Like many of the island states in the region, the Marshall Islands is not a traditional recipient of overseas development aid, and we have few bilateral partners. With its regional expertise, we are pleased that the UNDP is becoming a major focal point for our development assistance. The UNDP understands the complexities of the Pacific region and the development challenge for island states. We hope that the UNDP budget for the region will not be cut back any further. The Pacific is a vast area, and the logistical challenges faced by the field office in Suva, Fiji are daunting.
Sustainable development is a primary objective of government planning.
We are increasingly aware of the limits that constrain our development potential. We want to prosper on the resources that we have, but we do not want to repeat mistakes that others have made on their road to development. I commend the important work initiated by our neighbor, Papua New Guinea, to integrate sustainable development into the framework of international relations. The Marshall Islands is a small nation, and we increasingly feel the strain caused by our United Nations expenditures. We are of course very grateful and proud to be a part of this august body, but we are becoming worried at the scale of new contributions, particularly for peace-keeping operations.