YouSaid · the spoken record

Patrick Albert Lewis

lines on the record: 141
first: 1997-09-24
most recent: 2003-09-24
sittings or episodes: 7
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“We continue to press for the revitalization of the disarmament process, non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and general arms control. These are indeed perilous times, and, when an event occurs in a distant part of the globe that can drastically affect us domestically, total disregard of the need for tolerance will not only produce resentment but also the dangerous practice of intolerance. For such times it is far better to remember the words of Thomas Paine, who stated that “The world is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion.””
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“The images that are constantly before us with reference to Iraq and the Middle East leave us questioning the brotherhood of mankind. The United Nations has to be unified with reference to the rehabilitation of Iraq, and the transition of its administrative structures into the hands of its nationals. We subsequently give our support for the peace process in the Middle East, based on the respective resolutions of both the General Assembly and the Security Council. Likewise, we give wholehearted support to the preservation of the role of the United Nations and other organizations in working toward the stabilization and security of Afghanistan. In the same vein, we support and encourage the efforts made to resolve the conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the stabilization of peace in parts of West Africa and the Balkans.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“They were eager to remain in touch with the United Nations Secretariat, and sought to take advantage of whatever experiences, educational and otherwise, the United Nations could provide. In an atmosphere of cordiality, the administrating Power and the non-self-governing territories expressed ways and means of promoting development and advancement for the territories. Quite significantly the non-self- governing territories hailed the new policy of the United Kingdom for consultation with the elected officials of its territories on the appointment of governors. My country would not like to give the impression that we are only concerned with development, as this would be far from the truth. We are cognizant of other global issues, particularly with reference to peace and security.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“This year there was a breakthrough in Anguilla, as the United Kingdom agreed to have the regional seminar held in one of the Non-Self-Governing Territories, and for the first time the United Nations Secretariat agreed to write directly to the local representatives, rather than through the representatives of the administering Powers. But more importantly, the United Kingdom sent a senior official from the Commonwealth and Overseas Office, who was to gain the respect of the seminar participants. The Non-Self-Governing Territories greeted this development, and all sent delegations that were vocal and explained that their options had never been explained to them.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“We reiterate that this can be done while guaranteeing States their rights, as they are protected from any interference by the Court if they pursue the given crimes at the national level, and that the prosecutor’s autonomous power is accompanied by guarantees against using the Court for specious or politically motivated endeavours. The Non-Self-Governing Territories of the Caribbean look to Caribbean members of the Special Committee on Decolonization, more commonly known as the Special Committee of 24, to give guidance in regard to their constitutional evolution.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“The Court represents a revolution in legal and moral attitudes toward some of the worst crimes on Earth. Whereas many developing States have suffered under the yoke of globalization, the ICC represents a plus for the globalization process, its principles of justice and the rule of law in international affairs. The Rome Statute has sufficient checks and balances to allay all fears, and we remain convinced that the ICC will be a legitimate judicial institution to adequately judge individuals for war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“In Antigua and Barbuda, in the midst of our trials and tribulations, we have maintained democracy, and it is a hallmark of our existence. 27 The products of science, technology and innovation have to be harnessed and designed to add value to the real components of development. Wealth must be generated in order to raise the dignity and the esteem of mankind, and to garner respect for the internationally recognized fundamental rights and principles of labour. Without such, socio-economic development and, consequently, the full enjoyment of democracy will be held in abeyance. My country is at a loss to fully comprehend why some of the major countries of this world oppose the International Criminal Court (ICC). It is vital to our security and development.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“We see, as the dominant Powers repeat their call for universal democracy, that the former colonies of exploitation must remind them that democracy is most difficult to achieve among those witnessing the tears and the conditions of hungry children. Democracy struggles to maintain itself among those who are racked with illnesses and weak from the lack of adequate nutrition. Democracy is practically a utopian ideal, in which there are defined class divisions and insurmountable social barriers. For democracy to thrive and prosper, all sectors of the society have to participate fully with regard to economic growth and an adequate distribution of income. It is, therefore, incumbent that society work toward integral, equitable and sustainable social and economic development.