Antigua and Barbuda, 2007

Let me first

congratulate you, Sir, on your election as President of

the sixty-second session of the General Assembly. I

also congratulate His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon at

this, his first General Assembly session as Secretary-

General.

I am humbled to once again address this

Assembly, and I stand before you humbled and

emboldened. Humbled by the magnitude of the socio-

economic challenges we face as a community of

nations and emboldened by the trust that has been

placed in me by the people of Antigua and Barbuda to

articulate their interests in an increasingly competitive

international system. I am further humbled by the

gravity of the environmental challenges facing our

world today and emboldened in the knowledge that

without courageous and timely action, countless lives

will continue to be plagued by misery and countless

more unnecessarily lost.

As the Prime Minister of a small island State, I

am also humbled and emboldened by the show of

confidence we have received from the Group of 77,

having been elected Chairman for 2008. It is not a

responsibility that we take lightly, and you can rest

assured we intend to rise valiantly to the task of

chairmanship, executing the responsibilities of the

Chair with the sort of professionalism and skill the

Group rightly expects of us. As Chairman of the Group

of 77 for 2008 and like the Chairs before us, we pledge

to uphold the principles and objectives of the Group, to

preserve, at all times, our collective interest as

developing countries, safeguard our common positions,

and, by so doing, achieve significant advancement in

the development agenda.

I am humbled and emboldened enough to quote

Albert Einstein, who once said:

“The world is a dangerous place, not because of

those who do evil, but because of those who look

on and do nothing.”

“Looking on and doing nothing” is no longer an option

for any of us.

Let me, at the outset, unequivocally state that

multilateralism should be the preferred means for

effecting international peace, security and human

development. There are some who would prefer for

multilateralism to recede and for the world to be run by

a few dominant Powers. They should be reminded of

the intent and purposes of the Charter of the United

Nations, which, among other things, reaffirms in its

Preamble the faith of humanity: “in fundamental

human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human

person, in the equal rights of men and women and of

nations large and small”. It is no small wonder, then,

that the crafters of the Charter pledged their

determination “to employ international machinery for

the promotion of the economic and social advancement

of all peoples”.

The Charter of the United Nations is perhaps

more relevant today than it was at the time of its

creation. The challenges to peace, security and

development that require collective action have

multiplied immeasurably. At the same time, humanity

has so advanced that today it is possible to achieve the

intentions of the Charter on a scale beyond what might

have been achievable at the time of its crafting.

Regrettably, fulfilment of the purposes of the Charter

of the United Nations seems to be hindered to an

unprecedented degree by a paucity of political will and

determination.

However, an equitable international system

responsive to the needs of all countries and people is

not beyond our reach. In that context, there is a role for

all nations, large and small, that includes the firm

resolve to strengthen the multilateral system in order to

correct systemic imbalances that hinder the

achievement of the Millennium Development Goals

(MDGs) and other internationally agreed development

goals. Systemic imbalances in international trade,

finance and international governance keep millions

locked in poverty and millions more in a perpetual

state of insecurity because they remain

underrepresented.

Indeed, there is a role for all States. It should

therefore come as no surprise that Antigua and Barbuda

is of the view that small States can and should play a

crucial role by being voices of reason — voices that

are not shackled to the dogmatic positions that power

necessitates. The absence of so-called high power

allows small States to be pragmatic and practical in

coming up with solutions to some of the most pressing

international problems.

We can no longer continue talking while

humanitarian conditions continue to deteriorate. The

situation in Darfur calls for our immediate and swift

action. We cannot continue talking while women and

children are forced to live in refugee camps. We cannot

continue talking while tens of thousands of persons

continue to die.

We must act now. There must be swift action to

strengthen the African Union-United Nations Hybrid

Operation in Darfur, which will support the African

troops already there. Every citizen has the right to life

and the right to live in peace. We call on all parties to

end arm sales to the fighting factions. We must ensure

that that happens.

While acknowledging the reality that the

distribution of power is skewed among nations, we

believe that talent, ability and good intentions remain

in abundance in all countries, large and small. Further,

no country is too small to be able to contribute

innovative solutions to some of the most pressing

international problems.

We in Antigua and Barbuda may be among the

small and the powerless in terms of might and money,

but we are willing and able to play our part to achieve

international peace and development through active

multilateral diplomacy, and we are intent on doing so.

Global poverty and economic inequality can be

resolved only through sustained economic growth.

