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

“That is why I am reiterating a call I made in the Hall in 2011 for former slave States to begin the reconciliation process by issuing formal apologies for the crimes committed by the nations or their citizens over the 400 years of the African slave trade. While nations in the developing world continue to grapple with the effects of a world economic crisis that is not of their own making, I call on former slave States to back up their apologies with new commitments to the economic development of those nations that have suffered from that human tragedy. Transnational crime is threatening the very existence of peace in Antigua and Barbuda. Our small size and lack of human and financial resources make it difficult for us, as a small island nation, to address that problem in an effective manner.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“That year has passed, and gone from the international agenda is the issue of reparations for slavery, which is central to fighting racism and racial discrimination and nurturing a culture of peace among nations. The legacy of racial violence, segregation and slavery against peoples of African descent has severely impaired our advancement as nations, communities and individuals across the political, social and, most importantly, the economical spectrums. In the words of Kwame Nkrumah, we can no longer afford the luxury of delay. The time has come for us to revisit the issue of reparations for slavery and place it at the top of the international agenda. Over 200 million persons in the Americas depend on us.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Peace is a position from which to value the limits of nature’s resources, and it is characterized by the absence of the ignorance and shortsightedness that leads some to selfishly plunder Earth’s plenty. Peace is the understanding that climate change is real and that sustainability should be our priority. Peace means fair trade and equality of equity in globalization. Peace is the elimination of corruption in Government. Peace is the understanding and the recognition that the world’s problems can be solved only by the inclusion of all countries. Peace therefore involves a wider and equal representation in the Security Council rather than membership by a selected few. In 2011, we celebrated the International Year for Peoples of African Descent.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Maybe if we ask ourselves not as individuals but as nations what peace is, then, perhaps, we can collectively resolve to find the answer so as to achieve peace. For Antigua and Barbuda, peace means respect for human rights and the differences of others and the protection of women, children and the elderly. Peace is devoid of greed that ends in unparalleled wealth for a few and nauseating poverty for many. Peace means global health awareness, protection and accessibility for all. Peace means democracies with active global citizens, by non-violent change. Peace means eliminating nuclear weapons and controlling small arms. Peace is free of violence and requires the acceptance of differences in race, gender and religion.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“These times and circumstances call for a heightened sense of urgency and a stronger will among all nations to work with and through the United Nations in embracing multilateralism in its truest form. The sixty-seventh session of the Assembly is taking place in an environment of continued challenges to international peace and security; international democracy is being tested; there is unbearable poverty throughout the world; the sluggish recovery of the world’s economy provides little hope; and disasters induced by climate change are becoming more rampant. As we look around our global community, we ask ourselves what we can do to solve the many problems we face, and how we can find and maintain the peace that we so desire.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“I wish at the outset to extend my heartiest congratulations and the assurances of my cooperation and highest esteem to President Jeremić on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty-seventh session. Antigua and Barbuda looks forward to his leadership and guidance throughout this session. I extend congratulations also to your predecessor, Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, on a job well done and for his continued service to the international community. The theme of the sixty-seventh session of the General Assembly, “Bringing about adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations by peaceful means”, is judicious, for it accurately summarizes how we as nations need to act in these precarious times of insecurity and uncertainty.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“We cannot afford to disappoint. We know that rescuing the planet will require us to invest in people, particularly women and youth. It will require us to re-emphasize the prevention of conflicts and natural disasters alike, and it will require us to devote new efforts to assist nations in transition from war to peace, autocracy to democracy, poverty to prosperity. Let us show the people of the world that we are indeed up to these enormous tasks. Then, and only then, will we be able to say: “Yes, we did!””
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“The global economic crisis continues to shake the pillars of our economic system: banks, businesses, Governments, private sectors and even our own families. Now more than ever, we need a more efficient, effective and focused United Nations that is both transparent and accountable to help us address the extraordinary array of geopolitical and humanitarian challenges: famine in Somalia, the continued crisis in Haiti, the aftershocks of the Arab Spring, ongoing conflicts in some countries and difficult transitions in others, in addition to the deeper political, economic and environmental transformations that are reshaping our world. In an increasingly uncertain world, the world’s people are looking to us here, in this great Hall of the United Nations, for answers. We are their best hope for building a safe, secure and just world.