National Statement delivered by His Excellency Hon. David W.R. Adeang, M.P.
President of the Republic of Nauru 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly
Tuesday 23rd September 2025
UNHQ, New York, USA
Mr. President, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates,
It is an honor to address this Assembly on behalf of the people and government of the Republic of Nauru — a small island nation committed to peace, prosperity, and a sustainable future for all.
It is also a great privilege to speak as the first leader from the Pacific at this 80th session. As Nauru stands at a defining moment in its democratic journey, we are guided by this year’s theme: that we are, indeed, better together. This conviction shapes my remarks today, as I share Nauru’s perspective on the urgent challenges before us and the collective action they demand.
Peace, Unity, and Global Solidarity
Mr. President,
We gather at a time when the world faces unprecedented challenges to peace and security. Nauru stands firmly against war and conflict, believing that dialogue and diplomacy must always prevail over division.
The principles enshrined in the UN Charter—peace, human rights, and international cooperation—remain our guiding light. Nauru may not have military might, but we have moral authority earned through our commitment to peaceful coexistence and multilateral solutions.
We call upon all nations to choose unity over discord, cooperation over conflict and shared prosperity as the foundation for addressing our common challenges.
Economic Resilience and Partnerships
Mr. President,
Small island developing states face a fundamental challenge: breaking cycles of dependency that constrain our growth and threaten our economic sovereignty.
Nauru’s strategy is simple: invest in our people—they are our greatest asset and the foundation of our future. Education, healthcare, and opportunity keep our communities strong, our youth engaged, and our nation moving forward.
This principle guides every partnership we form and every initiative we undertake.
We are deeply grateful to Australia, whose steadfast support goes beyond diplomacy and partnership. Australia’s friendship has long been central to Nauru’s journey. Ours is a relationship grounded in kinship, trust, and the ties of Pacific family. As we say in Nauru, Ata Amin Bwini---which means, we are family.
We also value our productive relationship with the People’s Republic of China and reaffirm our commitment to the One-China Principle. China’s partnership has contributed meaningful opportunities for infrastructure, trade, and development that support Nauru’s progress.
For Nauru, these diverse partnerships, built on mutual respect and understanding, are the foundation of our progress at home.
Our economic resilience strategy is centered around the Intergenerational Trust Fund—which safeguards national wealth for the benefit of future generations—the Economic and Climate Resilience Citizenship Program, the Command Ridge Virtual Asset Authority, Deep Seabed Mineral Resources, and our pursuit of Egmont Group membership. Through these initiatives, we are diversifying our economy, creating transparent revenue streams, and ensuring that today’s progress benefits those yet to come.
As we look ahead, we must come together in the spirit of cooperation that defines this 80th session.
Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI)
Mr. President,
For small island nations like Nauru, our vulnerability goes far beyond income.
It’s the daily reality of disrupted supply chains, narrow economic choices, geographic isolation, and the outsized impacts of crises we cannot control.
By conventional measures, Nauru’s national income suggests we have surpassed certain thresholds. But income alone fails to capture our fragility — the isolation, climate pressures, and economic shocks that shape our reality.
We commend the United Nations for advancing the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index. The MVI reflects what our experience shows: that vulnerability is about exposure to shocks and capacity to respond matter more than income alone.
This week’s First Biennial Summit provides an opportunity to strengthen collaboration between the UN and multilateral institutions. Such collaboration should establish the MVI as the benchmark for determining eligibility for development support, concessional finance, and technical assistance.
We therefore urge the UN, in partnership with member states and development partners, to fast-track the MVI’s implementation, and ask all development partners to embrace this essential evolution — one that brings fairness and realism to global development policy.
Nauru stands ready to work with all partners in realising this vision. Let us not let a statistic determine who gets left behind.
Climate Change (Adaptation – HGI & PRF):
Mr. President,
The United Nations has recognized what is self-evident to Nauru: climate change is not just an environmental crisis it is a direct threat to our peace, our security, and the very survival of our nation. The International Court of Justice has issued an Advisory Opinion of profound moral and political significance, echoing the urgent warnings of our region.
We are approaching COP30, and yet small island developing states still face unacceptable barriers to climate finance. Despite countless pledges, those least responsible continue to struggle most to access the resources urgently needed for adaptation and mitigation. Simply put, the time for debate has passed. Concrete climate action cannot be postponed any longer.
