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

“My Government calls on the developed countries that are members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to ensure that their response strategies involve better international cooperation on tax issues through inclusive and cooperative frameworks that ensure the involvement and equal treatment of small jurisdictions, as stipulated in the Outcome Document (resolution 63/303) of the United Nations Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development. The Outcome Document is a welcome one, and I applaud the President of the General Assembly at its sixty-third session for giving voice to the G-192, including the developing and most vulnerable countries. The genesis of the crisis lies in the capitals of the developed world, but its effects are global and the response must be truly global.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“The decision to limit conditionalities to those critical to achieving the objectives of the country programme being supported, and the commitment to play a more supportive role and allow the objectives to be set by the borrowing country are welcome responses to earlier calls to recognize the absolute necessity of using factors other than per capita gross domestic product as a criteria to access concessionary financing. We maintain that therein lies the key to mitigating a downward spiral into economic and social chaos. Decision-making on issues of international financial governance remains a privilege of the few when such decisions have great impact on the lives, livelihood and basic well-being of millions of people the world over.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“As we actively pursue the creation of new structures and strategies, Antigua and Barbuda encourages the community of nations to explore alternative models, such as that represented by the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA). With its foundation principles of complementarity as an alternative to competition, solidarity as opposed to domination, cooperation as a replacement for exploitation, and respect for sovereignty rather than corporate rule, ALBA represents an innovative and viable model of integration and development. Antigua and Barbuda, along with many of our Caribbean Community (CARICOM) brothers and sisters, welcomes the paradigm shift that now characterizes engagement with agencies such as the International Monetary Fund.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“An unwelcome visitor in the form of this global economic crisis has thrust itself upon our pristine shores and is threatening to wreak untold damage on our economies. Thus, while some members of our community of nations have begun to tout faint but hopeful signs of recovery, prudence dictates that we pay heed to the words of Calvin Coolidge and acknowledge that it simply is not an option to adopt an insular approach in responding to this global crisis. The stronger 33 09-52463 economies must remain ever cognizant of the fact that the welfare of the weakest and the welfare of the most powerful are inseparably bound together. In responding to the crisis, all parties must admit that the old methodologies, as reflected in the Washington Consensus and similar models, are obsolete.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Today, we remain small islands, but the issues with which we grapple are gargantuan. In many cases, they have been exacerbated by ill-conceived or ineffective interventions and structures. None among us is immune to the financial insecurity brought about by global banking mismanagement and fraud. At the same time, global climate change threatens to overwhelm the very fabric of our small nations. It has been said that the rising tide of globalization floats all boats on a sea of economic opportunities. What is now clear is that such tides can turn into an economic tsunami that, in one swift wave, can wash away development gains that took decades to be realized. That is the situation in which Antigua and Barbuda now finds itself.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“However, as we gather as a community of nations almost a century later, they are just as timely. Our common humanity is being tested by the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Additional challenges that currently confront us include the increased incidence and impact of pandemic diseases, worsening poverty and hunger that trap millions around the globe, the adverse consequences of climate change, tensions over peace and security, and increasing environmental degradation. When history is recorded, our success as leaders will be determined by our stewardship during these turbulent times. Years ago in much warmer and gentler climes, small island nations like our twin island nation of Antigua and Barbuda convened a global conference entitled “Small Islands, Big Issues”.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“On behalf of my Government and the people of Antigua and Barbuda, I congratulate you, Sir, on your election to preside over the sixty-fourth session of the General Assembly and wish you every success during your tenure. I also extend heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann on his visionary and inspiring leadership over the past year. “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 languish. Transportation cannot prosper if manufactures decline. 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.” Those words are taken from a 1914 speech by Calvin Coolidge.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“The various intergovernmental activities on the energy and food crises scheduled for the coming months should be focused not only on solutions to the immediate problems of food insecurity and energy issues, but also on long-term sustainable developmental imperatives. These are illustrations of the opportunities which can and should be used by the international community to foster implementation of both outstanding and new commitments. They are by no means exhaustive. The Group of 77 and China would urge the General Assembly to resolve to promptly send a message communicating the urgency of implementing those various processes and activities.