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“His fourth focal area of sustainable development and global prosperity is perhaps the one with the most scope for collective action. The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in June 2012 will certainly provide a forum for the international community to, among other things, recommit to sustainable development, the eradication of poverty and achieving the Millennium Development Goals by ensuring the balance among the economic, social and 11-51360 40 environmental aspects of sustainable development, with the human being at the centre of our efforts. We can no longer ask whether we can, but we need to give an account of exactly how we will meet the enormous political, economic, humanitarian and environmental challenges our planet faces.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“This, after all, was perhaps his signature issue during his tenure as Chairman of the Committee on South-South Cooperation. His choice of improving disaster prevention and response also resonates with us. The increase in the frequency and intensity of natural and man-made disasters and the devastation wrought by them on vulnerable countries such as my own leave us with no choice but to develop ways to build our capacities so that we are better prepared to withstand these disasters. In addition to his main theme for this session, we also support the President’s call to focus on United Nations reform and revitalization so as to ensure that our Organization remains relevant, efficient and effective and is able to adapt to meeting the ever- changing global challenges.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“As part of the financial programming, we have set fiscal targets, which have been approved by the Monetary Council and published. The targets are intended to move our countries on a path towards achieving a debt-to-GDP ratio of 60 per cent by 2020. My region remains deeply concerned that AIDS has claimed 30 million lives and orphaned 16 million children since it was first discovered in 1981. My region remains committed to intensifying national efforts to create enabling legal, social and policy frameworks to eliminate stigma, discrimination and violence related to HIV and to promote non-discriminatory access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. As a small developing nation, we can easily identify with the President’s call for enhancing South- South and triangular cooperation.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“That has been responsible for comparatively low inflation and confidence in the monetary system. In response to the global and regional economic and financial crises, ECCU members have crafted a very strong response to those challenges. We have upgraded our current economic integration arrangements to an economic union status and a new treaty to that effect, the revised Treaty of Basseterre establishing an OECS Economic Union, was ratified in January 2011. We have put in place a number of institutional arrangements, which have served us well in addressing the effects of the crisis over the past two years. We adopted the ECCU Eight Point Stabilisation and Growth Programme in 2009, aimed at stabilizing and transforming the ECCU economies.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“The impact of the global crisis was manifested in steep declines in our tourist arrivals and expenditures, direct foreign investment and remittances. Our real gross domestic product (GDP) fell by 5.7 per cent in 2009 and is estimated to have declined by a further 2.2 per cent in 2010, influenced by declines in value added in construction, manufacturing, agriculture, wholesale and retail, transport and financial intermediation. The crisis has also had a marked impact on our fiscal positions, with an accompanying increase in public-sector debt. Despite those challenges, there is a positive side. Our countries have strong liberal democratic systems and the rule of law is upheld. We also have a stable currency that has been pegged to the United States dollar at a rate of 2.7 Eastern Caribbean dollars to $1 since 1976.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“As we prepare for an important Summit in Caracas, Venezuela, in December, we intend to lay the foundation of a dynamic, responsive and meaningful community of nations that share a common history and that have a great deal to gain in our coming together in this way to reshape the agenda, thereby creating a greater balance in the pursuit of happiness, prosperity, peace and democracy in our hemisphere. Within my own subregion, the eight small developing countries that make up the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) have a common currency union, the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU). We have been adversely affected by the global financial and economic crisis and we are faced with a protracted recovery.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“It is not enough to merely respond to anticipated challenges; we must take innovative and proactive approaches to seize the opportunities presented by a world of 7 billion people. As the countries of Latin American and Caribbean region reflect on and respond to those global challenges, we have determined that our own destinies are interwoven and that, as developing countries, we must unite and coordinate our efforts in a systematic, structured and deliberative way. We have done just that 39 11-51360 with the creation of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States. Antigua and Barbuda fully endorses and supports the objectives and ideals of the Community and wishes to acknowledge the efforts of countries such as Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, Cuba and our sister CARICOM member States for bringing the organization into being.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“By making the necessary investments to develop quality human capital, with equally strong measures to promote gender equality with the active promotion of women and youth participation in all spheres of life, we will create the enabling conditions for transforming the economies of developing countries in order to eradicate poverty and achieve the internationally agreed Millennium Development Goals. Policies responsive to the needs of our population not only contribute to dynamic, growing economies but are a prerequisite for addressing the huge challenges related to access to food, energy, water and sanitation, climate change, fast-paced urbanization and migration.