we are entering into a partnership with the UN in a triangular cooperation with fellow developing countries. We are confident that this format will inspire the ability to meet the challenge of our times – shared prosperity.
I am also happy to note that this project aims at strengthening capacities in terms of climate early warning systems for Pacific island countries. India is happy to share its experience and expertise in this context of early warning and disaster risk reduction with our friends. We ignore climate at our own peril.
The World Oceans Day symbolizes an auspicious beginning under the newly established India-UN Development Partnership Fund.
I am confident that we will continue to expand our development partnership efforts as part of our longstanding and continuing commitment to South-South Cooperation and the spirit of global partnership embodied in the SDG17 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Today, we must mark the start of another chapter in a saga of success.
Thank you.