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“To meet this target, the world will need to connect approximately 200,000 people to clean water and 400,000 people to improved sanitation each day. That will require three things: first, innovative financing mechanisms to assure the necessary doubling in financial flows to developing countries for water and sanitation, from current spending of $10 billion each year, to about $20 billion a year; secondly, greatly improved governance of scarce water resources, built around holistic, integrated water resources management strategies that encompass priorities from drinking to agriculture and industrial development; and thirdly, a clear focus on building capacity where it is needed most: working directly with local communities, especially women, to help craft and implement their own solutions. And this is just for water.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“As a Party to the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, we wish to lend our support to the call made by the Foreign Minister of Japan for parties to the Climate Change Convention to maintain the international momentum for climate change negotiations, for the early entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol and for the formulation of common rules that will facilitate participation by all countries. The Millennium Development Goals constitute an ambitious agenda for reducing poverty and improving lives. The challenge to implement them is enormous. A case in point is the target of halving by 2015 the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water and proper sanitation.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“So far we have not been satisfied that problems relating to the trans- shipment of nuclear waste through our waters, bilging and fishing indiscriminately in our Exclusive Economic Zones have been given any meaningful consideration. My Government welcomes the entry into force of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity, having recently deposited our instruments of ratification for both the Protocol and the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“In looking back at the almost 10 years since that Conference, we hold these following truths to be self evident: In the Barbados Programme’s attention on the unique circumstances of small island developing States, the corresponding actions to address these circumstances by the international community, has been lacking. This is the opportunity presented by the international meeting, to review the implementation of the Programme of Action that will be held in Mauritius in August 2004. It presents us with a second chance to identify a set of concrete actions which will be needed to further the implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action and thereby regain the momentum lost by small island developing States in their quest for sustainable development.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“This multifunctional role incorporates food safety, animal welfare and the preservation of land. Unfortunately, Cancún proved once again that the dominant countries would continue to exempt themselves from the rules governing free trade and to domestically provide substantive subsidies to their farmers, while denying the former colonies of exploitation the right to preferences. The year 2004 will mark the tenth anniversary of the first United Nations Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, which was held in Barbados in 1994.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“We have been listening to the modifications of the philosophies of Cobden and Bright, but are feeling the yoke of global practices, knowing that never in modern history has there ever been free trade. 26 The fears of developing countries in regard to the practices and realities of globalization, as opposed to its often-vaunted philosophy, were manifested at Cancún in September of this year. Cancún, we have been made to understand, means snake pit in the local Mayan language, and our hope is that there will be some meaningful effort to overcome the drawbacks. Developing countries will be hindered from developing themselves if lip service alone continues to be paid to poverty. The first step in the elimination of poverty is to adequately recognize the multifunctional role of agriculture.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Moving forward requires modernizing the educational system and maximizing the protective effect of schools, upgrading public health-care systems, making families a top policy issue, and strengthening community and neighbourhood support to adolescents. Antigua and Barbuda believes that, whereas aid is sorely needed, its effectiveness will be limited unless a level playing field is provided in regard to trade and investment in developing societies. There cannot be meaningful progress by talking about the relative significance and importance of free trade. We listen and see the dominant countries employ various and diverse forms of agricultural protectionism, while taking away from former colonies of exploitation vital preferences needed to keep their products on the market. Why should globalization be oppressive to the pusillanimous?”