Trinidad and Tobago, 1998

It gives me

great pleasure to extend to Mr. Didier Opertti warmest

congratulations on behalf of the Government of the

Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on his election as

President of the fifty-third session of the General

Assembly. Trinidad and Tobago is indeed heartened to

see one of its regional neighbours in this post, more so

given the close ties of friendship which exist between

Trinidad and Tobago and Uruguay. I am convinced that

under his astute guidance the deliberations of the

Assembly will be managed with the same skill and

diplomacy with which he is known to discharge his duties

of office.

I also take this opportunity to express deep

appreciation for the manner in which his predecessor, Mr.

Udovenko, undertook the tasks of office during his tenure

as President of the fifty-second session of the General

Assembly. The impact of his leadership and the

achievements of the Assembly during the last session of

the General Assembly can only redound to the benefit of

this body.

The United Nations has grappled, over the past 53

years of its existence, with myriad issues confronting the

international community — old issues and new issues,

especially those which have taken on a new dynamic in

the international relations of our Member States. Having

successfully manoeuvred through the high seas of the cold

war, the United Nations continues to confront issues of

direct concern to all its Member States. In striving to

attain its goals of international peace and security and

justice for all, which are the raison d’être of the United

Nations, this most valuable Organization to all of the

world’s peoples is now drawn to focus on development as

a necessary precondition to the achievement of

international peace and security.

We are now called upon to focus attention on the

deep-seated problems of the global community. These

include the alleviation of poverty; drug abuse and illicit

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drug-trafficking; environmental degradation; economic

growth and social development of developing countries;

and; more recently, the effects of the international financial

crisis. The Government of Trinidad and Tobago is of the

view that these challenges can be successfully addressed

only through international cooperation. No individual state

or region can in isolation rid itself of these problems.

One of the principal tenets of international peace and

security is the rule of international law. For too long,

blatant disregard for international law has led to heinous

crimes which have shocked the conscience of mankind,

many of which have remained unpunished. Perpetrators of

genocide, of crimes against humanity and of war crimes

have acted with impunity, causing untold human suffering

and loss of life on a massive scale.

Each life lost, each soul affected, each family, society

or country touched by tragedy is one too many. The

international community has not, until now, established a

permanent mechanism to punish the perpetrators of these

unspeakable crimes.

The Government of Trinidad and Tobago is proud of

the role played by Mr. Arthur Robinson, President of the

Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, in refocusing the

attention of the international community in 1989 on the

need for the establishment of a permanent International

Criminal Court.

We congratulate the ever increasing number of States

which have worked assiduously since then to ensure the

establishment of a permanent, independent and effective

International Criminal Court. At the same time, we urge all

States to continue, in the spirit of cooperation and

compromise which ensured the success of the Rome

Conference in July 1998, to complete the work that still

remains to be done. In this quest, we all must be ever

mindful of the continued threats to international peace and

security as well as breaches of international justice, which

are occurring even as we meet today.

When the President of the Republic of Trinidad and

Tobago urged the international community to create a

permanent International Criminal Court, it was in part a

recognition of the gravity of the scourge of drug trafficking

and its attendant ills, and of the pressing need for the Court

to address the question of the punishment of individuals

responsible for these crimes at an international level. At the

Diplomatic Conference held in Rome, Trinidad and Tobago,

with the support of Caribbean Community (CARICOM)

member States and some other States, was successful in

ensuring that the international community did not lose

sight of the importance of the inclusion of the crimes of

the illicit traffic in narcotic drugs within the jurisdiction

of the Court. As a result, the Diplomatic Conference

recommended that an acceptable definition and the

inclusion of drug crimes be considered by a review

conference to be convened after the entry into force of the

Statute.

