Tonga's PM Urged UN General Assembly to Support Human Rights and Good Governance ^Featured

Tonga’s final 2015 Millennium Development Goals Report revealed remarkable achievements in the areas of health and education, where people are now enjoying an acceptable standard of quality health service, children and young people are able to go to school and advance their education.
 
In his statement, the Prime Minister stated that “Tonga is amongst the leading countries who addresses Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) particularly on physical activity, healthy diet and tobacco consumption.
 
With regard to the new Development Agenda, the Prime Minister announced Tonga’s full support for the Agenda and Tonga’s focus for the next 15 years. Many of the 17 goals of the Agenda are already part of Tonga’s MDG Report priorities. However, the Prime Minister further added that Tonga will also focus on 9 goals of the 2030 Agenda, namely, to address (1) No Poverty; (3) Good Health and Well-Being; (4) Quality Education; (5) Gender Equality; (8) Descent Work and Economic Growth; (9) Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure; (10) Reduced Inequalities; (15) Life on Land; and SDG Goal (17) Partnership for the Goals.
 
“With the assistance of development partners, we will do our utmost to achieve them by 2030”, the Prime Minister stated.
 
At global level, the Prime Minister also spoke on Tonga’s commitment to address sustainable ocean resources managements and protection as well as international peace and security. The Prime Minister continues to reiterate the region’s vulnerability to the global threat of climate change, which remains a critical priority for Tonga’s development goals.
 
As a way forward, the Prime Minister urged world Leaders to use best practice from the learning experience of the MDGs and accentuated the plans for implementing the new development goals.
 
“Most of us have come a long way looking with hope for solutions. Our political priorities must not distract us from the call so well embodied in the 2030 Agenda to “leave no one behind, ” emphasized  Tonga’s Prime Minister.
 
In his closing remarks, the Prime Minister made reference to achieving sustainable development by fully recognizing the principles of sovereignty of states, need to protect the human rights of all peoples living in areas of conflict throughout the world including in the Pacific Islands.

He stated “I re-emphasize that this call speaks to us as Leaders, to work together against injustice and cruel violation of human rights and dignity as in the case of West Papua in Melanesia in the Pacific. This is within our power, it is a choice that those with power and privilege can make”.
 
Tonga’s Prime Minister also called out to leaders that the “UN has a duty to closely follow-up this West Papua’s case and necessary actions be taken to stop this brutal and inhumane activities”.
 
Conclusively, the Prime Minister echoed the importance of recognizing that leaders have more than just a political will but a moral imperative to serve the underserved.
 
“We must meet this moral obligation internationally, regionally, and nationally, or else we will be left behind”.