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“With that in mind, Caribbean heads of State and Government have met with representatives of the World Bank and are jointly in the process of, first, identifying the risk and protective factors and determinants of youth behaviours and development; secondly, demonstrating that the negative behaviours of young people are costly not only to themselves but also to society as a whole; and, thirdly, identifying key intervention points for youth development, underscoring identified risk and protective factors. Presently, as a result of this joint thrust, we are targeting sexual and physical abuse, HIV/AIDS as linked to misguided values about sexuality, the incidence of rage, youth unemployment, and social misconceptions as to the use of alcohol and marijuana.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Our religious literature states that continuing a lifestyle demands the depositing or planting of seeds, from which, in a relatively short period of time, comes new life and the continuance of organic existence. With that in mind, it is imperative that development strategies clearly take into consideration those who will succeed us, and Antigua and Barbuda, which devotes much attention and planning to the advancement of its youth, is advocating continued global focus on this issue in order to ensure a more harmonious international atmosphere than the one in which we carry out our activities.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Yet aid has declined as a share of gross national product, and World Bank research indicates that, without a doubling of development assistance, the endorsed Millennium Goals are unlikely to be achieved. Development experts appear to have a single focus. We fully accept the necessity for market reforms, but they are insufficient in themselves. There is a need for broad social reforms. Equitable income distribution and secondary school enrolment have been found to be insensitive to growth, while air quality has been negatively correlated to growth. The global institutions continue to listen to their identified experts and to disregard local experience, whether from the aged and wise or from the young and brilliant. Sustained development requires a significant percentage of domestic or local ownership.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“If an unbiased evaluation is made, it will be clear that average gains in human development in low- and middle-income countries have been substantial and higher than gains in income. Life expectancy has increased by 59 per cent, and illiteracy has been reduced from 39 per cent in 1970 to 25 per cent at the turn of the century. Nevertheless, current development trends are not sustainable and are placing extreme pressure on the environment and on the impoverished, who bear the overwhelming brunt of environmental degradation. Our coastal systems are threatened, dominant countries are fishing indiscriminately within our exclusive economic zones, and our coral reefs have not only been damaged but are disappearing.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“The digital divide is widening, the number of refugees and displaced persons has grown, and the AIDS crisis is devastating numerous societies. What tends to be ignored is what developing countries have been doing for themselves. In the Caribbean, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries have come to each other’s assistance in times of crisis, whether there be natural devastation by way of earthquakes, volcanic eruption, drought or floods. We have used our military forces positively, to rescue, to stabilize and to rehabilitate, when suffering the vicissitudes of nature. Strapped as we are in regard to finances, we have assisted one another in regard to the severest of economic constraints.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“The Secretary-General and his staff must also receive acclaim for their diligence and steadfast work. We mourn and grieve for the United Nations staff members killed and wounded in Baghdad, and, indeed, for all members of the staff who have made the ultimate sacrifice in upholding the ideals of the United Nations. We have often repeated statistics on human living conditions, but it seems to be just a recitation. Nonetheless, in the hope that this year figures may move those in control to make a meaningful attempt at 25 remedies, let me join the list of other colleagues who have recalled the fact that almost half of the world’s population subsists on less than $2 a day, and a fifth lives on less than $1 a day. The point to be stressed is that global inequality has increased.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“It gives me profound pleasure to welcome and congratulate Mr. Julian Hunte in regard to the lofty position that he now holds. It was not long ago that he was fighting alongside the ambassadors of the Latin American and Caribbean Group. He represents the smallest country that has ever ascended to the presidency, and, for his Caribbean colleagues, there will be additional rejoicing when his photograph appears on the Wall of Presidents. It is my hope that our younger diplomats will endeavour to emulate him and continue to demonstrate the mettle of small island developing States. But let me also pay tribute to his predecessor, Mr. Jan Kavan, for the able and skilful manner in which he conducted our deliberations during the fifty-seventh session.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“It was an exchange that sobered and uplifted me for an entire week. Yes, small States can contribute much and have a significant role to play in the United Nations. But we need to be looked at and to be listened to. We have much to contribute. We will continue to 29 speak out, to speak up, to advocate, to plead and entreat. We urge that we be fully recognized, for we are positive, compassionate and forward-looking. I end by offering to you the motto of my country: “Each endeavouring: all achieving.””
