Saint Kitts and Nevis, 2008

I wish to

begin by thanking His Excellency Srgjan Kerim for his

leadership over the past year as President of this august

and venerable body at its sixty-second session. I also

wish to congratulate and extend best wishes to His

Excellency Mr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann of

Nicaragua on his assumption of the presidency of the

General Assembly at its sixty-third session.

Twenty-five years ago almost to the day, two

Caribbean peoples who had always been separated by

water but had long been united by history, culture and

circumstance joined forces to embark upon a bold

experiment. Having between them a land mass of just

over 100 square miles and a population of

approximately 50,000, the people of Saint Kitts and the

people of Nevis decided to step forward as one nation

to join the world community of sovereign States.

It is an honour and a pleasure for me to be here to

represent that nation at the United Nations, a potent

symbol of freedom and sovereignty. That symbolism

means all the more to my people at this particular time,

as this sixty-third session of the General Assembly

coincides with the celebration of my nation’s twenty-

fifth anniversary of political independence.

Building and reinforcing the pillars of nationhood

has not been easy, but we have always considered it an

essential task and a challenge worth facing. Therefore,

as chief servant of my people and my cherished land, I

stand before the Assembly today, emboldened by the

pride of a nation that has taken its full and rightful

place among the community of independent nations, a

vibrant democracy with a thriving economy, a deep

commitment to justice and human rights, and an

abiding faith in social equity.

Mine is a pride that comes not only from

realizing the benefits of the practical policies and

programmes created over the years to improve the

standard of living and uplift our people, but also from

the sense of community, partnership and civic and

personal responsibility that have shaped the destiny of

my proud nation.

It is also the pride that comes from witnessing

first-hand the true value of freedom — a freedom that

has enabled us to share in the triumphs of democracy

and to mould the creative genius and the industrious,

enterprising spirit of our people into a single

community of goodwill and commitment that moves

our people and great country forward.

It is a pride borne of weathering storms of

external economic shocks, including fluctuating

commodity prices and the withdrawal of preferential

market access, while being able to successfully

47 08-51851

transform three centuries of a monocultural, sugar-

based economy into a vibrant and competitive services-

driven economy. Many other small States have not

been as fortunate, however.

That is evident in our sister Caribbean nation of

Haiti, where the devastating effects of four consecutive

hurricanes in the space of one month continue to

undermine the Government’s effort to build strong

institutions and to invest in the productive enterprises

and infrastructure that generate employment and

improved living conditions.

The progress witnessed in Saint Kitts and Nevis

was not achieved by chance. Since the birth of our

nation 25 years ago, we have faced a multitude of

problems, some of which are fortunately behind us, but

several others of which have emerged and grown in

intensity and scope.

However, our experience in Saint Kitts and Nevis

demonstrates that good governance and prudent

management of one’s resources; appropriate investment

in people and systems; the protection people’s freedom

of association, religion and speech; the support and

facilitation of a free and vibrant press; success at

advancing the socio-economic well-being of one’s

people; and the upholding of democratic ideals are

determined not by land mass, but by national character

and political commitment. They are the result not of

demographics or geographic size, but of long-standing

sociocultural traditions. They are a function not of

gross domestic product, but of an entrenched ethos of

striving and determination. Our faith has steadied our

resolve and belief in ourselves and our future. Of

course, along the way, we have relied, understandably

on such institutions as our beloved United Nations.

Through membership, Saint Kitts and Nevis has

built important and strategic partnerships, stood

shoulder to shoulder with other Member States to

protect our individual rights and collective freedoms,

and have fought battles far bigger than would be

expected for a country of its size. We have also been

witnesses to the positives and negatives, the strengths

and failings of our world, but have soldiered on

together in common cause.

That is why, 25 years later, I remain optimistic

about the progress of the United Nations and its ability

to defend the poor and needy despite the pull of

competing powerful national agendas that have

occasionally threatened to undermine the ethos of the

institution and, indeed, the common good. From where

I stand today, I have come to appreciate those

achievements and to appreciate that, even at this

juncture, providence affords us still new opportunities

to renew our cherished institution.

It is very easy to side with the cynics when the

Security Council becomes frozen in stalemate or when

the need for action falls victim to political posturing.

But history, particularly that of the past two decades,

instructs me that the United Nations is far more than

the sum of its weaknesses, because for millions of

people around the world this Organization is their only

hope, a bridge between life and death, a bastion of

freedom and a beacon of hope.

