Antigua and Barbuda, 2012

I wish at

the outset to extend my heartiest congratulations and

the assurances of my cooperation and highest esteem

to President Jeremić on his election to the presidency

of the General Assembly at its sixty-seventh session.

Antigua and Barbuda looks forward to his leadership

and guidance throughout this session.

I extend congratulations also to your predecessor,

Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, on a job well done

and for his continued service to the international

community.

The theme of the sixty-seventh session of the

General Assembly, “Bringing about adjustment or

settlement of international disputes or situations

by peaceful means”, is judicious, for it accurately

summarizes how we as nations need to act in these

precarious times of insecurity and uncertainty. These

times and circumstances call for a heightened sense of

urgency and a stronger will among all nations to work

with and through the United Nations in embracing

multilateralism in its truest form.

The sixty-seventh session of the Assembly is

taking place in an environment of continued challenges

to international peace and security; international

democracy is being tested; there is unbearable poverty

throughout the world; the sluggish recovery of the world’s economy provides little hope; and disasters

induced by climate change are becoming more rampant.

As we look around our global community, we ask

ourselves what we can do to solve the many problems

we face, and how we can find and maintain the peace

that we so desire. Maybe if we ask ourselves not as

individuals but as nations what peace is, then, perhaps,

we can collectively resolve to find the answer so as to

achieve peace.

For Antigua and Barbuda, peace means respect

for human rights and the differences of others and the

protection of women, children and the elderly. Peace is

devoid of greed that ends in unparalleled wealth for a few

and nauseating poverty for many. Peace means global

health awareness, protection and accessibility for all.

Peace means democracies with active global citizens,

by non-violent change. Peace means eliminating nuclear

weapons and controlling small arms.

Peace is free of violence and requires the

acceptance of differences in race, gender and religion.

Peace is a position from which to value the limits of

nature’s resources, and it is characterized by the

absence of the ignorance and shortsightedness that

leads some to selfishly plunder Earth’s plenty. Peace is

the understanding that climate change is real and that

sustainability should be our priority. Peace means fair

trade and equality of equity in globalization.

Peace is the elimination of corruption in Government.

Peace is the understanding and the recognition that the

world’s problems can be solved only by the inclusion

of all countries. Peace therefore involves a wider and

equal representation in the Security Council rather than

membership by a selected few.

In 2011, we celebrated the International Year for

Peoples of African Descent. That year has passed,

and gone from the international agenda is the issue

of reparations for slavery, which is central to fighting

racism and racial discrimination and nurturing a

culture of peace among nations. The legacy of racial

violence, segregation and slavery against peoples of

African descent has severely impaired our advancement

as nations, communities and individuals across the

political, social and, most importantly, the economical

spectrums. In the words of Kwame Nkrumah, we can

no longer afford the luxury of delay. The time has come

for us to revisit the issue of reparations for slavery and

place it at the top of the international agenda.

Over 200 million persons in the Americas depend

on us. That is why I am reiterating a call I made in

the Hall in 2011 for former slave States to begin the

reconciliation process by issuing formal apologies for

the crimes committed by the nations or their citizens

over the 400 years of the African slave trade. While

nations in the developing world continue to grapple with

the effects of a world economic crisis that is not of their

own making, I call on former slave States to back up

their apologies with new commitments to the economic

development of those nations that have suffered from

that human tragedy.

Transnational crime is threatening the very

existence of peace in Antigua and Barbuda. Our small

size and lack of human and financial resources make

it difficult for us, as a small island nation, to address

that problem in an effective manner. The crime and

violence fuelled by the illicit trade in small arms and

light weapons are jeopardizing our major industries,

including tourism. Our health-care systems are weighted

down, and families are being torn apart. Nevertheless,

crime prevention and small arms control is a priority

for my Government. It is important to note that neither

Antigua and Barbuda nor our Caribbean Community

brothers and sisters manufacture small arms or light

weapons, yet one recent estimate indicates that there

are 1.6 million illegal firearms in the region.

Additionally, Antigua and Barbuda is deeply

saddened by the fact that, despite significant efforts,

strong will on the part of the majority of States and

the fact that a compromise was potentially within

reach, there was no agreement on a text for the recently

discussed legally binding arms trade treaty. The

Assembly can rest assured that Antigua and Barbuda

will not give up, and we will continue to advocate for a

legally binding treaty that will eliminate the threat that

is crippling our region.

