1. Antigua and Barbuda
2. Barbados
3. The Bahamas
4. Belize
5. Commonwealth of Dominica
6. Grenada
7. Guyana
8. Jamaica
9. Saint Kitts and Nevis
10. Saint Lucia
11. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
12. Suriname
14. Trinidad and Tobago
Policy Statement by H.E. Dr. Patrick Albert Lewis, Permanent Representative
of Antigua and Barbuda tO the GENERAL DEBATE OF THE FIFTY-SIXTH SESSION
OF THE UNITED NATIONS General Assembly, NEW YORK, November 16, 2001
Mr. President:
Antigua & Barbuda is pleased that this is the United Nation’s Year of Dialogue among Civilizations. It is most appropriate that this is so. However, we can have meaningful dialogue only if the dominant countries reach out with genuine understanding when others speak. We can dialogue only if the basic principles of the United Nations are made into the core of reality. We cannot dialogue if multilateralism is to remain selective, and if the principle of rotation continues to be based on demography, military might, and economic wherewithal. The people of my country represent an integral part of human civilization, and we wish to contribute our voice and our ideas to the debate on the future of the journey of humankind on this planet.
The tragic events of September 11 in this the Host Country of the United Nations has presented a challenge to world civilization. The Parliament of Antigua & Barbuda on Thursday, October 18 passed strong anti-terrorism legislation. Also, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), meeting in Special (Emergency) Session in the Bahamas, 11-12 October recognized terrorism as a global problem requiring a resolute global response. The Heads of Government stated: “We are conscious that the unprecedented and barbaric terrorist assaults of September 11 will require of us extraordinary vigilance and coordination in the future, to ensure that our territories, our institutions and our citizens, are not used in any manner to facilitate the activities of terrorists or to undermine our national and regional security.”
We share the agony of the United States, for we too had nationals who perished in the 11 September atrocity. We fully support UN Security Council Resolution 1373, which makes it obligatory for all states to impose far-reaching measures to combat the scourge of terrorism. We support the work of the Counter-Terrorism Committee. International terrorism is in reality an act of war against the world’s peace-loving peoples. It is imperative that all countries of the world address in a more meaningful manner the underlying social, economic, and political problems that cause human misery and perpetuate injustice. We must act to ensure that the entire global society lives in an environment of freedom, and to be free from fear. The fight against terrorism will be a long and arduous one, but it is one in which we must thoroughly and completely engage ourselves.
Antigua and Barbuda has now ratified the Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court. The citizens of my country believe that in the prospect of an international criminal court lies the promise of universal justice, as the Court will have the power to indict individuals. Antigua & Barbuda is certainly disappointed that crimes pertaining to drug trafficking and terrorism have been put on the back burner in relation to the ICC, but we are prepared to continue our dialogue to bring them under the ambit of the ICC when it comes into effect. The cancer of drug-trafficking will continue to threaten human civilization until we fashion truly global responses to its menace.
Mr. President:
The battles in Seattle, Windsor and Quebec are an integral part of world civilization’s struggle to humanize globalization. Interestingly, we find ourselves agreeing with the statement by the IMF’s Managing Director in his address to members of the Deutsche Bundestag on April 2, 2001 in Berlin. Herr Kohler declared that “it is political and economic madness for OECD countries to spend $360 billion a year on agricultural subsidies, while poverty rages in developing countries especially in the rural and farming regions. It is also overdue for industrial countries to honour their commitment to provide 0.7 percent of GNP for official development assistance.”
At the UN Millennium Summit, my own Prime Minister Lester Bird castigated the OECD for its unilaterally devised set of standards for international taxation to be imposed on other jurisdictions; and for demanding that States change their domestic laws to suit OECD purposes. The rule of law had become the rule of the jungle, where rules do not apply, and only might is right. In reality, the OECD Harmful Tax Competition project had nothing to do with money laundering, but more to do with the fact that the OECD believed that its member states would lose capital to other states with more competitive tax regimes.
Globalization has left states like my own with a feeling of exclusion, a feeling of being pushed aside and outside, from which we observe the gains of the dominant. It is a feeling of not participating in the determination of our destiny. The Green Room process evident at WTO Ministerials has done nothing but increase our apprehension. We call for serious reform to be undertaken of the global political and economic architecture, both at the United Nations and at the World Trade Organization (WTO). The multilateral trading system needs to be transparent, fair and equitable, and all countries should be able to share in its benefits.
Mr. President:
Antigua & Barbuda, as a small island state, is extremely vulnerable to many natural disasters. The most prevalent threat is hurricanes, three of which impacted our sister states of Belize, Cuba, and the Bahamas. A single hurricane can set back the development of a small-island state ten years. Between 1995 and 2000, Antigua & Barbuda was hit by seven hurricanes.
We call on the international community to acknowledge in a meaningful way the vulnerability of small states like Antigua & Barbuda. We point to our lack of capacity in financial and human resource terms to bounce back from natural disasters and from external shocks to its economy caused by economic recession in the major economies of the world, our main trading partners. It is therefore imperative that we are able to continue to access concessionary financing through the World Bank.
Our social and economic development needs, including infrastructure, seem not to register in the boardrooms of the international financial institutions.
Countries like Antigua & Barbuda are viewed as middle-income because of the per capita income criterion, but this is a flawed measurement and should be abandoned. Financing for development should take account of a mix of factors, and should be linked to the vulnerability index, on which UNCTAD has done important work.
No account is taken of the considerable transaction costs faced by small states because of their remoteness and the disproportionate burden they bear in order to effectively participate in world trade. No account is taken of the openness of our economy to goods and services from all over the world, without corresponding market access for our own limited range of goods to the markets of Europe and North America. An inhospitable stranger called non-tariff barriers continues to slam the trade door in our face.
