YouSaid · the spoken record

Winston Baldwin SPENCER

lines on the record: 164
first: 2004-09-24
most recent: 2013-09-24
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

“Anything less would be unacceptable and would be a travesty for millions of the world’s inhabitants, for whom we are required to act and do so courageously and decisively.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We cannot successfully achieve a post-2015 development agenda if world leaders do not act to save our environment and stop the pollution of our air and oceans and the wanton destruction of our forests and lands only for the benefit of a few. When the founders of the United Nations formulated this great institution, it was not envisioned as a stage or a repository for eloquent speeches. The United Nations was conceptualized as a place where our challenges would be discussed, solutions cultivated and action taken. It is for those reasons that our leaders gathered here today should work towards a fundamental, impartial and sustainable social, economic and environmental post-2015 development agenda that is far-reaching and all-inclusive.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We cannot successfully achieve a post-2015 development agenda if world leaders stand idle and see the tears and desperation on the faces of the many children who are hungry. We cannot successfully achieve a post-2015 development agenda if world leaders allow easily treatable illnesses and diseases to destroy our populations. We cannot successfully achieve a post-2015 development agenda if world leaders sit back and allow the lines of class divisions and insurmountable social barriers to increase. We cannot successfully achieve a post-2015 development agenda if world leaders continue to allow the imbalances of economic growth, destructive trade barriers and protectionism from developed to developing countries to persist.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Antigua and Barbuda gives its unconditional support to the preservation of the role of the United Nations and other organizations in working towards stabilization and peace in Syria and other conflict-ridden countries. In the same vein, we call on those leaders to protect civilians at all costs and move quickly to devise diplomatic solutions to the conflicts. Wilful and deliberate attacks upon civilians should be taken seriously by the international community, and the international courts should move to act in a manner consistent with international laws and norms. War, or even the threat of war, should be an absolute last resort and should have the full support of the international community at all times. Unilateral prescriptions will never solve a problem.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We therefore assert that reparations must be directed towards repairing the damage inflicted by slavery and racism. We have recently seen a number of leaders apologizing to the African diaspora, to indigenous peoples and to former colonies for past wrongs and injustices. I salute those leaders who have demonstrated such enlightenment and strongly encourage others to do so and equally match their words with concrete and material benefits to the descendants of genocide and the brutal enslavement of their ancestors. My country, while developmentally focused, is mindful of other global issues, particularly with reference to peace and security. The continued unrest in the Middle East, particularly in Syria, is heartbreaking. The images of innocent women and children being displaced and killed tug at my consciousness.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Today I am proud that the members of CARICOM, at its thirty-fourth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government, held in Trinidad and Tobago in July, agreed to support the establishment of a regional reparations commission to begin laying the groundwork for a process of engagement and conversation on the issue of reparations for native genocide and slavery. I am equally pleased that the first regional reparations conference was held in St. Vincent and the Grenadines earlier this month, with proposals for the formalization of a regional reparations commission. Antigua and Barbuda therefore conceptualizes the call for reparations as an integral element of our development strategy and believes that the legacy of slavery and colonialism in the Caribbean has severely impaired our development options.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Antigua and Barbuda also expresses its concern about the inclusion of the Republic of Cuba on the list of State sponsors of terrorism published by the State Department of the United States of America. We reject the unilateral elaboration of blacklists accusing States of allegedly supporting and sponsoring terrorism, which is inconsistent with international law. We request the United States of America to put an end to that unilateral practice. Antigua and Barbuda welcomes the launch of the design for a permanent memorial to honour the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade, an initiative that was championed by CARICOM. We also look forward to its full erection in the coming months. One year ago, I stood here and reiterated the need for serious dialogue on the topic of reparations.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“These and other associated measures serve no other end than to hinder the socioeconomic development and well-being of the people of the Republic of Cuba. Antigua and Barbuda also affirms its long-standing stance and commitment towards combating terrorism in all its forms and expressions and condemns any action which goes against international law, resolutions of the United Nations or principles of human rights protection. We therefore condemn the recent terrorist acts in Kenya and express our profound sympathy to the Government of President Uhuru Kenyatta and the families of those who lost loved ones. We also in the strongest sense condemn acts of terrorism in other parts of the world.