It is my hope, therefore, that in this “Assembly of

frankness” there will be a sober and unrelenting

analysis of the human consequences of sweeping and

globally enforced trade and economic regimes on small

States all around the globe. And it is also my hope that

the economic uncertainties now being experienced in

some of the world’s larger economies will sensitize us

all to the breadth of the uncertainty, the depth of the

anxiety and the real psychological trauma that often

grip small States when policies that are formulated far

beyond their shores and are utterly unresponsive to

their entreaties are nonetheless thrust unflinchingly

upon them.

Recent events have brought into focus the issue

of the stability of the world’s financial systems and

financial institutions. The circumstances that have led

to collapsing financial institutions and rising prices for

food and energy were not created by small States such

as Saint Kitts and Nevis. But yet again, as in the case

of climate change, we are victims of the act of others,

but with no resources whatsoever to combat the

consequences.

Earlier this year, I participated in the High-level

Conference on World Food Security, held in June in

Rome. The upbeat response from several heads of State

or Government and from the numerous ministers of

agriculture, forestry, fisheries, water, energy and

environment who participated in that meeting was, for

me, a strong indication of the relevance and timeliness

of the Conference for nations seeking to take positive

action on the issue of food security.

The current trend continues to have a lopsided

impact on the poor and on the increasing numbers of

extremely poor and vulnerable people, who are those

08-51851 48

least able to counter the impact of economic

dislocations facing our countries. Mindful of our

personal responsibility as leaders and of the heightened

expectations of our citizens, the Government of Saint

Kitts and Nevis has been taking practical measures to

alleviate the suffering of our resilient people. We have

addressed the important dimensions of availability and

access to certain food staples such as rice, flour and

sugar. We have looked at how best to stabilize prices to

inject predictability into the system without prejudice

to free market economics. We have also begun to

rationalize and promote proper utilization of

agricultural lands through land use diversion and

diversification, providing financial and seedling

support to farmers and recommending water

rationalization and enhanced irrigation techniques.

The problems to which I have alluded are not

unique to Saint Kitts and Nevis. Members will recall

popular riots in some countries, including in Haiti,

where they led to the resignation of that country’s

Government. That is evidence of just how the impact

of the rising cost of food and the despair visited upon

whole communities could easily undermine peoples’

faith in their Governments to deliver on the promises

of democracy, free market economics and

globalization.

It was in January 2008 that the food price index

established by the Food and Agriculture Organization

of the United Nations (FAO) jumped by 47 per cent

over the previous year. This included increases for cereals

by some 62 per cent, dairy products by 69 per cent and

vegetable oils by 85 per cent. In some instances, prices of

staple foods such as maize, wheat, rice and beans have

risen by more than 100 per cent. This global economic

downturn, coupled with the dramatic upsurge in

commodity prices, has created the worst food crisis in

recent years.

This new phenomenon will make it much more

difficult for us to address the growing incidence of

poverty in and among our nations and our ability to

achieve the Millennium Development Goal of halving

extreme poverty and hunger throughout the world by

2015.

Against this backdrop, and given the need for

urgent action, we also urge that the issue of reform, a

recurrent United Nations theme for some 15 years, be

revisited with renewed vigour and commitment. Far

too much time has passed. Far too little has been done.

And far too much now hangs in the balance. Let us

equip the United Nations with the tools necessary to

fulfil its mandates, especially in the areas of protecting

individual freedoms and human rights and of

promoting economic development as an integral

element of human security around the world. For as

Clarence Darrow said, “You can only protect your

liberties in the world by protecting the other man’s

freedom. You can only be free if I am free”.

The continuous suppression of freedom — overt

or disguised — under the cloak of civil order or

territorial integrity, must be tackled openly. Freedom

and personal responsibility go hand in hand. How can

we encourage people to take personal responsibility but

deprive them of their personal freedom? That is the

fundamental question.

Our presence here today is both a demonstration

and an acknowledgement of the increasingly

interconnected nature of our world. I wish to say that

much of what Saint Kitts and Nevis has achieved over

the past 25 years has been the result of our people’s

hard work and discipline, combined with the benefits

that have accrued from both our multilateral and our

bilateral relations. In that regard, the United Nations

Development Programme has been a vibrant partner in

advancing the programmatic goals of our twin-island

federation, as have UNESCO and other United Nations

agencies. Our relationship with this Organization is

one that we cherish dearly.