In these circumstances, Mr. President, we cannot over-emphasize how important it is for the IMF and the World Bank to apply special and differential treatment to measuring the fiscal and economic performance of small island states. Our limited capacity to raise revenue, our necessity to spend at a disproportionate level in order to maintain a decent standard of living for our people, should lead the IMF to have special and differential programmes of assistance for small island states. These programmes should not merely prescribe the traditional formula of large-scale public-sector dismissals and reduction of public sector investment programmes.
Instead, innovative ways should be found to provide long-term financing at repayment periods and rates of interest that would allow small states to maintain democracy, human rights, low crime rates and economic growth.
My country welcomes the successful conclusion of the Climate Change meeting in Marrakesh, where the parties to the UN Climate change Convention finalized the operational details of the Kyoto Protocol, thereby opening the way to widespread ratification by governments and the Protocol’s early entry into force. It was the result of several years of tough negotiation in which Antigua and Barbuda was most active. What we now have in place are the institutions and detailed procedures of the Kyoto Protocol, and the next step is to test their effectiveness in overseeing the five-percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions by developed countries over the next decade.
The agreements reached in Marrakesh also made important progress on strengthening the flow of financial and technological support to developing countries so that they can move towards a sustainable energy future, and sends a clear signal to business, local governments and the general public that climate-friendly products, services, and activities will be rewarded by consumers and national policies alike.
The meeting also adopted the Marrakesh Ministerial declaration as an input into next September’s World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. The Declaration emphasizes the contribution that action on climate change can make to sustainable development and calls for capacity building, technology innovation, and cooperation with the biodiversity and desertification conventions. With the Summit a little less than a year away, small island developing states such as my own, which are amongst the most vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change, continue to urge the speedy ratification of the Protocol. This will require a global coalition among states to ensure that it enters into force and become legally binding after it has been ratified by at least 55 Parties to the Convention, including industrialized countries representing at least 55% of the total 1990 carbon dioxide emissions from this group. While it remains true that those with the highest per capita levels of greenhouse gas emissions should take the lead, it is also incumbent upon all countries to work together to ensure that there is full compliance with commitments contained in the Protocol.
A paramount concern is the transhipment of nuclear waste through the Caribbean Sea. The countries of the Caribbean have been insistent that it be stopped, all to no avail, and our populations live in constant fear of an accident. We call on those who engage in this deadly traffic to respect the rights of transit states such as Antigua & Barbuda.
The most populous democracy in the world, India, spoke on the first day of the General Debate and highlighted concerns which we reiterate: there needs to be a more determined movement toward the liquidation of external debts of low income and highly indebted countries; there should be poverty alleviation programmes designed for countries facing financial crises; and the stabilization of international prices of primary commodity exports.
Mr. President:
The measures we have outlined above are essential for building a just and equitable international order. Anything less would simply be the imposition of the will of the powerful on the weak. All societies are measured by the way they treat their most vulnerable members, and the international community of nations is no different. I call on all delegates here assembled to heed the plea of the victims and to construct an international order which can lift human civilization to achieve the highest ideals of the United Nations.
I thank you, Mr. President
*****
STATEMENT BY THE HON. BILLIE A. MILLER, M.P. DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, AND
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND FOREIGN TRADE, BARBADOS,
TO THE GENERAL DEBATE OF THE FIFTY-SIXTH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
GENERAL ASSEMBLY, NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 15, 2001
Mr. President,
I join with other delegations in congratulating you on your election to chair the proceedings of the 56th Session of the General Assembly. I also take this opportunity to express my deep satisfaction at the award of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize to the United Nations and to Secretary-General Kofi Annan. It is a well deserved vote of confidence in your leadership, Mr. Secretary-General, as well as recognition of the pivotal role being played by the United Nations in an era of immense challenge for the international community during these early years of the twenty-first century. We are greatly reassured that your firm guidance will continue for a further term to shape the direction of the Organization.
At this time of renewed sadness for the people of New York and of the Dominican Republic, may I also offer my deepest condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives in Monday’s tragic crash of American Airlines flight 587.
For all of us, this year’s journey to New York to address the 56th Session of the General Assembly stands in stark contrast to the comfortable annual routine we have grown to appreciate. We come instead to a city behind barricades, a people traumatized and bewildered, a mood of foreboding and uncertainty on the streets and in these corridors. The horror of terrorism, Mr. President, one that has scarred innocent lives for decades in the Middle East, in Northern Ireland and other parts of Europe, in Asia, Africa, and in Latin America, has now landed on these shores with a fury and intensity that few of us would have thought possible.
The Government of Barbados has been explicit and unequivocal in its condemnation of the terrorist attacks of September 11th, and has pledged to cooperate fully with the international community in the sustained effort to respond to this global threat. No cause or grievance can ever justify the use of violence as a means of settling disputes or legitimize the taking of innocent lives. The use of terrorism is incompatible with the ideals of the United Nations and cannot be allowed to prevail.
Barbados shares America’s grief, for we too have lost five proud and hard working citizens to this senseless carnage. We share America’s bewilderment, and disbelief, for our citizens too have experienced that sense of violation and loss of innocence that comes with an unprecedented terrorist strike. 25 years ago, on October 6th, 1976, the unthinkable happened to Barbados, with the terrorist downing of a Cubana Airlines Flight just outside of our territorial waters. Although the masterminds of that attack were identified and apprehended they were never punished for their crime, but instead encouraged to remain actively engaged in their campaign of terror. We share America’s sense of outrage and determination to bring the perpetrators of the September 11th attacks to justice. We muss: also insist that there be zero tolerance for terrorism, whatever it’s source or ideology.