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Coming amid the preparations for the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, a world of 7 billion inhabitants reminds us of the critical need to pay attention to population dynamics if we are to understand the needs of our people, proactively plan to avoid development pitfalls, and develop forward- looking policies that promote the health and dignity of every human being on Earth, while at the same time safeguarding the planet we call our home.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“The Summit and its preparatory process will provide a platform for the African diaspora to put in place economic policies aimed at ensuring sustained economic cooperation among public and private stakeholders, so as to promote development, entrepreneurship and business opportunities in diasporan regions. By 31 October, our planet will reach a milestone of sorts. Somewhere on the Earth’s surface, the planet’s 7-billionth inhabitant will be born. Seven billion people! If nothing else, that milestone will serve to reaffirm our determination as the international community to implement sound development policies and promote the inherent right and dignity of each person.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Throughout the year, nations and communities of the African diaspora have undertaken a number of initiatives aimed at the realization of the full enjoyment of economic, cultural, social, civil and political rights; participation and integration in all political, economic, social and cultural aspects of society; the promotion of a greater knowledge of and respect for their diverse heritage and culture, with pronounced emphasis on encouraging multilateralism and development approaches; and the creation of a global Afro-centric movement. The time has come for peoples of the African diaspora to begin helping themselves. A key part of that process is the first African Diaspora Summit, to be held in South Africa in mid-2012.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“However, no one should disagree that racism and other legacies of slavery continue to shape the lives of people of African descent. Thus, reparations must be directed towards repairing the damage inflicted by slavery and racism. That is why we call on former slave States to begin the reconciliation process by issuing formal apologies for the crimes committed by those nations or their citizens over the 400 years of the African slave trade. To help counter the lingering damage inflicted on generations of peoples of African descent by generations of slave trading and colonialism, we call on those very States to back up their apologies with new commitments to the economic development of the nations that have suffered from that human tragedy. The United Nations has declared 2011 to be the International Year for People of African Descent.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Antigua and Barbuda has long argued that the legacy of slavery, segregation and racial violence against peoples of African descent has severely impaired our advancement as nations, communities and individuals across the economic, social and political spectrums. In obtaining redress for the injustices suffered by African slaves and their descendants, today’s Caribbean and African peoples would advance immeasurably the process of genuine healing. Those who choose to differ have argued that, unlike victims of the Holocaust or those who have been interned during wars and have subsequently received remunerations, neither the victims nor the perpetrators of slavery are alive today, and that it is unfair to hold the descendants of slave-owners responsible for the actions of their ancestors. On this we strongly disagree.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Two days ago, we held a one day High-level Meeting to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action — the internationally recognized blueprint for action to fight racism that was adopted by consensus at the 2001 World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, held in Durban, South Africa. To this day, the Declaration remains an innovative and action-oriented agenda to combat all forms of racism and racial discrimination. This tenth anniversary is a chance to strengthen political commitment to fighting racism and racial discrimination. It is also an opportune time to revisit 11-51360 38 the issue of reparations for slavery, which is central to any discussion about racism, colonialism and poverty.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“While there is much to be lauded in the Declaration, we are nevertheless disappointed that some of our original expectations, including a clear goal for the launching of the global NCD campaign with a corresponding road map, may not have been fully developed. However, we believe that, if rigorously implemented, the Declaration will contribute to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals. Let it be known that we will do our utmost to ensure that the momentum generated at that meeting is not lost.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“As a country committed to the norms of the multilateral trading system and the freedom of trade and navigation, and as a nation that rejects the extraterritorial application of another country’s national law, we call on the United States to immediately and unconditionally lift its economic blockade against the people of Cuba. On 19 September, almost 11 years to the day since the World Health Assembly endorsed the landmark Global Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases to reduce the toll of premature deaths due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the General Assembly adopted a Political Declaration (resolution 66/2) that, among other things, calls for the launch of a global NCD campaign.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“With so much at stake, we will soldier on in our quest to seek market access openings in key sectors and other innovative incentives that could include but would not be limited to financial and technical support, forensics, equipment and training for dealing with drug trafficking and for the creation of decent jobs for the people of Antigua and Barbuda. Mine is not the only country in the Caribbean that has experienced trade-related difficulties with the United States. A far more pernicious economic, commercial and financial blockade has been imposed by the United States of America on Cuba, and although the overwhelming majority of membership of the United Nations has repeatedly called for that blockade to be lifted, it continues unabated.