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“In December 2007, the Bali process reaffirmed the international community’s resolve to ensure that, by the end of 2009, it will have a clear idea about commitments from Annex 1 Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on greenhouse gas-reduction for the second commitment period, as well as their commitments on firm actions and resources to facilitate adaptation, mitigation, technology transfer and financing for Non-Annex 1 Parties. The outcomes of the United Nations Climate Change Conference to be held in Copenhagen in 2009 must be robust and implementation-driven.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“Let us use the process leading up to the Follow- up International Conference on Financing for Development, and the Conference itself, to offer specific proposals on how we will provide and use resources, and on how we will set about shaping the international economic environment in order to speed achievement of those objectives and targets, as well as increase the participation of developing countries.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“We must all move immediately into implementation mode — a mode where our focus is on how to do rather than how not to do. We have some important strategic opportunities ahead to begin to do so. The G-77 and China believe that we could begin with today’s high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the Millennium Development Goals. At the midpoint we, as an international community, are in danger of missing most of the MDG targets. We have not provided the resources, the conducive international environment and the cooperation to ensure that all developing countries can meet their specific targets. Several sources were identified in Monterrey through which the financing could be mobilized to address the commitments to tackle many of the challenges, including those summarized in the Millennium Development Goals.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“This has resulted in growing inequities within and across countries, an environmental and climate change crisis with unsustainable pressures on production and ecosystems, a global economic and financial crisis spreading from the major economies, a crisis of confidence in global governance and institutional capacity for managing international trade, finance and development policies, a worsening energy crisis, an unprecedented food crisis, and a looming water crisis. We recognize that each country has the primary responsibility for its development. However, the international community must create a conducive, sustainable, fair and predictable environment and provide the necessary policy space to stimulate and facilitate the discharge of this responsibility.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“In some cases, we have agreed and set binding time frames to achieve results. Many of these commitments, timetables and proposals for action have been repeated in annual 33 08-51845 resolutions of the General Assembly. Unfortunately, many have become more technically complicated, while there has been less and less political commitment to action supporting their unified and mutually reinforcing implementation. We have had some modest gains, as, for example, in our fight against HIV/AIDS and malaria. However, in general, our record of implementation and delivery on commitments is a source of embarrassment to us as leaders. We are confronted by an endemic crisis of development, including the failure of development policies and approaches that do not take into account the specific situation of countries and regions.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“I firmly believe that the United Nations would be a more potent entity and the world could be infinitely better placed if the next president of the United States in his inauguration address gave an irrevocable commitment to multilateralism in all its dimensions. Permit me in my capacity as the Chair of the G-77 and China to offer a few comments on behalf of the group. The United Nations and the broader international community have spent much time and other resources over two decades identifying, defining and reaching a common understanding on major challenges to global society. We have passed resolutions and declarations in which we have defined the challenges, identified the resources needed and resolved and committed to meeting and overcoming the challenges as a global community through international cooperation.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa come to mind immediately and deserve commendation. Finally, it is fascinating how both candidates in the United States presidential election are vying for the change franchise in that country. As a representative of the Government and people of Antigua and Barbuda, I call on the United States administration and its future leadership to effect change in its dealings with our brother nation of the Republic of Cuba. I call on the United States 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 must embrace change fully in the interests of the men, women and children of Cuba.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“We will continue to promote a nuclear-free zone in Latin America and the Caribbean, and encourage all countries, particularly the leading industrialized nations, to vigorously pursue and support disarmament. I have looked critically at some of the problems facing the global family of nations. I conclude on a note of optimism. 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. We have even seen binding commitment to reparation, as in the case of Italy and Libya. I salute those leaders who have demonstrated such enlightenment. More Governments are accepting the inevitability of democratic political change and are showing a growing commitment to good governance, fair and free elections and the orderly transfer and sharing of power.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“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 to fight crime, strengthen the rule of law and combat international drug trafficking. We also call on developed countries to stop the practice of deporting violent criminals to our shores. Antigua and Barbuda is also keenly concerned about the issue of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. The Caribbean is a zone of peace, but none of us is beyond the impact and effect of weapons of mass destruction. