Grenada, 2000

My delegation greets and

congratulates you, Sir, for presiding over the

deliberations of the fifty-fifth session of the United

Nations General Assembly — the Millennium

Assembly.

We pay tribute to your predecessor, Mr. Theo-Ben

Gurirab, the distinguished Foreign Minister of

Namibia, for his effective and dynamic conduct of the

fifty-fourth session of the United Nations General

Assembly, including the preparations for the

Millennium Summit and the President's Report.

Congratulations are also extended to our

distinguished Secretary-General, who with great vision

conceptualized the Millennium Summit, the execution

of which was a great triumph for the United Nations.

A hearty welcome is extended to the small

sovereign State of Tuvalu, as it joins the family of

nations.

The Millennium Summit and this fifty-fifth

session of the United Nations General Assembly are

historic events that provide a unique opportunity to

view humanity's progress and face the challenges

before us.

Indeed, the Summit Declaration sets out a global

vision for the twenty-first century. My delegation

welcomes the inclusion of commitments to fight

poverty, disease, ignorance, injustice, violence and

degradation of the environment, among others.

In the matter of poverty and disease, the United

Nations must address the inequalities that exist around

the world. In this twenty-first century, more than 1.2

billion people live on less than one dollar a day.

Millions of children and the elderly go to bed hungry.

Disease and sickness wreak havoc on the lives of

children, men and women. Today the HIV/AIDS

pandemic cuts short the lives of millions of people who

could be making useful and productive contributions to

our world.

Trade is vital to the livelihood of Grenadians. For

the banana-exporting countries of the Caribbean

subregion, which includes Grenada, the export of

bananas accounts for a significant percentage of

foreign exchange. However, our economies are

threatened by the callous ruling of the World Trade

Organization (WTO) against the European Union

banana regime of assistance to our small growers.

Our struggling farmers, with limited acreage, find

it difficult, if not impossible, to compete with a

transnational corporation. Our farmers need an

adjustment period in order to effect the requisite

structural changes needed by the new trade regime. We

look to the United Nations to call upon the WTO to

take into consideration the special structural problems

faced by the small banana producers of the Caribbean.

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We call for corporate responsibility. We appeal

for measures to encourage the sustainability of small

economies and economies in transition. We urge a

more equitable global partnership.

You may recall that the Heads of State and

Government, including the Prime Minister of Grenada,

stressed recently in this very hall the urgency of

releasing poor developing countries from their debt

burden. The leaders expressed an interest in finding

new approaches and new thinking with respect to this

problem. A solution should be vigorously pursued with

deliberate speed.

Debt forgiveness is not a financial loss to the

global economy. Rather, it provides an opportunity for

stimulation in the depressed and stagnant parts of the

world's economy. Investing the dividends realized by

debt forgiveness in the economy of the debtor

developing countries — especially the least developed

and those with economies in transition — would be a

major investment in global development.

Another area that needs urgent and immediate

assistance from the international community is that of

natural disasters. The costly restoration of

infrastructure and rehabilitation of the productive

sectors, especially agriculture and tourism, and the

high cost of recovering and rebuilding make the

attainment of sustainable development a monumental

task.

My delegation calls upon the United Nations and

its agencies, the International Monetary Fund, the

World Bank and other international agencies, as well as

the private and public sectors in global partnership,

including the Global Compact, to contribute to a wellstructured disaster relief fund, a relief fund that can

respond quickly and effectively.

A large percentage of the needs of the developing

countries in the Caribbean subregion and elsewhere can

be met. We look forward to positive developments

envisaged from globalization, trade liberalization,

information technology and sustainable development.

These and other well-conceived programmes must be

seriously pursued. Lip service is not enough.

As the Secretary-General noted in his report to

the fifty-fifth General Assembly on the work of the

Organization: “To some, globalization is imbued with

great promise; to others, it appears deeply threatening.”

(A/55/1, para. 13)

The international community must help to ensure

that the have-nots are on board this fast-moving train

of globalization. All Member States need to share in

the opportunities provided by globalization. This would

act as a vehicle for international peace and economic

security.

Removing some of the barriers to trade and

capital flow are prerequisites to successful reduction of

poverty and disease in the developing countries. This

can be mutually beneficial to developed and

developing countries.

Trade has been the engine of economic growth

and development from the days of bartering to the

present day of e-commerce and globalization. We

therefore regard the unilateral interference in our

offshore services sector as an attempt to hinder our

trade in services and our role in the global economy.

In that connection, my delegation recalls the

words of my Prime Minister about the unfair charges

levelled against our offshore financial-services sector.

“A cartel of high-tax nations, comprising

the richest and most powerful countries, has

launched a destructive and high-powered attack

on our country, accusing us of anti-competitive

tax practices. Threats, imperialistic pressures and

abuse of power in multilateral organizations are

being used to force many small States, including

Grenada, to give up our fiscal sovereignty. They

have used adverse publicity techniques

deliberately to condemn and harm our economies.

They have threatened various sanctions, sought to

block access to capital funds in multinational

organizations and to impose financial

protectionism and total ostracism.”

That is fiscal imperialism. It tramples on the principle

of sovereign equality. It is contrary to international law,

and it undermines freedom of competition, global

investment and trade liberalization.

The role of education in poverty alleviation, in

the application of science and technology and in the

vast area of information sharing and communications is

vital. The Government of Grenada, recognizing the

social, cultural and economic potential of education, is

investing an increasing proportion of its limited

resources to prepare its people to participate in, and

benefit from, the information and technology

revolution. Towards that end, the Government of

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Grenada is seeking the assistance of the United Nations

Development Programme, the World Bank and

agencies and donors of goodwill to establish a new

programme of distance learning by means of global

computer interconnectivity.

Grenada attaches great importance to the

convening in 2001 of the United Nations High-level

Intergovernmental Event on Financing for

Development. My delegation welcomes the attempt to

address monetary, trade and financial issues in a

holistic manner and in the context of globalization and

sustainable development. The international community

should not miss this opportunity to focus attention and

resources on the pursuit of development, peace and

stability.

And here, my delegation reaffirms that the root

cause of conflict within nations and among nations can

be found in some of the injustice done to the weaker

members of the international community by the

stronger ones. Unless the basics of life — food,

clothing, shelter, health and employment — are

attained, human rights and the Universal Declaration of

Human Rights will be meaningless to those who suffer

such extreme deprivations. This is especially so in the

context of economic, social and cultural rights, which

are downplayed in favour of civil and political rights.

Since all human rights are universal, indivisible,

interdependent and interrelated, attention to the full

range of rights will contribute better to the observance

and enjoyment of this noble goal.

I join my Prime Minister in paying tribute to, and

publicly thanking, the Government and the people of

the Republic of China on Taiwan for the assistance

given to Grenada with respect to agriculture, marine

resources, education, health, culture and infrastructure.

The friendship and sincerity of the Republic of China

on Taiwan have been a source of strength and

endurance for our two countries. 1t is in this spirit that

Grenada calls once more for the return of the Republic

of China on Taiwan to full membership of the United

Nations. A people that diligently works to achieve such

high levels of human and technological development

and a people that makes such positive contributions to

the global economy must become a full Member of this

great organization, the United Nations.

Finally, we must seek to ensure that the

Organization is responsive to the ever-changing global

environment. Let us ensure that we address the needs

of our peoples. And let us move forward with a United

Nations that is prepared to fuel the engine that would

bring about more equitable participation in the global

community. Let us always put people first and be

guided by God.