FSM Information Services
Press Release
President Panuelo Makes the Case for FSM Hosting the UN’s North Pacific Multi-Country Office to Under Secretary-General Utoikamanu
FUNAFUTI, Tuvalu—On August 14th 2019 His Excellency David W. Panuelo, President of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), met with the Honorable Fekita K. Utoikamanu, Under-Secretary-General for Small Island Developing States at the United Nations, the Honorable Sanaka Samarasinha, Resident Coordinator of the United Nations’ Multi-Country Office (MCO) in the Republic of Fiji, and the Honorable Par Liljert, Chief of Mission for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Australia. While the meeting covered many elements of how the FSM engages with the United Nations across a host of issues, the President was keen to re-emphasize the Nation’s deeply held interest in hosting the United Nation’s upcoming MCO in the North Pacific.
“We thank you for your time,” began Under-Secretary-General Utoikamanu. “We have a good working relationship with [Her Excellency Jane Chigiyal, Ambassador of the FSM to the United Nations] in New York; I’ve been in constant discussion with her, and she had presented your case [to host the MCO] very well.”
Resident Coordinator Samarasinha was equally optimistic, noting that the FSM—arguably in part a product of the United Nations through its former history as a Trust Territory—has been more direct in its requests. “I was there when the team came out with this MCO [scoping mission in March 2019] and…we were trying to sense from your side: what do you want from [the United Nations]? …We do also need some guidance from you [President Panuelo], in terms of how we should work with you, what are your priorities, and [how can the United Nations support the FSM]?”
The conversation ranged across several topics, including the review of the FSM’s and the region’s Sustainable Development Goals, and with a particular focus on fisheries. It was noted in particular that “something like 35% of the fish caught” in the FSM included micro-plastics in their guts, and this was not a one-off anomaly but a region-wide issue.
“From the IOM side,” said Chief of Mission Liljert, “We’re pleased with the cooperation with [the FSM] and would like to continue or echo what [Under-Secretary General Utoikamanu and Resident Coordinator Samarasinha] have said…IOM is happy to see how we can also use our presence to make sure that other UN agencies can strengthen their presence in [the FSM] to address as many issues as possible.”
President Panuelo, having listened in earnest, was to the point.
“For the MCO…we’re very interested. We want to be the host,” President Panuelo said. “We hope you can be vocal about it as well…it’s not based on a political decision. The FSM is a central location.”
“Being in the UN a few years back,” President Panuelo continued, “…I think the momentum is there, it’s here. I will do whatever I can to hopefully make the decision [to host the MCO in the FSM] easier. I will meet and write my colleagues [Her Excellency Dr. Hilda C. Heine, His Excellency Tommy E. Remengesau Jr., His Excellency Baron Waqa, and His Excellency Taneti Mamau].”
Although the attending representatives of the United Nations were not able to confirm or deny that the FSM would or would not be the host for the MCO (which is normal procedure for meetings like this), the message was clearly well received.
“We are converging into a common position,” Under-Secretary-General Utoikamanu said.
“The people of the FSM would appreciate it, and I appreciate it,” President Panuelo replied. “We appreciate all the programs [the United Nations] is spearheading in our part of the world…thank you.”
On August 19th, 2019 President Panuelo sent a diplomatic note to the Presidents of the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Nauru, and the Republic of Kiribati formally requesting their support for the FSM to be the host of the North Pacific MCO.
The current MCO in Fiji is presently responsible for providing technical assistance to ten countries, five in the North Pacific and five in the South Pacific. The new MCO for the North Pacific, proposed by the FSM National Government to be hosted by the FSM, is intended to increase the efficiency of technical assistance by allowing the North and South Pacific MCOs to focus their efforts in their respective regions.