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons should be fully implemented and adhered to by all countries. The constant threat that terrorism poses in today’s highly globalized world makes nuclear disarmament even more imperative.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“The emerging focus on new energy sources in the United States and elsewhere is also happening to small nations. We are encouraged by the promise of a rollback of the primary contributors to the causes of climate change. The responsibility to provide the necessary resources to do that must be born primarily by those developed countries which contribute most to the causes of climate change. In a similar context, vulnerable developing societies are victims to the globalization of crime, notably in the havoc wrought by handguns in the possession of criminal elements, the trafficking of narcotics destined essentially for markets in developed countries, and the deportation of criminals to our shores.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“The international community is not short of rhetoric on the climate issue, nor is it short of ideas, but we have come up woefully short of political will on the part of those whose actions matter most. The nexus of climate change and natural disasters is indisputable. Natural disasters are increasing in frequency and devastation around the globe. Such disasters are especially catastrophic for the small countries of the Caribbean, whose economies are 08-51845 32 largely dependent on the natural environment. I commend the United Nations and its organs for the work they are doing in Haiti and elsewhere in the Caribbean, which was severely affected by hurricanes over the past weeks. I must, however, call on the international community to lend additional support to the United Nations in its humanitarian efforts in the developing world.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“The sixty-third session of the General Assembly is taking place against a backdrop of escalating challenges to international peace and security: unalleviated poverty and diminishing food supplies for much of the world’s population; mega-disasters induced by climate change; and impending meltdown in the world’s largest economy. 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 the fullest sense. The climate crisis is a clear and present threat to the security of small island States like ours and a major obstacle to the achievement of our sustainable development goals and objectives.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“I wish at the outset to extend heartiest congratulations and assurances of my cooperation and highest esteem to Mr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty-third session. Antigua and Barbuda looks forward to his leadership and guidance throughout this session. Our congratulations also go to his predecessor, Mr. Kerim, on a job well done and for his service to the international community. I venture to express the hope that the Group of 77 (G-77) and China will find in the President a vigorous advocate for heightened focus and meaningful action in pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other agreed development goals.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“The primary catalysts to positive change and improved lives for the global population are the United Nations and the leaders of its Member States. I am hopeful that sharing our collective wisdom, and drawing from this source, the sixty-second session of the General Assembly will translate into meaningful and enduring benefit for the peoples of the world. I am equally confident that our deliberations on climate change will lead to solutions that will ensure the protection of our planet and its peoples.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“We seek the cooperation of the United Nations and our international partners in the development of initiatives for the screening and management of chronic diseases and risk factors so that, by 2012, 80 per cent of people with non-communicable diseases will receive quality care and have access to preventive education based on regional and international guidelines. Allow me to conclude on the point at which I began, by referring once more to the Charter of the United Nations. Sixty-two years ago, when the United Nations was formed, the international system was less complex and colonialism was still the dominant concern. Humanity was reeling from the effects of a second world war. It was not the best of times. Today, in my opinion, it is still not the best of times for a majority of the people on planet Earth.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“It is therefore necessary for the United Nations, through its various organs and agencies, to lend support to our initiatives to develop strategies to prevent and control heart disease, stroke, diabetes, hypertension, obesity and cancer in the region by addressing their causal risk factors of unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, tobacco use and alcohol abuse, in addition to strengthening our health services. We must act together now to reduce the suffering and burdens caused by non-communicable diseases on the citizens of our region, which is the worst-affected in the Americas.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“As we in the Caribbean grapple with the increase in HIV/AIDS cases, we are also confronted with another great threat to the survival of our people. Chronic non-communicable diseases have become a major concern for the Caribbean. Recently, an historic summit of heads of CARICOM on chronic non-communicable diseases held in Trinidad and Tobago agreed to give full support for the initiatives and mechanisms aimed at strengthening regional health institutions through the signing of a comprehensive declaration highlighting a plan of action on this critical health issue. We strongly believe that the health of the region is the wealth of the region, which underscores the importance of health to development.