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“More importantly, the crisis has impacted our social development, which in turn has led and continues to lead to a major loss of jobs and difficulties in financing social programmes that address poverty or the provision of basic amenities. All those factors threaten our efforts to attain the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals. While my country has made good progress with the United States on our online gaming dispute, we urge the United States to remain committed to reaching a mutually agreed outcome that will bring value to our economy and is implementable by the United States.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“The world financial and economic crisis continues to threaten debt sustainability in our countries through its impact on the real economy and the increase in borrowing we had to undertake in order to mitigate the negative impacts of the crisis. The recent gyrations in the major stock markets of the world do not inspire hope for lasting global economic recovery any time soon. Now more than ever, if we are to overcome the current crisis we need a new mechanism for restructuring and resolving sovereign debt that takes into account the multiple dimensions of debt sustainability. This seemingly unending economic crisis has affected our countries not only in economic terms, but also through the presence of barriers to trade, as well as the financing embedded in some of the anti-crisis measures adopted by some developed countries.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“This is why, at our most recent summit in July 2011, my fellow Heads of State of the Caribbean Community adopted a Declaration on Small Arms and Light Weapons in which, inter alia, we agreed “to accord the highest national and regional priority to matters related to combating and 37 11-51360 eradicating the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons and their ammunition” [and] “to intensify and sustain engagement in the United Nations effort for the conclusion of a legally binding Arms Trade Treaty”. I call on all States Members of our Organization to join our region in this worthy endeavour. The very existence of many developing countries as viable States is at stake.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Many of today’s conflicts are fuelled by the illegal trade in small arms and light weapons. Those small weapons of mass destruction have had a devastating impact on the countries of our region over the past decade, and have been directly implicated in the associated rise in crime and violence involving the use of firearms. Needless to say, those weapons have had a significant adverse impact on security and socio- economic and human development in our countries. In their 2007 annual reports, both the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the World Bank identified our region as having higher murder rates than any other region in the world. They also stated that small arms and light weapons were used in more than 70 per cent of those murders. We never sought that dubious designation, which was anything but welcome.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“As we have said in previous debates, we remain fully supportive of the aspirations of the Palestinian people and of the idea of a two-State solution, which would allow the Palestinian people the right to govern themselves and reach their potential in a sovereign and contiguous State. It was against this backdrop that we decided to join with others that have already done so and grant recognition to the State of Palestine. As we did then and do now, we believe that recognition of the State of Palestine will contribute to the quest for a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to the creation of lasting peace and stability in the region, and ultimately result in a viable Palestine and a secure Israel, based on the 1967 lines, with mutually agreed swaps to ensure that secure, recognized borders exist for both sides.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“In the general debate of the sixty-fifth session, I as well as others called for lasting peace in the Middle East (see A/65/PV.20). I also issued a call for implementation of the two-State solution, which would have Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security. Neither of these notions is new; sadly, neither is anywhere close to realization, Given the current state of affairs, it should come as no surprise to anyone that the Palestinian people would seek a different option — full membership in our Organization or, failing that, a vote by the General Assembly that would elevate the status of Palestine from non-voting observer entity to Observer State, a status equal to that of the Holy See.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“While it is true that mediation should not be the only tool available to the international community to mitigate conflicts, there is nevertheless a growing interest in mediation and its use as a promising and cost-effective tool in the peaceful settlement of disputes, conflict prevention and resolution. In addition, we, as a community of nations, have on many occasions recognized the useful role that mediation can play in preventing disputes from escalating into conflicts and conflicts from escalating further, as well as in advancing the resolution of conflicts and thus preventing and reducing human suffering and creating conditions conducive to lasting peace and sustainable development, and in this regard, recognizing that peace and development are mutually reinforcing.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“I am pleased to lend my voice to those of other Heads of State and Government who have commended him on his reappointment for a second five-year term beginning 1 January 2012 and to wish him every success in his bold quest to develop an Organization that is both effective and efficient and can bring about meaningful change in the complex world in which we live. Mr. Al-Nasser’s choice of the theme for the general debate, namely, “The role of mediation in the settlement of disputes by peaceful means”, could not have been more timely or appropriate. Mediation is one of the cornerstones of the Organization.