Antigua and Barbuda is committed to the rule of law

and the process it enables for direct political dialogue

and cooperation among all States and international

actors. The rule of law facilitates international peace

and security, human rights and development for all. Our

joint responses to the threats to peace and security, along

with the opportunities arising from various political,

economic and social instabilities, must be guided by the

rule of law, as it is the basis for friendly coexistence and

interdependence between and among States.

My Government upholds the ideals of the recently

concluded High-level Meeting on the Rule of Law at the

National and International Levels and stands committed

to upholding that very important principle.

The Caribbean has been known as a zone of peace.

We value our ability to live and work together despite

our different religious and political beliefs and ethnic

backgrounds. Antigua and Barbuda therefore condemns

the brutal killing of the United States Ambassador to

Libya and the destruction of the United States Consulate

in Libya. We condemn any acts of violence or killings

disguised as actions to defend religious belief. If we are

to build an environment of peace around the world, we

must show tolerance for all peoples and beliefs.

The dangers posed by non-State actors acquiring

weapons of mass destruction are real and should be

seen by all countries, large and small, as the single most

destructive element threatening international peace and

security. Antigua and Barbuda is particularly concerned

by the lack of progress in the area of disarmament and

non-proliferation. There should be no compromise on

that issue. Antigua and Barbuda remains resolute in our

continued call for a nuclear-weapon-free world.

The recently concluded Rio+20 Conference on

Sustainable Development provided an international

platform from which to address the social, economic and

environmental challenges affecting the international

community. Those challenges are direct threats to

humankind and oftentimes jeopardize peace and

security for all.

In resolution 66/288, entitled “The future we want”,

Antigua and Barbuda saw the Rio+20 Conference as

securing comprehensive and inclusive sustainability

for small island nations, whose survival is contingent

on an outcome of commitments and actions from the

Conference.

At the recently concluded summit of the Alliance

of Small Island States, my country joined with other

small island States in sending a strong message to

the international community on the need for bold and

ambitious actions. We cannot wait for our lands to

disappear before we act. We must act now to respond to

the climate crisis and ensure that not a single country is

sacrificed, no matter how small.

The threat is real. Our sea levels are rising, there is

coral bleaching beyond our shores, and hurricanes are

becoming more recurrent and severe. The Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework

Convention on Climate Change needs to take concrete

steps in order to protect small island developing States

and other exposed countries from the threats of climate

change.

The responsibility to mitigate climate change

should be at the forefront of the collective consciousness

of both developing and developed countries. However,

developed countries should accept their responsibilities

as the leading contributors to the extremely high

levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which

are now threatening the welfare of present and future

generations. It is my Government’s hope that the selfish

act of inaction will dissipate in Doha and that a positive

outcome in the climate change negotiations will usher

in new hopes for humanity and compassion for our

planet.

Antigua and Barbuda is doing its part to protect

Mother Earth. My Government has embarked on a

renewable energy mandate. We are now shifting our

focus towards harvesting water and wind to meet our

energy needs. We are protecting our ecosystem with

strong legislation, and we are replanting mangroves

and protecting areas that are sensitive to pollutants.

Climate change and sustainability are high on my

Government’s development and investment priorities,

and we are ensuring that new and refurbished private

and commercial investments are in line with our green

approach to our society.

My Government also joins with member States of

the Alliance of Small Island States in calling on the

General Assembly to designate 2014 as the International

Year of Small Island Developing States in order to raise

awareness of the special situation of our members

and mobilize international support for our sustainable

development.

Over the past year, the United Nations Stabilization

Mission in Haiti has made important progress in its

support to the Haitian people’s efforts to consolidate

democracy, stability and the rule of law and to move

forward on the path to social and economic development.

In spite of the progress made, the situation in Haiti

remains fragile, as the country strives to overcome its

daunting political, social and economic challenges.

I therefore stress the need for adequate funding

and continued implementation of the Mission in Haiti. I

would like to reiterate my Government’s strong support

for the Mission in Haiti and to stress that peace will only be achieved if we simultaneously address issues of

security, national reconciliation and development. I also

call on those nations that pledged assistance to Haiti to

honour their commitments. Those pledges are urgently

needed, now that the rebuilding phase is progressing

under a new Administration.

