Jamaica, 2014

I stand here today, as

a representative of a nation with strong ancestral ties

to the African continent, to welcome the election

of Mr. Sam Kutesa to the presidency of the General

Assembly at its sixty-ninth session. We are confident

that the experience and skills that he brings to that

high Office will be invaluable as we tackle the myriad

challenges that confront us today. To his predecessor

Ambassador John Ashe of Antigua and Barbuda, I

also convey sincere appreciation for the leadership and

vision that he showed in guiding our work, not the least

of which was the success he achieved in setting the

stage for the post-2015 development agenda.

The quest for peace and development has assumed

an urgency we have seldom seen. We live in a time

of great instability and conflict. At the same time,

millions of citizens face unbearable levels of hardship

and endure unconscionable levels of suffering. Far

too many of our fellow men and women are being left

behind. It rests within our grasp to build a better future

for our peoples. This is the time to put people firmly at

the centre of our development aspirations, to tackle the

root causes of conflict, to create a culture of peace and

to entrench the principles of justice, equity, democracy

and respect for the rule of law. Recommitment to the

principles of multilateralism and fidelity to the ideals

enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations are

central to our efforts to accomplish those goals.

In the coming months, our attention will be focused

on elaborating an international development agenda

for the post-2015 period. That provides an invaluable

opportunity for us to address the critical challenges of

poverty, inequality, global insecurity and environmental

degradation. The post-2015 development agenda must

have poverty eradication as its central focus. In so

doing, we must give due regard to the developmental

status of each country, in particular small island

developing States (SIDS) and countries classified as

middle-income. Implementing and delivering the post-

2015 development agenda requires a strong focus on the

means of implementation.

The third International Conference on SIDS drew

international attention to the unique vulnerabilities

that threaten the very existence and survival of that

group of countries. Our ability to withstand the ever-

increasing risk of economic and environmental shocks

requires that we forge effective partnerships with other

members of the international community. In short, we

cannot do the job alone. Jamaica therefore welcomes

the support of the international community in joining

forces with SIDS to negotiate the SIDS Accelerated

Modalities of Action Pathway, which builds on the

Barbados Programme of Action and the Mauritius

Strategy.

Let me say, though, that support for SIDS

must continue beyond support for the International

Conference. Our concerns need to be addressed in the

context of the post-2015 development agenda. Among

those concerns are the full and effective integration of

SIDS into the multilateral trading system, an increased

voice and participation in international financial

institutions, the application of more relevant methods

for measuring growth and representing our state of

development, and increased support for efforts to

enhance our resilience to natural hazards and economic

shocks.

We welcome the outcome of the Climate Summit

convened by the Secretary-General. The participation

of business interests, civil society and a range of

international institutions highlighted the importance

of promoting concerted action among various

stakeholders to address climate change. While the

threats posed by climate change may be theoretical

for some, they are very real for those of us who live

in the Caribbean. In recent years we have had to deal

with the increased frequency of hurricanes and their

widespread impact on our land, lives and livelihoods.

The financial impact of hurricanes adds to the burden

of the dire economic challenges that we continue to

bear. Our fellow Caribbean Community (CARICOM)

countries in the eastern Caribbean will no doubt share

their recent experiences with floods that lasted only

a few hours last Christmas but caused gross domestic

product losses from which they have yet to recover.

As we prepare for the Conference of the Parties

to the United Nations Framework Convention on

Climate Change to be held in Lima later this year, all

countries must be engaged in a cooperative effort to

devise an appropriate response to climate change that

will result in a steep reduction in global greenhouse

gas emissions. We also need action to follow up on the

additional document to be adopted by the Conference

of the Parties, which may be a protocol, another legal

instrument or an agreed outcome with legal force under

the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate

Change that will be applicable to all parties. In that we

dare not fail. Our commitment to addressing climate

change must be given effect at the twenty-first session

of the Conference of the Parties in Paris next year.

This year marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of

the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the most

universally ratified human rights treaty. The year

2014 also marks the twentieth anniversary of the

historic International Conference on Population and

Development in Cairo. At the same time, we are on the

cusp of the twentieth anniversary of the fourth World

Conference on Women in Beijing, to be celebrated

in 2015. This is therefore an opportune moment to

evaluate the progress made in safeguarding the rights

of women and children. All children have the right

to live a life free from fear and violence. That is the

essential prerequisite for the development of their full

range of skills and talents. Earlier this year, Jamaica

was pleased to host, alongside the Secretary-General’s

Special Representative on Violence against Children,

an interregional meeting that examined the impact

of violence against children. I urge members, as we

craft the post-2015 development agenda, to be seized

of the importance of addressing the special needs of

children and youth. We also call for special attention

to be paid to achieving gender equality. Rooting out

violence against women, enhancing women’s economic

empowerment and promoting their equal participation

at all levels of decision-making should be essential

tasks in that regard.

I now turn to the problem posed by the heinous

activity of human trafficking, a crime of global

proportions that exploits the most vulnerable among us,

not the least of whom are women and children. Jamaica

calls upon the United Nations Office on Drugs and

Crime to provide a framework for Member States to

develop a robust programme to help to bring an end to

that affront to human dignity and freedom.