Central to sustaining the economic growth of poorer

countries is the establishment of a pro-development

trading regime with a fair playing field, where large

and small play by the rules — rules meant to create a

fairer system and to allow the maximum benefits from

international trade to be widely distributed among

countries.

In that regard, we re-emphasize that it is

important that individual United Nations Member

States abide by fair trading practices, which eliminate

targeted barriers designed to deny access to small,

vulnerable countries seeking economic opportunities

through such options as Internet trading.

Equally important is the need for Member States,

big and small, to play by the international trade rules.

The economic survival of our people depends on that.

Our tourism and financial services sectors depend on

that. Wealthy nations will ultimately have to pay a high

price for actions that further pauperize already poor

societies.

In a local context, the reduction of income

inequality is a key priority for the Government of

Antigua and Barbuda. My Government has ensured

that affirmative action to ease the economic squeeze on

the poor is embedded in all revenue-generating

mechanisms. My Government resolves to ensure that

the benefits of economic growth are shared among the

entire population, by focusing on employment

generation and the provision of free or low-cost social

services in the areas of health and education, among

others.

Climate change is a global problem requiring a

collective response, and, if we do not respond quickly,

the result will be disaster on a global scale. This

represents a monumental test of the political will and

courage of humanity in general, but especially of the

political leaders of the most powerful countries.

For small island States, the challenge of adapting

to climate change is not new; what is new is its

urgency. The increased risk of natural disasters adds an

extra dimension to the vulnerability of the island States

of the Caribbean. Because of our size and the nature of

our primary economic activities, the infrastructure of

an entire country can be destroyed by, for example, the

passage of a single hurricane. The livelihood of the

entire population is at once threatened.

Antigua and Barbuda, like many of our Caribbean

brothers and sisters, has had to place greater priority on

disaster preparedness, resulting in increased

competition for the already meagre resources of the

governmental budget. Our situation is not unique.

I take this opportunity to highlight the importance

of international action to support our efforts at disaster-

risk reduction, through an ambitious climate change

regime within the ambit of the United Nations

Framework Convention on Climate Change. That must,

of necessity, include a commitment to increasing the

level of international financing for adaptation in

vulnerable countries.

The proliferation of crime in our already

vulnerable societies represents a threat to the peaceful

and stable communities for which the Caribbean is

known. In all Caribbean societies, the bulk of violent

crime is drug-related. It so happens that the bulk of

narco-trafficking activity in our region is linked to

illegal drugs bound for North America and Europe.

That means that small Caribbean economies are

required to pay a high price to protect societies to our

north and in the Atlantic from drug shipments headed

their way. We urge the United Nations family of

agencies, in recognition of the link between

globalization and crime, to provide the Caribbean with

increased assistance in this area.

We also need the support and cooperation of

individual Member States, particularly those that carry

out a policy of criminal deportation. That practice

parachutes graduates of metropolitan criminal systems

onto societies in which they often have no families and

no social network to assist in their re-entry into the

vulnerable Caribbean societies from which they had

long been exiled. That is a monstrous assault on

several of our societies.

With regard to the problem of drug-related crime

and the proliferation of handguns, Antigua and

Barbuda reiterates its call for the strengthening and

implementation of the various United Nations treaties

on small arms and light weapons. The scale and scope

of the disruptions and destruction caused by the

proliferation of small arms in the hands of unemployed

youth in the Caribbean is tremendous. Here, too, small

developing States which produce no weapons are

confronted by the tragedy wrought by guns

manufactured in countries that fail to control their

weapons of death and appear untroubled by the ease

with which those weapons cross international borders.

Even a miniscule increase in violent crime has a

negative impact on development in small island States.

These perspectives should inform the international

debate on peace and security.

All countries, large and small, have a national

interest in eliminating the threat to development caused

by international terrorism. Antigua and Barbuda

continues to play its part by adhering to the various

anti-terrorism resolutions of the United Nations,

including our obligations under Security Council

resolutions 1540 (2004) and 1373 (2001), among

others.

Additionally, we have taken the added initiative

to enact our own national legislative requirement by

way of our National Anti-Terrorism Act of Parliament

in 2005.

Combating international terrorism should not

depend on the trampling of religious and cultural

diversity and individual rights and freedoms. Cultural

and religious intolerance and prejudice and the stifling

of cultural diversity will only serve to perpetuate the

causes of terrorism.

