REMARKS: Hon Anthony Muller for Depositary of Marshall Islands Signature to the Rarotonga Treaty

Honorable Prime Minister and Ministers, Secretary General, Excellencies and staff of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Distinguished Delegates, and A special acknowledgement to Honorable Daisy Alik-Momotaor, RMI Special Presidential Envoy and Senator, His Excellency Ambassador Junior Aini, Embassy staff, students and members of the Marshall Islands Community.

Iakwe and good afternoon to you all!
Your Excellency, Secretary General Baron Waqa acting as the Depository, I have the honor to deposit the Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands’ Instrument of Signature to the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty, also known as the Rarotonga Treaty.

The Instrument of Signature was signed by Honorable David Paul, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade on the 3rd of March of this year 2025, which is the Republic's Nuclear Victims Remembrance Day. The Marshall Islands undertakes faithfully to ratify the treaty in due course.

As the Marshall Islands submits to the depository, we reflect back on the history of the Rarotonga Treaty. It entered into force in the year 1985 at the height of the nuclear age - when our Blue Pacific Continent was unfortunately still being used as a theater for nuclear testing. In the midst of this dark era, our region was just beginning to unite politically as a Forum. Although the Marshall Islands were not able to sign the Treaty at the time, we, like our fellow Pacific nations, recognized our collective strength and power to seek peace, harmony, security and economic prosperity. 

Some time has passed since then, yet, our spirit of unity burns just as bright, if not, even brighter today. Our responsibility now is to keep this flame alive for the sake of both our ancestors and posterity. The importance of keeping our region safe from the threat of nuclear contamination is just as important today as it was 40 years ago and it will remain this way onwards.

The Marshallese people know firsthand the terrible and ongoing consequences of nuclear weapons and we do not wish history to repeat itself on any nation or people. We are determined as written in the Rarotonga Treaty, to ensure, so far as lies within our power, that the bounty and beauty of our land and sea in our region shall remain the heritage of our peoples and our descendants in perpetuity to be enjoyed by all in peace.

It’s not been an easy road to get here, and we know there is much work ahead of us nationally, regionally and globally but today, the Marshall Islands is honored to join the original 13 Pacific nations, as a signatory of the Rarotonga Treaty. I thank all those who have contributed their time and work on this. Your Excellency, I give you my humble thanks for this honor to present this document on behalf of the Marshall Islands and thank you to all who have joined us for this occasion. 
Kommol tata.