We cannot ignore the link between our efforts

to spur development and the need to safeguard the

health of our people. The challenges to security and

sustainable development posed by threats to global

public health have been devastatingly illustrated by the

recent outbreak of the Ebola epidemic. As we heard just

two days ago from the Director-General of the World

Health Organization, every day, every minute, counts

in fighting the most severe public-health emergency

seen in modern times. This is the time for courageous

partnership, not inaction based on fear. An urgent and

robust international response is required to marshal all

the medical expertise and modern technologies that are

at our disposal. The pandemic nature of global health

threats such as Ebola and HIV/AIDS, including the

silent killers of non-communicable diseases, require

that we employ measures to combat them that are

similar in intensity and urgency to those used in the

fight against other global challenges.

Jamaica is concerned that the conflicts in Syria, the

Gaza Strip, Iraq, Ukraine, South Sudan and Mali pose

serious threats to regional and international security.

Those conflicts are neither limited in scope nor confined

to national borders. The instability in Libya, Yemen

and the Central African Republic is equally troubling.

Of even greater concern are the resulting humanitarian

crises and the widespread violations of human rights. It

is undeniable that those crises are fuelled by the growing

propensity to funnel and transfer conventional arms to

non-State actors, including rebel groups and separatist

militias. The militarization of such groups often serves

to further those conflicts rather than hasten their end.

Each passing day, the international community is

confronted with new crises, the emergence of greater

acts of barbarism, and the rise of more lethal terrorist

groups. In the past few months, we have witnessed the

atrocities of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant

and the downing of a civilian aircraft in Ukraine and

a United Nations peacekeeping helicopter in South

Sudan. We also dare not forget that it is now 166 days

since the Boko Haram terrorist group brazenly abducted

200 schoolgirls, yet their desperate plight continues.

It is unfortunate that the number and scale of

those crises not only place extraordinary demands

on the international aid system, thereby hampering

its capacity to respond, but also serve to desensitize

the international community to the horrific levels

of suffering being borne by civilian populations.

Resolving those conflicts requires global and regional

cooperation. It is clear also that conflict prevention

must assume greater prominence. We cannot continue

to operate in crisis mode only. Our vision is that of

a United Nations transformed into a more effective

instrument for preventing conflict and securing just

and peaceful settlements.

Recent events in Gaza demonstrate that the need

for a lasting resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian

conflict remains as urgent as ever. Jamaica believes

that the cycle of violence will continue in the absence

of a negotiated political settlement based on a just,

lasting and comprehensive agreement that guarantees

the security of Israel and recognizes the Palestinian

State within internationally recognized borders.

We reiterate our commitment to disarmament,

non-proliferation and arms control. In the Caribbean

we are acutely aware of the pernicious impact of the

proliferation of small arms and light weapons, fuelled

by a dangerous nexus with the drug trade. That

combination is the single greatest cause of fear and

insecurity among our citizens. For the past two decades

we have remained resolute in our call for a global

partnership to fight that scourge. We are pleased that,

with the fiftieth ratification of the Arms Trade Treaty

earlier this week, that historic Treaty will enter into

force on 25 December.

All States, whether small or large, have a role to

play in the maintenance of international peace and

security. Jamaica is therefore honoured to assume the

chairmanship of the First Committee at this sixty-ninth

session, which reflects our commitment to advancing

the objectives of disarmament, non-proliferation and

arms control.

Among the major milestones to be celebrated

next year will be the seventieth anniversary of the

International Court of Justice. Jamaica is firm in

its commitment to the highest standards of respect

for international justice and supports the role of the

Court. Jamaica’s group of States has nominated the

Jamaican jurist Patrick Lipton Robinson as a candidate

for election to the International Court of Justice for

the term 2015-2024. His nomination demonstrates

Jamaica’s preparedness to contribute to the work of

the Court and underscores that all States, regardless of

size, can make a contribution to the development of the

rules and norms of international law.

In 2015 we expect to erect a permanent memorial

to honour the victims of slavery and the transatlantic

slave trade. Its location outside this very Hall will serve

as a place of meditation and solemn reflection on the

horrors of slavery and the need to prevent its recurrence

and to address its ongoing legacy. I encourage Member

States to contribute to the Trust Fund established to

underwrite the cost of the memorial. Only a small

shortfall remains. Let us press on to the end and meet

the final goal.

Jamaica looks forward to the commencement in

January 2015 of the International Decade for People

of African Descent, through which the international

community will undertake a range of activities to address

racism, xenophobia, discrimination and prejudice, as

well as systemic inequalities and underdevelopment.

People of African descent must be engaged directly

in the range of measures that can be taken to redress

the legacy of the historic wrongs they have suffered.

CARICOM countries believe that reparatory justice is

an important element in that process.

Jamaica remains opposed to the unilateral

application of economic sanctions and trade restrictions

applied by one State against another. We reiterate our

support for an end to the economic, financial and

commercial embargo against Cuba, and urge all States

that continue to apply such measures to repeal or

invalidate such laws. We have it within our power to

shape a world that is just and equitable and that embraces

both peace and development with equal fervour. As we

prepare to commemorate the seventieth anniversary of

the United Nations next year, we recommit to the lofty

goals enshrined in the Charter — peace and security

and the economic and social advancement of all people.

Let us get on with the task.