Mr. President, terrorism is a global problem which requires a global solution. For many years the United Nations has recognized the threat which terrorism poses to the promotion and maintenance of world peace. Since 1963, when this Organization adopted its first anti-terrorism Convention, some one dozen related Conventions have been approved by the International Community. Barbados is a party to seven of these instruments. Earlier this week I had the honor of signing the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Financing. Our Government is actively reviewing the remaining Conventions and their administrative and legislative implications with a view to providing for early adherence.
Mr. President, Barbados is committed to taking all necessary measures to minimize the risk of terrorist acts being perpetrated or financed in or from its national territory. A thorough review of security has been undertaken at our airport and seaport, and our authorities have taken immediate action to ensure compliance with the enhanced ICAO and FAA guidelines issued post September 11th. We have also taken legislative action to further strengthen our already well regulated financial services regime through amendments to the Money Laundering (Prevention and Control) Act, and the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act. Within the Caribbean Community we have agreed to increase cooperation in intelligence gathering, analysis and dissemination among our security and enforcement personnel. We expect shortly to be in a position to report in detail to the Security Council on measures it has taken in compliance with the terms of Resolution 1373.
Just as we agree that terrorism is a global phenomenon from which no country can consider itself immune, so too must we understand that it is a complex problem necessitating a multidimensional response. As our Secretary General has so aptly put it: “We face two possible futures: a mutually destructive clash between so-called “civilizations” based on the exaggeration of religious and cultural differences; or a global community, respecting cultural diversity and rooted in universal values. The latter must be our choice – but we can only achieve it if we bring real hope to the billions now trapped in poverty, conflict and disease.”
We must all accept that the quest against terrorism can never hope to succeed if it is viewed simply as a military campaign to strike at the power base of the latest practitioners of terror. It must also seek to find effective and lasting solutions to the problems of underdevelopment, poverty and deprivation, inequality, intolerance and injustice that marginalise so large a percentage of the world’s population. For it is from these conditions of hopelessness and despair that spring new converts to the cause of terrorism.
The events of September 11 th, and the extent to which they have impacted on the economic fortunes of all of our countries, have shown us the other face of globalization: the reality of our growing economic interdependence. Now more than ever there is need to recognize the value of multilateralism and the pre-eminent role of the United Nations in the search for lasting solutions to the challenges that will confront us in the early years of this new century. The importance of giving priority to a revitalized Development Agenda cannot be understated.
In this regard, Barbados looks to the International Conference on Financing for Development as a constructive forum for refocusing the dialogue on effective mechanisms for the implementation of the stalled development agenda. We support the need for reform of the international economic and financial architecture to meet the current development challenges. We are pleased that international tax cooperation will be one of the issues discussed at the Conference.
Many developing countries, including Barbados were encouraged to diversify into the financial services sector as a viable development alternative, and now derive a significant proportion of their national revenue from this source. We therefore continue to insist on the need for universal participation in decisions that affect the operation of this sector.
Mr. President, Barbados is far advanced in the implementation of its national commitments under Agenda 21. We believe that the World Summit on Sustainable Development presents an important opportunity to build a new and expanded relationship with our development partners for the full implementation of commitments already undertaken at Rio. Johannesburg should not merely review the status of progress of Rio, but should also outline strategies for dealing decisively with the sustainable development challenges that have emerged since 1992. For all Small Island Developing States, follow up of the Barbados Program of Action will form an integral part of this process.
Naturally, the Caribbean Basin countries will continue with their efforts to create a special regime for the Caribbean Sea with the ultimate goal of achieving its recognition as a special area in the context of sustainable development.
It is no secret that the efforts towards the creation of a new international trading system have led to bitter disappointment for the majority of developing countries, who have been severely disadvantaged by the imbalance of rights, obligations, benefits and concessions agreed at Uruguay, and by the failure of Seattle to address that imbalance. We hope that the Doha decision to launch a New Round will lead to a meaningful resolution of these critical developing country concerns. We are convinced that sustained economic and social progress for the developing world will only be achievable within the framework of a fair, equitable and inclusive trading arrangement, which gives due recognition to the differences in size and level of development of member states. We welcome the agreement on drug patents, which represents a major victory for the efforts of developing countries to respond to their priority public health needs and is of great significance in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
The impact of the September 11 th events on the Caribbean has been immediate and severe. The economic repercussions have served to emphasize the extreme fragility and vulnerability of our small states in the international economy. The countries of the Caribbean Community, whose economies are heavily dependent on tourism and financial services, have joined forces to coordinate a regional emergency response and recovery strategy to mitigate the effects of the crisis.
It is clear, however, that responses at the national and regional levels alone will be inadequate to deal with the magnitude of this unprecedented situation. In the words of the Prime Minister of Barbados, the Rt. Hon Owen Arthur: “the international financial community has traditionally required developing countries to rely heavily on policy responses to deal with economic crisis. But the situation that we face has not been caused by policy failure, recklessness nor financial excesses by developing countries. Policy responses without the commitment of real financial resources will therefore not suffice. Barbados therefore stands ready to support a well conceived response from the international financial community to the crisis at hand”.