We have worked with and through subregional

entities such as the Organization of Eastern Caribbean

States, regional mechanisms such as the Caribbean

Community and hemispheric institutions such as the

Organization of American States. Through regional

mechanisms we have been able to map a course for

functional cooperation on issues such as trade, security

and health. Within the Pan-Caribbean Partnership

against HIV/AIDS, we have developed a regional

response to tackle the epidemic of HIV/AIDS. In the

area of environmental protection, we continue to

collaborate on and to work towards disaster reduction

and mitigation. And we are assiduously exploring

renewable energy sources, including geothermal

energy, on which we have made encouraging progress.

On the issue of bilateral relations, I am pleased to

say that we have built many deeply valued

relationships over the years, and we continue to further

strengthen those relations. In the light of that, we urge

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that a way be found to facilitate the participation of the

Republic of China on Taiwan in the specialized

agencies of the United Nations. As world challenges

have expanded, the Republic of China on Taiwan has

stepped forward to provide technical assistance in the

areas of social and agricultural development, as well as

disaster relief in many countries, thus bringing

enormous benefits to both public and private sectors.

Whatever the tone and tenor of the ongoing

debate, climate change is an aspect of our modern

experience. Because of our activities and our assault on

Earth’s atmosphere, many processes have negatively

impacted rivers, lakes and oceans, resulting in fast-

melting polar ice caps and rising sea levels and

exposing us to greater risks of harmful solar radiation

and greenhouse gas emissions. Wherever culpability

may reside, those processes all have serious

implications and consequences for small island States.

In varying degrees and at various levels, those changes

impact hundreds of thousands of small-scale farmers,

fishermen and other people who depend heavily on the

natural environment for their livelihood but are already

witnessing lower crop yields and smaller catches.

It is no longer sufficient simply to lay blame at

the feet of countries, businesses and people who

pollute. We need effective strategies based on scientific

consensus and, of course, solution-focused approaches

that address such issues as the suitability of land for

various types of crops, dedicated areas for livestock,

pasture development, the marine environment, impact

on health and health care, the productivity of forests

and the increased incidence of pests and diseases, as

well as implications for biodiversity and ecosystems.

We must collaborate in addressing those effects, and

we must take necessary corrective action in order to

build a safer environment for ourselves and our future

generations.

Our destinies and our freedoms are all

interwoven. It was Franklin D. Roosevelt who said that

“true individual freedom cannot exist without

economic security and independence”. As Saint Kitts

and Nevis commemorates its silver-jubilee year of

independence, we therefore feel compelled to call on

the United Nations and the members of the Security

Council to work together to put an end to the genocide

in parts of Africa. I also call on the United Nations to

take firm action in the lead-up to the Follow-up

International Conference on Financing for

Development so that that event will bring real relief

and development, even to the far corners of Africa.

For much too long we have, perhaps unwittingly,

separated human security from representative

democracy and economic development from human

rights. Those are inextricably linked. When we fight

for the freedom of our brothers to vote but ignore their

inalienable right to food security, that is a skewed

principle; it is a half-measure based on a selective

morality in which our fight will always be only

partially won.

We cannot simply tell our citizens that they are

free to vote, while failing to help them transform

freedoms into practical systems that support and

advance personal dreams. Democracy, I emphasize, is

the best vehicle through which humankind can realize

its dreams and aspirations. I firmly believe that true

independence, like freedom, can come only from doing

what is right.

And so I continue to believe in the United

Nations, but beyond that, I have faith — an abiding

faith — in the people of Saint Kitts and Nevis, whose

confidence in themselves as a nation and whose

commitment to the future have made possible the

successes, positive growth and development that they

have achieved, as well as the international partnerships

that they have established, over the past 25 years.

Therefore, I say to the States Members of the

United Nations: Let us commit to doing the right

things. Let us continue the important work to reform

and revitalize the United Nations. Let us tackle food

security by recognizing that globalization was meant to

improve our lives, not to worsen them. Globalization

was meant to facilitate the free movement of goods and

services, not to provide an opportunity for erecting

artificial and unilateral barriers that punish poor and

less competitive countries. Let us do the right thing

about climate change. And together, one step at a time,

let us do the right thing by using the Follow-up

International Conference on Financing for

Development to address the fundamental development

challenges facing developing countries in Africa and

throughout the world. All that and far more is within

the power and the capacity of a reordered United

Nations and of Member States that are willing to take

personal responsibility in that regard.