It has been nearly fi ve years since we started to see a

sharp downturn in the world’s economy. Unfortunately,

Antigua and Barbuda is among the small and developing

States that have yet to see significant improvements.

While we have made several attempts to curtail the

haemorrhaging of our fragile economies, it must be

said that we need greater cooperation, flexibility

and inclusion on the part of our developed partners.

Gross domestic product can no longer be the criterion

used in accessing concessionary financing and other

international financial relief; instead, mechanisms

should be put in place that take into consideration a host

of other elements, including the fragility of economies.

We are still in a crisis, a crisis of confidence in

global governance and the institutional capacity

for managing the international financial system,

international trade and international development

policies. We are also living in the era of globalization

where cooperative collectives — and not ambitious

and selfish empires — must be the order of the day in

international financial governance. A privileged few

should never be allowed to make financial decisions

that impact the socioeconomic livelihood of millions

without regard for that excluded majority. Economic

prosperity should be shared equally among countries

and within countries. The exclusive clubs of the

Group of Eight and the Group of 20 cannot repair the

fragmented international financial system without

taking due consideration of the majority of nations left

on the outside with much to offer.

My Government calls on developed countries

and the countries of the Organization for Economic

Cooperation and Development to guarantee that their

response with regard to international tax matters will

involve improved international cooperation on tax issues

through comprehensive and supportive frameworks that

ensure the involvement and equal treatment of small

jurisdictions like Antigua and Barbuda without the

nuances of inappropriately branding us as tax havens.

Antigua and Barbuda has been proactive in its

approach to diversifying our economy. We entered

into the international gaming sector abiding by all prescribed international standards. Unfortunately,

our friend and developed partner, the United States

of America, was of the view that our gaming sector

contravened its domestic laws. Antigua and Barbuda

found it appropriate to seek international redress on

the matter through the dispute resolution mechanism

at the World Trade Organization. We prevailed, and

the United States was ordered to compensate Antigua

and Barbuda for its losses. Yet, years later, Antigua and

Barbuda is still engaging in negotiations with the United

States. I therefore call on the Government of the United

States to work with us to quickly resolve the matter so

that we can arrive at a settlement that is fair and just.

I also call on the United States to work cooperatively

with Antigua and Barbuda and other remote gaming

jurisdictions to forge an enlightened, reasonable and

reasoned way of addressing the regulation and licensing

of remote gaming services.

While we are on the matter of trade disputes, it

has been decades since the United States instituted its

embargo on Cuba. Time and time again the international

community, acting through the General Assembly, has

called on the United States to lift that trade embargo.

However, it continues unabated. Since its inception, the

embargo has inf licted untold economic damage on the

Cuban people, caused shortages and needless suffering

to the Cuban population, limited and restrained the

development of the country and seriously damaged

the Cuban economy. Through all of that, the Cuban

people have managed to preserve their sovereignty,

independence and right to self-determination. As a

country committed to the norms of the multilateral

trading system and to the freedom of trade and

navigation and a country that rejects the extraterritorial

application of another country’s national laws, Antigua

and Barbuda calls on the United States to immediately

and unconditionally lift its economic embargo against

the people of Cuba. It is time to turn a new page of

peace, cooperation and understanding, a time for global

healing and international community-building. The

continuation of the embargo further destroys the very

fabric of hope that we have created as a community of

nations in order to resolve the world’s issues.

The world is changing. Economies, policies and

countries are becoming more intertwined than ever

before. Antigua and Barbuda sees those relationships of

integration as positive steps towards achieving a world

that is not dominated by a few but represents rather a unification of leadership in the hope of combating most

of the world’s shortcomings.

The smaller developing countries in the Caribbean

and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States

(OECS) are poised to make great strides in our integration

agenda. The ratification of the OECS Economic Union

is a major step in that direction. We have a stable

shared currency, with a monetary council that has been

instrumental in preventing further deterioration of our

economies. There have been renewed commitments

by all of the Caribbean Community countries to work

tirelessly to realize the full potential of the Caribbean

Single Market and Economy. Antigua and Barbuda has

joined the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our

America, an institution that is built on the principles

of solidarity, complementarity and cooperation.

