Grenada, 2008

I am honoured to join

those who have spoken before me in congratulating the

President on his election to guide the work of the sixty-

third session of the General Assembly, and in

commending his predecessor for his stewardship of the

Assembly over the past year. I also take this

opportunity to commend the Secretary-General and his

staff for their continued dedication in advancing the

work of the Organization.

The world has entered an era where the basis of

international engagement is driven more by the trade in

goods and services and the distribution of the

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ownership of technology than by notions of

sovereignty. As a result, small vulnerable States like

Grenada are being relentlessly pressed to justify their

economic viability. That, along with globalization and

other challenges, has negative implications for the

stability of our countries. Against that backdrop,

Grenada believes that its diplomacy must undergo

fundamental change, not only to satisfy domestic

expectations but also to enhance our chances for

success.

Just over two months ago, the people of Grenada

voted overwhelmingly for new leadership and a change

of direction for our nation. We humbly offer our

Government as an example of peace and reconciliation

in action. We bring together people committed to

service notwithstanding our politically turbulent

historical background. In our country, we have

managed to release the distrust and divisiveness that

have existed for more than 30 years in order to

embrace peace and reconciliation and move our

country forward. We stand as an example of hope and

encouragement to those who are still fighting and

cannot let go of the blame, the hatred and the anger

associated with the past.

We stand today as proof that peace and

reconciliation are possible, that our collective hope for

those world regions where brothers fight brothers and

people die needlessly is not a fanciful or vain hope: it

is a valid hope that can be realized. It is a hope that has

materialized in our country as we move forward

together, reconciled from a divisive past to serve our

people and to serve our world through our participation

at the United Nations. From that platform of

reconciliation, we focus on and emphasize the strategic

significance of partnerships in governance. Our aim is

to build strong and meaningful relationships between

Government, the private sector, trade unions and other

groups within civil society.

Grenada believes it must play an active role in

world affairs, since our own domestic agenda coincides

with many aspects of the global development dialogue,

particularly as it relates to the achievement of the

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Substantial

progress has been made in many of the targeted areas.

Moreover, the plans and programmes presently being

pursued will ensure that social and economic

development does benefit all our people.

Grenada’s main strategy to eradicate extreme

poverty and hunger focuses on expanding the

productive sectors of the economy, particularly the

agricultural sector. Emphasis will be placed on

attracting young people to agriculture, stimulating the

rural economy and providing for food security.

Grenada understands the importance of having a

well-educated populace. We are pleased that the goal of

achieving universal primary education has already been

accomplished. We are now striving to ensure that each

household has at least one university graduate by the

year 2025.

Similarly, technical and administrative capabilities

throughout the public service must be strengthened to

support our developmental agenda. Grenada is

convinced that we will not properly advance unless

there are fundamental improvements in the

development of our human resources. That is an area

where international support is especially needed.

Grenada has made relatively good progress in the

area of health care, especially in improving maternal

health, decreasing the rate of child mortality and

combating HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Our gratitude

goes out to international donors and other partners

associated with effective programmes in this area.

Global climate change represents a most pressing

and serious challenge to the viability and the very

existence of small island developing States. Climate

change is not only an environmental or sustainable

development issue; it is first and foremost a human

issue. With the release of the fourth assessment report

of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,

there is now scientific certainty that human activity is

the main cause of global climate change. Thus, the

opportunity to avoid irreversible damage to the climate

system will be lost if urgent and definite actions are not

immediately taken.

Small island developing States have contributed

very little to the release of greenhouse gases in the

atmosphere. Yet we are being forced to contend with

the devastating effects of those emissions. We are faced

with coral bleaching, sea level rise, salt water

intrusion, water scarcity and increasingly severe

weather events, all with very real financial and social

costs for our already vulnerable economies.

The recent devastation wrought by four major

hurricanes in the northern Caribbean highlights the

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serious problems we face as a direct result of climate

change. Our solidarity goes out to the countries hardest

hit, especially Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica and the Turks and

Caicos islands. We call on the international community

to respond appropriately to their plight.

In that regard, Grenada takes the opportunity to

strongly voice its support for the Alliance of Small

Island Developing States political declaration on the

urgency of responding to climate change, which is

slated to be adopted on Monday, 29 September.

Members will appreciate why Grenada speaks

passionately on this issue. We have had first-hand

experience of the trauma, pain and economic loss

associated with natural disasters. Four years ago,

Hurricane Ivan literally destroyed our country. Thanks

to the international community and, of course, to our

resilient and resourceful people, we have since become

more conscious of the imperatives of disaster

preparedness and crisis management. As a consequence,

we will continue to be at the forefront of activities to

have this issue properly debated and appropriate action

plans adopted and implemented. The leadership role we

have played over the last several months, through the

chairmanship of Alliance of Small Island States, is

consistent with that mission.

Grenada welcomes Japan’s important grant-aid

programme for environment and climate change under

its Cool Earth Partnership initiative.