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Recently, the envoy of a very large country, seeking the support of Antigua and Barbuda for his candidature to a major international committee, praised our twin-island state for its prominence, rationality and objectivity in international affairs. He went on to state that small States are generally more objective in recognizing which countries ought to have positions on major international bodies. This is, in his view, due to the fact that small States can consider issues without having to take into consideration the pressures from large armies and the need to maintain international prominence. Consequently, small States view issues from the perspective of how policies affect the entire globe, of how there can be improvements for all people, and of what the consequences of certain actions will be.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“There is much insistence on free trade for the developing world and yet exemptions from free trade are claimed for the industrialized countries. Protective devices are built in for farmers in the dominant economies. These include subsidies, guaranteed markets, payments not to produce beyond a certain level in order to maintain means of processing, and all of this is done under the most stringent of guidelines. On the other hand, when former colonial countries provide preferences to their previous colonies for investments, challenges are mounted through the World Trade Organization by multinational enterprises. All this is done with the clear knowledge that in modern times there has never been free trade.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“A small developing State, such as Antigua and Barbuda, cannot deliver a statement at the United Nations General Assembly without mentioning the imperfections of globalization and calling again for meaningful remedies. When we consider the present thrust toward globalization, we once again see our lack of significance in the global scheme of operations. Clearly, globalization leads to the reduction of the sovereignty of States, with the weakest and the smallest being the biggest losers. Sadly lacking in the arguments for globalization is mention of the need to give consideration to the pace, direction and content of liberalization. We must bear in mind the different levels of development and the need to build up national capabilities.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“We have been working diligently to fulfil the United Nations requirements in that respect. We must, however, move ahead and plan for the future positively. We welcome the New Partnership for Africa's Development and are eagerly awaiting the entry of East Timor into this body. While welcoming East Timor, we must again express our deep dissatisfaction that a referendum has not been held in the Western Sahara. The question of the Western Sahara involves the right of self- determination, a fundamental principle of the United Nations. As long as the conflict remains, the regional security in a significant part of the Maghreb will remain at risk. Clearly, the success or failure of the United Nations will enhance or compromise the credibility of the current international system.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“While in and of itself the Summit generated a sense of urgency, commitments for action, and partnerships to achieve measurable results, concerted activity must be undertaken. Antigua and Barbuda therefore calls on all actors to honour their commitments and undertake the necessary actions to fight poverty and protect the environment through the implementation of the internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the General Assembly's Millennium Declaration and Agenda 21, adopted in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. This will require a significant increase in financial resources, as elaborated in the Monterrey Consensus. Antigua and Barbuda has every intention of adhering to the time allotment, but must of necessity touch on a few other issues. Unfortunately, we must recall the threat of terrorism.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“In this respect, we commend the Summit for the major progress made in addressing some of the most pressing concerns of small island developing States, namely, poverty and the environment, and welcome the commitments to increase access to clean water and proper sanitation and to energy services; to improve health conditions and agriculture, particularly in dry lands; and to better protect the world's biodiversity and ecosystems. However the Summit's failure to agree on a target date for increasing the use of renewable energy was a major disappointment to all small island developing States. The true test of the Summit's success will be in the follow-up actions at all levels.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Fortunately, the developing countries, through their perseverance, were able to receive greater consideration in Johannesburg. The recent World Summit on Sustainable Development represents the strongest effort by the international community to promote sustainable development through the adoption, as set out in the Summit's Plan of Implementation, of significant and concrete commitments to improve the lives of people living in poverty and to reverse the continuing degradation of the global environment. As a small developing State, my country sought to contribute to the overriding theme of the Summit: 28 the promotion of action.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The goals — halving the proportion of people living on less than $1 a day by 2015, accelerating the process of providing access by individuals to clean water, and ensuring gender equity, particularly with regard to education — cannot be considered to have been adequately dealt with by simply stating that aid from the developed world would increase from $50 billion to $100 billion. In addition, it must be recalled that only one third of the $50 billion is spent in poor countries, while the level of aid and the conditionalities attached to it makes it difficult to spend the rest effectively. The stringent conditions set by donors also have an impact on the sovereignty of developing nations. Thus, jumping from $50 billion to $100 billion without revamping existing measures of disbursal and implementation will not have the desired effect.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The Executive Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women, Noeleen Heyzer, declared, “you cannot talk about halving poverty without looking at the feminization of poverty”. Heyzer was critical of the fact that the Conference was working with static poverty statistics. A member of her staff pointed out that new ways of financing development had to consider protecting domestic industries while preparing women to take advantage of new opportunities. Ms. Heyzer stated that the meeting should have considered institutional and legal barriers to women's advancement, such as banking systems that did not lend to women, and customary laws which prevented female ownership of land. In reality, not only aid, but a complete overhauling of the present unidimensional focus of globalization should have come out of Monterrey.