Grenada, 2005

I am indeed greatly

honoured to join those who preceded me in

congratulating the President on his election to the

presidency of the sixtieth session of the General

Assembly. I assure him of Grenada's support as he

guides the deliberations during this historic year

towards the promotion and maintenance of

international peace and security. My delegation would

also like to express its appreciation to Mr. Jean Ping,

who laboured assiduously during his presidency of the

fifty-ninth session, for his tireless efforts in guiding the

preparatory work for the High-level Plenary Meeting.

In addition, Grenada commends the Secretary-General

for his energetic pursuit of change at the United

Nations. We subscribe to the Secretary-General's view

that the world cannot be a safer place without

development and poverty eradication.

Permit me, at this juncture, to extend, on behalf

of the Government and people of Grenada, empathy

and profound sympathy to the Government and people

of the United States of America, particularly those of

the Gulf states, for the loss of life and severe

destruction of property suffered as a result of

Hurricane Katrina.

When the Millennium Declaration was adopted,

many viewed it as a landmark document containing the

blueprint for the eradication of poverty and as a vehicle

to transform the condition of humankind in the twenty-

first century. While it did not take on the momentum

that we had hoped for, we have now moved to review

its implementation. This year, the outcome document

adopted by heads of State and Government at the

conclusion of the High-level Plenary Meeting gives us

another chance to address in earnest the commitments

that were made in the Millennium Declaration and at

major United Nations conferences.

Grenada is heartened by the recent renewal of

commitment to development and security, including

poverty eradication and the endorsement to positively

transform the world for the betterment of our peoples.

We also welcome the efforts made to address the

special needs of Africa. Those are high ideals, but we

are convinced that peace, security and prosperity can

only be achieved globally with the commitment,

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sacrifice and concerted, cooperative efforts of all

Member States.

We welcome the creation of a Peacebuilding

Commission to ensure post-conflict recovery where it

is most needed, and especially to focus on issues

relating to women and children within that process.

Grenada also supports the strengthening of the human

rights machinery through the creation of a Human

Rights Council, and we resolve to participate in the

negotiations to establish a working mandate for that

body during the sixtieth session of the Assembly.

Grenada welcomes the outcome document's

strong condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and

manifestations. We regret, however, that there has been

no meaningful progress on the issue of disarmament

and non-proliferation and call for continued

negotiations in that regard.

Reform is vital in order for this unique

Organization to reflect the aspirations of its 191

Member States. It is extremely important that the

United Nations address the burning issues and realities

that preoccupy the global community. Grenada fully

supports the measures called for in the Secretary-

General's report, "In larger freedom" (A/59/2005), and

remains convinced of the usefulness of addressing

peace and security on a broad spectrum.

Grenada agrees that Security Council reform is

imperative. The Council must be expanded in a manner

that will convince every region of the world that they

have an active voice in one of the most important and

powerful organs of the United Nations.

Grenada, like the other countries of the English-

speaking Caribbean, places a high priority on the

reorganization of the Economic and Social Council.

The Charter clearly designed the Economic and Social

Council to address development. In the twenty-first

century, therefore, the Economic and Social Council

must have, as the outcome document states, a more

focused agenda built around the major themes

contained in the Millennium Declaration.

The theme for this year's deliberations is well

chosen and we accept the challenge to work towards

that goal. Grenada hopes that United Nations reform

and the implementation of the goals set out in the

outcome document will come to fruition soon, in order

to ensure a stronger Organization and a more just

world.

My country, Grenada, knows quite well the

challenges faced by developing countries. In less than

one year Grenada experienced two hurricanes, causing

infrastructural damage amounting to 250 per cent of

our gross domestic product (GDP), crippling the

tourism sector, increasing unemployment to 31 per cent

and having an immeasurable psychological and social

impact on our population.

Prior to those events, Grenada was well on track

to achieve the Millennium Development Goals

(MDGs) of universal primary education, lowering child

mortality rates, and reducing the poverty rate by half.

Also high on our country's agenda was the

implementation of policies to combat diseases,

including HIV/AIDS. Today, even with the most

rigorous national efforts, if Grenada is to achieve the

MDGs, it can only do so with substantial financial and

technical assistance.

