Tsunami highlights needs of small island States.

• Position: From the Secretary-General - Excerpt

Following are excerpts from Secretary-General Kofi Annan's address to the high-level segment of the International Meeting to Review the Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, held in Port Louis, Mauritius, from 10 to 14 January 2005.

This meeting has taken on even greater relevance in the wake of the tsunami that struck the region with such fury just 18 days ago. With the exception of storm surges not far from this capital, Mauritius was spared the destructive force of the tsunamis. Too many other men, women and children, from Asia to Africa, were not so fortunate. I have just visited some of the places that were hit the hardest. I have seen some of the terrible destruction--vast, lifeless swathes where once there were vibrant communities. I have met with displaced families and listened to stories of unimaginable sadness. And I have seen relief workers on the move night and day to deliver aid (see page 40).

Let us declare our enduring solidarity with the survivors. The outpouring of assistance has come from everywhere, including countries with limited means or struggling through crises of their own. The United Nations will continue to do its part, sparing no effort to ensure that help reaches those who need it, quickly and effectively. That means now, in the emergency phase, to provide clean water, sanitation, food and medical care. And it means over the long-term, as we look to reconstruction and long-term development. Should disaster strike again, and it will, in some part of the world, we must be able to say that we did everything humanly possible to build resilient societies. This tragedy has taught us once again the need for prevention and early warning. Last week's meeting in Jakarta called for the establishment of a regional early warning system for the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia. But we should do even more. We need a global warning system--and one that covers not just tsunamis but all other threats, such as storm surges and cyclones. In such an endeavour, no part of the world should be ignored. We must think globally and consider measures equal to the task.

We must also be ready to take decisive measures to address climate change. It is no longer so hard to imagine what might happen from the rising sea levels that the world's top scientists are telling us will accompany global warming. Who can claim that we are doing enough?

The events of the past 18 days...