Mr. President, it is the mission of the United Nations to promote the peaceful co-existence and the political, social and economic welfare of the world’s peoples. It is in this context that we must recognize the significance of the World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerances, and renew our confidence in the capacity of multilateral organizations to resolve differences and promote a sense of shared values. This Conference presented a unique opportunity for countries to take a proactive approach in diffusing both historic and contemporary conflicts, and in coming to terms with the injustices of the past and creating new understandings for the future. We regret that in many respects the Conference did not get the serious high level attention it deserved, and that the treatment of its fundamental issues was less wide ranging and definitive than we would have wished. For in the words of Professor Hilary Beckles, of the Barbados delegation:” the crisis of modernity that finds expression in spiraling racial hatred, xenophobia and related intolerance is not the sole burden of any one part of the global community, even though the victims of the crimes of which I speak continue to feel in -the course of everyday life the kind of pain and anguish not easily imagined by others.”
The citizens of the Caribbean are a transplanted people who have forged from the crucible of slavery, colonialism and economic exploitation a vibrant, pluralistic, multiracial society built on tolerance and respect for ethnic, religious and cultural diversity. In these difficult times, we believe that there is much to learn from our experiences and much that can be done to promote the culture of peace and understanding especially among the youth. In this regard, Barbados attaches importance to the early convening of the United Nations Special Session on Children, and a rededication of efforts towards the achievement of the International Development Targets already set.
Mr. President, we would do well to remember that, in the words of the Secretary-General: “none of the issues that faced us on September 10th has become less urgent”.
It would be an unfortunate irony if the global response to terrorism were conducted in such a manner, through the massive redeployment of resources from other priorities, such as the fight against narco-trafficking, extreme poverty, disease and environmental degradation, as to further exacerbate the economic, political and cultural instabilities which are the primary breeding ground for terrorism. Small countries like my own are not part of the problem but we are nevertheless required to be part of the solution, in circumstances which place a disproportionate burden on our financial, human and administrative resources, which had already been struggling to respond to the global economic recession.
Barbados remains fully committed to the United Nations system, and to the values, which it seeks to promote. We are keenly aware of the important work, which the United Nations continues to carry out in the Eastern Caribbean. We are pleased to provide tangible support for that work through the provision of purpose built headquarters to house the seven Agencies whose sub-regional offices are located in Bridgetown. We will continue to work closely with the agencies in developing a model partnership for Eastern Caribbean development. In this context we welcome the support of the UNDP, in partnership with the IMF and the Government of Canada for the Caribbean Technical Assistance Center which was inaugurated last week in Barbados. We look forward to similar levels of UN cooperation for other important programs, in particular that of UNDCP, whose work is providing critical support to the region in an extremely volatile international economic and security environment.
Two years ago the Prime Minister of Barbados emphasized that we were leaving the Twentieth Century and entering the Twenty First: “conscious of the dangers, but excited by the prospects”. Recent events must not be allowed to dampen our optimism. We must remain firm in the hope that humanity possesses the fortitude and determination to triumph in the face of extreme adversity, and that respect for diversity, human dignity, and the sanctity of human life will prevail.
We are not expected to complete the task, Mr. President, but neither are we at liberty to abstain from it.
I thank you.
*****
STATEMENT by H.E. Mr. Anthony Charles ROLLE, Chairman of the Delegation,
THE BAHAMAS, TO the General Debate of the 56th Session of the UNITED NATIONS
General Assembly, NEW YORK, 13 November 2001
Mr. President,
You have been elected to Chair what is undoubtedly one of the most challenging sessions of the United Nations General Assembly in recent times. My delegation congratulates you on your election; we pledge our full support to you; we express our confidence that under your leadership, the work of this Assembly will positively impact on our collective efforts to meet the many challenges facing our world.
My delegation also takes this opportunity to commend your predecessor, His Excellency Harry Holkeri of Finland, for his commendable leadership as President of the Fifty-fifth Session of Millennium Assembly.
Mr. President,
We are in times of great tragedy, but also of laudable triumphs. Our Secretary-General and United Nations have rendered outstanding and inspiring service to the peoples of the world. Mr. Secretary General, we celebrate with you and this organization the well-deserved Nobel Peace Prize awarded to you, even as we express our appreciation for the exemplary leadership you continue to provide to the United Nations.
Mr. President,
My delegation also wishes to take this opportunity to express its sincere sympathy to the Governments of the United States and the Dominican Republic and to the families of those who lost their lives in the crash of a US domestic aircraft in New York yesterday.
Mr. President,
While recognizing the many challenges the global community would face in the twenty-first century, leaders at last year’s Millennium Assembly nonetheless, were optimistic that peace and prosperity would be important hallmarks of the new century. Their hopes have been severely undermined by the indefensible acts of terrorism perpetrated in the United States on September 11 2001.
The horrific scenes of death and destruction in New York, Washington and Philadelphia, so indelibly etched in our minds have, no doubt, changed the world forever. The Government and People of The Bahamas mourned with those from countries all over the world, including our sister Caribbean countries, which lost loved ones, and expressed our sadness at the senseless loss of life and the wanton destruction of property.
Even as events in Afghanistan unfold, the United Nations and indeed the world, now face a dilemma – how to confront the grave challenge which international terrorism has defiantly issued to the world, and at the same time, meet the Charter obligations to promote human rights and social progress and better standards of life in larger freedoms.
We must, Mr. President, be visionary and creative, in ensuring that the resources and energies of the United Nations, and of the international community, are used to implement a balanced agenda that would deal effectively and resolutely with terrorists and terrorism, and also continue to positively impact human rights, economic and social development and other common objectives.
Mr. President,
The international community has spoken with one voice in condemning international terrorism as a major destabilizing force in the world. The acts of September 11 2001, fundamentally shifted security concerns regarding terrorists and terrorism to the workplace, streets and homes of innocent people, creating anxiety, insecurity and uncertainty worldwide.
