Category Archives: Kiribati

Kiribati shares important values and goals with UN

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The UN General-Secretary Ban Ki-moon has said that Kiribati’s traditional words of blessing of ‘Te Mauri, Te Raoi, and Te Tabomoa’

UNSG planting mangrove in Kiribati. Photo by Eskinder Debebe

sums up the value of the United Nations.

Ban Ki-moon made the statement at a state dinner hosted by Kiribati’s President Anote Tong in his recent visit to Kiribati in early September this year.

He said the United Nations and Kiribati both share the goals of Peace, Health and Prosperity with both countries concerned about Climate Change.

“Many countries are dealing with climate change but in Kiribati, climate change threatens your territory, your culture and your very way of life”, he adds.

The secretary also recalls President Tong’s address at one of the UN General Assembly where he challenged all the leaders to take action on Climate Change and said, “I fear that our children and grandchildren will look back and ask, how is it that they knew what they knew and yet did so little?”.

Climate Change is ‘most shocking’ in Kiribati, says UN Secretary-General

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UN Secretary-General in Kiribati wearing traditional fishing hat

The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said that he’s very shocked to see for himself the drastic impacts of Climate Change in Kiribati particulary in the nation’s capital Tarawa.

“I have been to north and south pole and I have been to other places around the world and my visit to Kiribati is the most shocking. Even a small sea level rise could affect the whole Kiribati”, he said.

Ba Ki-moon made the statement when he paid a visit to “te Bikenikoora”, one of the settlements on Tarawa that has been seriously impacted by sea level rise thus leaving residents of the settlement with no other options but to seek for immediate relocation.

He further added that Climate Change is compromising the ability of people to sustain life.

In his address to the residents of the settlement Ban Ki-moon was frequently asked by threatened villagers as to what would the United Nations do to save Kiribati from sinking under water in 50 to 60 years time as predicted by scientists.

He also urged that people from all walks of life in this globe must come together to deal with the climate change threat.

“As secretary-general, I promise you, I pledge and I will do my best under my power as Secretary-General to fight for you until we achieve the real result”, he promised villagers.

Ban Ki-moon was on a 2-day visit to Kiribati as part of his tour of the Pacific this year.