I stand here today, as
a representative of a nation with strong ancestral ties
to the African continent, to welcome the election
of Mr. Sam Kutesa to the presidency of the General
Assembly at its sixty-ninth session. We are confident
that the experience and skills that he brings to that
high Office will be invaluable as we tackle the myriad
challenges that confront us today. To his predecessor
Ambassador John Ashe of Antigua and Barbuda, I
also convey sincere appreciation for the leadership and
vision that he showed in guiding our work, not the least
of which was the success he achieved in setting the
stage for the post-2015 development agenda.
The quest for peace and development has assumed
an urgency we have seldom seen. We live in a time
of great instability and conflict. At the same time,
millions of citizens face unbearable levels of hardship
and endure unconscionable levels of suffering. Far
too many of our fellow men and women are being left
behind. It rests within our grasp to build a better future
for our peoples. This is the time to put people firmly at
the centre of our development aspirations, to tackle the
root causes of conflict, to create a culture of peace and
to entrench the principles of justice, equity, democracy
and respect for the rule of law. Recommitment to the
principles of multilateralism and fidelity to the ideals
enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations are
central to our efforts to accomplish those goals.
In the coming months, our attention will be focused
on elaborating an international development agenda
for the post-2015 period. That provides an invaluable
opportunity for us to address the critical challenges of
poverty, inequality, global insecurity and environmental
degradation. The post-2015 development agenda must
have poverty eradication as its central focus. In so
doing, we must give due regard to the developmental
status of each country, in particular small island
developing States (SIDS) and countries classified as
middle-income. Implementing and delivering the post-
2015 development agenda requires a strong focus on the
means of implementation.
The third International Conference on SIDS drew
international attention to the unique vulnerabilities
that threaten the very existence and survival of that
group of countries. Our ability to withstand the ever-
increasing risk of economic and environmental shocks
requires that we forge effective partnerships with other
members of the international community. In short, we
cannot do the job alone. Jamaica therefore welcomes
the support of the international community in joining
forces with SIDS to negotiate the SIDS Accelerated
Modalities of Action Pathway, which builds on the
Barbados Programme of Action and the Mauritius
Strategy.
Let me say, though, that support for SIDS
must continue beyond support for the International
Conference. Our concerns need to be addressed in the
context of the post-2015 development agenda. Among
those concerns are the full and effective integration of
SIDS into the multilateral trading system, an increased
voice and participation in international financial
institutions, the application of more relevant methods
for measuring growth and representing our state of
development, and increased support for efforts to
enhance our resilience to natural hazards and economic
shocks.
We welcome the outcome of the Climate Summit
convened by the Secretary-General. The participation
of business interests, civil society and a range of
international institutions highlighted the importance
of promoting concerted action among various
stakeholders to address climate change. While the
threats posed by climate change may be theoretical
for some, they are very real for those of us who live
in the Caribbean. In recent years we have had to deal
with the increased frequency of hurricanes and their
widespread impact on our land, lives and livelihoods.
The financial impact of hurricanes adds to the burden
of the dire economic challenges that we continue to
bear. Our fellow Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
countries in the eastern Caribbean will no doubt share
their recent experiences with floods that lasted only
a few hours last Christmas but caused gross domestic
product losses from which they have yet to recover.
As we prepare for the Conference of the Parties
to the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change to be held in Lima later this year, all
countries must be engaged in a cooperative effort to
devise an appropriate response to climate change that
will result in a steep reduction in global greenhouse
gas emissions. We also need action to follow up on the
additional document to be adopted by the Conference
of the Parties, which may be a protocol, another legal
instrument or an agreed outcome with legal force under
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change that will be applicable to all parties. In that we
dare not fail. Our commitment to addressing climate
change must be given effect at the twenty-first session
of the Conference of the Parties in Paris next year.
This year marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of
the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the most
universally ratified human rights treaty. The year
2014 also marks the twentieth anniversary of the
historic International Conference on Population and
Development in Cairo. At the same time, we are on the
cusp of the twentieth anniversary of the fourth World
Conference on Women in Beijing, to be celebrated
in 2015. This is therefore an opportune moment to
evaluate the progress made in safeguarding the rights
of women and children. All children have the right
to live a life free from fear and violence. That is the
essential prerequisite for the development of their full
range of skills and talents. Earlier this year, Jamaica
was pleased to host, alongside the Secretary-General’s
Special Representative on Violence against Children,
an interregional meeting that examined the impact
of violence against children. I urge members, as we
craft the post-2015 development agenda, to be seized
of the importance of addressing the special needs of
children and youth. We also call for special attention
to be paid to achieving gender equality. Rooting out
violence against women, enhancing women’s economic
empowerment and promoting their equal participation
at all levels of decision-making should be essential
tasks in that regard.
I now turn to the problem posed by the heinous
activity of human trafficking, a crime of global
proportions that exploits the most vulnerable among us,
not the least of whom are women and children. Jamaica
calls upon the United Nations Office on Drugs and
Crime to provide a framework for Member States to
develop a robust programme to help to bring an end to
that affront to human dignity and freedom.