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“My Government condemns in the strongest possible terms any discriminatory or retaliatory policies and practices designed to prevent Cuba from exercising its right to freely participate in the affairs of our hemisphere. Today, I once again reiterate my Government’s firm condemnation of the unilateral and extraterritorial application of coercive laws and measures contrary to international law, the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of free navigation and international trade. Antigua and Barbuda therefore urges the United States of America to respect and take note of the unceasing call by the Members of the United Nations that it immediately lift the unjust economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed on the Republic of Cuba.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Although my Government has until now exercised strategic patience, we intend, through the only mechanism that the WTO has provided, to seek compensation for the thousands of jobs lost, the companies collapsed and the general devastation of the second-largest sector of our economy after tourism. More than jobs are at stake here. The WTO must be seen to deliver justice to its members, especially one of its smallest constituents. If not, its credibility as the arbiter of international trade disputes will bleed into the dust and hollow out its noble intentions. As a part of the Caribbean and a member of the CARICOM family, Antigua and Barbuda supports the preservation of the sovereignty of every nation. We are therefore very proud of our long-standing relationship with the Republic of Cuba.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“It is a case that pits the world’s largest economy against one of the smallest, and despite our best efforts, our patient negotiations with the United States of America have borne no fruit. The United States of America has neither removed the offending laws nor agreed on a fair settlement with Antigua and Barbuda that would compensate for the wanton destruction of an entire economic sector. We believe that it is a blow to the credibility of the WTO to allow the world’s largest economy and the WTO’s most powerful member to ignore the lawful decision of its dispute settlement tribunal without consequences. The international trading system will not long survive such a profound challenge, and we call on the United States to correct past wrongs and come to the table with meaningful proposals that can bring the matter to a just conclusion.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“My small developing nation of Antigua and Barbuda has sought to ensure that the trade rules agreed to by a majority of members of the international community, including the United States of America, are adhered to. I take this opportunity to once again draw the Assembly’s attention to a trade dispute between my country and the United States of America that has been ongoing for a decade and which has been submitted to the dispute settlement system of the World Trade Organization (WTO). I draw the Assembly’s attention to the dispute because I believe it has the potential to damage the credibility and undermine the utility of the WTO’s dispute settlement system and of the WTO itself. My Government won the case at both the original and appellate levels and yet, a decade later, the end is not in sight.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“For Antigua and Barbuda, the prevention, care and treatment of non-communicable diseases continue to be a challenge. Heart disease, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease and chronic respiratory diseases continue to be the leading causes of death in our region. Our health-care system, economy and population are heavily burdened by NCDs; it is for that reason that my Government has become even more proactive in addressing the issue. Health care continues to be basically free for Antiguans and Barbudans, and the Government often helps citizens seek treatment abroad when our facilities at home are unable to provide it. I ask the Assembly to continue to keep the issue of NCDs high on its agenda.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“The Treaty will, among other things, assist Antigua and Barbuda in enhancing its capacity to tackle the scourge created by the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons and their ammunition, which is associated with other transboundary crimes, such as drug trafficking. We have emphasized throughout the process that such crimes have had a negative impact on the socioeconomic well- being of our societies. Antigua and Barbuda stresses the importance of the early entry into force of the ATT and will continue to work energetically with Member States to ensure its entry into force. Another threat to the sustainable development of small island developing States such as Antigua and Barbuda is the rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The situation is at an alarming stage, as hundreds succumb annually.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We urge the international community, in recognition of the link between globalization and crime, to provide greater support for the efforts of small island States such as Antigua and Barbuda to address the escalation of crime and strengthen the rule of law in combating international drug trafficking. We further call on our developed partners to reduce the practice of deporting violent criminals to our shores. Most of those deportees have neither connection nor familiarity with our countries. Antigua and Barbuda is proud to be among the growing number of States that have signed and ratified the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“However, developed countries should shoulder their moral, ethical and historical responsibility for emitting anthropogenic greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. It is those actions that have now put the planet in jeopardy and compromised the well-being of present and future generations. Vulnerable developing societies such as ours are also victims of the globalization of crime, notably in the havoc wrought by handguns in the possession of criminal elements, by narcotrafficking that is essentially targeted at markets in developed countries and by the deportation of criminals to our shores.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“At the same time, my Government has secured full participation in the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, as we seek to further strengthen the integration and development of Latin America and the Caribbean. It is a recognized fact, but one worth repeating, that small island States contribute the least to the causes of climate change yet suffer the most from its effects. We small island States have expressed our profound disappointment at the lack of tangible action within the negotiations on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to protect SIDS and other vulnerable countries, their peoples, culture, land and ecosystems. The responsibility for mitigating climate change is shared by all nations, developed and developing.