It is my great pleasure, Sir,
to extend to you warmest and most sincere
congratulations on your assumption of the presidency
of the General Assembly. The Jamaican delegation is
confident that much will be accomplished during the
sixty-second session under your able leadership. You
can be assured of the support of the Jamaican
delegation in that endeavour.
To your predecessor, Her Excellency Sheikha
Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa, the Jamaican delegation
extends its appreciation for her unstinting efforts in
advancing the work of the General Assembly during its
sixty-first session.
Jamaica also wishes to pay tribute to the laudable
efforts of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who, since
his assumption of office in January of this year, has
moved forward in earnest to enhance the process of
reform of the United Nations.
I am deeply honoured to be addressing the
General Assembly at its sixty-second session on behalf
of my country, Jamaica. Today, I especially restate my
country’s firm commitment to the ideals and principles
of the United Nations and underscore Jamaica’s strong
support for multilateralism, which must underpin the
core processes in the execution of the functions and
responsibilities of the United Nations. In doing so, I
am driven by our resolve for change, as well as by the
need for unity and for the reinvigoration of the United
Nations in order for it to effectively and efficiently
achieve the fundamental purposes set out in its Charter.
As we begin this session, we must not lose sight
of our strategic objectives and vision towards the
maintenance of international peace and security; the
development of friendly relations among nations; the
achievement of international cooperation in the
economic, social, cultural and humanitarian fields; and
the promotion of human rights and fundamental
freedoms.
Looking back at the record over the past year, it
is disconcerting that the challenges we face at the
global level have not seen much discernable change.
From a security point of view, the world continues to
be plagued by seemingly incessant and protracted
conflicts, such as those in the Middle East, parts of
Africa and elsewhere. Millions of innocent persons are
the victims of civil strife or are displaced as a result of
violence and armed conflict. Terrorism, transnational
organized crime and the proliferation of weapons of
mass destruction continue to threaten international
peace and security.
From the economic and social perspective, we
cannot escape the fact that we live in a world
characterized by high levels of underdevelopment and
social degradation a world where too many people
live in dehumanizing poverty. It is a world in which
human security is being threatened by environmental
degradation. The experience of HIV/AIDS and the
constant threat of new pandemics underscore our
interconnectedness and interdependence, demanding
universal cooperation and collective action.
All States, developed and developing, large and
small, are vulnerable to those threats and must of
necessity have a shared commitment to strengthening
collective security and safeguarding world peace and
security. No nation can address those challenges and
threats entirely on its own. Sustained collective action
and global cooperation are required to identify and
shape a common vision and agreed objectives to deal
with the complexities of our times. In recent years, we
have renewed our commitment to the United Nations as
the catalyst for effectively advancing the interests of
our peoples in the areas of development, peace and
security, and human rights.
Unquestionably, there have been pockets of
success in global economic progress over the past
decade. By and large, however, our commitments have
not been matched by the desired implementation of the
targets for meeting basic human needs, human security
and sustainable development. It is clear that much
more needs to be done if we are to achieve the
development targets in the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) by 2015.
The Government of Jamaica fully accepts that
each country has the primary responsibility for setting
development priorities through sound governance and
policies. We believe that the goals that were solemnly
agreed seven years ago are not overly ambitious and
are still achievable. In that context, my Government is
committed to taking further measures to pursue the
objectives of the MDGs and other internationally
agreed development goals. We are committed to
providing the necessary framework that will promote
social inclusion, enhance productive capacity and
employment, and facilitate investment and sustained
economic growth.
But many developing countries, such as Jamaica,
cannot do it alone. The realization of the development
agenda is dependent not only on our own domestic
capabilities, but equally on the genuine commitment of
all Member States to pursue a global partnership for
development, which is at the core of the strategy for
development. We believe, therefore, that it is
imperative that we move beyond the simple reiteration
of principles and translate commitments into action.
We must give life to the aspirations embodied in the
outcomes of international conferences on the basis of
mutual responsibility and mutual accountability, with a
fair expectation that obligations, as agreed, will be
fully undertaken.
In all that we do, we must recognize that progress
and uplifting the poor benefits all of us. It can mean
the difference between conflict and stability, between
hope and despair. As developing countries strive to put
in place practical national development strategies,
developed country partners must support those efforts
through greater market access, debt relief, private
capital flows, technological transfers and improved
global economic governance. Jamaica therefore calls
for renewed focus, as well as the necessary political
will, to honour the commitments made for
development, and urges the fulfilment of all
obligations that we have collectively embraced so that
we may effect real change in the lives of millions of
impoverished people around the world.
