I am honoured to join
those who have spoken before me in congratulating the
President on his election to guide the work of the sixty-
third session of the General Assembly, and in
commending his predecessor for his stewardship of the
Assembly over the past year. I also take this
opportunity to commend the Secretary-General and his
staff for their continued dedication in advancing the
work of the Organization.
The world has entered an era where the basis of
international engagement is driven more by the trade in
goods and services and the distribution of the
08-52265 44
ownership of technology than by notions of
sovereignty. As a result, small vulnerable States like
Grenada are being relentlessly pressed to justify their
economic viability. That, along with globalization and
other challenges, has negative implications for the
stability of our countries. Against that backdrop,
Grenada believes that its diplomacy must undergo
fundamental change, not only to satisfy domestic
expectations but also to enhance our chances for
success.
Just over two months ago, the people of Grenada
voted overwhelmingly for new leadership and a change
of direction for our nation. We humbly offer our
Government as an example of peace and reconciliation
in action. We bring together people committed to
service notwithstanding our politically turbulent
historical background. In our country, we have
managed to release the distrust and divisiveness that
have existed for more than 30 years in order to
embrace peace and reconciliation and move our
country forward. We stand as an example of hope and
encouragement to those who are still fighting and
cannot let go of the blame, the hatred and the anger
associated with the past.
We stand today as proof that peace and
reconciliation are possible, that our collective hope for
those world regions where brothers fight brothers and
people die needlessly is not a fanciful or vain hope: it
is a valid hope that can be realized. It is a hope that has
materialized in our country as we move forward
together, reconciled from a divisive past to serve our
people and to serve our world through our participation
at the United Nations. From that platform of
reconciliation, we focus on and emphasize the strategic
significance of partnerships in governance. Our aim is
to build strong and meaningful relationships between
Government, the private sector, trade unions and other
groups within civil society.
Grenada believes it must play an active role in
world affairs, since our own domestic agenda coincides
with many aspects of the global development dialogue,
particularly as it relates to the achievement of the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Substantial
progress has been made in many of the targeted areas.
Moreover, the plans and programmes presently being
pursued will ensure that social and economic
development does benefit all our people.
Grenada’s main strategy to eradicate extreme
poverty and hunger focuses on expanding the
productive sectors of the economy, particularly the
agricultural sector. Emphasis will be placed on
attracting young people to agriculture, stimulating the
rural economy and providing for food security.
Grenada understands the importance of having a
well-educated populace. We are pleased that the goal of
achieving universal primary education has already been
accomplished. We are now striving to ensure that each
household has at least one university graduate by the
year 2025.
Similarly, technical and administrative capabilities
throughout the public service must be strengthened to
support our developmental agenda. Grenada is
convinced that we will not properly advance unless
there are fundamental improvements in the
development of our human resources. That is an area
where international support is especially needed.
Grenada has made relatively good progress in the
area of health care, especially in improving maternal
health, decreasing the rate of child mortality and
combating HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Our gratitude
goes out to international donors and other partners
associated with effective programmes in this area.
Global climate change represents a most pressing
and serious challenge to the viability and the very
existence of small island developing States. Climate
change is not only an environmental or sustainable
development issue; it is first and foremost a human
issue. With the release of the fourth assessment report
of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,
there is now scientific certainty that human activity is
the main cause of global climate change. Thus, the
opportunity to avoid irreversible damage to the climate
system will be lost if urgent and definite actions are not
immediately taken.
Small island developing States have contributed
very little to the release of greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere. Yet we are being forced to contend with
the devastating effects of those emissions. We are faced
with coral bleaching, sea level rise, salt water
intrusion, water scarcity and increasingly severe
weather events, all with very real financial and social
costs for our already vulnerable economies.
The recent devastation wrought by four major
hurricanes in the northern Caribbean highlights the
45 08-52265
serious problems we face as a direct result of climate
change. Our solidarity goes out to the countries hardest
hit, especially Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica and the Turks and
Caicos islands. We call on the international community
to respond appropriately to their plight.
In that regard, Grenada takes the opportunity to
strongly voice its support for the Alliance of Small
Island Developing States political declaration on the
urgency of responding to climate change, which is
slated to be adopted on Monday, 29 September.
Members will appreciate why Grenada speaks
passionately on this issue. We have had first-hand
experience of the trauma, pain and economic loss
associated with natural disasters. Four years ago,
Hurricane Ivan literally destroyed our country. Thanks
to the international community and, of course, to our
resilient and resourceful people, we have since become
more conscious of the imperatives of disaster
preparedness and crisis management. As a consequence,
we will continue to be at the forefront of activities to
have this issue properly debated and appropriate action
plans adopted and implemented. The leadership role we
have played over the last several months, through the
chairmanship of Alliance of Small Island States, is
consistent with that mission.
Grenada welcomes Japan’s important grant-aid
programme for environment and climate change under
its Cool Earth Partnership initiative.