Earlier this year, Antigua and Barbuda, along

with the rest of the Caribbean Community

(CARICOM), held activities to commemorate the

bicentennial anniversary of the abolition of the trans-

Atlantic slave trade. CARICOM also led an initiative

for the anniversary to be commemorated here at the

United Nations. That is an issue that should remain on

the agenda of the United Nations. My Government is

proud to have been a part of the initiative led by

CARICOM member States at the United Nations to get

the international community to recognize this

anniversary.

Such international recognition is important

because it provides the opportunity to carry forward

the fight for justice. Despite all the modern treaties and

international statutes and recognition of the slave trade

as a crime against humanity, this crime remains

unpunished; the entities remain unaccountable for their

participation and profiteering. Maintaining

international focus on this issue gives our nations and

the world the opportunity to make progress in repairing

the damage caused by 500 years of slavery and

colonialism, so that those who profited from such a

crime may be urged to take responsibility for rectifying

the effects that remain today.

Progress may be slow in the fight for justice for

the descendants of slaves, but we must not give up. As

a community of sovereign nations, Antigua and

Barbuda and the other CARICOM member States

consider it necessary for the international community

to become accountable for this crime against humanity.

The question of reparations must be placed on the

United Nations agenda now.

We urge the United Nations system and Member

States to continue to pay special attention to the issue

of gender equality and empowerment of women. The

dividends from investing in gender equality and

empowerment of women are two-fold: democratic

gains, on the one hand, and development gains, on the

other. My Government has placed top priority on

empowering women politically and economically. The

Speaker of the House of Assembly in Antigua and

Barbuda is female. So, too, are the President of the

Senate and the Clerk of Parliament. My Government

has the honour of having the first female elected

Member of Parliament, who currently holds the

position of President of the Inter-American

Commission of Women.

We have not stopped there. The Chairman of the

Integrity Commission, pursuant to the Integrity in

Public Life Act, is a woman. The Governor General of

Antigua and Barbuda, appointed earlier this year on the

advice of the Prime Minister, is female. The

Ombudsman, a creature of the Constitution of Antigua

and Barbuda is also a woman. The Chairman of the

Public Service Commission, also a creature of the

Constitution of Antigua and Barbuda, is a woman.

We continue to focus on increasing women’s

participation in the political decision-making process.

In that regard, we have been helped by the normative

framework of the various United Nations gender

entities. We will continue to work towards even greater

gender parity in the political, economic and social

spheres, and we encourage all Member States to do the

same.

As we in the Caribbean grapple with the increase

in HIV/AIDS cases, we are also confronted with

another great threat to the survival of our people.

Chronic non-communicable diseases have become a

major concern for the Caribbean. Recently, an historic

summit of heads of CARICOM on chronic

non-communicable diseases held in Trinidad and

Tobago agreed to give full support for the initiatives

and mechanisms aimed at strengthening regional health

institutions through the signing of a comprehensive

declaration highlighting a plan of action on this critical

health issue. We strongly believe that the health of the

region is the wealth of the region, which underscores

the importance of health to development.

It is therefore necessary for the United Nations,

through its various organs and agencies, to lend

support to our initiatives to develop strategies to

prevent and control heart disease, stroke, diabetes,

hypertension, obesity and cancer in the region by

addressing their causal risk factors of unhealthy diets,

physical inactivity, tobacco use and alcohol abuse, in

addition to strengthening our health services. We must

act together now to reduce the suffering and burdens

caused by non-communicable diseases on the citizens

of our region, which is the worst-affected in the

Americas.

We seek the cooperation of the United Nations

and our international partners in the development of

initiatives for the screening and management of

chronic diseases and risk factors so that, by 2012,

80 per cent of people with non-communicable diseases

will receive quality care and have access to preventive

education based on regional and international

guidelines.

Allow me to conclude on the point at which I

began, by referring once more to the Charter of the

United Nations. Sixty-two years ago, when the United

Nations was formed, the international system was less

complex and colonialism was still the dominant

concern. Humanity was reeling from the effects of a

second world war. It was not the best of times.

Today, in my opinion, it is still not the best of

times for a majority of the people on planet Earth. The

primary catalysts to positive change and improved

lives for the global population are the United Nations

and the leaders of its Member States. I am hopeful that

sharing our collective wisdom, and drawing from this

source, the sixty-second session of the General

Assembly will translate into meaningful and enduring

benefit for the peoples of the world.

I am equally confident that our deliberations on

climate change will lead to solutions that will ensure

the protection of our planet and its peoples.