A critical role in that process is official
development assistance, including the fulfilment by
developed countries of the official development
assistance target of 0.7 per cent of gross national
income. The High-Level Meeting on Financing for
Development provides an opportunity to enhance
collaboration with our partners towards achieving that
goal.
The unique situation of middle-income
developing countries, such as Jamaica, also requires
special attention. That varied group of countries, with
per capita gross domestic product spreading from $900
to $10,000, is by no means a homogeneous group and
possesses its own particular vulnerabilities. Greater
efforts must be made to address the needs of middle-
income developing countries, in particular the high
level of indebtedness that those countries face.
Globalization and economic liberalization have
resulted in the increased exposure of developing
countries to external economic forces over which they
have little control. We should refuse to accept that
globalization creates winners and losers. What we
should strive for is a win-win and inclusive process in
which the benefits and opportunities are more widely
enjoyed across countries and regions.
An enabling international environment also
requires a global trading system that is fair and
equitable and that is conducive to development and
integration in the world economy. A continued cause of
grave concern to Jamaica is therefore the current
impasse in the negotiations in the Doha Development
Round, in spite of commitments to work expeditiously
towards implementing the development dimensions of
the Doha work programme. We must summon the
necessary political will to reignite trade negotiations,
with the development agenda as the centrepiece of the
discussions as we seek to integrate developing
countries in the multilateral trading system.
It is important that the creation of a viable and
equitable trade regime also recognize diversity in the
levels of development and size of economies. A one-
size-fits-all model disregards the complexities and
unique circumstances of countries. Jamaica will
therefore continue to insist that new trading
arrangements take account of that differentiation,
especially as it concerns small vulnerable economies.
The principle of special and differential treatment
seeks only to level the playing field and to give
developing countries a fair chance to participate
meaningfully in global trade. At the same time, we will
also join other developing countries in pressing for the
removal of support for agricultural products by certain
developed countries as a precondition for further
market access for such products.
We call for and join in continuous and concerted
international efforts to fight the spread of
communicable diseases, including HIV/AIDS,
tuberculosis, malaria and others, particularly bearing in
mind that they are all preventable. The global impact
of AIDS has been particularly devastating. The high
prevalence in many countries, especially in sub-
Saharan Africa and the Caribbean, is cause for alarm. It
should be noted that the pattern of high prevalence and
high heterosexual transmission is strongly associated
with poverty.
While noting the international response through
the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
(UNAIDS) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS,
Tuberculosis and Malaria, we stress the need for
increased funding to help support developing countries
to fight the pandemic. We are particularly concerned
that the countries of the Caribbean, including Jamaica,
are placed at a disadvantage in accessing the necessary
funding to curtail the spread of the disease owing to
their assigned middle-income status.
Implementing a global response to climate
change must remain a priority as we seek consensus for
combating global warming beyond 2012, when the
Kyoto Protocol expires. As we prepare for the
Conference of the Parties to the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change in Bali,
Indonesia, we are encouraged that the recent High-
Level Event on Climate Change and the General
Assembly informal debate on climate change
reinforced the urgency with which issues pertaining to
environmental sustainability have to be tackled.
The principle of common but differentiated
responsibility must be applied across the board. We are
equally convinced that the international community
must assist small island developing States in
incorporating climate change adaptation and mitigation
concerns in national sustainable development plans and
assist them by improving access to environmentally
sound technology related to climate change.
Jamaica and other countries in the Caribbean are
all too familiar with the adverse effects of climate
change and associated phenomena, including the rise in
sea-level and the increase in the frequency and
intensity of hurricanes and other weather events that
threaten the sustainable development, livelihoods and
the very existence of small island developing States. In
my own country, the onslaught of Hurricane Dean on
19 August resulted in the loss of life and extensive
damage to infrastructure, property and the agricultural
sector, as well as in the loss of livelihood for many.
The threat of terrorism transcends boundaries and
has had a devastating impact on the economic
development of States, whether directly or indirectly. It
is imperative that we negotiate and conclude a
comprehensive convention against terrorism. We must
also invigorate disarmament and non-proliferation
efforts.
There is a need to comprehensively address the
illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons,
which have the capacity to kill and maim thousands of
people. Jamaica has first-hand experience of high
levels of gun violence and the unwarranted burden it
places on our social and economic system. We urge the
international community to give priority attention to
this menace, including through the creation of a legally
binding instrument containing stricter controls on the
illegal trade in small arms and ammunition. Likewise,
we support the proposal for the establishment of an
arms trade treaty.