Drug trafficking and the associated crimes of money-

laundering and trafficking in arms continue to pose

serious threats to the social, economic and political

foundations of countries of the Caribbean, and to erode

the moral fabric of our societies. We welcome the

conclusions and recommendations of the twentieth special

session of the General Assembly on the world drug

problem, held in June 1998, and we pledge our

commitment to cooperate at the international, regional and

national levels in the achievement of the goals and ideals

which we adopted at that session.

Trinidad and Tobago will persist in its efforts on a

regional basis to foster the type of cooperation that would

combat the scourge of drug trafficking. Such action

includes the implementation of the 1994 Barbados

Programme of Action, which facilitates effective drug

control cooperation in the region. Also, CARICOM

countries, with the assistance of the Governments of

Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, have

created a witness protection programme. In addition, Port

of Spain is the headquarters of the secretariat of the

Caribbean Financial Action Task Force on money-

laundering.

The Government of Trinidad and Tobago is

cooperating at the bilateral level with the three countries

just mentioned in areas such as extradition and maritime

counter-drug operations. We are also the beneficiary of

technical assistance in the strengthening of our Counter

Drug Crime Task Force to facilitate our efforts in

addressing this menace to society.

Action at the national level includes the

establishment of an agency to coordinate the overall

efforts against drug-trafficking and the preparation of a

master plan to deal with the problem. A strong legal

framework has been put in place to enable prosecutions

and investigations. Appropriate legislation to facilitate

judicial cooperation with other countries and participation

in regional and multilateral institutions has also been

enacted. Legislation currently before Parliament will

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significantly improve the provisions against money-

laundering.

The eradication of drug-trafficking, money-laundering,

and the traffic in arms and their associated evils must be a

task for all Member States. The deleterious effects on our

small societies threaten future generations of our peoples

and have significant negative repercussions on our

vulnerable economies. The eradication of this affliction of

our societies is a sine qua non for development and for the

achievement of international peace, security and justice.

Trinidad and Tobago shares the sadness, shock and

outrage of the international community at the recent

terrorist attacks on United States embassies in Tanzania and

Kenya, as well as at the bombings in South Africa and in

Ireland. This spectre of terrorism continues to rear its ugly

head in our world, in spite of the numerous efforts that

have been undertaken on a multilateral level to eradicate

this evil.

At the second informal consultations of the Council

for Foreign and Community Relations, held in New York

on 24 September 1998, Caribbean Community Foreign

Ministers condemned the recent terrorist attacks in several

parts of the world and reiterated their strongest commitment

to the fight against international terrorism in all its forms

and manifestations. They also pledged that their respective

Governments would consider acceding to relevant

international conventions and protocols on international

terrorism. The Ministers reaffirmed that the most effective

way to confront international terrorism is through an

enhanced multilateral approach and multilateral actions, and

with appropriate oversight and accountability measures.

International conferences have also attempted to draw

up a blueprint for addressing the environmental problems

that plague the nations of the world. In 1992, at the Earth

Summit in Rio, the international community for the first

time linked environmental and economic issues. The

Barbados Programme of Action adopted two years later,

which addressed the specific problems of small island

developing States, complements Agenda 21, the blueprint

for sustainable development adopted at Rio. The small

island developing States (SIDS) Programme of Action,

which is to be reviewed at a special session of the General

Assembly next year, is therefore of critical importance to

small island States. We anticipate that the results of the

review will be more promising than those of Agenda 21.

The pace of globalization and economic liberalization

has heightened the economic problems that developing

countries face. This is evidenced in, among other things,

the collapse of the financial markets, the unfair terms of

trade and the developing countries’ increasing difficulty

in accessing the markets of the developed countries. The

crisis presently facing many States and the gathering

gloom over the world economy pose very real dangers for

developing countries and therefore call for properly

devised strategies and the establishment of new

mechanisms to ensure our survival.

Recent developments within the international

economic and financial arena are clear indications that the

world economic system is crying out for urgent change.