Currently, countries of the Caribbean face

growing unemployment and poverty because of the

recent World Trade Organization ruling that resulted in

the removal of preferential arrangements that once

facilitated our trade. As a direct result, two of the

industries most vital to the Caribbean ó bananas and

sugar ó are rapidly declining, sending thousands to

the bread line and abject poverty. Here, I would refer to

the statement made yesterday by the Prime Minister of

Saint Kitts and Nevis, which confirmed the effects that

the demise of the sugar industry is having on his

country.

Countries of the Caribbean require more than just

aid; for aid alone cannot eradicate poverty. What

Caribbean countries desire most fervently are trading

opportunities. We crave opportunities that will

recognize the diversities and disparities in the

economic world. Given our disadvantageous

economies of scale, our limited land mass and our late

admission into the international economic order, it is

impossible to make progress without special

concessions.

Grenada has no desire to see its future

generations become mendicants, seized by poverty and

a lack of opportunities. The MDGs, as well as United

Nations declarations, constitute a global partnership for

development. Both the developed and developing

countries are called upon to implement changes and

adjust their modus operandi to advance a more secure

and just world.

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We applaud the European Union for its decision

to increase its overseas development assistance to the

recommended 0.7 per cent of their GDP. However, we

urge them and other developed countries to continue to

provide freedom in trade with developing countries, in

order to facilitate the transfer of technology and to

assist with our environmental protection.

Those of us in the developing world have also

given our commitment to devise national policies to

improve the standard of living of our people, promote

education, practice good governance and strive for

better health care for all. That, however, is virtually

impossible in the current international economic

climate, as some international regimes seem committed

to crippling the economies of developing countries, in

particular those of the Caribbean.

Hurricanes and other natural disasters add to the

Caribbean region's challenges and remain a very real

and formidable enemy. Grenada acknowledges that

natural disasters are unavoidable phenomena that

cannot be stopped. However, we can mitigate their

effects, ease human suffering with sound measures and

speed up recovery by designing mechanisms conducive

to quick responses, particularly from the international

community. From hurricanes to tsunamis, from floods

to droughts, we have come to realize that natural

disasters know no boundaries and do not differentiate

between developed and developing countries. In the

light of scientific predictions that indicate an increase

in the frequency and intensity of natural disasters, we

must address this matter and give disaster mitigation a

high priority on our agenda.

I recall that during his address to the Millennium

Summit five years ago, the Prime Minister of Grenada,

the Right Honourable Keith Mitchell, joined his

colleagues in making a clarion call for the

establishment of a disaster relief fund to facilitate

quick responses to aid victims of hurricanes,

earthquakes, volcanoes and other natural disasters that

strike us with such frequency and ferocity. I wish to

reiterate that call today in light of the realities that now

surround us.

Some countries, particularly small island

developing States, are extremely vulnerable and can

experience a complete reversal of economic, social,

cultural and infrastructural progress with the passage

of one natural disaster, as was evident when Grenada

was struck by Hurricane Ivan in September of 2004.

For small islands it is exceedingly difficult to stop the

downward spiral that disasters can cause. Generally,

recovery is virtually impossible without major

international assistance.

Grenada welcomes the reference made to the

vulnerabilities of small island developing States. We

look forward to the effective implementation of the

Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of

the Programme of Action for the Sustainable

Development of Small Island Developing States in the

very near future. Grenada implores Member States to

support the call of small island developing States for

special recognition of their vulnerabilities.

In the same vein, I turn now to the issue of the

Caribbean Sea. Our economies derive tremendous

benefits from the resources of the Caribbean Sea. In

fact, the annual estimate of the economic value to

Grenada of production from the sea is more than 30

million Eastern Caribbean dollars. That is a

contribution that we as a people strongly feel must be

conserved, preserved, maintained and protected, not

merely for this generation, but for future generations.

I would like specifically to refer to the trans-

shipment of radioactive materials through our waters,

which continues to pose a tremendous threat to the

human health, marine life, ecosystems, tourism and

economies of the region. As has been repeatedly

affirmed by Grenada and other Caribbean Community

member States, that practice must stop. Grenada once

again calls on those concerned to desist from such

activity. We welcome the reference made in the

outcome document in that regard, and further urge the

international community to be more cognizant of the

situation and its impact on our economies and our

peoples. Since this matter is of grave importance to the

Caribbean region, we will continue our efforts to have

the Caribbean Sea designated as a Special Area in the

context of sustainable development.

Finally, judging from the commitments made

over the past few days, it is clearly evident that

Member States are willing to take up the challenge to

implement the necessary reforms to strengthen this

body. We too pledge our full support to that process,

despite the bleak economic realities we currently face.