A major priority of the United Nations is not only
winning the peace, but more importantly keeping and
sustaining the peace. Jamaica fully supports the work
of the Peacebuilding Commission, which earlier this
year celebrated its first anniversary and whose
groundbreaking work is assisting in post-conflict
rehabilitation and reconstruction. As a member of the
Commission, Jamaica looks forward to the
continuation of the dialogue as we seek to build on the
successes of the recent past, always mindful that the
countries under consideration require swift action to
implement priority projects as part of the rehabilitation
and reconstruction process.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
continues to be seized of developments in Haiti. We
reaffirm the importance of the continued engagement
of the international community and, in this regard,
welcome the renewal of the mandate of the United
Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) to
assist in the stabilization process. We also encourage
support from the international community to meet the
long-term social, economic and development needs of
Haiti.
We must remain unwavering in our commitment
to the promotion and protection of human rights and
the rule of law. Much more needs to be done to ensure
that the basic rights of individuals are universally
protected and that transparent and accountable
governance prevails at the local and international
levels.
Jamaica is honoured to assume the Chairmanship
of the Third Committee during the General Assembly
at its sixty-second session, as part of our commitment
to ensure that human rights are promoted and protected
globally. In this regard, we are particularly keen to help
guide the Committee’s work in promoting and
protecting the rights of marginalized and vulnerable
groups. Jamaica recognizes the importance of the
protection of the human rights of women, which is
critical to the international processes aimed at
achieving gender equality and the development of
women.
Late last year a significant milestone was
achieved with the adoption by the United Nations of
the Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities with the distinction of being one of the
most supported conventions at its opening for signature
in March 2007. Jamaica is pleased to have been the
first country to ratify the Convention and encourages
others to accede to the Convention as a sign of their
commitment to ensuring that the rights and dignity of
the disabled are promoted and protected. We also
welcome the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights
of Indigenous Peoples.
The deteriorating humanitarian situation in
Darfur remains a matter of grave concern and
preoccupation of the international community. Jamaica
therefore welcomes the recent unanimous adoption of
Security Council resolution 1769 (2007) for the
deployment of the joint African Union-United Nations
Hybrid Operation in Darfur to the region. We are
encouraged that by certain developments that indicate
that this kind of cooperation has begun and urge that
these efforts be intensified.
The process of reform of the United Nations
seems prolonged and challenging, with little or no
consensus in the various proposals put forward for
improvements in the functioning of the United Nations
and its main organs. We must redouble our efforts to
revitalize the General Assembly, so that it can
effectively carry out its role and responsibility as the
chief deliberative and policy-making organ of the
United Nations. We must also work towards a reformed
Security Council that is more inclusive, more
representative and more transparent.
This year marks the bicentenary of the abolition
of the transatlantic slave trade. Member States of the
Caribbean Community are heartened by the
overwhelming solidarity of the international
community in marking the event at the special
commemorative meeting of the General Assembly in
March and other activities during the course of the year
to memorialize the victims of this egregious period in
our history.
A significant element of the commemoration is a
plan to honour the victims of the transatlantic slave
trade and slavery, through the erection of a permanent
memorial in the halls of the United Nations. We are
grateful to Member States that have contributed or
pledged towards the permanent memorial account that
has been established and look forward to your further
support and contributions towards the erection of the
memorial.
We are 192 Member States; we have the
fundamental tools and the required level of expertise to
effectively address the major challenges facing us
today. It is now clear that we must also have a steadfast
will and a shared commitment towards a radical change
from the existing mindset in favour of positive action,
if the United Nations is to successfully respond to
challenges, which continue to hamper the attainment of
its objectives for peace and sustainable development.
In calling for radical change in the existing
mindset and in the way we discourse and take actions
on international issues, we should be guided by the
purposes and principles of the Charter. A change in our
mindset will require a rethinking on the part of all
Member States as we seek to promote world peace and
achieve economic and social development. It will also
require a deep search in the conscience of all States as
we seek to adhere to our obligations under
international law with due regard for the collective will
of the international community.
This radical change in the existing mindset will
necessarily require us to be more responsible as
Member States of a united Organization, more
responsible as citizens of this one world and more
focused on the shared responsibilities that come with
our membership in the United Nations.
Let us not falter in our obligation to ensure that
the Organization not only remains responsive to the
vast array of concerns and demands of its diverse
membership, but that it is able to do so without
compromising the noble ideals and principles on which
it was founded. This process begins with a conscious
determination and political resolve to transform not
only our modus operandi, but the thinking that informs
it. Jamaica stands ready to play its part in this
endeavour and calls upon all Member States to do
likewise.