That is why we have placed special hope in our Higher Ground Initiative—to build climate-resilient communities on elevated land, powered by renewable energy and sustainable water systems—and in the Pacific Resilience Facility. The PRF, an innovative Pacific-led initiative, is designed to deliver much-needed financing directly to communities on the front lines of climate change in the Pacific. By pooling resources and investing in local adaptation, the PRF represents a new model for building lasting resilience across our Pacific region.
Nauru calls on our partners to continue to stand with our Pacific family. We also welcome others who wish to join us and invite all friends of the Pacific to work alongside us in building a more resilient future for our region. Both the HGI and the PRF are not charity; they are sound investments in stability, security, and sustainability for communities on the front lines of climate change. Let us move beyond pledges and deliver real protection and hope for our people, the Pacific, and the generations to come.
Deep Seabed Minerals
Mr. President, The International Seabed Authority faces the complex challenge of balancing competing priorities while fulfilling its mandate. Nauru speaks directly today because the urgency of this issue requires clarity, not just diplomacy.
Nauru has faced several criticisms for its decisions within the ISA. These criticisms, however, miss the point. The true focus should be on ensuring the ISA fulfills its mandate to the common heritage of humankind; the exercise of legitimate member state rights is essential to holding the Authority accountable and prompting it to fulfill that mandate.
As both a small island developing state and a sponsoring state for deep seabed mineral exploration, Nauru has invested significantly through our sponsored entity to access minerals essential to powering the world’s transition away from fossil fuels and advancing the common heritage of humankind.
We have consistently advocated for robust regulations that balance responsible mineral recovery with effective environmental protection. When Nauru invoked the two-year rule, we did so in good faith, expecting the multilateral system to fulfill its treaty obligations in the same spirit. Yet, negotiations remain polarized, and the timely adoption of the regulations appears increasingly elusive.
The choice before us is clear: either we source these critical minerals responsibly through strong regulatory frameworks, or we continue to give in to delay.
While we remain committed to advancing the multilateral framework, Nauru welcomes all nations’ growing recognition of seabed minerals’ importance. This includes President Trump’s recent decision, through the 2025 Executive Order, to advance seabed mineral exploration and development. Nauru is committed to working with the United States to maximize cooperation in this sector. For Nauru, seabed minerals represent more than economic diversification—they are a pathway to resilience and a chance to contribute to global solutions. The polymetallic nodules found in our sponsored areas are vital for renewable energy that support the green transition.
Nauru urges the ISA to work with renewed purpose to fulfill its mandate without delay for the adoption of the draft exploitation regulations.
A Voice for the Vulnerable
Mr. President,
After eighty years of multilateralism, our greatest challenge is evolving existing frameworks to address the realities of today — with recognition, resources, and partnership.
The UN80 Initiative offers an opportunity to strengthen the UN’s ability to respond effectively to the complex challenges faced by vulnerable countries like Nauru. We urge that ongoing reforms operationalize the Special Circumstances of SIDS as a guiding principle, embedding recognition of our unique vulnerabilities in institutional procedures, financing mechanisms, and decision-making processes.
As we look to strengthen multilateral frameworks, we must also address practices that undermine them. Standing with vulnerable nations, Nauru calls on the international community to end unilateral economic measures that deepen vulnerabilities and limit development opportunities. We encourage dialogue on long-standing economic measures including those affecting Cuba to ensure they support rather than hinder the development aspirations that the UN Charter and this Assembly seeks to achieve.
Conclusion: Better Together for the Future
Mr. President, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates,
History will not judge us by our words, but by the future we build—by whether we choose unity over division, peace over conflict, and shared humanity over selfishness.
The theme before us— “Better Together”—calls on us to protect the vulnerable, build resilient economies, and safeguard the planet for those who will follow.
On behalf of the Republic of Nauru, I reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the United Nations and the vision of a just, peaceful, and sustainable world.
For the sake of our children, our planet, and our common humanity, let us stand together—not as divided nations, but as one family determined to build a brighter tomorrow.
May God bless the Republic of Nauru, and may God bless the United Nations.
Mwa tubwa kor. I thank you.
[ENDS]
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