Jamaica, 2007

It is my great pleasure, Sir,

to extend to you warmest and most sincere

congratulations on your assumption of the presidency

of the General Assembly. The Jamaican delegation is

confident that much will be accomplished during the

sixty-second session under your able leadership. You

can be assured of the support of the Jamaican

delegation in that endeavour.

To your predecessor, Her Excellency Sheikha

Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa, the Jamaican delegation

extends its appreciation for her unstinting efforts in

advancing the work of the General Assembly during its

sixty-first session.

Jamaica also wishes to pay tribute to the laudable

efforts of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who, since

his assumption of office in January of this year, has

moved forward in earnest to enhance the process of

reform of the United Nations.

I am deeply honoured to be addressing the

General Assembly at its sixty-second session on behalf

of my country, Jamaica. Today, I especially restate my

country’s firm commitment to the ideals and principles

of the United Nations and underscore Jamaica’s strong

support for multilateralism, which must underpin the

core processes in the execution of the functions and

responsibilities of the United Nations. In doing so, I

am driven by our resolve for change, as well as by the

need for unity and for the reinvigoration of the United

Nations in order for it to effectively and efficiently

achieve the fundamental purposes set out in its Charter.

As we begin this session, we must not lose sight

of our strategic objectives and vision towards the

maintenance of international peace and security; the

development of friendly relations among nations; the

achievement of international cooperation in the

economic, social, cultural and humanitarian fields; and

the promotion of human rights and fundamental

freedoms.

Looking back at the record over the past year, it

is disconcerting that the challenges we face at the

global level have not seen much discernable change.

From a security point of view, the world continues to

be plagued by seemingly incessant and protracted

conflicts, such as those in the Middle East, parts of

Africa and elsewhere. Millions of innocent persons are

the victims of civil strife or are displaced as a result of

violence and armed conflict. Terrorism, transnational

organized crime and the proliferation of weapons of

mass destruction continue to threaten international

peace and security.

From the economic and social perspective, we

cannot escape the fact that we live in a world

characterized by high levels of underdevelopment and

social degradation a world where too many people

live in dehumanizing poverty. It is a world in which

human security is being threatened by environmental

degradation. The experience of HIV/AIDS and the

constant threat of new pandemics underscore our

interconnectedness and interdependence, demanding

universal cooperation and collective action.

All States, developed and developing, large and

small, are vulnerable to those threats and must of

necessity have a shared commitment to strengthening

collective security and safeguarding world peace and

security. No nation can address those challenges and

threats entirely on its own. Sustained collective action

and global cooperation are required to identify and

shape a common vision and agreed objectives to deal

with the complexities of our times. In recent years, we

have renewed our commitment to the United Nations as

the catalyst for effectively advancing the interests of

our peoples in the areas of development, peace and

security, and human rights.

Unquestionably, there have been pockets of

success in global economic progress over the past

decade. By and large, however, our commitments have

not been matched by the desired implementation of the

targets for meeting basic human needs, human security

and sustainable development. It is clear that much

more needs to be done if we are to achieve the

development targets in the Millennium Development

Goals (MDGs) by 2015.

The Government of Jamaica fully accepts that

each country has the primary responsibility for setting

development priorities through sound governance and

policies. We believe that the goals that were solemnly

agreed seven years ago are not overly ambitious and

are still achievable. In that context, my Government is

committed to taking further measures to pursue the

objectives of the MDGs and other internationally

agreed development goals. We are committed to

providing the necessary framework that will promote

social inclusion, enhance productive capacity and

employment, and facilitate investment and sustained

economic growth.

But many developing countries, such as Jamaica,

cannot do it alone. The realization of the development

agenda is dependent not only on our own domestic

capabilities, but equally on the genuine commitment of

all Member States to pursue a global partnership for

development, which is at the core of the strategy for

development. We believe, therefore, that it is

imperative that we move beyond the simple reiteration

of principles and translate commitments into action.

We must give life to the aspirations embodied in the

outcomes of international conferences on the basis of

mutual responsibility and mutual accountability, with a

fair expectation that obligations, as agreed, will be

fully undertaken.

In all that we do, we must recognize that progress

and uplifting the poor benefits all of us. It can mean

the difference between conflict and stability, between

hope and despair. As developing countries strive to put

in place practical national development strategies,

developed country partners must support those efforts

through greater market access, debt relief, private

capital flows, technological transfers and improved

global economic governance. Jamaica therefore calls

for renewed focus, as well as the necessary political

will, to honour the commitments made for

development, and urges the fulfilment of all

obligations that we have collectively embraced so that

we may effect real change in the lives of millions of

impoverished people around the world.