Another issue of utmost importance to Grenada is

the protection of the Caribbean Sea, an issue which has

been repeatedly spoken of in this forum. Indeed,

Grenada and other Caribbean Member States derive

tremendous economic benefits from those pristine

waters, which are threatened by transhipment of

nuclear waste and other hazardous materials. Grenada

reiterates the call for increased attention to be given to

this serious matter with a view to having our concerns

adequately reflected in a stronger General Assembly

resolution.

Grenada cherishes the democratic style of

governance. We therefore pledge to contribute to any

multilateral dialogue to promote and enhance the

corresponding principles of transparency, accountability,

consensus-building and respect for institutions and

individual human rights. In that respect, we intend to

implement, in the short term, several critical pieces of

legislation, already passed by parliament, which are

designed to bring about improvement in the rule of law.

Notwithstanding the atmosphere of peace and

security prevailing in Grenada, our main task is to

continue to enhance the daily livelihood of our people

as we strive to achieve and sustain economic growth

and to restore fiscal balance and debt sustainability.

That challenge is compounded by unfavourable

external factors including high energy costs, escalating

food prices and the worrying slowdown in major world

economies and financial markets.

Grenada is determined to pursue the construction

of a new economy through the implementation of

strategic initiatives. As we proceed with our

development, we appeal to the international community

for technical assistance and other forms of support. The

usual role of United Nations bodies, including the Food

and Agriculture Organization, the World Health

Organization, UNESCO, the United Nations

Development Programme and others, will be critical in

the process.

No one in the developed world can deny the

value of a small country like Grenada in the expansion

of democracy and the fight against terrorism.

Currently, environmental issues also demand urgent

action on the part of all States. Those shared goals and

values reshape relations between States. These issues

underscore an urgent need for new platforms to address

the issue of support for the developmental needs of

States. Grenada believes that the realization of a global

partnership for development is of urgent importance.

Serious attention should be paid to addressing the

special needs of the least developed countries in the

areas of trade, debt relief and the environment.

It is Grenada’s hope that the sixty-third session

will be filled with a spirit of camaraderie, goodwill,

collaboration, equity, trust and confidence in our

ability to improve the general well-being of mankind.

It is our hope that the Organization’s reform will take

place in such a way that the perceived dominance by

some will not be a standard of inflexibility, but will

give way to genuine dialogue and cooperation.

I can assure the Assembly that Grenada intends to

pursue its external relations based on the principle of

mutual respect. Thus, we will be an active participant

in multilateral debates on current issues.

Grenada maintains its staunch and unwavering

stance in the fight against terrorism, illicit drugs,

weapons and human trafficking. We will continue to

unconditionally support all initiatives that promote and

08-52265 46

enhance global peace and security. Grenada strongly

condemns all violent acts by those who are bent on

creating chaos and panic in regions around the world,

and thus supports all efforts to bring the perpetrators to

justice. Additionally, Grenada is committed to the full

implementation of the recommendations adopted by

the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force to combat

money-laundering and terrorist financing.

Grenada is optimistic about the opportunities for

wider and deeper engagement among Caribbean

countries. We strongly believe that all countries should

be allowed to develop without hindrance and undue

pressure. Accordingly, Grenada calls on all countries to

constructively engage Cuba at this historic juncture.

Grenada is a friend both of the United States and of

Cuba, and thus wishes to use this occasion to call on

the former to use its diplomatic experience to assist the

process of economic and social change now taking

place in Cuba. Grenada contends that the stringent

unilateral economic measures in place against Cuba

will benefit no one and do not facilitate the world’s

goal of achieving a global partnership of equals.

Additionally, Grenada calls on the United Nations

to continue its vital role in assisting the African continent

in realizing its development objectives. In keeping with

the declaration of the recently concluded high-level

meeting on Africa’s development (resolution 63/1), we

urge the Secretary-General to use his good offices to

remind world leaders of their commitments for the

betterment of the African people.

Similarly, the plight of Haiti, my fellow

CARICOM neighbour, must be addressed with utmost

compassion and urgency. Grenada recently pledged a

modest monetary donation, and is proud to be a police-

contributing country with the United Nations

Stabilization Mission in Haiti. In that vein, Grenada

urges the other States Members of this Organization to

do likewise.

Grenada urges that we capitalize on the spirit of

cooperation and collaboration to assist the poor and

more vulnerable nations to become and remain viable

and to actively participate in a global process that

needs the input of all nations of the world, big and

small. In this regard, I wish to salute the Government

of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for

considerably easing some of the financial pressure

inflicted on our fragile economy by the sharp increases

in oil prices. Through the Petro Caribe Initiative,

several Caribbean countries are able to buy oil from

Venezuela on softer terms.

Grenada is convinced that the principles upon

which this great organization was founded, as

articulated in its Charter, should be given full vitality.

That would certainly redound to our individual and

collective benefit as we seek to confront the many

challenges of this modern and complex era.

Grenada commends the Secretary-General for his

outstanding leadership of this Organization. Finally,

Grenada once again congratulates the President on his

election to facilitate and direct the debate of this sixty-

third session of the General Assembly. I assure him of

our full support as he guides the process.