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“My Government has deepened our integration efforts with our Caribbean Community (CARICOM) brothers and sisters, focusing on fully implementing the CARICOM Single Market and Economy, as well as deepening the various subregional regulatory frameworks. As a member of the smaller grouping of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), Antigua and Barbuda has fully joined and endorsed the OECS economic union in an effort to build on the shared tradition of our subregional integration arrangements and to expand the areas of shared sovereignty in order to survive and ultimately thrive.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“The conference will also present us with a third chance to identify a set of concrete actions, which will be needed for the further implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action and the Mauritius Strategy for Implementation and thereby regain momentum lost by SIDS in the quest for sustainable development. We welcome the decision by the United Nations family to designate 2014 as the International Year of Small Island Developing States. Antigua and Barbuda pledges to highlight throughout 2014 the issue of SIDS with the aim of reinvigorating the SIDS agenda. My Government firmly believes in promoting partnerships supporting sustainable development based on the principles of mutual respect and understanding, equality and a genuine desire to affect the social and economic development of all.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Of concern to Antigua and Barbuda are the failings of the international community in fulfilling the aims and objectives outlined in the Barbados Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The year 2014 will mark the twentieth anniversary of the first Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, which was held in Barbados in 1994. Looking back over the 20 years since that Conference, we see that the international community’s actions to address the unique and special circumstances of SIDS have been lacking. It is my hope that the SIDS conference in Samoa in 2014 will give the international community the opportunity to correct the wrongs made and to improve on shortcomings with regard to SIDS.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We must concede that the current structure of the internationally agreed development goals does not provide satisfactory remedies to our universal problems, which include an increase in global warming, the escalating gap between the worlds’s rich and the poor, the further deterioration of the world’s financial system and the uneven roles that developed and developing countries play in responding to and addressing issues of universal importance and impact on our societies. Taking into account some of those shortcomings, now is the opportune time for setting the stage for a post- 2015 development agenda that is all-inclusive, effective and pragmatic.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“As leaders we must therefore acknowledge that now more than ever, through the process of globalization, individuals and societies from one corner of the Earth to another, from oceans and continents, are intricately connected and more interdependent than ever before. Therefore, a post-2015 development agenda must concede that fact and be guided by that reality. The deliberations for international collaboration and development ahead of 2015 present the opportunity to redirect previous notions of prosperity and development among nations. Considering the current world economic, social and environmental challenges, that is indisputably critical.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“With less than two years to go before 2015, we must ask ourselves as leaders why those commitments, related to the most significant global declaration made to the world’s most vulnerable people, are not being fulfilled. It is important for me to be extremely clear. I am not here to declare the MDGs dead, nor am I advocating that they be interred. Rather, I remain convinced that they can still be refocused, reformed, reshaped and rebranded into a new mechanism post-2015. We find ourselves standing at the precipice of 2015, that crucial defining moment. The current moment is captured by notable but uneven developments in some crucial areas. Considerable gaps remain and new challenges have emerged.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“The MDGs were described as a milestone in international cooperation. With a 15-year timespan for their implementation, the Declaration was widely expected to inspire development and to directly improve the lives of hundreds of millions of people. They are the people who are struggling to survive in the most basic living conditions and who are suffering from the effects of poverty, gender inequities, ill health and environmental degradation. Thirteen years have gone by, and what do we, as a global community, have to show in terms of concrete results? No matter which side of the lens we look through, something is appallingly wrong.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Exactly five years ago today, I stood in this hallowed Hall and stated that: “We are all members of one body. The welfare of the weakest and the welfare of the most powerful are inseparably bound together. Industry cannot flourish if labour languishes. Transportation cannot prosper if manufacturing declines. The general welfare cannot be provided for in any one act, but it is well to remember that the benefit of one is the benefit of all, and the neglect of one is the neglect of all.” (A/64/PV.7, p. 32) With the ever-increasing gaps in equality among nations, the challenges for developing countries over the years have remained vast. In trying to address the issue of inequality and to diminish very basic human challenges by 2015, world leaders adopted the Millennium Declaration (resolution 55/2) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“I stand in the Hall today as the leader of one of the smallest countries in the world — small by size, population and resources. I also stand here today with a proud heart and a strong voice because my small country of Antigua and Barbuda has produced a giant in the world’s geopolitical sphere. He is among the finest and most accomplished diplomats to have ever walked these great halls. The Government and people of Antigua and Barbuda send congratulations to His Excellency Ambassador John William Ashe on his election as President of the General Assembly at its sixty-eighth session. We are beyond sure that he will guide this body through a successful session. I offer congratulations also to his predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Vuk Jeremi., on a job well done and for his unrelenting service to the international community.