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“The Chairman of the Integrity Commission, pursuant to the Integrity in Public Life Act, is a woman. The Governor General of Antigua and Barbuda, appointed earlier this year on the advice of the Prime Minister, is female. The Ombudsman, a creature of the Constitution of Antigua and Barbuda is also a woman. The Chairman of the Public Service Commission, also a creature of the Constitution of Antigua and Barbuda, is a woman. We continue to focus on increasing women’s participation in the political decision-making process. In that regard, we have been helped by the normative framework of the various United Nations gender entities. We will continue to work towards even greater gender parity in the political, economic and social spheres, and we encourage all Member States to do the same.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“The question of reparations must be placed on the United Nations agenda now. We urge the United Nations system and Member States to continue to pay special attention to the issue of gender equality and empowerment of women. The dividends from investing in gender equality and empowerment of women are two-fold: democratic gains, on the one hand, and development gains, on the other. My Government has placed top priority on empowering women politically and economically. The Speaker of the House of Assembly in Antigua and Barbuda is female. So, too, are the President of the Senate and the Clerk of Parliament. My Government has the honour of having the first female elected Member of Parliament, who currently holds the position of President of the Inter-American Commission of Women. We have not stopped there.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Despite all the modern treaties and international statutes and recognition of the slave trade as a crime against humanity, this crime remains unpunished; the entities remain unaccountable for their participation and profiteering. Maintaining international focus on this issue gives our nations and the world the opportunity to make progress in repairing the damage caused by 500 years of slavery and colonialism, so that those who profited from such a crime may be urged to take responsibility for rectifying the effects that remain today. Progress may be slow in the fight for justice for the descendants of slaves, but we must not give up. As a community of sovereign nations, Antigua and Barbuda and the other CARICOM member States consider it necessary for the international community to become accountable for this crime against humanity.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Earlier this year, Antigua and Barbuda, along with the rest of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), held activities to commemorate the bicentennial anniversary of the abolition of the trans- Atlantic slave trade. CARICOM also led an initiative for the anniversary to be commemorated here at the United Nations. That is an issue that should remain on the agenda of the United Nations. My Government is proud to have been a part of the initiative led by CARICOM member States at the United Nations to get the international community to recognize this anniversary. Such international recognition is important because it provides the opportunity to carry forward the fight for justice.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“All countries, large and small, have a national interest in eliminating the threat to development caused by international terrorism. Antigua and Barbuda continues to play its part by adhering to the various anti-terrorism resolutions of the United Nations, including our obligations under Security Council resolutions 1540 (2004) and 1373 (2001), among others. Additionally, we have taken the added initiative to enact our own national legislative requirement by way of our National Anti-Terrorism Act of Parliament in 2005. Combating international terrorism should not depend on the trampling of religious and cultural diversity and individual rights and freedoms. Cultural and religious intolerance and prejudice and the stifling of cultural diversity will only serve to perpetuate the causes of terrorism.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“With regard to the problem of drug-related crime and the proliferation of handguns, Antigua and Barbuda reiterates its call for the strengthening and implementation of the various United Nations treaties on small arms and light weapons. The scale and scope of the disruptions and destruction caused by the proliferation of small arms in the hands of unemployed youth in the Caribbean is tremendous. Here, too, small developing States which produce no weapons are confronted by the tragedy wrought by guns manufactured in countries that fail to control their weapons of death and appear untroubled by the ease with which those weapons cross international borders. Even a miniscule increase in violent crime has a negative impact on development in small island States. These perspectives should inform the international debate on peace and security.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“That means that small Caribbean economies are required to pay a high price to protect societies to our north and in the Atlantic from drug shipments headed their way. We urge the United Nations family of agencies, in recognition of the link between globalization and crime, to provide the Caribbean with increased assistance in this area. We also need the support and cooperation of individual Member States, particularly those that carry out a policy of criminal deportation. That practice parachutes graduates of metropolitan criminal systems onto societies in which they often have no families and no social network to assist in their re-entry into the vulnerable Caribbean societies from which they had long been exiled. That is a monstrous assault on several of our societies.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“I take this opportunity to highlight the importance of international action to support our efforts at disaster- risk reduction, through an ambitious climate change regime within the ambit of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. That must, of necessity, include a commitment to increasing the level of international financing for adaptation in vulnerable countries. The proliferation of crime in our already vulnerable societies represents a threat to the peaceful and stable communities for which the Caribbean is known. In all Caribbean societies, the bulk of violent crime is drug-related. It so happens that the bulk of narco-trafficking activity in our region is linked to illegal drugs bound for North America and Europe.