Celebrating 75th anniversary of the United Nations: View from the CPA Small Branches

View from the CPA Small Branches Chairperson

Hon. Niki Rattle, Chairperson of the CPA Small Branches and Speaker of the Parliament of the Cook Islands

At the celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations Charter this year and as the CPA Small Branches Chairperson, I am honoured on behalf of the CPA Small Branches network to acknowledge, recognise and applaud the significance of the United Nations within the international community, especially among the most vulnerable communities. The UN Charter that was agreed on 26 th June 1945, that calls for the UN to maintain international peace and security; promote social progress and better standards of life; strengthen international laws as well as to promote human rights, is as relevant today as it was 75 years ago.

The current COVID-19 pandemic has further heightened the absolute need for the UN Charter’s fundamental principles to be adhered to, as thousands of lives around the world havebeen lost and thousands more continue to be threatened. Many of the difficulties adhering to the principles of the UN Charter prior to the pandemic have in many respects been exacerbated to a point where those already suffering are falling deeper into despair. If, however, the global pandemic has shown us anything positive, it is of our interconnectedness and ability to communicate and cooperate across, and irrespective of, geography or time-zones – more so than perhaps thought previous possible. It is through these strengths that the United Nations can be a leading force in ensuring that the spirit of collaboration is strengthened as the world overcomes and recovers from the current pandemic.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a plan to address global challenges including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. Many of these were also pertinent 75 years ago on the signing of the UN Charter in San Francisco, USA. Every Branch within the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, including the CPA Small Branches network, also play a key role in the implementation of the SDGs, both at the national and international level. Significantly, Parliaments can provide crucial oversight towards ensuring governments make the necessary progress in meeting their national and international sustainable development commitments, and that importantly, any actions benefit all levels of society. Parliament also plays a role in ensuring that national budget decisions and the allocation of resources to ministries align with the SDGs. Importantly, the goals are interconnected and as Member States and Parliaments work towards their implementation, a holistic approach with rigorous monitoring, evaluation and reporting mechanisms is essential to ensure that ‘no one is left behind’ and that they are achieved by the stated goal of 2030.

Coming from a small jurisdiction - the Cook Islands - and in my role as CPA Small Branches Chairperson, I value the work done by the United Nations towards securing the sustainable development of those nations commonly labelled small island developing states (SIDS). Despite being among the smallest nations with the smallest populations, SIDS and other Small Branches are among the most affected by many of the world’s most critical challenges, including climate change, economic crisis’, and more recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. The multilateral sphere, most importantly through the United Nations system is one of the key areas where SIDS and CPA Small Branches can bring voice to these challenges and give greater impetus for collective action to redress the imbalances.

The impact of the United Nations can be at its greatest in the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) especiallyin the areas of education, energy independence, ocean management, climate change and food security.

In particular, the Small Islands Developing States Accelerated Modalities of Action Pathway (SAMOA Pathway) was adopted by the UN and its Member States, as a result of the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States, held from 1-4 September 2014, in Apia, Samoa. The SAMOA Pathway identifies key priority areas that have been strongly aligned with the SDGs, with particular relevance for SIDS. Its preamble provides that “small islands developing states remain a special case for sustainable development in view of their unique and particular vulnerabilities” and also recognises “the ownership and leadership of small island developing states in overcoming these challenges, but stress that in the absence of international cooperation, success will remain difficult.” 1

In the Pacific region, many national Parliaments have established partnerships with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) office that provide Parliaments, Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff with much needed capacity building support. The framework of the SDGs provides an important component of these programmes in addition to the various CPA workshops that have also been held in the region. The visibility of the SDGs within multilateral activities give strength to their overarching importance to all aspects of sustainable development. The CPA Small Branches network is also in a perfect situation where Parliamentarians can be active in ensuring the implementation of the SDGs. To that end, I was proud, as CPA Small Branches Chairperson, to be involved in the CPA Small Branches Workshop on Sustainable Economic Development, held in January 2020 in Valletta, Malta. Delegates representing Small Branch legislatures took great interest in, and highlighted the importance of, a range of pressing topics for SIDS and Small Branches encapsulated in the SDGs, including education; energy independence; ocean management; climate change; and food security, to name a few.

And it is stimulating to see the agenda of the Small Branches network to continue to progress, despite the disruptions caused by the pandemic. As recently as July 2020, as the CPA Small Branches Chairperson, I made an address at the opening session of the first in a series of webinars between the CPA Headquarters Secretariat and UNESCO for Parliamentarians and policy makers within the CPA Small Branches network, on the topic of biodiversity. The webinar has enabled these important issues to continue to be kept at the forefront of the global agenda and in continuing to connect Parliaments, decision-makers and other stakeholders, to share knowledge and strengthen the spirit of cooperation. It is evident from these activities that both the CPA and the UN, through its various bodies, remain committed to this process. I would like to especially acknowledge the UNESCO Section for Small Islands and Indigenous Knowledge for their key contribution alongside the CPA Small Branches network in making these webinars a reality.

As the CPA Small Branches network continues its work alongside its member Legislatures, it is imperative that the strategy of the network remains aligned with many of the very same principles of the UN Charter of 75 years ago. To this end, I am delighted to be involved in the development of the Network’s new Strategic Plan, ensuring that commitments to continued challenges and agendas are strengthened and reaffirmed but also enabling the Network to be proactive to new and evolving ones, in what is a rapidly transforming global environment.