Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has called the new appointment of ambassador Peter Thomson as president of the UN General Assembly a great honour for Fiji.
Mr Bainimarama said it was the first time a representative of one of the Pacific Small Island Developing States had been chosen to lead the UN General Assembly.
He said this had given Fiji and other island nations a new and stronger voice in New York.
“I congratulate Mr Thomson on behalf of every Fijian. I know that he will preside over the deliberations of the United Nations General Assembly with dedication, wisdom and foresight,” the PM said.
“Mr Thomson’s selection provides us with a unique platform to highlight those issues of critical concern to Fiji and the vulnerable economies, such as building our resilience to climate change and ensuring the sustainable development of our natural resources on land and at sea.”
Joining the trail of well-wishers, UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon said the president-elect would bring a broad perspective to his new post.
“In addition to his staunch commitment to development, Peter Thomson brings the very valuable perspective of a small island developing State to this post. I will count on him to help us carry out both the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement on climate change,” the UN head said.
Foreign Affairs Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola said the election of ambassador Thomson was great news and an unprecedented and historic one for all small island developing states.
“It was a close one, with 94-90 votes, but we made it. We are proud of this achievement, well deserved for Ambassador Thomson and for Fiji as a whole,” Ratu Inoke said.
He added Mr Thomson would now oversee the process of electing a new UN secretary general to replace Mr Ban Ki Moon and spearhead the reforms at the UN during year one of his tenure as the president.
UN resident co-ordinator and UNDP resident representative Osnat Lubrani also sent her well-wishes.
“With ambassador Thomson at the helm of the General Assembly, Fiji and the Pacific region stand to contribute leadership for robust implementation of landmark agreements which the UN Member States have recently adopted, including the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.”