Another issue of utmost importance to Grenada is
the protection of the Caribbean Sea, an issue which has
been repeatedly spoken of in this forum. Indeed,
Grenada and other Caribbean Member States derive
tremendous economic benefits from those pristine
waters, which are threatened by transhipment of
nuclear waste and other hazardous materials. Grenada
reiterates the call for increased attention to be given to
this serious matter with a view to having our concerns
adequately reflected in a stronger General Assembly
resolution.
Grenada cherishes the democratic style of
governance. We therefore pledge to contribute to any
multilateral dialogue to promote and enhance the
corresponding principles of transparency, accountability,
consensus-building and respect for institutions and
individual human rights. In that respect, we intend to
implement, in the short term, several critical pieces of
legislation, already passed by parliament, which are
designed to bring about improvement in the rule of law.
Notwithstanding the atmosphere of peace and
security prevailing in Grenada, our main task is to
continue to enhance the daily livelihood of our people
as we strive to achieve and sustain economic growth
and to restore fiscal balance and debt sustainability.
That challenge is compounded by unfavourable
external factors including high energy costs, escalating
food prices and the worrying slowdown in major world
economies and financial markets.
Grenada is determined to pursue the construction
of a new economy through the implementation of
strategic initiatives. As we proceed with our
development, we appeal to the international community
for technical assistance and other forms of support. The
usual role of United Nations bodies, including the Food
and Agriculture Organization, the World Health
Organization, UNESCO, the United Nations
Development Programme and others, will be critical in
the process.
No one in the developed world can deny the
value of a small country like Grenada in the expansion
of democracy and the fight against terrorism.
Currently, environmental issues also demand urgent
action on the part of all States. Those shared goals and
values reshape relations between States. These issues
underscore an urgent need for new platforms to address
the issue of support for the developmental needs of
States. Grenada believes that the realization of a global
partnership for development is of urgent importance.
Serious attention should be paid to addressing the
special needs of the least developed countries in the
areas of trade, debt relief and the environment.
It is Grenada’s hope that the sixty-third session
will be filled with a spirit of camaraderie, goodwill,
collaboration, equity, trust and confidence in our
ability to improve the general well-being of mankind.
It is our hope that the Organization’s reform will take
place in such a way that the perceived dominance by
some will not be a standard of inflexibility, but will
give way to genuine dialogue and cooperation.
I can assure the Assembly that Grenada intends to
pursue its external relations based on the principle of
mutual respect. Thus, we will be an active participant
in multilateral debates on current issues.
Grenada maintains its staunch and unwavering
stance in the fight against terrorism, illicit drugs,
weapons and human trafficking. We will continue to
unconditionally support all initiatives that promote and
08-52265 46
enhance global peace and security. Grenada strongly
condemns all violent acts by those who are bent on
creating chaos and panic in regions around the world,
and thus supports all efforts to bring the perpetrators to
justice. Additionally, Grenada is committed to the full
implementation of the recommendations adopted by
the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force to combat
money-laundering and terrorist financing.
Grenada is optimistic about the opportunities for
wider and deeper engagement among Caribbean
countries. We strongly believe that all countries should
be allowed to develop without hindrance and undue
pressure. Accordingly, Grenada calls on all countries to
constructively engage Cuba at this historic juncture.
Grenada is a friend both of the United States and of
Cuba, and thus wishes to use this occasion to call on
the former to use its diplomatic experience to assist the
process of economic and social change now taking
place in Cuba. Grenada contends that the stringent
unilateral economic measures in place against Cuba
will benefit no one and do not facilitate the world’s
goal of achieving a global partnership of equals.
Additionally, Grenada calls on the United Nations
to continue its vital role in assisting the African continent
in realizing its development objectives. In keeping with
the declaration of the recently concluded high-level
meeting on Africa’s development (resolution 63/1), we
urge the Secretary-General to use his good offices to
remind world leaders of their commitments for the
betterment of the African people.
Similarly, the plight of Haiti, my fellow
CARICOM neighbour, must be addressed with utmost
compassion and urgency. Grenada recently pledged a
modest monetary donation, and is proud to be a police-
contributing country with the United Nations
Stabilization Mission in Haiti. In that vein, Grenada
urges the other States Members of this Organization to
do likewise.
Grenada urges that we capitalize on the spirit of
cooperation and collaboration to assist the poor and
more vulnerable nations to become and remain viable
and to actively participate in a global process that
needs the input of all nations of the world, big and
small. In this regard, I wish to salute the Government
of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for
considerably easing some of the financial pressure
inflicted on our fragile economy by the sharp increases
in oil prices. Through the Petro Caribe Initiative,
several Caribbean countries are able to buy oil from
Venezuela on softer terms.
Grenada is convinced that the principles upon
which this great organization was founded, as
articulated in its Charter, should be given full vitality.
That would certainly redound to our individual and
collective benefit as we seek to confront the many
challenges of this modern and complex era.
Grenada commends the Secretary-General for his
outstanding leadership of this Organization. Finally,
Grenada once again congratulates the President on his
election to facilitate and direct the debate of this sixty-
third session of the General Assembly. I assure him of
our full support as he guides the process.