Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 1999

I take this opportunity to congratulate Mr. Theo-Ben

Gurirab on his election to the presidency of this session of

the General Assembly. I am confident that his vision and

energy will guide this session to a successful conclusion.

I also thank Mr. Didier Opertti, who led the fifty-third

session of the General Assembly with remarkable

distinction and efficiency. I commend Mr. Kofi Annan, the

esteemed Secretary-General of this Organization, of whom

the people of the Caribbean are particularly proud for his

vision and managerial skills as he heads the United Nations,

in precarious financial circumstances, responding to

increased demands with diminishing resources. I wish to

assure the Secretary-General of the continued support and

cooperation of the Government of Saint Vincent and the

Grenadines.

I join previous speakers in welcoming the Republic

of Kiribati, the Republic of Nauru and the Kingdom of

Tonga as new Members of the United Nations family.

Their membership strengthens the universal character of

our Organization.

I extend condolences to the families of the victims

of the earthquakes in Turkey, Greece and, more recently,

the Republic of China on Taiwan. I reiterate the

sentiments of sympathy already transmitted to the

Government and people of the Bahamas, a sister country

in the Caribbean Community, and to the United States of

America in relation to the devastation wrought by

Hurricane Floyd.

The fifty-fourth anniversary of the founding of the

United Nations, coming at the end of a century that has

seen war and destruction on the one hand and

unprecedented developments in science and technology on

the other, provides a timely opportunity to reflect on the

Organization's achievements, assess its continued

relevance in a radically changed environment and chart an

appropriate course of action for the future. Many

powerful forces believe that the United Nations has

perhaps outlived its usefulness and exists now only as the

world's most expensive debating club. Ministers of

Finance are presently convened in Washington, D.C., at

the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund

and the World Bank Group. There, too, the opinion can

no doubt be heard that circumstances have now overtaken

the Bretton Woods institutions.

The big and powerful nations of the world can

afford to argue thus, but for small, vulnerable, developing

countries such as Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, these

institutions are important buffers in the interplay between

finance and politics in the international arena. The

operating budgets of many transnational corporations are

far greater than the national budgets of developing

countries such as mine, and we are painfully aware that

the international development agenda is controlled by

these corporations.

Despite the technological advances of the last decade

and the tremendous increase in worldwide commerce, the

benefits of globalization have not been evenly distributed

and it is abundantly clear that developing countries

continue to be marginalized. While we acknowledge and

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respect the general thrust towards open markets,

competition and free trade, I must reiterate my country's

position regarding our vital trade in bananas. Even as we

move to diversify, improve quality and pursue alternative

strategies and options for development in tourism, financial

services and informatics, our economic survival and social

stability remain closely linked to the banana trade and the

income it provides for our farmers. Indeed, there is a strong

and persistent correlation between the rate of economic

growth and the performance of the industry. This is further

illustrated by the following facts: in Saint Vincent and the

Grenadines, the contribution of the banana industry to direct

employment is 40 per cent; in the Windward Islands as a

whole, banana export earnings account for over 50 per cent

of the gross domestic product; and windward Islands

exports account for only 1 per cent of the world trade in

bananas.

The imminent collapse of our major banana market

demonstrates just how powerless small developing States

continue to be against powerful countries and mega-

corporations. The disregard for our interests and, indeed,

our survival, by the United States of America, which does

not export a single hand of bananas, is truly inexplicable.

The inevitable consequences of this stance will be economic

and social dislocation, manifested in increased

unemployment, impoverishment for our farmers, crime and

the erosion of basic human rights and dignity.

The iniquitous and restrictive immigration policies of

certain developed countries have served only to exacerbate

the social disintegration of our societies, which are already

under severe stress.

If small developing economies are to be able to attract

investment, expand production, improve product quality and

meet standards — in short, compete effectively and grasp

the opportunities presented in the World Trade Organization

agreements — it is imperative that recognition should be

given to their need for support and for adequate transitional

periods to fully liberalized world trade, which should apply

also to the banana trade.

As a corollary to our overall economic development

strategy, the Government of Saint Vincent and the

Grenadines continues to explore, with the assistance of

friendly nations, options for enhanced airport development

on mainland Saint Vincent. The requirements for

agricultural and economic diversification make this

endeavour even more urgent.

We are exceptionally grateful to the European Union

for the support which it is continuing to give to ensure

our survival, even in the face of threats to its own

economic prosperity. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is

involved, with other members of the Caribbean

Community (CARICOM), in a fundamental process of

deepening regional integration through the establishment

of a single market and economy by 2001. We are taking

important steps to facilitate the free movement of goods,

services, capital and people in the countries of the

Community. We are doing this at a time when the

momentum of trade liberalization and economic

globalization has never been greater.