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Let me at the outset commend Mr. Al-Nasser on his unanimous election as President of the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session. I hereby pledge to him my delegation’s full support for his efforts to successfully move forward the agenda of this session. I wish also to commend his predecessor, Mr. Joseph Deiss, President of the General Assembly at its sixty-fifth session, for his stewardship. I would be somewhat remiss if I did not commend Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his leadership of our treasured Organization.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“For us, a small island with big aspirations and dreams for the future of our people, we remain hopeful that we will all find the political will and the ability to rise to the task.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Antigua and Barbuda looks forward to the erection of a permanent memorial to the victims of the transatlantic slave trade and slavery, an initiative being championed by CARICOM. We look forward also to the continuation of serious dialogue and eventual consensus on the issue of reparations. In conclusion, it is very clear that the multiple and multifaceted nature of the global threats and challenges we face will test the abilities of this assembly of nations and its leaders. Is the United Nations up to the task? Will we, both individually and collectively, heed the admonition of Calvin Coolidge and demonstrate in both word and deed a firm conviction that the welfare of the weakest and the welfare of the most powerful are inseparably bound together?”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Heads of Government of CARICOM and of the wider Association of Caribbean States have consistently called for a total cessation of these shipments in our waters, and we reiterate our strenuous and forceful rejection of the continued use of the Caribbean Sea for the trans-shipment of nuclear and other hazardous waste material. Finally, as Caribbean people of African descent, our past is clouded by the dark days of the transatlantic slave trade. However, with steady hands, committed minds and innovative plans, a bright future looms with the sunrise. We must ensure that we develop programmes to educate and inculcate in future generations an understanding of the lessons, history and consequences of slavery and the slave trade. We must not forget. We must encourage continued action in this regard.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“As a peace-loving nation, Antigua and Barbuda is also concerned by the lack of progress in the field of disarmament and non-proliferation. We remain steadfast in our commitment to a world free of nuclear weapons. The threat posed by non-State actors acquiring weapons of mass destruction is shared by all countries, large and small. For this reason we support the extension of the mandate of Security Council resolution 1540 (2004). Pursuant to our obligations under that resolution we are pleased to have submitted the relevant reports to the respective Security Council committees. The trans-shipment of nuclear waste through the waters of the Caribbean also remains a critical issue. The risk of an accident or a terrorist attack on one of these shipments poses a grave threat to the environmental and economic sustainability of the region.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“In recent years, the level of gun violence and gun-related crime has escalated significantly, placing further pressure on an already fragile economy. This has led to insecurity, fear and loss of life in our societies, hampering our development efforts and threatening the general peace and stability of the region. We need greater cooperation from countries, as well as the support of the United Nations system, to eliminate this threat to hemispheric and international peace and security. Antigua and Barbuda is in full support of a legally binding arms trade treaty that will prevent the illegal international transfer of arms and will govern the trade in conventional arms according to common international standards.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Further, with a growing number of female parliamentarians and key high-level political positions occupied by women, we continue to improve on our record of female empowerment. The advocacy work of the United Nations system on gender issues has been instrumental in the progress we have made thus far, and we look forward to continuing support as we continue to break down the traditional barriers to the active participation of more than 50 per cent of our country’s human capital. Transnational crime has burdened our societies with social and financial costs that we cannot afford to bear. Crime prevention and small arms control are priorities for my Government. Our geography has placed us at a major trans-shipment point for transnational organized crime networks trafficking in arms and narcotics.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“In the spirit of cooperation and solidarity, we look forward to having our development partners make available the necessary resources to enable us to implement our national adaptation plans and programmes. By so doing, they will help to address the adverse effects of climate change that we, the most vulnerable countries, are already experiencing. We urge them to view this as a top-most priority and moral imperative. Gender equality and women’s empowerment remain centrepieces of the national development strategy of Antigua and Barbuda. Having achieved 35 09-52463 universal primary education, we are proud that our young males and females continue to enjoy equal access and opportunity to education at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“We wait with bated breath and hope that humanity will show itself worthy of this planet and that nations will have the political will and integrity of leadership to solve the most confounding challenge of our era. The effects of climate change have forcibly brought home the absolute necessity of better disaster preparedness management and risk reduction. That has been clearly illustrated by several very active hurricane seasons in recent history. Cognizant of this, my Government has upgraded our disaster management capabilities, including strengthening the national disaster office, constructing hurricane shelters and enhancing community resilience.