Let me at
the outset commend you, Sir, on your unanimous
election as President of the General Assembly at its
sixty-fifth session. I pledge my delegation’s support for
your efforts to successfully move forward the agenda
of this session. I also wish to commend your
predecessor, Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki, President of
the General Assembly at its sixty-fourth session, for his
stewardship, and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for
his leadership of the Secretariat.
Your choice of theme for our general debate —
”Reaffirming the central role of the United Nations in
global governance” — is both appropriate and timely.
After 65 years of operations, there is sufficient history
to provide material for objective review and enough
future to justify such a rigorous assessment.
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In my own view, arising from the many successes
of the United Nations in a wide range of areas, one of
the most enduring lessons the past 65 years have taught
us as a global community is the wisdom and supremacy
of multilateralism. Even where multilateralism has
failed to secure lasting solutions to some of the world’s
problems, it has laid unshakable foundations on which
bilateral understanding can be built.
The resolution of the conflict in the Middle East,
for example, has long eluded the international
community. This is why we are hopeful with regard to
the latest efforts at peaceful negotiations between
Israel and Palestine being brokered by the current
United States Administration. If there is to be lasting
peace in the Middle East, there must be two States,
Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and
security. There must be direct negotiations with both
parties, Israel and Palestine, at the same table. Israel
must heed the international community’s unanimous
call to extend the moratorium on disputed settlements,
which would contribute positively to the negotiations.
And all the countries of that region must commit to and
work towards a lasting and durable Middle East peace.
Today, global governance relates not only to
concerns about peace, security and political self-
determination. Importantly, global governance
embraces such imperatives as the elimination of
hunger, disease and ignorance; administering a stable
and robust international financial system; and ensuring
fair trade, adequate shelter and the preservation of our
very delicate environment.
Never in the history of human existence has our
planet been faced with a greater urgency to meet these
objectives. The scale of poverty, conflicts, global
warming, the economic and financial crisis, migration,
pandemics, terrorism and international crime demands
a collective global effort employing common and
coordinated strategies. The extent of these problems
and the enormity of their consequences are clearly
beyond the resource and management capabilities of
any one nation.
I believe that our United Nations, with its near
universal membership, is the only global body that has
the legitimacy and operational structures to undertake
the task of forging the necessary political and
economic consensus to effectively tackle these
problems.
A mere three years ago, we heads of Government
described climate change as the defining challenge of
our era. Three years on it remains so, especially for
those countries that are particularly vulnerable. And yet
we hear from some who have a responsibility to act
that they will only do so when others have taken
action. While everybody waits for somebody else to
act, the peoples of the world are made to suffer.
If ever a challenge requires an urgent global
solution, this one does. Small island developing States
such as Antigua and Barbuda face a unique set of
vulnerabilities related to our small size: relative
isolation, narrow resource base and high exposure to
global environmental threats. To compound this, over
the last five years we have suffered disproportionately
from the financial, food and energy crises. Our
economies have been battered and many of our
productive sectors wiped out.
But the hardship that has ensued for our people
from all this, will pale into insignificance, if the
international community does not quickly address the
looming threat of climate change, which is already
having a devastating impact all over the world. We, the
small island developing States, have already experienced
loss of agricultural land and infrastructure — so too have
many countries in Africa.
Our fishing and tourism industries are being
impacted negatively. There has been considerable loss
of our biodiversity, saltwater intrusion and devastation
of terrestrial and wetland habitats and the destruction
of human settlements. Even the once-distant threat of
rising sea-level is now a reality, forcing some of our
people to emigrate and rebuild their lives elsewhere.
The most notable action, so far, has been repeated
promises of abundant financing to address the most
urgent problems. Sadly, most of these remain just that:
promises. There are too many commitments to
undertake aggressive greenhouse gas emissions
reductions with the caveat of “only if others do so as
well”. This approach has created a dangerous stalemate
that can only be to the further detriment of small island
developing States, such as my own.
Not willing to allow this dangerous situation to
continue forever, my own country of Antigua and
Barbuda has pledged to reduce its already miniscule
greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent below 1990
levels by 2020.
9 10-55128
This is within the range specified by the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which
has recommended that overall reductions should be
within the range of 25 per cent to 40 per cent below
1990 levels by 2020. We have also declared that we
will work towards making Antigua and Barbuda a
green economy by 2020.
However, much remains to be done, and we are
painfully aware that we cannot do it alone. I therefore
call on all countries, both developed and developing, to
join us in this endeavour by announcing real,
meaningful emission reductions targets, so that we can
move this seemingly endless debate forward and reach
a comprehensive, binding agreement in the very near
future.
The year 2010 has not been without its share of
catastrophes. The year began with a devastating
earthquake in Haiti — one of the worst disasters in
history. The death toll has been put at some 220,000
out of a population of around 9 million. The earthquake
has been estimated to cost $8 to $14 billion, according
to the Inter-American Development Bank. Against this
backdrop, many countries pledged assistance — up to
$1.5 billion. Sadly, only 10 per cent of the amount
pledged has been received by Haiti. In the midst of
these unfulfilled commitments, the humanitarian needs
of our sister island remain dire.