A critical role in that process is official

development assistance, including the fulfilment by

developed countries of the official development

assistance target of 0.7 per cent of gross national

income. The High-Level Meeting on Financing for

Development provides an opportunity to enhance

collaboration with our partners towards achieving that

goal.

The unique situation of middle-income

developing countries, such as Jamaica, also requires

special attention. That varied group of countries, with

per capita gross domestic product spreading from $900

to $10,000, is by no means a homogeneous group and

possesses its own particular vulnerabilities. Greater

efforts must be made to address the needs of middle-

income developing countries, in particular the high

level of indebtedness that those countries face.

Globalization and economic liberalization have

resulted in the increased exposure of developing

countries to external economic forces over which they

have little control. We should refuse to accept that

globalization creates winners and losers. What we

should strive for is a win-win and inclusive process in

which the benefits and opportunities are more widely

enjoyed across countries and regions.

An enabling international environment also

requires a global trading system that is fair and

equitable and that is conducive to development and

integration in the world economy. A continued cause of

grave concern to Jamaica is therefore the current

impasse in the negotiations in the Doha Development

Round, in spite of commitments to work expeditiously

towards implementing the development dimensions of

the Doha work programme. We must summon the

necessary political will to reignite trade negotiations,

with the development agenda as the centrepiece of the

discussions as we seek to integrate developing

countries in the multilateral trading system.

It is important that the creation of a viable and

equitable trade regime also recognize diversity in the

levels of development and size of economies. A one-

size-fits-all model disregards the complexities and

unique circumstances of countries. Jamaica will

therefore continue to insist that new trading

arrangements take account of that differentiation,

especially as it concerns small vulnerable economies.

The principle of special and differential treatment

seeks only to level the playing field and to give

developing countries a fair chance to participate

meaningfully in global trade. At the same time, we will

also join other developing countries in pressing for the

removal of support for agricultural products by certain

developed countries as a precondition for further

market access for such products.

We call for and join in continuous and concerted

international efforts to fight the spread of

communicable diseases, including HIV/AIDS,

tuberculosis, malaria and others, particularly bearing in

mind that they are all preventable. The global impact

of AIDS has been particularly devastating. The high

prevalence in many countries, especially in sub-

Saharan Africa and the Caribbean, is cause for alarm. It

should be noted that the pattern of high prevalence and

high heterosexual transmission is strongly associated

with poverty.

While noting the international response through

the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS

(UNAIDS) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS,

Tuberculosis and Malaria, we stress the need for

increased funding to help support developing countries

to fight the pandemic. We are particularly concerned

that the countries of the Caribbean, including Jamaica,

are placed at a disadvantage in accessing the necessary

funding to curtail the spread of the disease owing to

their assigned middle-income status.

Implementing a global response to climate

change must remain a priority as we seek consensus for

combating global warming beyond 2012, when the

Kyoto Protocol expires. As we prepare for the

Conference of the Parties to the United Nations

Framework Convention on Climate Change in Bali,

Indonesia, we are encouraged that the recent High-

Level Event on Climate Change and the General

Assembly informal debate on climate change

reinforced the urgency with which issues pertaining to

environmental sustainability have to be tackled.

The principle of common but differentiated

responsibility must be applied across the board. We are

equally convinced that the international community

must assist small island developing States in

incorporating climate change adaptation and mitigation

concerns in national sustainable development plans and

assist them by improving access to environmentally

sound technology related to climate change.

Jamaica and other countries in the Caribbean are

all too familiar with the adverse effects of climate

change and associated phenomena, including the rise in

sea-level and the increase in the frequency and

intensity of hurricanes and other weather events that

threaten the sustainable development, livelihoods and

the very existence of small island developing States. In

my own country, the onslaught of Hurricane Dean on

19 August resulted in the loss of life and extensive

damage to infrastructure, property and the agricultural

sector, as well as in the loss of livelihood for many.

The threat of terrorism transcends boundaries and

has had a devastating impact on the economic

development of States, whether directly or indirectly. It

is imperative that we negotiate and conclude a

comprehensive convention against terrorism. We must

also invigorate disarmament and non-proliferation

efforts.

There is a need to comprehensively address the

illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons,

which have the capacity to kill and maim thousands of

people. Jamaica has first-hand experience of high

levels of gun violence and the unwarranted burden it

places on our social and economic system. We urge the

international community to give priority attention to

this menace, including through the creation of a legally

binding instrument containing stricter controls on the

illegal trade in small arms and ammunition. Likewise,

we support the proposal for the establishment of an

arms trade treaty.