The imperfections, which are becoming increasingly

glaring, can no longer be ignored. We cannot simply bear

witness to the events. We must act now or lose a golden

opportunity to influence the changes which are in the best

interest of all humanity. We must have healthy,

constructive dialogue at all levels and develop the

political will and direction to find relevant solutions.

To this end, I wish to reiterate the call made by the

honourable Minister for Foreign Affairs of Trinidad and

Tobago, Mr. Ralph Maraj, at the Twelfth Conference of

Heads of State or Government of the Movement of Non-

Aligned Countries, held last month in Durban, South

Africa, for the convening of a United Nations conference

on the world economy. It is evident from the views

expressed from this podium during the last two weeks

that Member States recognize the need for urgent action

at the international level to address this issue.

In this volatile economic environment, small island

developing States are rendered even more vulnerable by

their inherent features of size, remoteness, insularity and

susceptibility to natural disasters. Indeed, in one fell

swoop any small advances in economic development can

be brought to nought by natural disasters. The devastation

wreaked by the recent Hurricane Georges on small States

of the Caribbean bears sad testimony to this reality.

Trinidad and Tobago shares the grief of its Caribbean

neighbours at the loss of life and the damage to property

suffered in this hurricane. As is the case with other

developing countries, the needs of small island developing

States cannot be addressed without the full support and

cooperation of the international community. Trinidad and

Tobago continues to make every effort to provide

assistance to the islands affected by this disaster, in

cooperation with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency

Response Agency, a regional agency established to deal

with all types of disasters.

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Trinidad and Tobago has succeeded to some extent in

achieving integration into the world economy as it

undertakes the transition from an oil-dependent, public-

sector dominated economy to a more diversified market-

oriented private-sector led one. There is still a pressing

need, however, for employment-generating growth from

non-traditional labour-intensive sectors which will have

more pointed impact on the reduction in poverty and

unemployment levels in our country.

Our people are hurting. It is imperative therefore that

the United Nations programmes for development be

directed more specifically towards employment creation

opportunities for our peoples.

Trade policy is an important area of concentration of

the World Trade Organization (WTO). Developing

countries, including small island States, are being asked to

compete with developed countries while unequal levels of

economic development persist — and to do so in a very

difficult economic environment and within unrealistic time-

frames. Small States must adopt a series of policy changes

to reorient their economies and diversify their production

bases. While implementing these measures, they must also

develop their internal capacities to deal simultaneously with

such policy changes. This cannot be achieved in the short

term without a high degree of support from the regional

and international organizations and the international

community as a whole.

It is imperative that we find innovative ways to bridge

the gap between the United Nations and private citizens. It

is in this context that we welcome the establishment of the

United Nations Fund for International Partnerships, which

will strengthen partnerships to support the United Nations

and its projects and deliver resources to programmes and

peoples served by United Nations agencies. The approval

of grants for projects in the broad categories of children’s

health, environment and climate change, women and

population, food security, drug control, poverty alleviation

and landmines will contribute significantly to the pursuit of

the goals of the United Nations. The establishment of this

Fund is testimony to what can be achieved by a shared

vision and commitment to the principles and ideals of the

Organization. We urge optimum use of the benefits to be

derived from the Fund.

As we observe the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal

Declaration of Human Rights this year, Trinidad and

Tobago would like to restate its commitment to the

protection and promotion of human rights and the

fundamental freedoms of its citizens. The Constitution of

the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago guarantees human

rights and freedom to all its citizens, without

discrimination based on race, origin, colour, religion or

sex. The right to life, liberty, security of the person and

the right not to be deprived thereof, except by due

process of law, are guaranteed by the Constitution. Also

guaranteed are the right not to be subjected to cruel and

unusual treatment or punishment, the right to a fair trial,

freedom of expression and freedom of the press. An

independent judiciary is ever vigilant to ensure that these

rights are not abrogated or infringed.

