キリバスは世界で最初に日が昇る国だが、温暖化の進展によっては世界で最初に水没する国になるかもしれない。

その原因は、キリバスの人々が行った何かが原因ではなく、遠くの国に住む、会ったこともない先進国や巨大な発展途上国の人々の活動が原因なのだ。

1948年に採択された世界人権宣言の趣旨からすれば、われわれは少なくともわれわれの生活基盤を尊重される権利があると思う。

そして、われわれの権利が守られるためには、世界の人々がわれわれに起こりつつあることを知らなくてはならないし、我々の自体を改善すべく行動を起こさなくてはならない。

我々の国；キリバスを水没から守るには、既に手遅れかもしれない。

しかし、私は世界で最初に事態に直面する一人の人間として、そして事態に直面するキリバスの国民の代表として、そして水没の危機に直面するすべての人の代表として、以下の事を宣言する 

●全ての人は自らの生存環境を尊重される権利がある。 

●全ての人は自らの行動が他の人の生存を脅かす可能性に配慮して生活しなくてはならない。

 
●そして、自らの活動が他の人の生存に脅威を与えていることを知ったときには、それを回避または改善する義務がある。

DECLARATION BY HIS EXCELLENCY ANOTE TONG, 

PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KIRIBATI 

The people of my country are the first to see the dawn of each new day.

But Kiribati also faces the very real prospect of becoming the first country to be rendered uninhabitable by rising sea levels due to climate change.

This catastrophe, should it occur, will not be because of anything we have done ourselves.

It will be the result of the actions of people we have never met; of those living far away in prosperous, developed countries and in vast and populous developing nations.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations in 1948, recognizes the fundamental rights of all people.

At the time the Universal Declaration was proclaimed, no-one could have imagined that the very existence of nations might be threatened by the changes we are seeing in our climate today.

Had our leaders known then what we know now, I have no doubt they would have included a reference in the Declaration to the fundamental right of peoples and nations to maintain their existence in the face of such threats.

To ensure that this right is respected, the people of our planet must be made aware of what is happening to Kiribati, and others like us. Concerted and immediate action is required to improve our situation.

It may already be too late to save Kiribati from the rising seas.

Nevertheless, I have a duty as the representative of my people, and on behalf of all nations around the world whose very existence if threatened, to make my voice heard.

I therefore issue the following declaration: All people have the right to respect for their living environment.

All people must conduct themselves with due regard for the possibility that those activities may threaten the living environment of others.

All people, upon learning that their own activities threaten the living environment of other, have a duty to take immediate action to mitigate such threats and to assist those affected.