A major priority of the United Nations is not only

winning the peace, but more importantly keeping and

sustaining the peace. Jamaica fully supports the work

of the Peacebuilding Commission, which earlier this

year celebrated its first anniversary and whose

groundbreaking work is assisting in post-conflict

rehabilitation and reconstruction. As a member of the

Commission, Jamaica looks forward to the

continuation of the dialogue as we seek to build on the

successes of the recent past, always mindful that the

countries under consideration require swift action to

implement priority projects as part of the rehabilitation

and reconstruction process.

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM)

continues to be seized of developments in Haiti. We

reaffirm the importance of the continued engagement

of the international community and, in this regard,

welcome the renewal of the mandate of the United

Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) to

assist in the stabilization process. We also encourage

support from the international community to meet the

long-term social, economic and development needs of

Haiti.

We must remain unwavering in our commitment

to the promotion and protection of human rights and

the rule of law. Much more needs to be done to ensure

that the basic rights of individuals are universally

protected and that transparent and accountable

governance prevails at the local and international

levels.

Jamaica is honoured to assume the Chairmanship

of the Third Committee during the General Assembly

at its sixty-second session, as part of our commitment

to ensure that human rights are promoted and protected

globally. In this regard, we are particularly keen to help

guide the Committee’s work in promoting and

protecting the rights of marginalized and vulnerable

groups. Jamaica recognizes the importance of the

protection of the human rights of women, which is

critical to the international processes aimed at

achieving gender equality and the development of

women.

Late last year a significant milestone was

achieved with the adoption by the United Nations of

the Convention on the Rights of Persons with

Disabilities with the distinction of being one of the

most supported conventions at its opening for signature

in March 2007. Jamaica is pleased to have been the

first country to ratify the Convention and encourages

others to accede to the Convention as a sign of their

commitment to ensuring that the rights and dignity of

the disabled are promoted and protected. We also

welcome the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights

of Indigenous Peoples.

The deteriorating humanitarian situation in

Darfur remains a matter of grave concern and

preoccupation of the international community. Jamaica

therefore welcomes the recent unanimous adoption of

Security Council resolution 1769 (2007) for the

deployment of the joint African Union-United Nations

Hybrid Operation in Darfur to the region. We are

encouraged that by certain developments that indicate

that this kind of cooperation has begun and urge that

these efforts be intensified.

The process of reform of the United Nations

seems prolonged and challenging, with little or no

consensus in the various proposals put forward for

improvements in the functioning of the United Nations

and its main organs. We must redouble our efforts to

revitalize the General Assembly, so that it can

effectively carry out its role and responsibility as the

chief deliberative and policy-making organ of the

United Nations. We must also work towards a reformed

Security Council that is more inclusive, more

representative and more transparent.

This year marks the bicentenary of the abolition

of the transatlantic slave trade. Member States of the

Caribbean Community are heartened by the

overwhelming solidarity of the international

community in marking the event at the special

commemorative meeting of the General Assembly in

March and other activities during the course of the year

to memorialize the victims of this egregious period in

our history.

A significant element of the commemoration is a

plan to honour the victims of the transatlantic slave

trade and slavery, through the erection of a permanent

memorial in the halls of the United Nations. We are

grateful to Member States that have contributed or

pledged towards the permanent memorial account that

has been established and look forward to your further

support and contributions towards the erection of the

memorial.

We are 192 Member States; we have the

fundamental tools and the required level of expertise to

effectively address the major challenges facing us

today. It is now clear that we must also have a steadfast

will and a shared commitment towards a radical change

from the existing mindset in favour of positive action,

if the United Nations is to successfully respond to

challenges, which continue to hamper the attainment of

its objectives for peace and sustainable development.

In calling for radical change in the existing

mindset and in the way we discourse and take actions

on international issues, we should be guided by the

purposes and principles of the Charter. A change in our

mindset will require a rethinking on the part of all

Member States as we seek to promote world peace and

achieve economic and social development. It will also

require a deep search in the conscience of all States as

we seek to adhere to our obligations under

international law with due regard for the collective will

of the international community.

This radical change in the existing mindset will

necessarily require us to be more responsible as

Member States of a united Organization, more

responsible as citizens of this one world and more

focused on the shared responsibilities that come with

our membership in the United Nations.

Let us not falter in our obligation to ensure that

the Organization not only remains responsive to the

vast array of concerns and demands of its diverse

membership, but that it is able to do so without

compromising the noble ideals and principles on which

it was founded. This process begins with a conscious

determination and political resolve to transform not

only our modus operandi, but the thinking that informs

it. Jamaica stands ready to play its part in this

endeavour and calls upon all Member States to do

likewise.