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Antigua and Barbuda therefore fully supports our sister nation of the People’s Republic of China in its call for developed countries to take up their responsibility to provide new, additional, adequate and predictable financial support to developing countries, which, in effect, represents a joint investment in the future of humankind. At this pivotal point of the climate change negotiations that will culminate in December, Antigua and Barbuda also anxiously awaits an international agreement significantly to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A small island nation like ours, which is highly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change, including sea-level rise, coral bleaching and more frequent and intense hurricanes, understands that our fate, our very existence, hangs on the outcome of such an agreement.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Small island States have expressed their profound disappointment at the lack of tangible action within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations to protect small island developing States and other vulnerable countries, their peoples, culture, land and ecosystems. The responsibility for mitigating climate change is a common responsibility of all nations, be they developed or developing. However, developed countries should shoulder their moral, ethical and historical responsibilities for emitting high levels of 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.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Again, we are faced with the adverse impacts of a crisis that is not of our making but which is threatening — quite literally in the case of some of our sister nations in the Pacific — to wipe us off the face of the Earth. It is a recognized fact, but it is worth repeating, that small island States contribute the least to the causes of climate change, yet we suffer the most from its effects. At the summit of the Alliance of Small Island States held earlier this week, my country joined with other island States in sending a strong message to the international community on the need for bold and ambitious actions.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“While the winds of change continue to move across the United States of America, I call on the Obama Administration to effect change in its dealings with our sister nation of the Republic of Cuba. I call on the United States of America to end the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed on our brothers and sisters in Cuba. As a world leader and defender of justice, the United States of America must embrace change fully in the interests of the men, women and children of Cuba. It is worth reiterating that the parallels between the global economic crisis and the global climate change crisis are both stark and dire for small island developing States.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“As a part of the smaller Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) grouping, Antigua and Barbuda fully supports the establishment of an 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. As a member of the CARICOM family, Antigua and Barbuda is proud of its long-standing relationship with the Republic of Cuba. It is my Government’s firm belief that the discriminatory and punitive policies and practices that serve to prevent Cuba from exercising its right freely to participate in the affairs of the hemisphere must be discontinued and with immediate effect.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Antigua and Barbuda also looks forward to fully playing its role in ensuring that the various trade arrangements entered into with the European Union, the United States of America and Canada work in the interest of all our nations. My Government, however, will continue to place a strong emphasis on the development components, which should be central to ensuring that these arrangements produce positive results for our people. At the same time, we have deepened our integration efforts with our CARICOM brothers and 09-52463 34 sisters, focusing on fully implementing the CARICOM Single Market and Economy as well as deepening the various subregional regulatory frameworks.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“It is the sustainable path to development and a challenge to which this assembly of nations and leaders must rise. Meeting transnational and global threats and challenges to development requires international cooperation. As previously stated, traditional Western- based modalities of development cooperation in which partners are not considered equals have failed us. A paradigm shift is not an option; it is an imperative. My Government firmly believes in promoting partnerships in support of sustainable development based on principles of mutual respect and understanding, equality and a genuine desire to effect the social and economic development of all. I have already alluded to my country’s membership in ALBA and commended that innovative model of integration and development.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“In this regard, I urge the Assembly, through the ad hoc working group to follow up on the outcome of the Conference, to take an inclusive approach to allow for the participation of those that are not members of the exclusive Group of Eight and Group of Twenty clubs. Again, drawing on the words of Coolidge, I point out that the general welfare cannot be provided for in any one act or, I would add, by any single, small subset of the community of nations seeking unilaterally to reshape the global economic and financial architecture. It is in our power to change the operating principles of global capitalism such that economic prosperity is shared equally among countries and within countries. Drastic change is needed, in theory and practice, in economic assumptions and in the institutions of governance.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)