Significantly, the terrorist acts have had serious and damaging consequences on a rapidly globalising world economy. The economies of both industrialized and developing countries have been severely disrupted, with grave implications for future economic and financial stability.
The economic outlook, particularly for many developing countries, is indeed grim. The small economies of the countries in the Caribbean have experienced massive disruption, given their vulnerability to external shocks, and heavy dependence on tourism, especially from the North American market. There has been significant loss of employment in the tourism, financial services and related sectors, even as governments’ revenues have fallen, and foreign reserves are threatened.
The countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have moved decisively to assess the implications of the terrorist attacks on its member states. As Chair of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, The Bahamas was host to a Special Emergency Meeting of the Conference held 11 –12 October, 2001, which adopted the Nassau Declaration on International Terrorism. That Declaration sets out the action governments would take to mitigate the impact on the region’s tourism, aviation, financial services and agricultural sectors, which are the major contributors to the GNP, foreign exchange earnings and employment in the countries of the region.
CARICOM Heads of Government also unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms, and reaffirmed their commitment to work with the international community in the multifaceted fight against terrorism, in accordance with international law and conventions. It is therefore our hope, Mr. President, that the international community will support the countries of CARICOM during this difficult and challenging period.
Mr. President,
We in The Bahamas have taken our obligation to co-operate in the fight against terrorism very seriously. We have complied with Security Council Resolutions, including resolution 1333, which calls for the freezing of funds and other financial assets of Usama bin Laden, the Al Queda organization and individuals associated with it. The International Obligations (Economic and Ancillary Measures (Afghanistan) Order 2001, enacted in our Parliament, in September of this year, prohibits any person dealing with any property and any financial institution licensed in The Bahamas from transacting business with Usama bin Laden, Al-Queda or any individuals or entities associated with them, and who, for these purposes, may be designated from time to time.
We have been able to take such timely action because of the comprehensive legislation enacted and implemented, as well as the effective regulatory regime established by my Government to ensure that its financial services sector is not abused by criminals for money-laundering or other financial crimes. It is this decisive action, which resulted in the Financial Action Task Force’s removal of The Bahamas from its list of non-cooperative jurisdictions in the fight against money-laundering in June of this year.
As part of its overall review of the international regime for action against terrorists and terrorism, my Government, in October of this year, signed the United Nations Convention on the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism. We are following closely the discussions on a comprehensive convention against terrorism, in determining what further action the Government will take in this area. We hope that a comprehensive, practical and implementable instrument would be adopted, that would take into account the existing anti-terrorism regime. In this, we see a clearly delineated role for the United Nations, and particularly the Security Council, which is well placed to articulate a coherent policy for global co-operation in the fight against international terrorism.
Meeting our obligations, however, has not been without sacrifice. The Bahamas, like many other CARICOM countries, has been obliged to divert scarce resources from other critical development objectives to initiate the sweeping security changes required at airports and sea ports and to otherwise mitigate the impact of the September 11 events.
For the Government and people of The Bahamas, the ravages of Hurricane Michelle have further compounded the significant economic setbacks caused by the September 11 events in the United States. Just last week that Hurricane made a direct hit on our Archipelagic state, causing extensive damage to infrastructure, agriculture and vegetation in some of the major islands. Government is still determining the extent of the damage, but has already begun the essential period of reconstruction.
Mr. President,
Globalization and trade liberalization are, and must remain, central issues on the world’s agenda. Generally, globalization has presented significant opportunities, and has had positive impact for many countries. However, for others, particularly in the developing world, the freer flow of capital, technology, finance, goods and services across national boundaries – the essence of globalization – has not met the stated objectives of improving overall economic prosperity, reducing poverty and closing the technological gap.
To the contrary, the social costs of globalization – poverty, inequality, and unemployment – remain serious challenges for many of the countries of the developing world. These challenges are further compounded by factors including an onerous debt burden, limited or inadequate export infrastructure to effectively participate in the global trading system, and inability to access the markets of the developed world.
My Government, nevertheless, is cognizant that the international trading regime of the World Trade Organization (WTO) provides a significant framework within which countries may benefit from globalization and trade liberalization, and work towards appropriately addressing the costs and risks they may import to the global trading system. In July of this year, The Bahamas submitted its application for accession to the WTO. WTO membership is a priority for my Government, and we hope that our application will receive the requisite support.
Mr. President,
We are in the period leading up to late 2002, during which the United Nations is defining its economic and social development agenda with greater precision, through a series of assessments of international action in specific areas. The Bahamas was pleased to have participated in the organization’s review of its work, and setting of its agenda, for further action in the areas of racism, racial discrimination and human settlements and the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. My Government believes that every effort should be made to consolidate those areas in which progress was made at the World Conference on Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance that took place in Durban, South Africa from 31 August to 8 September of this year. Global objectives in respect of Human Settlements received considerable impetus from the Special Session on Human Settlements that took place in New York in June 2001. The Declaration on Cities and Other Human Settlements in the New Millennium, adopted by the Conference, should prove invaluable in addressing chronic problems of inadequate shelter.
The United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in all its Aspects addressed a problem that for the small countries of the Caribbean is a particularly serious one. We would have wished for the Conference to have been more forthright in its adoption of measures to better address these critical issues, but readily accept the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in all its Aspects as an essential first step. Decisions taken at these and other United Nations meetings, Mr. President, are indeed decisions of the organization, which The Bahamas hopes will be implemented as such by all member states.