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“I am equally confident that our deliberations can lead to solutions that will ensure the protection of all our peoples. I therefore call on all of us, as world leaders, to rise to the challenges and move with haste to bring peace to the citizens of the world. We are leaders and caretakers of humankind and, as such, our response to those challenges will be recorded in the books of history, which will reveal whether we had the ability to act with constraint, effectiveness and fairness in order to achieve stability through peaceful means. Let peace reign.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“An event can occur in a distant part of the globe that can severely impact Antigua and Barbuda domestically, an event that completely ignores the importance of achieving tolerance by peaceful means. Our response may be one of indignation but also a sense that we live in a perilous atmosphere characterized by the intolerance of peace. The multiplicity and interconnectedness of the many global threats and challenges we face will test the abilities of this Assembly. Is the United Nations up to the task? I am confident that by sharing our collective wisdom and using it as a resource, the General Assembly at its sixty-seventh session will take decisions of meaningful and enduring benefit and peace for the peoples of the world.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“As leaders, our priority must be to urge all parties in Syria to implement a ceasefire and stop the violence immediately and completely. Every effort must be made to implement Mr. Annan’s six-point proposal and the relevant Security Council resolutions. The United Nations and the Arab League must lead in that process. Any threats of war must be suppressed, and negotiation and mediation should be the order of the day. If it is not addressed, the Syrian crisis will soon pose a serious threat to international peace and security. Antigua and Barbuda will continue to give its support to a just, peaceful and appropriate settlement of the Syrian crisis at an early date. These are undeniably perilous times.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“We cannot ignore from our tiny peaceful shores the images that glare from our TV screens of unrest, protest and demonstrations from various corners of the world. The images are daunting, the voices of change are deafening and the use of force or threat of use of force to suppress the voices of democracy is intolerable. The United Nations has to be unified in its response so as to act in a peaceful manner while protecting the rights of populations near and far. The situation in Syria is disheartening. Children, women and the elderly must be protected. I call on both sides to exercise restraint and allow humanitarian relief supplies to enter Syria. I also call on all nations to cease supplying arms to the two sides in the conflict.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Despite some progress, much still needs to be done to achieve the 2015 goal of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, support and care. My Government is in the process of updating the code of conduct to prevent discrimination in the workplace against persons living with HIV/AIDS. We will not tolerate injustice, intolerance and violence of any kind against persons living with HIV/AIDS. Many might believe that for countries like Antigua and Barbuda, as a small island developing State, our only concern is for development, but I stand here today with grave concern that the disregard for world peace and security threatens the very existence of humankind and will push the international community into further chaos and destruction.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Following our participation in the United Nations High-level Meeting on the subject last year, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda approved the establishment of a multisectoral NCD commission to provide leadership in that critical area, drafted legislation for tobacco control, engaged civil society and non-governmental organizations in drafting an NCD policy and action plan and has supported plans for the development of a comprehensive cancer treatment centre in Antigua and Barbuda to serve the OECS. The Ministries of Health and Agriculture continue to collaborate in the development of a food policy that will address some of the risk factors for NCDs. The fight against HIV/AIDS in my region is also real. The figures are heartbreaking, and the outlook is troubling.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Heart disease, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease and chronic respiratory diseases continue to be the leading causes of death in Antigua and Barbuda, with cancer and heart disease being the top two causes. The burdens of the cost, the loss of productivity and the disabilities as a result of chronic diseases continue to weigh heavy on our health-care system, since treatment for those diseases and their complications, including dialysis, chemotherapy and drug therapy, continue to be offered free of cost to patients. The fight against NCDs remains high, therefore, on Antigua and Barbuda’s health agenda.