New York, NY, September 18, 2023 – H.E. President Wesley W. Simina is currently in New York to attend the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. On His Excellency’s first day on the ground, President Simina and members of his delegation, including Acting Secretary of Foreign Affairs Ricky Cantero, and FSM Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Jeem Lippwe had a bilateral meeting with UN Secretary General António Guterres at the UN headquarters.
President Simina thanked the Secretary General for his continuous support for the FSM and Micronesian region, including his prompt acceptance of credentials for the FSM’s Permanent Representative Ambassador Jeem Lippwe, and the establishment of the UN Multi-Country Office located in Pohnpei. On that note, President Simina submitted the FSM’s request for the provision of adequate and sustainable funding for Micronesia’s UN Multi-Country Office in order to ensure its long-term continuity, to which Secretary General Guterres assured their commitment.
President Simina raised a number of issues of importance to the FSM to the Secretary General, including advocating for the appointment of a special representative on climate change in order to elevate the issue within the UN Secretary General’s office. President Simina also extended a standing invitation to the Secretary General to visit the FSM, to which the Secretary General noted plans to visit the Pacific region next year. Secretary General Guterres expressed his full solidarity to the FSM, noting the region as a fundamental priority in regards to climate change, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and peace and security.
