Grenada

I wish to extend my sincere congratulations to you, Sir, on your election as President of the General Assembly at its sixty-eighth session. The fact that you were elected by consensus speaks in unequivocal terms of the high esteem in which you are held by your colleagues and the respect that you command in this forum. I am confident that your vast practical experience at the multilateral level will serve you in good stead as you guide this session to a fruitful outcome. In the same breath, I pay tribute to your predecessor, Mr. Vuk Jeremi., for his astute stewardship at the previous session. Allow me to begin by expressing our solidarity with the people of Kenya, while condemning in the strongest terms the cowardly acts of terrorism that were seen last week. I thank you, Sir, for selecting as the theme for this session “The post-2015 development agenda: setting the stage”, which, in my delegation’s view, embodies the fundamental concerns of all countries, but will find particular resonance with small island developing States (SIDS) like Grenada. This is an area where the multilateral system must demonstrate its effectiveness not only to improve the lives of ordinary citizens but also to maintain confidence in our multilateral institutions. We look forward to key performance indicators linked to tangible outcomes, rather than more analysis and more reports. Grenada endorses the call made at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development for the future we want. In that context, we must build on the successes of the Millennium Development Goals and Agenda 21. Indeed, for a post-2015 development agenda we welcome a framework that goes beyond gross domestic product and recognizes the assets of natural capital. Grenada encourages the international financial institutions to go even further by also recognizing the liabilities associated with natural disasters caused by climate change. Those liabilities underscore the need to reassess the basis on which small island developing States are graduated to middle-income status, thereby losing access to concessionary funding that is sorely needed. The unilateral graduation of many small island developing States to middle-income status is premature. I therefore reiterate the call made in Agenda 21 for a more holistic and comprehensive set of indicators for classifying States. Grenada endorses support for low- income and fragile economies. Moreover, it is clear that several of the SIDS newly promoted to middle-income status continue to struggle with high debt burdens, which are worsened by climate change and high fossil- fuel import bills. Many SIDS also struggle with low productivity and low levels of competitiveness and with severe financial constraints, and, in some cases, they struggle with limited prospects for immediate growth. The point is that per capita income used as a sole measure without the context of climate vulnerability does more harm than good. To illustrate that point, as damaging as Hurricanes Sandy and Katrina were to the  United States economy, the costs ran between 0.5 per cent and 2 per cent of the gross domestic product of the United States. That is in sharp contrast to the costs of between 20 per cent and 200 per cent of gross domestic product when hurricanes hit island economies. Therefore, Grenada is joining with other SIDS in urging the shareholders, the donors and the boards of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to translate the recognition of climate vulnerability in small island States into a meaningful package of financial and official development assistance for SIDS. The issue of the graduation of SIDS is an issue that has been raised year after year. Let us return to the General Assembly next year confident that progress on that matter has been made. In that regard, we wish to suggest for consideration during your presidency, Sir, a call for a substantive paper and a debate on the issue. Ideally, the outcomes of that debate should be provided as an input towards the 2014 third International Conference on Small Island Developing States, to be hosted by Samoa, and as an input to the Secretary- General’s debate on climate change scheduled for September 2014. Also contributing to the indebtedness and fiscal unsustainability of small island States are the volatility and high prices for fossil fuels. On average, small island developing States are paying between 20 cents and 40 cents per kilowatt hour for electricity, some as high as $1. That contrasts with prices of 5 cents to 15 cents in developed countries. We welcome, therefore, the initiative of the Alliance of Small Island States in establishing the SIDS DOCK Support Programme. We also wish to express gratitude to the donors and institutions for helping to facilitate that programme. In addition, the Government of Grenada is taking major steps towards creating a green economy. One of the priorities for Grenada’s Prime Minister, The Right Honourable Keith Mitchell, is the dismantling of a monopoly that is contributing to high energy costs on the island of Grenada. The Government is seeking partners to help create a level playing field, which will allow many more private-sector players to have a role in innovative and substantive power-generation solutions, while positioning Grenada as an exemplar for a sustainable planet. Mr. President, as you have chosen the theme of sustainability for the sixty-eighth session, so too has the Government of Grenada chosen sustainable development as the organizing theme for the development of our island and for our engagement with international partners. Grenada is a party to more than 40 multilateral environmental agreements. The push to harmonize local laws with those international instruments is testament to Grenada’s commitment to that agenda. The reasons are clear, the causes of climate change and the impacts of climate change are negatively affecting Grenada’s ability to fulfil its social contract with its people, including its ability to fully deliver on the Millennium Development Goals. So far I have spoken only about