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Antigua and Barbuda has joined the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America, an institution that is built on the principles of solidarity, complementarity and cooperation. The Community of Latin America and Caribbean States — a new integration arm within our region — the geographical position of our countries, our shared cultures and values and our desires as developing partners for a more just global community that is built on fairness and peace give my Government hope that all is not lost as regards multilateralism. Antigua and Barbuda faces many challenges in the prevention, care and treatment of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Antigua and Barbuda sees those relationships of integration as positive steps towards achieving a world that is not dominated by a few but represents rather a unification of leadership in the hope of combating most of the world’s shortcomings. The smaller developing countries in the Caribbean and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) are poised to make great strides in our integration agenda. The ratification of the OECS Economic Union is a major step in that direction. We have a stable shared currency, with a monetary council that has been instrumental in preventing further deterioration of our economies. There have been renewed commitments by all of the Caribbean Community countries to work tirelessly to realize the full potential of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“As a country committed to the norms of the multilateral trading system and to the freedom of trade and navigation and a country that rejects the extraterritorial application of another country’s national laws, Antigua and Barbuda calls on the United States to immediately and unconditionally lift its economic embargo against the people of Cuba. It is time to turn a new page of peace, cooperation and understanding, a time for global healing and international community-building. The continuation of the embargo further destroys the very fabric of hope that we have created as a community of nations in order to resolve the world’s issues. The world is changing. Economies, policies and countries are becoming more intertwined than ever before.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“While we are on the matter of trade disputes, it has been decades since the United States instituted its embargo on Cuba. Time and time again the international community, acting through the General Assembly, has called on the United States to lift that trade embargo. However, it continues unabated. Since its inception, the embargo has inf licted untold economic damage on the Cuban people, caused shortages and needless suffering to the Cuban population, limited and restrained the development of the country and seriously damaged the Cuban economy. Through all of that, the Cuban people have managed to preserve their sovereignty, independence and right to self-determination.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Antigua and Barbuda found it appropriate to seek international redress on the matter through the dispute resolution mechanism at the World Trade Organization. We prevailed, and the United States was ordered to compensate Antigua and Barbuda for its losses. Yet, years later, Antigua and Barbuda is still engaging in negotiations with the United States. I therefore call on the Government of the United States to work with us to quickly resolve the matter so that we can arrive at a settlement that is fair and just. I also call on the United States to work cooperatively with Antigua and Barbuda and other remote gaming jurisdictions to forge an enlightened, reasonable and reasoned way of addressing the regulation and licensing of remote gaming services.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“My Government calls on developed countries and the countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to guarantee that their response with regard to international tax matters will involve improved international cooperation on tax issues through comprehensive and supportive frameworks that ensure the involvement and equal treatment of small jurisdictions like Antigua and Barbuda without the nuances of inappropriately branding us as tax havens. Antigua and Barbuda has been proactive in its approach to diversifying our economy. We entered into the international gaming sector abiding by all prescribed international standards. Unfortunately, our friend and developed partner, the United States of America, was of the view that our gaming sector contravened its domestic laws.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“We are also living in the era of globalization where cooperative collectives — and not ambitious and selfish empires — must be the order of the day in international financial governance. A privileged few should never be allowed to make financial decisions that impact the socioeconomic livelihood of millions without regard for that excluded majority. Economic prosperity should be shared equally among countries and within countries. The exclusive clubs of the Group of Eight and the Group of 20 cannot repair the fragmented international financial system without taking due consideration of the majority of nations left on the outside with much to offer.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Unfortunately, Antigua and Barbuda is among the small and developing States that have yet to see significant improvements. While we have made several attempts to curtail the haemorrhaging of our fragile economies, it must be said that we need greater cooperation, flexibility and inclusion on the part of our developed partners. Gross domestic product can no longer be the criterion used in accessing concessionary financing and other international financial relief; instead, mechanisms should be put in place that take into consideration a host of other elements, including the fragility of economies. We are still in a crisis, a crisis of confidence in global governance and the institutional capacity for managing the international financial system, international trade and international development policies.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“In spite of the progress made, the situation in Haiti remains fragile, as the country strives to overcome its daunting political, social and economic challenges. I therefore stress the need for adequate funding and continued implementation of the Mission in Haiti. I would like to reiterate my Government’s strong support for the Mission in Haiti and to stress that peace will only be achieved if we simultaneously address issues of security, national reconciliation and development. I also call on those nations that pledged assistance to Haiti to honour their commitments. Those pledges are urgently needed, now that the rebuilding phase is progressing under a new Administration. It has been nearly fi ve years since we started to see a sharp downturn in the world’s economy.