Mr. President,
Few countries in the world, if any, have been spared, the vagaries of HIV/AIDS. The statistics are compelling – over 30 million people affected. With respect to the developing world, they are even more compelling – more than 95% of those affected live in the developing world. The Caribbean region has not been spared, but we are taking decisive action. Our Pan-Caribbean Partnership, launched in February of this year, has the full support and commitment of Heads of Government for effective action against HIV/AIDS in the wider Caribbean. The Government of The Bahamas welcomes the contribution of the Government of Canada to the Caribbean HIV/AIDS Programme.
The recent Special Session on HIV/AIDS, held in New York in June 2001 gave Heads of State and Government the opportunity to set an agenda for slowing and reversing the destructive impact of HIV/AIDS around the world. It is an agenda that must be implemented, to halt and reverse this tragedy that is devastating populations and threatening to reverse development gains made in many developing countries. The developing world will, and must, look for help and support to those having the technology, research capacity, and resources, and which have themselves been able to control the spread of this deadly disease.
The year 2002 will also be an active one both for United Nations benchmark assessments and readjustment of priorities, and for addressing significant issues on the international agenda. The International Conference on Financing for Development will be convened in Monterrey, Mexico, in March 2002. As plans develop, we hope that all members of the United Nations will come to appreciate the need to ensure that the Conference provides the framework within which commitments can be made such that technical assistance could be provided to poor countries for basic infrastructural development, the standards of people worldwide who live in endemic poverty can be raised, developing countries can be assisted in attracting foreign direct investment, and information and technology would be more freely transferred to developing countries. My Government, for its part, is of the view that small developing, middle-income countries such as The Bahamas, because of their economic and ecological vulnerabilities, would not be excluded from development financing.
It is also the view of my Government that the World Summit on Sustainable Development, to be convened in South Africa in September 2002, should be complementary to undertakings made in the International Conference on Financing for Development. Ten years after the Rio Summit of 1992, the ever increasing fury of natural disasters, climate change and sea level rise, and the depletion of biological resources, and overall environmental degradation are but some of the issues begging reassessment, that must be part of the blueprint for determined action emanating from South Africa.
Likewise, The Bahamas hopes that the Second World Assembly on Ageing, to be held in Madrid, Spain in 2002, and the Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Children, postponed to 2002, should assess progress, but more importantly, must emphasize action that will provide guidance for national, regional and international policy and planning in their respective areas.
Mr. President,
The initiatives the United Nations will take up in 2002 to review and assess progress in a significant number of areas should bring clearly into focus the actions that must be taken by member states and by the organization to accomplish agreed economic and social objectives. It is the hope of The Bahamas that these reviews will be followed by a period of intense implementation of decisions that have been agreed, so that qualitative and quantitative improvements may be realized in all areas.
We believe that such improvements are essential, but must be in concert with United Nations initiatives to meet demands in other critical areas, such as conflict resolution, war and humanitarian crises worldwide. They should also be in concert with the organization’s efforts to address effectively and comprehensively issues such as illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, alien smuggling and refugee flows which do not respect national boundaries. In all such cases, the danger of inaction could have dire consequences, particularly for international peace and security.
Mr. President,
The current preoccupation with terrorism has fortunately not paralyzed the United Nations. What it has done is to emphasize the need for an effective and cohesive United Nations, capable of responding flexibly to unexpected and contradictory events in a timely and effective manner with little or no disruption of its programmes in other areas. We believe that the United Nations Charter constitutes a viable and firm foundation for the organization to balance and achieve its objectives, to maintain international peace and security and promote economic and social progress. The Bahamas fully supports the United Nations in all its endeavors.
I thank you, Mr. President
*****
OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE ENVIRONMENT, BELIZE, TO THE GENERAL DEBATE
OF THE FIFTY SIXTH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
NEW YORK,12TH NOVEMBER 2001
Mr. President Excellencies Ladies and Gentlemen:
That we have forged forward with the 56th Session of the General Assembly and that political leaders have assembled for the General Debate marks an extraordinary accomplishment and one that brings great credibility to the United Nations. To all who reside in this great city I applaud and thank you for continuing your work.
Today, more than ever, our efforts and energies should focus on implementing the purposes and principles of our Charter and inspire hope and confidence in all humanity. Your Excellency, Foreign Minister Han Seung-soo, on behalf of my delegation I extend congratulations to you on your election as president of this 56th Assembly. The manner in which you have guided our work thus far is outstanding and worthy of our recognition. We wish you continued success as you preside over this Assembly. To the Secretary General and to the United Nations Organization we extend congratulations on being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Before proceeding, please allow me on behalf of the Belizean people to extend to the President and people of United States of America, especially to the people of New York City our heart felt condolences on the tremendous loss suffered on September 11.
For most of us, the immediate reaction to this tragedy was one of shock and disbelief. As we joined in mourning the loss of innocent lives, including some of our own nationals, the international community moved swiftly to adopt a number of resolutions here at the United Nations. Through these actions we forcefully condemned acts of terrorism and reached out to the United States of America in solidarity, firm in our support to uphold the principles of justice and the maintenance of peace.
Today despots feast in the raging rivers of desperation, seeking refuge among the weak, prying upon the vulnerabilities of the less fortunate. Those who are caught in the sweeping currents of poverty, forced to five in a world were a dollar is a luxury, find little hope for a better future and are often abused by those who manipulate for selfish and destructive reasons. For us securing a better future for the millions who five in poverty continues to be our most noble of challenges.
To meet this challenge, the United Nations must remain true to its task as set forth in the Charter and reaffirmed just over a year ago when our Heads of State and Government gathered here and adopted the Millennium Declaration. This Declaration outlines various issues crucial to the realization of a world with for less poverty, death and despair, exhorting the values of freedom, equality, justice and tolerance. We must not allow the events of September 11 to cause us to lose focus on this righteous undertaking–we must stay the course.
