UN General Assembly
2014

real way in our part of the world. In my country, even before the advent of climate change, the atoll environment was indeed harsh. Life on the low-lying atoll islands has always been difficult. We have always worked on the principle of working together as part of a community on the premise that there will be some challenges that are larger than us and need collaboration. The age-old test of our resilience and our strength as a community is defined by the well- being of the weakest member of our community. For us, sustainable development must be inclusive. It requires sincerity, goodwill, respect and the willingness to move a little more slowly so as to assist and bring everyone on board in order to move forward together. I would like to bring those principles to the United Nations. The pursuit of sustainable development and lasting peace and security calls for and requires sacrifice. It requires inclusiveness. It requires collective and decisive action. It also requires political commitment and political leadership from all of us