economic sustainability and environmental sustainability. The third pillar of sustainable development relates to social sustainability. Grenada is a society in which social development is given equal weighting with the importance of investment and economic growth driven by the private sector. On 13 May, a mere three months after assuming office, my Government ratified the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. We are proceeding apace to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, thus demonstrating that Grenada is committed to the removal of all forms of discrimination. Grenada associates itself with efforts to dedicate the Caribbean region to the development of humanity. We also acknowledge that through the ages the Arab world has contributed enormously to the world of science and mathematics, including the very numerals we use today. We see a modern Arab world taking positive steps to take the lead in developing breakthroughs on the key issues that confront our planet. We very much welcome initiatives such as Masdar City and the hosting of the International Renewable Energy Agency by the United Arab Emirates. The role of Qatar in hosting the United Nations Climate Change Conference is also noteworthy. Grenada joins with other countries in seeking to deepen our relationship with the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council and places a high degree of importance on the peace and security of the region. We are mindful that the region and the entire United Nations system have been seized of the issues of peace and security during United Nations Week. Grenada and many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean are home to a vibrant and entrepreneurial diaspora from the Middle East, including people from Syria and Lebanon. As a consequence, Grenadian citizens are very concerned about the prospects for peace in Syria and the wider Middle East.  Grenada condemns, in the most vehement terms, atrocities and crimes against humanity. We therefore believe that those responsible for the recent deadly use of chemical weapons in Syria must be held accountable by the international community. Moreover, Grenada welcomes Security Council resolution 2118 (2013), on destroying Syria’s chemical weapons, and is encouraged by the commitment of the Syrian Government to comply with that resolution. More importantly, my delegation hopes that that breakthrough could be a stepping stone to the resolution of the already brutal and bloody civil war in Syria, which has been fuelled by conventional weapons. On 3 June, Grenada joined 83 States in signing the Arms Trade Treaty on the very first morning that the Treaty was opened for signature. Work is already under way at the national level for the ratification of the Treaty, yet another signal of Grenada’s commitment to peace and security. Moreover, being the first country to accede to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, Grenada intends to use its experience to raise awareness on that particular matter, especially in the Americas. On the question of Israeli-Palestinian relations, Grenada remains convinced that a two-State solution is essential to ending that conflict and urges both parties to conduct the present round of negotiations in good faith. Grenada has good relations with the Government and people of Israel and is a strong advocate for Israel’s right to coexist in peace with its neighbours. Furthermore, Grenada has long been a supporter of the people of Palestine. Grenada is proud to have joined with neighbouring countries in recognizing the State of Palestine and in signing a memorandum of understanding based upon friendship and upon an understanding of a two-State solution. As with most of the world, Grenada looked at the Arab Spring with great interest. The use of social media underscores the rise of technology as a tool for democracy on a 24/7 basis, and my Prime Minister places great importance on the use of information and communication technologies as a way to engage our youth. As Egypt goes through its transition and its people’s call for freedom, dignity and social justice is heard, we encourage the leaders to learn the lessons of the recent past and respond to the will of the people in moving forward to a system of true democracy and respect for human rights and inclusive processes for nation-building. Finally, my delegation uses this occasion once more to express our solidarity with the Cuban people, who continue to suffer from an unnecessary economic, commercial and financial embargo that is a relic of the Cold War. Grenada once again calls on the United States of America to respect the views of the overwhelming majority of humanity and lift the onerous measures imposed over five decades ago now. We support your theme, Mr. President, for this sixty-eighth session and wish to assure our partners that they can count on Grenada to be an active participant in these deliberations and in the implementation of their outcomes. Grenada is open for business. My Government recognizes that a tried-and-tested route to sustainable development involves a significant component of foreign direct investment. Grenada therefore reaches out and seeks new friendships while maintaining and building upon its existing and long-standing relations with many States members of this body. In 2014 Grenada marks its fortieth anniversary of independence, and we invite each and every Member to celebrate with us on 7 February. We also see our 40 years as a milestone that recognizes 40 years of struggle, 40 years of development. But also, more importantly, it marks 40 years of expectations not yet fully delivered upon. As such, my Government, under the leadership of our Prime Minister, sees this year as the year of less talk and more action, the year of tangible deliverables, and the year that great socioeconomic strides are made. We have a young and vibrant population that cannot wait any longer, that should not wait any longer, and with the help and cooperation of our friends, new and old, we will deliver. They will not wait any longer.