For Belize the path to fulfilling the goals of the Millennium Declaration begins with addressing the issues of development and poverty eradication. We confirm our support for the Declaration on the Right to Development, which was adopted in Resolution 41/128 in 1986. As a small state working to provide greater opportunities for its people, especially those who live in poverty, meaningful sustainable development is critical and can only be achieved through partnership with the International Community. Regional and global cooperation are fundamental components for progress and can only be achieved through a universal acceptance of our shared responsibility to create opportunities for growth and development. Please allow me to say a few words in Spanish.
Senor Presidente
La globalizacion demuestra, en una gran, magnitud nuestra interdependencia, como tambien la importancia de cooperar con el resto del mundo basado en los principios de respeto mutuo. Un desarollo verdadero y sustentable requiere de practicas de comercio inclusivas y transparentes, y asi proveer las oportunidades que faciliten la participacion de paises en desarollo en la economia global. La ubicacion geografica de Belice nos permite participar tanto en la Comunidad Caribena, como tambien en el Sistema de Integracion Centroamericana, ofreciendo la oportunidad de proveer diversas perspectives en la lucha contra la pobreza. A la mismo vez aumenta nuestras opciones para una mayor participacion con todos las entidades interesadas en desarrollar mecanismos inovativos para integrar en una manera eficaz a nuestras economias dentro del sistema economieo global. En ese sentido, consideramos que la. cooperacion es primordial – una cooperacion equitativa y participativa, donde nuestras inquietudes y vulnerabilidades obtendran la atencion que se merece.
Mr. President
The Twenty-sixth Special Session on HIV/AIDS held last June brought together the International Community to collectively affirm the urgent need for critical action to combat this pandemic on the part of all stakeholders. For us in the Caribbean, the Conference was of special importance. Ranked the second highest in rate of HIV/AIDS infection after Sub-Saharan Africa, Caribbean states are working with its international partners to combat the spread of this deadly disease. Any progress made during the HIV/AIDS Conference must be attributed to the collaborative spirit displayed by all those involved, both at the political and technical levels. The inclusion of civil society as well as the private sector contributed to the effectiveness of the conference and remains crucial to the success of any programme to eradicate HIV/AIDS. We welcome the decision by the Secretary General to reach out to the entire world community to assist in the establishment of the Global HIV/AIDS and health Fund to help alleviate the suffering of the millions of people afflicted by the scourge.
Mr. President
The protection and preservation of our environment is a major concern to the developing world, as so many of us depend on our natural resources for our survival.
The commitments made by the international community for the protection of the environment have not been implemented and if not addressed urgently, the consequences will impact negatively on our small dependent economies as well as the global community. We attach great importance to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and welcome the successful results from the recently concluded meeting in Marrakech hoping to see more states ratify the Kyoto Protocol.
In the Central America and the Caribbean we perpetually suffer from the effects of natural disasters with the number and intensity of hurricanes increasing over the last decade. This has been attributed to the effects of climate change caused global warming. For two consecutive years, Belize has been struck by category four hurricanes magnifying the need to protect our environment and minimize our vulnerabilities. It is imperative that we gear our efforts towards creating the necessary mechanisms to reverse and curtail negative actions that contribute to the deterioration of the state of our environment. For this reason, Belize along with its partners in Caribbean Region continue to seek the support of the United Nations for a Special Regime for the Caribbean Sea.
Mr. President
If we are to speak of a shared responsibility for development and the maintenance of peace and security, this year especially, we must ensure that everyone be allowed to participate in this global forum. In this light, we continue to appeal to this organization to consider the right of the 23 million people on the Republic of China on Taiwan and allow their voices to be heard in this world institution. Equally we must continue to advocate for the Right of the Palestinian People to self-determination, including the right to their independent State.
With respect to our commitment to the development of peace and security, Belize is pleased to report the continuation of dialogue with our neighbor the Republic of Guatemala We continue to support all efforts to peacefully resolve our differences.
Mr. President
This year has been designated as the “United Nations Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations.” The recently concluded debate on this Agenda Item produced meaningful discussion on the advantages of diversity and its benefits to human progress. Enhanced by globalization, our actions impact others immediately, creating new realities and require more openness and greater sensitivity to the differences among us. In our country where seven different languages or dialects are spoken and diverse ethnic populations live together peacefully, my delegation welcomes the prospect of increased dialogue among civilizations, one inclusive of all peoples, that will improve upon the understanding of who we are and where we came from. The Secretary General in his report to the Organization on the United Nations Year of Dialogue among Civilizations noted the importance of ensuring that the process of globalization be comprehensive and fair. Let us grasp the opportunity given to us through this process to work together as equal partners in this global community, seeking to understand our common objectives while respecting our differences.
Mr. President
The Millennium Declaration recognizes the existing inequalities in our world; likewise it offers a comprehensive formula for greater prosperity for all. It directs us toward a collective responsibility through greater partnership among countries of the world. At this time when we are faced with new global realities, let us make this Declaration meaningful by accelerating our efforts to achieve the just objectives of lasting peace and prosperity for all of our peoples.
I thank you
*****
Statement by Honourable Pierre Charles, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs
of the Commonwealth of Dominica to the general debate of the 56th Session of the
United Nations General Assembly, New York, November 13, 2001
Mr. President
I am pleased and honored to address this august assembly on behalf of the Government and people of the Commonwealth of Dominica. I wish to extend my congratulations to you and your country, the Republic of Korea, on your election to the high office of President of the 56th session of the United Nations General Assembly, confident that your proven diplomatic skills will serve you well in guiding the affairs of the General Assembly with efficiency and purpose. Your immediate predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Harri Holkeri, is most deserving of our thanks and appreciation for the very able manner in which he presided over the Millennium Summit and the 55th session of the General Assembly.