Since charity begins at home, we, the member
States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), of
which Haiti is a member, have been contributing within
our very limited capacity our fair share of assistance to
Haiti, including direct budgetary support. I call on
those nations that pledged assistance to Haiti, to
honour their commitments. Those pledges are needed
urgently, now that the rebuilding phase is getting under
way in that devastated country.
In Chile, a huge earthquake moved the city of
Concepción at least 10 feet, or 3 metres, to the west.
Between 500 and 700 persons were killed. Total
recovery costs could exceed $15 billion. In the
People’s Republic of China, a series of snowstorms and
freezing weather have affected the western region of
the country since December 2009. The storms have
affected millions and resulted in 30 deaths. This year
alone, severe flooding and a major earthquake killed
hundreds of people and rendered thousands more
homeless.
In Pakistan, devastating floods have resulted in
over 1,600 deaths and more than 6 million people have
been affected. That country has sought international
assistance to cope with the catastrophe. Despite mass
evacuations, there are fears that the death toll will rise
as flooding reaches the southern parts of the country
and the risk of an outbreak of waterborne diseases
increases in many areas. These disasters and their
aftermaths serve to reaffirm the need to ensure that
addressing the humanitarian consequences of today’s
disasters and emergencies remains a United Nations
priority. And those countries in a position to do so
should pledge their support to assist Pakistan and to
honour their pledges.
Antigua and Barbuda continues to commiserate
with the Governments and people of these and other
nations, who have been affected by natural and other
disasters.
In my region of Latin America and the Caribbean,
our Governments are taking bold steps to overcome
some of our inherent economic and social
vulnerabilities by forging economic partnerships
designed to help lift our people out of poverty. The
Single Market and Economy being developed at the
level of the 15-member Caribbean Community is one
such valiant initiative.
At the subregional level of the Organization of
Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), economic
integration is proceeding at an even more rapid pace
with our commitment to creating an economic union by
next year.
Both the CARICOM Single Market and
Economy, as well as the OECS Economic Union, are
enormous undertakings by small island nations with
very limited resources. We therefore invite the support
of our development partners to assist us with the
technical and financial resources necessary to move
these economic initiatives forward. The leaders of our
region see the building of strong economic alliances as
being vital to the creation of wealth and prosperity for
our people.
We are convinced that the capacity of our
national Governments to deliver critical social services
for our populations can be improved through greater
economic and technical cooperation at the regional
level. It is for that reason, and with the interest of our
people in mind, that the countries of Latin America and
the Caribbean agreed at our meeting in Mexico earlier
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this year to create the Community of Latin American
and Caribbean States, which will unite members of the
Rio Group and the Caribbean Community. This
Community of nations will coexist with the
Organization of American States, in which we
participate along with our North American partners.
The economic challenges facing all the people of
our hemisphere are too many and their implications too
great for us to contemplate the creation of any
economic community of Latin America and the
Caribbean that excludes any one country of our region.
It is in that spirit that Cuba remains, and will always
remain, a vibrant participant in any broad economic
arrangement for Latin America and the Caribbean.
We may not all share similar political views and
political systems. However, the right of all the people
of Latin America and the Caribbean to an equal chance
at survival, economic development and social
advancement is absolute and non-negotiable. For that
reason, the Governments and the people of Latin
America and the Caribbean continue to regard as
unjust, counterproductive and reprehensible the
maintenance of the ongoing economic embargo against
Cuba. As a political strategy or economic manoeuvre,
that act of economic strangulation is unjustifiable. We
condemn the embargo in the strongest possible terms,
as its continued enforcement by the United States
severely hampers the development of Cuba and its
people.
Antigua and Barbuda therefore reiterates its call
for the United States to immediately end its economic
embargo against the Cuban people.
More than 20 years after the fall of the Berlin
Wall, democracy has emerged as the preferred form of
government all over the world. And people everywhere
have strongly opposed attempts to seize Governments —
any Government — through undemocratic means. Such
attempts, whenever and wherever they occur, must be
condemned in the strongest possible terms. We
therefore condemn the undemocratic moves such as the
recent coup d’état in Honduras and call for the
unconditional return of former President Zelaya
without harm to his physical person. That is a sine qua
non for the full normalization of relations between
Honduras and most of the countries of the region.
As I said in my statement during the review of
the Millennium Development Goals (see ), a
renewed emphasis on trade is a critical pillar on which
developing countries are seeking to rescue their
battered economies and lift their people out of poverty.
In that respect, it is essential that all participants in the
global trading system, including our partners in the
developed countries, adhere to their international
obligations. If that is not done, the people of our small
developing countries, despite the encouragement of
their leaders, will have no faith in the international
system. They will have no reason to believe that the
multilateral system is just and that it works for them in
the same way it does for large, powerful, developed
nations.