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Unfortunately, most decisions were made before the statements of the well- prepared delegates from both developed and developing countries could be structurally evaluated. At Monterrey, there were repeated references by both developed and developing countries to the fact that half of the world's population lived on less than $2 a day. But to any objective observer, it was never clear from the pronouncements of the dominant countries whether they could best help by significantly increasing foreign aid or by more concretely targeting their assistance to make it more effective. Many of the developing countries kept signalling that both measures were necessary and should be undertaken. It appeared that women were particularly disappointed with the Conference.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Once again developing countries, particularly those with monocultures, found themselves stymied with regard to getting favourable terms for their agricultural products, but were successful in convincing developed countries that it was acceptable to override patents to stem public health crises such as HIV/AIDS. Developed nations feared that that would diminish the effectiveness of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights and discourage pharmaceutical research, but proponents of the change argued forcibly from the humanitarian perspective. Delegates from the developing countries left the conference hoping to get better results at Monterrey — a Conference whose title specifically referred to financing for development.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“We had pleaded for a court that would try, and sentence, those involved in the trans-shipment of narcotics, in carrying out acts of terrorism and in committing marine violations, including those in our territorial waters. I am sure that it is not lost on members that in 1989 we were emphasizing the need for the proposed court to try terrorists. The Court is an acknowledgement of that. It emphasizes genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes — and we support this. Yet we remain akin to Ralph Ellison's “invisible man”. During the previous session, there were three major meetings on what can broadly be classified as financing for development. At Doha, 142 countries agreed to launch the next round of World Trade Organization negotiations.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“We reiterate our conviction that this can be done while guaranteeing States their rights, as they are protected from any interference by the Court if they pursue such crimes at the national level, and that the prosecutor's autonomous power is accompanied by guarantees against using the Court for specious or politically motivated endeavours. Although we are thrilled at the pace of development with regard to the Court, if we look closer it reveals the peripheral influence of Caribbean States. 27 It was Trinidad and Tobago that revived the idea of the ICC 41 years after the idea was first discussed. But the specific concerns that Trinidad and Tobago and other Caribbean States advanced as reasons for creating the ICC have been put on the back burner.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Nonetheless, much work remains to be done in obtaining worldwide ratification of the Rome Statute, ensuring that the Court will have the appropriate mechanisms in place to begin functioning as early as possible and disseminating information to stakeholders at the national and international levels about the ICC, the Rome Statute and its supporting documents. The fears of some States concerning the operation of the Court when it is effectuated next year must be overcome. The Statute has sufficient checks and balances to allay all fears, and we remain convinced that the ICC will be a legitimate judicial institution to adequately judge individuals for war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The reality is that this has been achieved at a remarkably swift pace, demonstrating that the Governments and peoples of the globe recognized the need for the existence of such a body. My own country followed the process of development closely and participated in many conferences, seminars and preparatory commissions on the subject. The adoption of the Statute manifested a revolution in legal and moral attitudes toward some of the worst crimes on earth. Whereas many developing States have suffered under the hard yoke of globalization, the International Criminal Court, with its principles of justice and the rule of law in international affairs represents a plus for the globalization process.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Kavan's predecessor, His Excellency Han Seung-soo, who guided the fifty-sixth session through a perilous period, yet found time to formulate positions to streamline our work and enhance the functions of the President. I wish additionally to welcome Switzerland into this body; we are mindful of the contributions it has made to our endeavours over the many years that we wished that it would become formally incorporated. On 18 June 2001 Antigua and Barbuda ratified the Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court and was most pleased when on 11 April 2002 ten States simultaneously deposited instruments of ratification, which brought the number of States that had ratified the Statute to 66, six more than was required to bring it into force.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Let me express my country's delight in having Mr. Jan Kavan preside over this fifty-seventh session of the General Assembly. Antigua and Barbuda owes much to the Czech Republic and the adherents of the religious ideas of Jan Hus, the Moravians, who arrived in Antigua in the mid-eighteenth century and administered to the slaves in a manner uncommon at that time. With humanity and audacity they provided education to chattel servants, which was certainly one of the foundations that led to the development of a sturdy, progressive, and optimistic people, who this year celebrate the twenty-first anniversary of successful independence. Let me also pay tribute to Mr.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“I call on all representatives here assembled to heed the plea of the victims and to construct an international order that can lift human civilization to achieve the highest ideals of the United Nations.