Grenada, 2003

It is with a deep sense of

pride and pleasure that my delegation congratulates

you, Sir, on your unanimous election to the presidency

of the General Assembly at its fifty-eighth session. You

have done the entire Caribbean region proud. Your own

country, Saint Lucia, one of the smallest States

Members of this Organization, can feel especially

proud. We are confident that, given the combination of

your vast experience, solid leadership skills and

charismatic personality, this session will go down in

history as one of the most dynamic and constructive for

all States, large and small.

My delegation pays tribute to your illustrious

predecessor, Mr. Jan Kavan of the Czech Republic, for

his enlightened and innovative conduct of this body

during the previous session.

My delegation also expresses profound sympathy

to the Government and the people of Saint Lucia on the

recent passing of your predecessor, Sir, as Minister for

Foreign Affairs, The Honourable George Odlum.

Each succeeding President of the General

Assembly inherits an agenda of recurring resolutions

and outcome documents adopted at the many

international summit-level conferences during the past

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decade. My delegation remains confident that your

administration, Sir, will put implementation concerns

high on the development agenda.

When the United Nations was founded 58 years

ago, the focus was basically on world peace and

security in the aftermath of the devastating effects of

the Second World War. Security concerns have once

again taken centre stage in current international affairs,

but they should not displace the consideration of

important issues on the economic and social agenda.

My Government remains totally committed to the

global fight against terrorism and the perpetrators of

violence. In this regard, it will certainly take all

necessary actions to ensure that Grenada is an active

partner in this common struggle.

The proliferation of transnational criminal

activities is the most vivid example of the negative

effect of open borders in a globalized world. The illicit

trade in weapons and drugs, money-laundering and

trafficking in women and children clearly need to be

tackled in a more organized manner. A truly effective

global response to these and other threats requires that

all States act in concert with each other. In this regard,

my Government, despite its limited resources, is

fulfilling its commitment.

Since the events of 11 September 2001, Grenada

has ratified or acceded to all relevant international

treaties and conventions on terrorism and related

activities. All the appropriate domestic legislation has

been enacted.

My delegation is convinced that the elimination

of terrorism alone will not guarantee social and

economic stability. It will not solve the many problems

associated with underdevelopment, poverty, hunger,

disease, illiteracy, and unemployment — all of which

give rise to hopelessness and pose a threat to peace and

security.

The holding of the recent meeting here at the

United Nations to assess the implementation of the

Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS made clear

that the pandemic is continuing to take a heavy toll,

especially in sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean.

As the many leaders who took part in the debate

said, much remains to be done in the fight against this

dreadful scourge if the Declaration of Commitment

target is to be met by 2005. Thus, certain critical areas

in this fight, such as education on prevention and care

targeted especially to young people, mobilization of

resources by engaging civil society including the

business sector, and access to affordable medicine are

absolutely essential.

Fighting HIV/AIDS is both a medical and a socio-

economic problem, with far-reaching implications for

small developing countries such as my own. Caring for

the ever-increasing numbers with the virus, together

with educating and sensitizing the general public on

prevention issues and responsible behaviour, has

become burdensome, in terms of both human and

financial resources. Partnership and support from the

developed countries will be welcomed.

My delegation is convinced that the eradication

of poverty and its related ills is central to social and

economic stability. Poverty will not simply disappear

through passionate pleas and eloquent statements, but

through genuine collaborative and cooperative efforts.

My Government is acutely aware of our responsibility,

as a sovereign and independent nation to provide for

our citizens.

The efforts of the Caribbean Community

(CARICOM) to establish a single market and economy

with a view to harnessing and efficiently utilizing the

limited resources of the region, improving

competitiveness, productivity and general cooperation,

must be applauded.

The more developed countries must speedily

come to the rescue of the needy developing countries

by providing tangible and meaningful technical,

economic and other forms of assistance — assistance

that will have a positive impact on the lives of millions

in the developing world.

It is for this reason that we will continue to

clamour for reforms within the global trading system,

and especially within the framework of the World

Trade Organization (WTO), particularly as it relates to

trade in agriculture and in other services.

