Saint Kitts and Nevis, 2010

The

Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis has looked

forward to this sixty-fifth session of the General

Assembly with much anticipation. We welcome the

opportunity to share in the usual rich general debate, to

strengthen existing relationships and to build new ones.

This environment, we believe, facilitates the

exchange of views on issues of common interest. We

look forward, particularly, to the views on the work

still ahead in tackling the insidious global challenges.

The tasks I have in mind are: mitigating the

negative impact of the ongoing economic crisis on our

countries and peoples, and dealing with its many

implications for vulnerable small economies like ours;

tackling the prolonged tightening of credit markets;

protecting the environment from degradation;

promoting human security; and redressing the global

epidemic of interpersonal violence.

These are but a few of the problems with which

Governments across the globe must grapple. And we

must do this against a backdrop of uncertainty, while

established centres of power are shifting. Governments

must now reconcile the pursuit of statecraft and

national interests with rapidly changing and less

predictable relations among States.

Additionally, the 2008 economic and financial

crises, whose effects are still very real today, have

undermined confidence in our financial market systems

and in what we had hitherto hailed as sound economic

models.

Similarly, since the global recession, poverty

ranks across the world have been swelling. The

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percentage of working poor has reached unprecedented

levels, and millions more, now unemployed, see little

prospect for hope or relief. As a consequence, many

have lost faith in governance methods and in our long-

established financial systems.

We have all become painfully aware that

environmental degradation is not country-specific and

that the actions of individuals and enterprises in one

country ultimately harm ecosystems and threaten

livelihoods in others. Hence, as countries pursue

national agendas, we need to be mindful of the

common interests and ties that connect our societies

and peoples, and we must use every opportunity to

work towards a realistic convergence of our respective

interests.

There can be little doubt that we have established

a solid foundation that allows us to envision new and

exciting horizons. Reaching these horizons, however,

requires that, as we contemplate bold initiatives

appropriate for the challenges confronting us, the

United Nations must itself be prepared to further

deepen its engagement with Member States, regional

and national systems, and international financial

institutions.

My delegation believes that this is one way to

help provide new opportunities, to facilitate greater

access to the resources needed to implement national

policies and meet international obligations.

The United Nations, created out of the ruins of

war, has over the past six and a half decades, been

providentially guided by an unfaltering spirit of

partnership and prevailing common sense. Despite

countless challenges, that spirit is alive and well today.

We must therefore work even harder to fulfil the dream

of its architects and to live out their vision. The United

Nations, then, must remain that vital nexus, fostering

the necessary partnerships for the greater good.

Perhaps that would provide us with a more visible

presence on the global stage, furthering the effort to

build a better future for us all. We have seen this

partnership in action on the Millennium Development

Goals (MDGs). We saw it as we worked to address the

global financial crisis, which threatened large

economies and almost crippled the economies of small

island States. We saw it when Governments and

peoples across the globe came to the assistance of our

brothers and sisters in disaster-stricken Haiti, the

magnitude of whose tragedy we had not experienced

before in this hemisphere.

In the context of repositioning the United

Nations, we began, earlier this month, a process of

review. It is through improved partnerships that the

United Nations has an opportunity to bring

international business communities and civil society

together with Member States in a more structured way,

allowing for the practical exchange of ideas, the

sharing of expertise and best practices, and the

promotion of development and prosperity. Saint Kitts

and Nevis welcomes such a dialogue and partnership

and recognizes the extent and reach of the United

Nations in helping to build capacity, in the face of

challenges such as the brain drain, which robs

developing countries of their invaluable human

resources. Through such advocacy, the United Nations

can help also to safeguard gains in social and economic

development. Saint Kitts and Nevis encourages

Member States to embrace this idea of a multipronged

partnership as a way to bolster development processes

and strengthen global governance and accountability.

Cognizant of the spirit of cooperation, the

Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis thanks the

Government and people of Taiwan for their continued

outstanding support, international cooperation and

development assistance over several decades. I

welcome the recent passage in that country’s

Parliament of their international cooperation and

development law, which incorporates the essence and

principles of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness

and the United Nations MDGs. We owe them a debt of

gratitude for their efforts and for sharing their

development experience through public projects and

social, agricultural and private sector development.

We note that, despite being successful before the

World Trade Organization dispute settlement body,

Antigua and Barbuda, a fellow CARICOM member

State, has yet to benefit therefrom. In the spirit of

cooperation, we urge the parties involved to seek

quickly to resolve the situation and to arrive at a

negotiation settlement that is fair and just to Antigua

and Barbuda and its nationals.