The non-resolution of the ongoing gaming matter
within the World Trade Organization (WTO), despite
repeated rulings in favour of Antigua and Barbuda by
the Dispute Settlement Body of WTO, is a case in
point. Let us not forget that, like the United Nations,
WTO and other bodies such as the Bretton Woods
institutions are essential elements of the multilateral
system and vital pillars of the accepted architecture of
global governance. In the spirit of preserving that vital
architecture of global governance, Antigua and
Barbuda reiterates its call for our friend and partner,
the United States, to work with us to quickly resolve
the situation and reach a settlement that is fair and just
to both parties.
Trade is a critical engine of economic growth. If
for no other reason but that, we must complete the
Doha Round of trade negotiations so as to ensure a
balanced outcome. Now more than ever, after some 10
years in the making, Doha must lead to economic
expansion, development in the poorest countries, and
an end to distorting subsidies and protectionist barriers.
A number of the countries classified as middle-
and upper-middle-income countries are in dire need of
substantial amounts of debt relief in order to create
fiscal space for spending targeted towards their
development. Many of those countries now have debt-
servicing obligations that are comparable in size to
their gross national product or, in some cases, dwarf
the value of their total output. For them — my own
country included — the need for urgent debt relief is a
top priority.
For many of those countries the debt distress has
been caused by global crises not of their making. The
global financial and economic tsunami, the likes of
which has not been seen since 1929, has impacted
negatively on every sphere of life for about 90 per cent
11 10-55128
of humankind. In some instances, entire national
economies collapsed and commercial and private
sectors have been decimated. For some, the downward
spiral has no end in sight. Many countries are
struggling to maintain a minimal level of normalcy. For
others, attempting to stave off financial collapse, the
social upheaval and chaos are unravelling the very
fabric of modern societies and jeopardizing sanity,
sovereignty, independence, and the dignity and pride of
their people.
The effects of the global financial and economic
crisis on the larger territories of the Caribbean
Community are evident in their economic, fiscal and
social statistical data. For the smaller territories of the
Eastern Caribbean, the situation is even more
devastating. Permit me to relate the facts pertaining to
my own country, Antigua and Barbuda.
In addition to the direct and indirect impact that
the global economic contagion has had on our
economy, we have had to endure the collapse of two of
the leading insurance companies, which not only held
normal policies but also annuities and life savings for
individuals, as well as large cash investments for
national statutory corporations totalling approximately
$150 million. At the same time, the leading private-
sector employer and second largest employer in the
nation after the Government has collapsed.
All that was added to a financial sector that has
been suffering from a sustained campaign by the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD) to reduce competition in
taxation, an area into which we had diversified our
economy, which was previously dependent almost
entirely on tourism. That action by OECD resulted in
the loss of hundreds of the most lucrative jobs and an
estimated loss of hundreds of millions in direct revenue
to our economy.
We note the recent removal of Antigua and
Barbuda from the so-called Grey List. Our current
listing among the countries that have substantially
implemented internationally agreed taxation standards
is a belated recognition of the steps taken by the
current Government of Antigua and Barbuda, over
several years, to be in full compliance with all
international standards in this respect.
In the light of those realities of substantial
revenue decline and severe economic dislocation,
Antigua and Barbuda recently engaged the Paris Club
in discussions on our country’s $133 million
outstanding debt to that group of creditors. Our
engagement with the Paris Club was assisted by a
stand-by arrangement previously approved by the
International Monetary Fund (IMF). We have reached
an agreement by which some 90 per cent of that debt
will be restructured. Our next step will be to enter
bilateral negotiations with Paris Club member
creditors.
With the economic challenges I have outlined,
our efforts to meet human development needs are
severely strained and challenged in unprecedented
ways. That makes our attainment of the Millennium
Development Goals, though possible, extremely
difficult without a more realistic and flexible direct
commitment from our development partners. I
therefore call on the Group of Seven, the Group of 20,
IMF and the World Bank, in their bilateral and
multilateral commitments to the Caribbean, to give a
more compassionate and favourable response to the
New Arrangement to Borrow, with specific focus on
the Group of 20 agreement of 2 April 2010. That
agreement was to triple the fund’s lending capacity to
$750 billion. This approach has already been taken
with some other regions and nations. The institutions
are being called on, too, to accord to our region
consideration of broader and more comprehensive debt
cancellation to spur economic revival and, in some
cases, survival.
The General Assembly meets once again as the
chief deliberative, policymaking and representative
organ of the United Nations. We meet in this unique
forum, which bestows equality on each of its 192
Members, in order to engage in multilateral discussions
to advance the interests of all peoples of the world. But
reaffirming the central role of the United Nations in
global governance cannot be done without due regard
to the myriad challenges facing all its Members.
For us to achieve that reaffirmation — which most,
if not all, of us believe is a very notable objective — I
believe we must act now. I therefore call on the
Assembly to develop at this session the modalities that
will enable our nations to be able to resolve conflicts
and promote peace and stability, foster a more
prosperous world through balanced growth and
prosperity among developed and developing countries,
encourage all Member States to pursue a cleaner,
greener, more sustainable world for our children, and
create a safer world, free of nuclear weapons.
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The 65-year history of this noble institution
establishes beyond a doubt that we can. And the future
of our generation and generations of our peoples to
come behoves us to embark on that mission with
urgency and immediacy.