Transcript
Actor Jason Momoa is a native Hawaiian, born to a mother from Iowa in the US, says he's seen how one place can be oblivious to another.
Representing the island nations, he told leaders small island countries have led the way in sounding a global alarm, testifying to the state of emergency facing the oceans.
"It is a known fact that the great garbage patch floating in the Pacific is larger than the country of France. Even at the depths of the Mariana Trench we are discovering nano-plastics. And shockingly there are more plastic particles in the ocean than the stars in the Milkyway. It is shameful.
"Yet the greatest threat to Small Island Developing States is the fact that entire islands are drowning into the sea due to the enormous volume of emissions generated by the first world countries. Island nations contribute the least to this disaster but are made to suffer the weight of its consequences."
UN General Secretary Antonio Guterres says at the recent Climate Action Summit the small islands states made a commitment on carbon neutrality and moved to 100 percent renewable energy by 2030.
"Again leading the world in the right direction.but the climate crisis is piling injustice upon injustice. despite contributing very little, practically nothing to global warming, small island developing states are playing the highest price. And because of their middle income status, many are trapped in an accelerating and unsustainable cycle of disaster and debt. The world must step up and stop it."
The Secretary General says small island developing states are on the frontline of protecting and conserving the oceans that are the life blood of the planet.
Fiji's Prime Minister co-facilitated the mid term review with Ireland, and he said devastation from the recent Hurricane Dorian highlighted the importance of their meeting.
Frank Bainimarama told Antonio Guterres they share a disappointment that calls for greater ambition in climate plans have gone unanswered by so many countries.
The Fiji Prime Minister also said institutions like the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank should rank implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals over immediate investment returns.
Antonio Guterres said the latest Oceans Report from the United Nations confirms seas are already suffering sweeping and severe consequences of the climate crisis, with extreme sea level rises now potentially yearly events in many regions by 2050.
"Pollution, overfishing and acidification are taking a massive toll. We have lost half of our living coral in the past 150years while plastic pollution has increased ten fold in the past four decades. Demands from industry, shipping, mining and tourism are decimating resources. Including the fishing grounds that sustain many island communities. Small island countries also face high costs for transport, energy and infrastructure. They depend heavily on a few external markets putting them at the mercy of price rises. And some are struggling with the security impact of illicit trafficking in people, weapons and drugs."
Antonio Gueterres says by solving a problem in its most challenging context, it is solved everywhere, and supporting the island states to achieve their 2030 agenda for sustainable development will provide tools, lessons and examples for the entire world.
Meanwhile, Jason Momoa called for global unity to face the global crisis, with a focus on planning and sustainability for survival, and he recounted a Polynesian proverb.
"He va'a he moku, he moku he va'a," these words teach us that all land, no matter how big or small, floats on the ocean like a canoe in the middle of the sea. And that our planet is nothing more than an island floating among an ocean of stars. Life on a floating vessel has limited resources. It requires strict conservation practices and carefully planned navigation to ensure survival. We must work together as a global community to best steer our canoe in the right direction. The direction of the healthy and abundant future on Earth that we call home."
Mr Gueterres echoed this saying Small Island Developing States are a special case for sustainable development requiring concerted long-term attention and investment from the entire international community, and the fast tracked SAMOA Pathway will drive dignity and prosperity for all.