Permit me, further, to congratulate the Secretary General His Excellency Mr. Kofi Annan on his election to a second term and for the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to him and the United Nations.
Mr. President
This general debate is being conducted in unusual circumstances. The horrendous terrorist acts of 11 September 2001 have altered the lives of many in ways traumatic and fundamentally tragic. I must again extend deepest condolences and pledge the full support and solidarity of the Government and people of the Commonwealth of Dominica to the Government and people of the United States of America and to all bereaved families.
The ripple effects of those acts have resonated in locations far removed from New York City, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania, aggravating economic and social conditions and seriously disrupting efforts aimed at meeting the many challenges confronting the United Nations and the international community. In short, in one way or another and to a lesser or greater degree we are all victims of those acts of terrorism that were visited upon the United States of America two months ago.
The Commonwealth of Dominica condemns, without reservation, what is undoubtedly the worst terrorist act of our times. We are in strong accord with the sentiments and mandates contained in Security Council Resolutions 1368 (2001) and 1373 (2001), and General Assembly Resolution 56/1, all of which call upon the international community to take unified and cooperative action “to prevent and eradicate acts of terrorism”. We understand the necessity for the exercise of the right of self-defense in pursuit of those objectives and we support the actions being taken “to bring justice to the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors” of the terrorist acts of 11 September 2001.
Cognizant of the importance of international cooperation in the fight against terrorism, Dominica has proceeded to establish a task force to put in place the necessary legislative and executive measures for the implementation of Security Council resolution 1373. But to be effective beyond the immediate crisis, counter-terrorism measures, mechanisms, and strategies must be sustained through a comprehensive approach that seeks to create and strengthen, through the United Nations, a legal framework against international terrorism, complemented by strenuous efforts aimed at improving the social and economic conditions which adversely affect the poor and dispossessed.
Mr. President
Beyond the immediate peace and security issues affected by the events of 11 September there was considerable impact on the global economy which has been thrown into accelerated decline, with consequences that are particularly disturbing for small developing countries like the Commonwealth of Dominica. In the Caribbean, there has been strong evidence of damage to vital sectors of our economy such as tourism, financial services and agriculture. Actual and projected loss of jobs in the region are in the thousands and for those countries that were already experiencing fiscal pressures the prospect of higher unemployment and decreased revenues are daunting.
Complicating the problem is the great concern that in the fight against terrorism and in the drive to enforce counter-terrorism measures certain areas in which developing countries in the Caribbean region have a competitive advantage such as the financial services sector may be subjected to inordinate pressure and unfairly targeted and linked to illegal activities such as money laundering. We are convinced that well regulated competitive tax jurisdictions should be treated separately and distinctly from illegal activities such as money laundering. The Commonwealth of Dominica remains firmly committed to the struggle against international terrorism to the same extent that we strive to ensure that our financial services sector, a major pillar of our economic diversification thrust, does not provide support to the perpetrators of criminal activity in the financing of terrorism.
Mr. President
The current effort against international terrorism is important and our focus on that activity is warranted. There are, however, other dimensions of the global agenda which should command the attention of the international community and the United Nations. They cannot be relegated to the back burner of our concerns. They comprise a wide range of economic, social, political, and humanitarian problems faced on a daily basis and for the most part by the poor and disadvantaged of the world. Indeed, some of them are likely to be exacerbated by the fight against terrorism and their successful resolution will continue to be the greatest challenge of the United Nations and the international community.
At the Millennium Summit last year there was general agreement on the issues that needed urgent attention and the goals to be achieved. One year later those goals appear to be as far from being realized as ever. Commitment appears to be lacking on all fronts. The objective of a 50% reduction in the number of persons living in poverty worldwide by the year 2015 suffers from the perennial tepid effort at dealing with the root causes of poverty. Contributions from the industrial countries are woefully inadequate and the required adjustment of the strategies of the international financial institutions are slow in coming. The outcome is a less than desirable creation and maintenance of the enabling environment for more effective management of projects geared to poverty reduction.
Mr. President
That lack of commitment is evident in other areas. A year after the Millennium Summit and six months after the United Nations General Assembly special session on HIV/AIDS, the international community seems to have lost interest in a crisis that the Secretary General labeled the greatest public health challenge of our times’. As front page news, HIV/AIDS had a short attention span after the special session but the disease claimed millions of lives last year and created millions of orphans in sub-Saharan Africa which continues to have the highest rates of infection; the Caribbean region ranks a close second.
The Global AIDS and Health trust fund proposed by the Secretary General is clearly not realizing its spending target of $7 to $10 billion. And achieving the stated goal of bringing to a halt, and beginning to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015 as declared by world leaders at the Millennium Summit, is now very much in doubt.
The majority of people infected with HIV/AIDS live in the developing world and the high incidence of HIV/AIDS infection is considered a function of poverty. The circularity of the problem has tremendous implications for economic development, poverty reduction and the efforts at raising the living standards in developing countries.
The accepted premise that international development cooperation plays a vital role in the development of the mechanisms necessary for the enhancement of trade competitiveness of developing countries, the strengthening of financial systems and the development of human resources are clearly undermined by the declining trend in official development assistance (ODA).
Once again we see the lack of commitment to the fulfillment of a stated goal. It is generally accepted that were industrialized countries to meet their promised official development assistance of 0.7% of GNP the developing world would be much further along in solving many of the problems with which they are p