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Climate change and sustainability are high on my Government’s development and investment priorities, and we are ensuring that new and refurbished private and commercial investments are in line with our green approach to our society. My Government also joins with member States of the Alliance of Small Island States in calling on the General Assembly to designate 2014 as the International Year of Small Island Developing States in order to raise awareness of the special situation of our members and mobilize international support for our sustainable development. Over the past year, the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti has made important progress in its support to the Haitian people’s efforts to consolidate democracy, stability and the rule of law and to move forward on the path to social and economic development.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“However, developed countries should accept their responsibilities as the leading contributors to the extremely high levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which are now threatening the welfare of present and future generations. It is my Government’s hope that the selfish act of inaction will dissipate in Doha and that a positive outcome in the climate change negotiations will usher in new hopes for humanity and compassion for our planet. Antigua and Barbuda is doing its part to protect Mother Earth. My Government has embarked on a renewable energy mandate. We are now shifting our focus towards harvesting water and wind to meet our energy needs. We are protecting our ecosystem with strong legislation, and we are replanting mangroves and protecting areas that are sensitive to pollutants.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“We cannot wait for our lands to disappear before we act. We must act now to respond to the climate crisis and ensure that not a single country is sacrificed, no matter how small. The threat is real. Our sea levels are rising, there is coral bleaching beyond our shores, and hurricanes are becoming more recurrent and severe. The Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change needs to take concrete steps in order to protect small island developing States and other exposed countries from the threats of climate change. The responsibility to mitigate climate change should be at the forefront of the collective consciousness of both developing and developed countries.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“The recently concluded Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development provided an international platform from which to address the social, economic and environmental challenges affecting the international community. Those challenges are direct threats to humankind and oftentimes jeopardize peace and security for all. In resolution 66/288, entitled “The future we want”, Antigua and Barbuda saw the Rio+20 Conference as securing comprehensive and inclusive sustainability for small island nations, whose survival is contingent on an outcome of commitments and actions from the Conference. At the recently concluded summit of the Alliance of Small Island States, my country joined with other small island States in sending a strong message to the international community on the need for bold and ambitious actions.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“We condemn any acts of violence or killings disguised as actions to defend religious belief. If we are to build an environment of peace around the world, we must show tolerance for all peoples and beliefs. The dangers posed by non-State actors acquiring weapons of mass destruction are real and should be seen by all countries, large and small, as the single most destructive element threatening international peace and security. Antigua and Barbuda is particularly concerned by the lack of progress in the area of disarmament and non-proliferation. There should be no compromise on that issue. Antigua and Barbuda remains resolute in our continued call for a nuclear-weapon-free world.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Our joint responses to the threats to peace and security, along with the opportunities arising from various political, economic and social instabilities, must be guided by the rule of law, as it is the basis for friendly coexistence and interdependence between and among States. My Government upholds the ideals of the recently concluded High-level Meeting on the Rule of Law at the National and International Levels and stands committed to upholding that very important principle. The Caribbean has been known as a zone of peace. We value our ability to live and work together despite our different religious and political beliefs and ethnic backgrounds. Antigua and Barbuda therefore condemns the brutal killing of the United States Ambassador to Libya and the destruction of the United States Consulate in Libya.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Additionally, Antigua and Barbuda is deeply saddened by the fact that, despite significant efforts, strong will on the part of the majority of States and the fact that a compromise was potentially within reach, there was no agreement on a text for the recently discussed legally binding arms trade treaty. The Assembly can rest assured that Antigua and Barbuda will not give up, and we will continue to advocate for a legally binding treaty that will eliminate the threat that is crippling our region. Antigua and Barbuda is committed to the rule of law and the process it enables for direct political dialogue and cooperation among all States and international actors. The rule of law facilitates international peace and security, human rights and development for all.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“The crime and violence fuelled by the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons are jeopardizing our major industries, including tourism. Our health-care systems are weighted down, and families are being torn apart. Nevertheless, crime prevention and small arms control is a priority for my Government. It is important to note that neither Antigua and Barbuda nor our Caribbean Community brothers and sisters manufacture small arms or light weapons, yet one recent estimate indicates that there are 1.6 million illegal firearms in the region.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)