The Community of Latin America and Caribbean

States — a new integration arm within our region — the

geographical position of our countries, our shared

cultures and values and our desires as developing

partners for a more just global community that is built

on fairness and peace give my Government hope that

all is not lost as regards multilateralism.

Antigua and Barbuda faces many challenges in the

prevention, care and treatment of non-communicable

diseases (NCDs). Heart disease, diabetes, cancer,

cardiovascular disease and chronic respiratory diseases

continue to be the leading causes of death in Antigua

and Barbuda, with cancer and heart disease being the

top two causes. The burdens of the cost, the loss of

productivity and the disabilities as a result of chronic

diseases continue to weigh heavy on our health-care

system, since treatment for those diseases and their

complications, including dialysis, chemotherapy

and drug therapy, continue to be offered free of cost

to patients. The fight against NCDs remains high,

therefore, on Antigua and Barbuda’s health agenda.

Following our participation in the United Nations

High-level Meeting on the subject last year, the

Government of Antigua and Barbuda approved the

establishment of a multisectoral NCD commission

to provide leadership in that critical area, drafted

legislation for tobacco control, engaged civil society

and non-governmental organizations in drafting an

NCD policy and action plan and has supported plans for

the development of a comprehensive cancer treatment

centre in Antigua and Barbuda to serve the OECS.

The Ministries of Health and Agriculture continue to collaborate in the development of a food policy that will

address some of the risk factors for NCDs.

The fight against HIV/AIDS in my region is also

real. The figures are heartbreaking, and the outlook is

troubling. Despite some progress, much still needs to

be done to achieve the 2015 goal of universal access

to HIV prevention, treatment, support and care. My

Government is in the process of updating the code of

conduct to prevent discrimination in the workplace

against persons living with HIV/AIDS. We will not

tolerate injustice, intolerance and violence of any kind

against persons living with HIV/AIDS.

Many might believe that for countries like Antigua

and Barbuda, as a small island developing State, our

only concern is for development, but I stand here today

with grave concern that the disregard for world peace

and security threatens the very existence of humankind

and will push the international community into further

chaos and destruction. We cannot ignore from our tiny

peaceful shores the images that glare from our TV

screens of unrest, protest and demonstrations from

various corners of the world. The images are daunting,

the voices of change are deafening and the use of

force or threat of use of force to suppress the voices of

democracy is intolerable. The United Nations has to be

unified in its response so as to act in a peaceful manner

while protecting the rights of populations near and far.

The situation in Syria is disheartening. Children,

women and the elderly must be protected. I call on

both sides to exercise restraint and allow humanitarian

relief supplies to enter Syria. I also call on all nations

to cease supplying arms to the two sides in the conflict.

As leaders, our priority must be to urge all parties in

Syria to implement a ceasefire and stop the violence

immediately and completely. Every effort must be

made to implement Mr. Annan’s six-point proposal and

the relevant Security Council resolutions. The United

Nations and the Arab League must lead in that process.

Any threats of war must be suppressed, and negotiation

and mediation should be the order of the day. If it is not

addressed, the Syrian crisis will soon pose a serious

threat to international peace and security. Antigua

and Barbuda will continue to give its support to a just,

peaceful and appropriate settlement of the Syrian crisis

at an early date.

These are undeniably perilous times. An event can

occur in a distant part of the globe that can severely

impact Antigua and Barbuda domestically, an event that completely ignores the importance of achieving

tolerance by peaceful means. Our response may be

one of indignation but also a sense that we live in a

perilous atmosphere characterized by the intolerance of

peace. The multiplicity and interconnectedness of the

many global threats and challenges we face will test the

abilities of this Assembly. Is the United Nations up to

the task?

I am confident that by sharing our collective wisdom

and using it as a resource, the General Assembly at its

sixty-seventh session will take decisions of meaningful

and enduring benefit and peace for the peoples of the

world. I am equally confident that our deliberations

can lead to solutions that will ensure the protection of

all our peoples. I therefore call on all of us, as world

leaders, to rise to the challenges and move with haste to bring peace to the citizens of the world. We are leaders

and caretakers of humankind and, as such, our response

to those challenges will be recorded in the books of

history, which will reveal whether we had the ability to

act with constraint, effectiveness and fairness in order

to achieve stability through peaceful means. Let peace

reign.