My delegation calls for a substantial reduction of

the subsidies afforded to farmers in the more developed

and industrialized economies, and also for the removal

of non-tariff and other technical barriers to the export

of our commodities.

In our efforts to diversify our economies and to

enhance our revenue-earning options, we need the

flexibility to develop our service sector free from

pressures and conditionalities, to add value to our

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primary products, and to be able to export our exotic

fruits and vegetables.

Our small and vulnerable economies can become

viable if the right conditions are created to facilitate the

trade of our products on the world market.

The failure of the recently concluded WTO

Ministerial Meeting in Cancún, Mexico, to reach a

compromise on issues of extreme importance is a cause

for concern. The outcome has confirmed, in

unequivocal terms, that the divide between rich and

poor nations continues to widen.

My country endorses the idea that the United

Nations must continue its work to ensure that

democracy and respect for basic human rights prevail

in all civil societies. However, this body should, as a

matter of principle, also seek to ensure that fair, just

and morally correct actions and decisions are taken on

equally important matters.

The people of the Republic of Cuba continue to

live under a unilaterally imposed financial, commercial

and economic blockade, as they have for more than 40

years. This has resulted in great human and material

losses, and in many personal traumatic experiences.

Grenada joins the overwhelming majority in the United

Nations and calls for the unconditional lifting of those

sanctions.

We believe that universally accepted norms and

values and economic growth and prosperity can

flourish only under normal circumstances. The people

of Cuba need that chance.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues to

escalate, and every effort must be made to return to the

road map, as it remains the best hope for the resolution

of the problem.

Similarly, my delegation is concerned about the

negative effect of civil unrest and tensions around the

globe, particularly in Iraq, Liberia and the Democratic

Republic of the Congo. My Government supports all

efforts, actions and initiatives to ensure that normalcy

returns to the countries and regions concerned. We urge

patience, understanding and tolerance in dealing with

these difficult situations.

The United Nations has been seized with the

reform of the Security Council and with the

revitalization of the General Assembly for a number of

years. When the United Nations was founded 58 years

ago, the membership was 51; today there are 191

Member States.

Much has changed in the geopolitical dynamics

of the world, which the United Nations represents and

reflects. Therefore, there is a need for structural and

functional changes in the Security Council and the

General Assembly, two of the main organs of greatest

importance in the world body.

At the beginning of this intervention, I alluded to

the tardiness in the implementation of collective

decisions, particularly on the subject of the sustainable

development of small island developing States. A total

of six summit conferences have been held over a period

of 11 years to address the issues of the environment

and development in those vulnerable island States.

Donor countries have not fulfilled their end of

that partnership. Official development assistance

continues to fall, and multilateral aid has dropped

significantly. Ten years later, another high-level

meeting is scheduled to take place in Mauritius in 2004

to review the Barbados Declaration and Programme of

Action.

My delegation is hopeful that the occasion will be

used to ensure that the priority issues facing small

States will be addressed in a way that gives optimism

to the millions whose lives depend on a commitment to

the following issues: improving their preparedness for,

and recovery from, natural and environmental

disasters; addressing the problem of climate change

and sea-level rise, which could submerge low-lying

nations in the Caribbean and the Pacific; preventing

worsening shortages of potable water; developing solar

and renewable energy to lessen dependence on

expensive imported oil; and managing growth in

tourism to protect the environmental and cultural

integrity of our nations.

My delegation’s appeal to this session of the

General Assembly is for all stakeholders, including the

multilateral financial institutions, demonstrate their

total commitment to the entire process in order that

efforts to implement outstanding important

commitments can be finalized.

Despite the uncertainty over adequate funding for

implementation, my delegation remains confident, Mr.

President, that, with your ability to lead and build

consensus, this fifty-eighth session will become known

as the General Assembly of implementation.

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As Secretary-General Kofi Annan recently stated:

“We all live on the same planet, buffeted by the

same winds, influenced by the same currents of

change. But instead of acting on what unites

us … we allow a chasm to persist between us …

We need to mend this great divide with a new

fabric of solidarity”.

My delegation is convinced that we have the

opportunity to build and develop this new kind of

solidarity and partnership between rich and poor, big

and small, powerful and weak, at this session of the

General Assembly. The opportunity is ours to embrace

or to lose.