The region is also committed to the establishment of

the Free Trade Area of the Americas by 2004.

CARICOM has established regional negotiating

machinery to coordinate the region's participation in

external trade negotiations, including the Seattle Round of

multinational trade negotiations.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is resolute in its

opposition to the international trade in drugs. To this end,

my Government is moving bilaterally and with member

countries of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States

and CARICOM, to establish agreements with third

countries on mutual assistance in criminal matters. The

Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,

recognizing its own limitations in confronting the

enormous power and resources of drug traffickers, has

signed a “ship rider” agreement that gives authority to

pursue such criminals in the territorial waters of our

archipelagic State.

Governments in the small developing countries of

the Caribbean pay a high political price for cooperating

with the developed countries in the fight against drugs.

There were loud protests from certain sections of the

population against the Government when the security

forces of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, in

collaboration with the Regional Security Service and

contingents from other friendly countries, launched an

eradication campaign in our mountainous interior: they

questioned the Government's cooperation at a time when

access for bananas and other products from the Caribbean

to the European market was being challenged.

My Government will continue to honour its

commitments under all international agreements to which

we are signatory. We have enacted appropriate stringent

measures in our financial regulations to ensure that

proceeds from the illicit drug trade are not laundered in

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our financial system. The efforts of economically vulnerable

countries such as ours in combatting the scourge of drugs

must be recognized and supported by the international

community in general, and by traditionally friendly

countries in particular.

Our countries do not wish to be forced out of the

world trade in legitimate products, causing our peoples to

turn in desperation to trafficking in illegal products. In

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and in other countries

members of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), we

believe in stability based on a solid foundation of

democracy, respect for human rights and the creation of

economic and other opportunities for the development of

our peoples. CARICOM has built an outstanding record in

this regard. The recent mission to Haiti headed by our own

Prime Minister, The Right Honourable Sir James Mitchell,

to examine that country's readiness to conduct general

elections, is another example of CARICOM's commitment

to those principles.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines places very high

priority on education, training and human-resource

development. These are a very important part of the

declaration of principles adopted by the leaders of the 34

countries of the western hemisphere at the second Summit

of the Americas, held at Santiago, Chile, in 1998.

I take this opportunity to reiterate the gratitude of the

Government and the people of Saint Vincent and the

Grenadines to the Government and the people of Cuba,

which despite their difficult economic circumstances,

caused by the continuing trade embargo against that

Caribbean country, have offered numerous scholarships to

the young people of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines places great value on this

unmistakable act of friendship and assistance.

Small island developing States such as Saint Vincent

and the Grenadines attach great importance to such issues

as the integrity of our coastal and marine resources, solid-

waste management and natural-disaster preparedness,

because we are conscious of the negative repercussions that

can result if effective measures are not put in place. We run

the risk of damaging our fragile ecosystems to the

detriment of development and tourism, and moreover

compromising their sustainable use and enjoyment by future

generations. It is for that reason that CARICOM condemns

in the strongest terms the shipment of hazardous material

through the territorial waters of the Caribbean countries.

Without the benefit of scientific proof of the origins and

reasons for the recent fish kill in our waters, there is cause

for serious concern; investigation in this regard is

ongoing. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines shares the

concerns expressed by other small island developing

States and strongly supports the adoption of a draft

resolution on small island developing States recognizing

the Caribbean Sea as a special area in the context of

sustainable development.

The vulnerability of small States has been made

more acute because of lack of capacity, declining aid

flows, graduation from concessionary financing, the

disappearance of trade preferences, and a lack of

competitiveness. The implementation of the Barbados

Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of

Small Island Developing States is therefore imperative for

our survival.

My delegation fully supports the efforts of the

international community in addressing the conflicts in

Kosovo and in East Timor. We look forward to lasting

peace and stability in those areas.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines also applauds the

efforts and commitment of Prime Minister Barak of Israel

and Chairman Arafat of the Palestine Liberation

Organization to bring peace and security to the people of

their region.

A draft resolution on the readmission to this body of

the Republic of China on Taiwan was once again

defeated. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, however,

strongly supports the aspiration of those 21 million people

to exercise their right to share and participate in the

activities of this community of nations.

My country has consistently expressed its views in

relation to reform of the United Nations in general and of

the Security Council in particular. I will not revisit them

now, but I wish to reiterate that Saint Vincent and the

Grenadines strongly favours reform of the United Nations

to give more equitable consideration to the concerns of

the majority of countries comprising the General

Assembly. Let us remodel it along more democratic lines

to address the realities of the world today.

As we approach the new millennium, my delegation

would like to urge all Member States to demonstrate their

unwavering support for the goals and ideals enshrined in

the Charter of the United Nations: peace, security, human

rights, fundamental freedoms, international cooperation,

and development for all mankind.

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