The Government of Trinidad and Tobago is fully

cognizant of its duty to protect the security and well-

being of its citizens, including the innocent, the victims of

violence and the vulnerable. Their rights have also been

guaranteed by the Constitution. We do not subscribe to

the current trend that subordinates the rights of these

citizens to those of the perpetrators of violent crimes

against them. We are of the view that our innocent

citizens also deserve the Government’s protection of their

basic rights to life and security of the person.

We cannot speak of development without focusing

specific attention on the problems of social development,

poverty eradication and sustainable economic

development. The international community must, now

more than ever, jointly seek to ensure both the economic

well-being and the social development of all its peoples.

In this regard, the United Nations has made tremendous

strides in its efforts to confront the problems of

development and to improve the quality of life of

humankind. We are aware that, to this end, a number of

tools have been devised to enable the international

community to build a consensus in the social and

economic fields.

It is of special significance to Trinidad and Tobago

that, in accordance with General Assembly resolution

50/161 of 22 December 1995, a special session of the

General Assembly will be convened in the year 2000 for

an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of

the outcome of the 1995 World Summit for Social

Development and to consider further actions and

initiatives.

The 10 commitments undertaken at the World

Summit in Copenhagen constitute strong imperatives by

Member States and the international community to

achieve social development with the well-being of

individuals in the society at the core. One of the

commitments given priority attention at the Copenhagen

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Summit was the eradication of poverty. However, poverty

levels remain alarmingly high, and more practical initiatives

towards eradicating poverty are essential. We are pleased

that the General Assembly has identified this as a priority

issue and has dedicated the period 1997-2006 as the first

United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty in

order to achieve the goal of eradicating absolute poverty

and reducing overall poverty substantially in the world.

The effect of globalization and its impact on social

development must be carefully studied. The United Nations

and its relevant bodies will be a useful forum for this

discourse.

Trinidad and Tobago sees these as some of the issues

which the Preparatory Committee for the special session

should consider when it convenes its substantive sessions in

May 1999 and April 2000 to ensure that the special session

will be meaningful.

In September 1995, at the Fourth World Conference

on Women, firm commitments were undertaken to improve

the status of women by adopting the Beijing Declaration

and Platform for Action. Follow-up activities are under way

and should continue apace vigorously to ensure that the

mandates of the Beijing Conference are fully implemented.

An area which requires special focus is the enhancement of

women’s involvement in the development process. We

welcome the decision taken by the General Assembly in

December 1997 to convene in the year 2000 a high-level

plenary review to appraise and assess the progress achieved

in the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action

and to consider further action and initiatives.

Trinidad and Tobago attaches great significance to the

rights of children. We are committed to ensuring that they

are neither disadvantaged nor deprived in any fashion of the

means necessary for their wholesome development and their

full integration into society. Since the entry into force of

the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Trinidad and

Tobago has taken a number of measures to promote and

pursue the mandates of the Convention. Steps have also

been taken to achieve national awareness in this area,

including the elaboration of a national Plan of Action for

the Survival, Protection and Development of Children, the

promotion of the rights of children through school and

community outreach programmes and the establishment of

a Child Registry for monitoring children in need of special

protection. Measures are also being undertaken with respect

to the harmonization and codification of all laws relating to

children, as well as the establishment of a Family Court.

We are on a swift march towards the new

millennium. Let us, as a community of nations, renew our

resolve to work towards the achievement of the goals we

have set for ourselves: goals of peace, security, justice

and development for all. Political will and commitment

are necessary for this process, as is a genuine appreciation

of the realities faced by each individual member of the

international community in the pursuit of these goals.

We, the Member States of the United Nations, must

not lose sight of the interdependence of development and

the attainment of these ideals. As we formulate new

policies in our strategy for the improvement of all aspects

of the lives of humankind, and as we invent new

modalities for their implementation, we are encouraged by

the many successes we have had, especially in recent

years.

Trinidad and Tobago pledges to continue to work

assiduously in its efforts to establish the foundations for

a peaceful, secure and just world. This is the only legacy

we must leave to future generations.