2010 has so far been a year of epic global natural

disasters. The regularity and ferocity of floods,

hurricanes, typhoons, sea-level rises and other

catastrophic events are stark reminders of the

consequences of climate change. This is of particular

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concern to us, as small island developing States are

hardest hit by the consequences of climate change. In

the light of the facts, it should be a matter of some

importance to develop a proactive coordinated

approach, in collaboration with financial institutions,

insurance companies and other catastrophic-event-

mitigation stakeholders. It is clear that the disaster

preparedness, mitigation and response paradigms

incorporated into our national development strategies

are in need of urgent strengthening. Indeed, my country

is committed to a comprehensive approach in disaster-

risk abatement and mitigation, through capacity-

building and through the creation of internal

mechanisms that would ensure more effective

responses. I urge Member States to continue exploiting

and exploring technology and best practices, as we

work in partnership to find sustainable solutions to this

problem.

We believe that stronger political commitment,

greater cooperation and less apportioning of blame are

required if we are to succeed in this endeavour.

Therefore we hope that the global partnership and

solidarity evidenced in the aftermath of this year’s

many disasters will continue to prevail.

Four months ago, in May 2010, the General

Assembly adopted resolution 64/265 on the prevention

and control of non-communicable diseases. That

resolution seeks to halt the growing trend of premature

deaths from these diseases — mainly, diabetes,

cardiovascular diseases, cancers and chronic respiratory

diseases. Saint Kitts and Nevis applauds that resolution.

At the same time, however, we seize the opportunity to

remind this Assembly of another public health and

public security issue that begs attention and resolution.

Many will recall our efforts last year to focus attention

on the issue of the global epidemic of interpersonal

violence and its implications for development, health,

security and governance. The data reveal that

interpersonal violence accounts for about 4,300 deaths

per day, one every 20 seconds, one half of them being

due to homicide. In some countries homicide rates are as

high as 60 to 70 per 100,000. The human, social and

financial costs of violence are unacceptably high and are

escalating.

The World Health Organization has been playing

a key role in this field through its Milestones of a

Global Campaign for Violence Prevention programme,

and the General Assembly has adopted individual

resolutions on violence against children, violence

against women and armed violence. There is still,

however, no General Assembly resolution that calls for

an integrated approach to all forms of interpersonal

violence; there is no resolution that speaks to youth

violence, one of the major contributors to high murder

rates and social breakdown; and there is no resolution

that emphasizes the necessity of a multisectoral

response to this problem. Saint Kitts and Nevis is

therefore once again soliciting your support for such a

resolution. We are calling for an integrated and

multisectoral response to all forms of interpersonal

violence and recognition of the causes, with a view to

its placement on the General Assembly agenda for

debate next year, 2011. As we celebrate the

International Year of Youth, I can think of no better

time to introduce such a resolution.

Saint Kitts and Nevis guards zealously the

effective management and care of our resources. Our

primary resource is our people, particularly our youth —

our future. In preparing them for the promises and the

potential perils of tomorrow, we have been investing

strategically in education — education with relevance.

I applaud the establishment of the United Nations

Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of

Women (UN Women). The occupying of high office

and decision-making roles by women has been the

norm in Saint Kitts and Nevis, and we remain

committed to gender-equal opportunities at home and

abroad. We look forward to participating actively in

UN Women in the coming years and would be most

pleased to share our experiences.

As we move forward through this sixty-fifth

session of the General Assembly, I encourage us to

remain committed to the ideals that have brought us to

this point. Let us marshal the courage to do the things

that ought to be done if this indispensable global

institution is to be able to deliver at its very best.

In conclusion, permit me to congratulate you,

Mr. President, and the Government of Switzerland, on

your election to the presidency of the General

Assembly at its sixty-fifth session. I thank you, Sir, for

your readiness to preside over this General Assembly

at a time of great challenge. We feel confident that you

will rise to the occasion with great fortitude and

determination.

Permit me also to thank Mr. Ali Abdussalam

Treki, President of the General Assembly at its sixty-

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fourth session, for his leadership and commitment

during the past year.

I trust that under your leadership, Mr. President,

we will seize the moment for change — this

compelling moment for reform and one that is reflected

in the deliberations of the recent Meeting on the

Millennium Development Goals — as we draw closer

to the 2015 target. I assure you, Sir, of my

Government’s full support for your stewardship.