Secretary General, Excellencies, Colleagues,

It is my distinct honour, to speak to you on behalf of the 39 members of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS); whose people are the most vulnerable, living daily with the stark reality of climate change. Rising seas, stronger storms, and changing ecosystems are not projections for us. They are our lived experience, and they threaten our very survival.

This Summit is a key milestone on the road to COP30; a COP at which the outcome must be nothing less than transformational. It must deliver new commitments that keep us firmly on a pathway to limit warming to 1.50C. The science is unequivocal; this is the critical decade. Delay is defeat. Every fraction of a degree beyond 1.50C. brings irreversible loss, especially for the vulnerable people of small islands.

We came here with firm expectations that new climate commitments in the form of 1.50C aligned Nationally Determined Contributions would be submitted in time to be included in the synthesis report ahead of COP30. I must speak plainly to the major emitters: your leadership will define the outcome. Those with the greatest responsibility, and the greatest capacity to act, must do far more. Align your economies with 1.5°C. Phase out fossil fuels. Accelerate the transition to clean energy. And ensure that your actions inspire confidence, not doubt, in this multilateral process.

The recent opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has affirmed what AOSIS has long said: climate action is not optional. It is an obligation grounded in international law and in the principles of equity and justice. The world must look to this opinion as a moral and legal compass, underscoring that failure to act is failure to meet international duty.

Excellencies, the measure of leadership at this summit and at COP30 is whether we choose short-term convenience for some or long-term survival for all peoples. For Small Island Developing States, there is no margin for delay. We urge all countries, especially the major emitters, to deliver an outcome at COP30 that is ambitious, just, and firmly aligned with 1.5°C, this decade, not the next. We urge you to lead by example as we face these interconnected challenges together. Let us turn these challenges into opportunities. We know it is technically, and financially possible, but time is running short to act.

Small Island Developing States are leading the way in climate ambition. I’m proud to highlight the leadership of my country, Palau. Today, Palau holds a rare net-negative status, our forests absorb more than six times the greenhouse gases we emit. But we are not stopping there. By 2035, we are committing to slash emissions by 44% from business -as – usual scenario. We’ve broadened our targets across more sectors, but we cannot do it alone, we need stronger support for implementation. And we are not alone; other SIDS are stepping up with bold commitments too.
For SIDS, ambition alone is not enough. Implementation demands resources and fairness. We call for scaled-up, predictable climate finance to support both mitigation, adaptation and loss & damage. The pledges of the past must now be met with delivery. This includes new and additional finance, not repackaged promises.
Further, adaptation to climate impacts is fundamentally important to SIDS, and we will be looking to COP30 to finally deliver an operational Global Goal on Adaptation, and which includes the resources necessary to turn plans into real action.

The world is watching. Our people are waiting. And our survival depends on what we decide together now. The future we shape must be one which guarantees dignity, justice and opportunity for all.