From the chairman...

Following the death of the late president of the Marshall Islands and chair man of the South Pacific Forum, Amata Kabua, in December 1996, a cousin, Imata Kabua, became the next president of the Marshall Islands - and the new Forum chairman.

Kabua said he was greatly moved and touched by the confidence that his col leagues in the Forum had in him when they asked that he continue the chairmanship for the remaining part of his predecessor’s tenure.

The first step he took as chairman was to visit the Forum Secretariat in Suva, Fiji to reassure the leaders of his and his coun

try’s commitment to the principles of the Forum.

“Just as important to me, as the leader of one of the Forum member countries and as chairman, I wanted to learn as much as I could about the working of the Forum itself,” Kabua said. “I wanted to ensure that the participation of the Marshall Islands in the affairs of the Forum community remain strong and constructive. The thorough briefing that I received from the Secretariat was highly informative.” Kabua said there was no question that, as a collective body, the Forum’s record of achievement was one which we should not all be proud of.

“We are witnessing a Forum that is growing very rapidly in stature, maturity and influence. As a family of nations endowed with immense and rich cultural diversity, we are getting to know ourselves better. Our understanding and appreciation of each other has grown. Our awareness of the unique problems or constraints facing each individual Forum country, or the region as a whole, has undoubtedly deep ened. I think we have also come to learn more about how to solve many of these problems, or at least where and how to pur sue appropriate and practical solutions.”

The chairman said that one of the areas in which the Forum had achieved respectable recognition was the building and strengthening of its relationship with the international community through either bilateral or multilateral efforts, or both.

“And I think that the Forum has been able to do this with practical wisdom and without compromising fundamental princi ples and ideals upon which the Forum itself was founded.

“My recent visit to New York, during which I made reference in the United Nations General Assembly of the danger facing the low-lying islands of the Pacific with respect to sea-level rise, is part of our ongoing effort to bring to the attention of the international community our unique development conditions.”

Kabua said that if there was a lesson to be learnt from all this, it was that when small island nations, regardless of their size or cultural backgrounds worked together, the potential of what could be accom plished was inexhaustible.

He said he saw no other workable solu tion for overcoming problems unique to the region than the coming together of nations in the region as a united community.

“Working together towards common goals gives a strong signal too to our poten tial allies, investment agencies and the donor community that we are working in an expanded framework of cooperation.

Kabua said he was looking forward to the South Pacific Forum meeting in Raratonga, Cook Islands, where without doubt there will be a renewed and strong spirit of commitment to well focused goals and to consolidating past gains and achievements. ■

Imata Kabua, president of the Marshall Islands Current Chairman of the South Pacific Forum