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“The most populous democracy in the world, India, spoke on the first day of the general debate and highlighted concerns that we find it necessary to reiterate. There needs to be a more determined movement towards the liquidation of the external debts of low income and highly indebted countries. There should be poverty alleviation programmes designed for countries facing financial crises, and there should be stabilization of international prices of primary commodity exports. The measures that we have outlined here are essential to building a just and equitable international order. Anything less would simply be the imposition of the will of the powerful upon the pusillanimous. All societies are measured by the way they treat their most vulnerable members, and the international community of nations is no different.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“While it remains true that those with the highest per capita levels of greenhouse gas emissions should take the lead, it is incumbent upon all countries to work 30 together to ensure that there is full compliance with commitments contained in the Protocol. There is a deep concern in our countries, a concern that takes on paramount proportions and that is centred around the transhipment of nuclear waste through the waters of the Caribbean Sea, and which represents a blatant disregard of our sovereignty. The countries of the Caribbean have insisted that it be stopped, but to no avail; and our populations live in constant fear of an accident. We call on those who engage in this deadly traffic to respect the rights of transit States such as Antigua and Barbuda.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“The Declaration emphasizes the contribution that action on climate change can make to sustainable development and calls for capacity building, technology innovation and cooperation with the Biodiversity and Desertification Conventions. With the Summit a little less than a year away, small island developing States such as my own, which are among the most vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change, continue to urge the speedy ratification of the Protocol. That will require a global coalition among States to ensure that it enters into force and becomes legally binding after it has been ratified by at least 55 parties to the Convention, including the industrialized countries that represent at least 55 per cent of the total 1990 carbon dioxide emissions from this group.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“What we now have in place are the institutions and detailed procedures of the Kyoto Protocol, and the next step is to test their effectiveness in overseeing the five per cent cut in greenhouse gas emissions by developed countries over the next decade. The agreements reached in Marrakesh also made important progress on strengthening the flow of financial and technological support to developing countries so that they can move towards a sustainable energy future. They also send a clear signal to business, local governments and the general public that climate-friendly products, services and activities will be rewarded by consumers and national policies alike. The meeting also adopted the Marrakesh Ministerial Declaration as an input into next September’s World Summit on Sustainable Development, to be held in Johannesburg.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Instead, innovative ways should be found to provide long-term financing at repayment periods and rates of interest that would allow small States to maintain democracy, human rights, low crime rates and economic growth. My country welcomes the successful conclusion of the Marrakesh meeting on climate change, where the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change finalized the operational details of the Kyoto Protocol, thereby opening the way to widespread ratification by Governments and the Protocol’s early entry into force. This was the result of several years of tough negotiation in which Antigua and Barbuda was very active and took a leadership position.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“An inhospitable stranger known as “non-tariff barriers” continues to slam the door in our face. In these circumstances, we cannot overemphasize how important it is for the IMF and the World Bank to apply special and differential treatment to measuring the fiscal and economic performance of small island States. Our limited capacity to raise revenue and our necessity to spend at a disproportionate level in order to maintain a decent standard of living for our people should lead the IMF to have special and differential programmes of assistance for small island States. These programmes should not merely prescribe the traditional formula of large-scale public sector dismissals and reduction of public sector investment programmes.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Countries like Antigua and Barbuda are viewed as middle income because of the per capita income criterion, but this is a flawed measurement and should be abandoned. Financing for development should take into account a mix of factors and should be linked to the vulnerability index on which the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has done important work. No account is taken of the considerable transaction costs faced by small States because of their remoteness and the disproportionate burden they bear in order to effectively participate in world trade. No account is taken of the openness of our economy to goods and services from all over the world, without corresponding market access for our own limited range of goods to the markets of Europe and North America.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Between 1995 and 2000, our beloved twin island State was hit by seven hurricanes. We call on the international community to acknowledge in a meaningful way the vulnerability of small States like Antigua and Barbuda. We point to our lack of capacity in financial and human resources to bounce back from natural disasters and from external shocks to its economy caused by economic recession in the major economies of the world, which also happen to be our main trading partners. It is therefore imperative that we be able to continue to access concessionary financing through the World Bank. Our social and economic development needs, including infrastructure, seem not to register in the boardrooms of the international financial institutions.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“It is a feeling of not being able to participate in the determination of our own destiny. The “green room” process evident at World Trade Organization (WTO) ministerial meetings has done nothing but increase our apprehension. We call for serious reform of the global political and economic architecture to be undertaken, both at the United Nations and at the World Trade Organization. The multilateral trading system needs to be transparent. It needs to be fair and equitable, and all countries should be able to share in its benefits. Antigua and Barbuda, as a small island State, is extremely vulnerable to natural disasters. The most prevalent threat is that of hurricanes, three of which recently impacted our sister States of Belize, Cuba and the Bahamas. A single hurricane can set back the 29 development of a small island State by 10 years.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)