We cannot ignore the link between our efforts
to spur development and the need to safeguard the
health of our people. The challenges to security and
sustainable development posed by threats to global
public health have been devastatingly illustrated by the
recent outbreak of the Ebola epidemic. As we heard just
two days ago from the Director-General of the World
Health Organization, every day, every minute, counts
in fighting the most severe public-health emergency
seen in modern times. This is the time for courageous
partnership, not inaction based on fear. An urgent and
robust international response is required to marshal all
the medical expertise and modern technologies that are
at our disposal. The pandemic nature of global health
threats such as Ebola and HIV/AIDS, including the
silent killers of non-communicable diseases, require
that we employ measures to combat them that are
similar in intensity and urgency to those used in the
fight against other global challenges.
Jamaica is concerned that the conflicts in Syria, the
Gaza Strip, Iraq, Ukraine, South Sudan and Mali pose
serious threats to regional and international security.
Those conflicts are neither limited in scope nor confined
to national borders. The instability in Libya, Yemen
and the Central African Republic is equally troubling.
Of even greater concern are the resulting humanitarian
crises and the widespread violations of human rights. It
is undeniable that those crises are fuelled by the growing
propensity to funnel and transfer conventional arms to
non-State actors, including rebel groups and separatist
militias. The militarization of such groups often serves
to further those conflicts rather than hasten their end.
Each passing day, the international community is
confronted with new crises, the emergence of greater
acts of barbarism, and the rise of more lethal terrorist
groups. In the past few months, we have witnessed the
atrocities of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
and the downing of a civilian aircraft in Ukraine and
a United Nations peacekeeping helicopter in South
Sudan. We also dare not forget that it is now 166 days
since the Boko Haram terrorist group brazenly abducted
200 schoolgirls, yet their desperate plight continues.
It is unfortunate that the number and scale of
those crises not only place extraordinary demands
on the international aid system, thereby hampering
its capacity to respond, but also serve to desensitize
the international community to the horrific levels
of suffering being borne by civilian populations.
Resolving those conflicts requires global and regional
cooperation. It is clear also that conflict prevention
must assume greater prominence. We cannot continue
to operate in crisis mode only. Our vision is that of
a United Nations transformed into a more effective
instrument for preventing conflict and securing just
and peaceful settlements.
Recent events in Gaza demonstrate that the need
for a lasting resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict remains as urgent as ever. Jamaica believes
that the cycle of violence will continue in the absence
of a negotiated political settlement based on a just,
lasting and comprehensive agreement that guarantees
the security of Israel and recognizes the Palestinian
State within internationally recognized borders.
We reiterate our commitment to disarmament,
non-proliferation and arms control. In the Caribbean
we are acutely aware of the pernicious impact of the
proliferation of small arms and light weapons, fuelled
by a dangerous nexus with the drug trade. That
combination is the single greatest cause of fear and
insecurity among our citizens. For the past two decades
we have remained resolute in our call for a global
partnership to fight that scourge. We are pleased that,
with the fiftieth ratification of the Arms Trade Treaty
earlier this week, that historic Treaty will enter into
force on 25 December.
All States, whether small or large, have a role to
play in the maintenance of international peace and
security. Jamaica is therefore honoured to assume the
chairmanship of the First Committee at this sixty-ninth
session, which reflects our commitment to advancing
the objectives of disarmament, non-proliferation and
arms control.
Among the major milestones to be celebrated
next year will be the seventieth anniversary of the
International Court of Justice. Jamaica is firm in
its commitment to the highest standards of respect
for international justice and supports the role of the
Court. Jamaica’s group of States has nominated the
Jamaican jurist Patrick Lipton Robinson as a candidate
for election to the International Court of Justice for
the term 2015-2024. His nomination demonstrates
Jamaica’s preparedness to contribute to the work of
the Court and underscores that all States, regardless of
size, can make a contribution to the development of the
rules and norms of international law.
In 2015 we expect to erect a permanent memorial
to honour the victims of slavery and the transatlantic
slave trade. Its location outside this very Hall will serve
as a place of meditation and solemn reflection on the
horrors of slavery and the need to prevent its recurrence
and to address its ongoing legacy. I encourage Member
States to contribute to the Trust Fund established to
underwrite the cost of the memorial. Only a small
shortfall remains. Let us press on to the end and meet
the final goal.
Jamaica looks forward to the commencement in
January 2015 of the International Decade for People
of African Descent, through which the international
community will undertake a range of activities to address
racism, xenophobia, discrimination and prejudice, as
well as systemic inequalities and underdevelopment.
People of African descent must be engaged directly
in the range of measures that can be taken to redress
the legacy of the historic wrongs they have suffered.
CARICOM countries believe that reparatory justice is
an important element in that process.
Jamaica remains opposed to the unilateral
application of economic sanctions and trade restrictions
applied by one State against another. We reiterate our
support for an end to the economic, financial and
commercial embargo against Cuba, and urge all States
that continue to apply such measures to repeal or
invalidate such laws. We have it within our power to
shape a world that is just and equitable and that embraces
both peace and development with equal fervour. As we
prepare to commemorate the seventieth anniversary of
the United Nations next year, we recommit to the lofty
goals enshrined in the Charter — peace and security
and the economic and social advancement of all people.
Let us get on with the task.