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“The increased risk of natural disasters adds an extra dimension to the vulnerability of the island States of the Caribbean. Because of our size and the nature of our primary economic activities, the infrastructure of an entire country can be destroyed by, for example, the passage of a single hurricane. The livelihood of the entire population is at once threatened. Antigua and Barbuda, like many of our Caribbean brothers and sisters, has had to place greater priority on disaster preparedness, resulting in increased competition for the already meagre resources of the governmental budget. Our situation is not unique.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“My Government has ensured that affirmative action to ease the economic squeeze on the poor is embedded in all revenue-generating mechanisms. My Government resolves to ensure that the benefits of economic growth are shared among the entire population, by focusing on employment generation and the provision of free or low-cost social services in the areas of health and education, among others. Climate change is a global problem requiring a collective response, and, if we do not respond quickly, the result will be disaster on a global scale. This represents a monumental test of the political will and courage of humanity in general, but especially of the political leaders of the most powerful countries. For small island States, the challenge of adapting to climate change is not new; what is new is its urgency.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“In that regard, we re-emphasize that it is important that individual United Nations Member States abide by fair trading practices, which eliminate targeted barriers designed to deny access to small, vulnerable countries seeking economic opportunities through such options as Internet trading. Equally important is the need for Member States, big and small, to play by the international trade rules. The economic survival of our people depends on that. Our tourism and financial services sectors depend on that. Wealthy nations will ultimately have to pay a high price for actions that further pauperize already poor societies. In a local context, the reduction of income inequality is a key priority for the Government of Antigua and Barbuda.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“We in Antigua and Barbuda may be among the small and the powerless in terms of might and money, but we are willing and able to play our part to achieve international peace and development through active multilateral diplomacy, and we are intent on doing so. Global poverty and economic inequality can be resolved only through sustained economic growth. Central to sustaining the economic growth of poorer countries is the establishment of a pro-development trading regime with a fair playing field, where large and small play by the rules — rules meant to create a fairer system and to allow the maximum benefits from international trade to be widely distributed among countries.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“We cannot continue talking while women and children are forced to live in refugee camps. We cannot continue talking while tens of thousands of persons continue to die. We must act now. There must be swift action to strengthen the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur, which will support the African troops already there. Every citizen has the right to life and the right to live in peace. We call on all parties to end arm sales to the fighting factions. We must ensure that that happens. While acknowledging the reality that the distribution of power is skewed among nations, we believe that talent, ability and good intentions remain in abundance in all countries, large and small. Further, no country is too small to be able to contribute innovative solutions to some of the most pressing international problems.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Systemic imbalances in international trade, finance and international governance keep millions locked in poverty and millions more in a perpetual state of insecurity because they remain underrepresented. Indeed, there is a role for all States. It should therefore come as no surprise that Antigua and Barbuda is of the view that small States can and should play a crucial role by being voices of reason — voices that are not shackled to the dogmatic positions that power necessitates. The absence of so-called high power allows small States to be pragmatic and practical in coming up with solutions to some of the most pressing international problems. We can no longer continue talking while humanitarian conditions continue to deteriorate. The situation in Darfur calls for our immediate and swift action.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“At the same time, humanity has so advanced that today it is possible to achieve the intentions of the Charter on a scale beyond what might have been achievable at the time of its crafting. Regrettably, fulfilment of the purposes of the Charter of the United Nations seems to be hindered to an unprecedented degree by a paucity of political will and determination. However, an equitable international system responsive to the needs of all countries and people is not beyond our reach. In that context, there is a role for all nations, large and small, that includes the firm resolve to strengthen the multilateral system in order to correct systemic imbalances that hinder the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other internationally agreed development goals.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“There are some who would prefer for multilateralism to recede and for the world to be run by a few dominant Powers. They should be reminded of the intent and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations, which, among other things, reaffirms in its Preamble the faith of humanity: “in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small”. It is no small wonder, then, that the crafters of the Charter pledged their determination “to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples”. The Charter of the United Nations is perhaps more relevant today than it was at the time of its creation. The challenges to peace, security and development that require collective action have multiplied immeasurably.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“As Chairman of the Group of 77 for 2008 and like the Chairs before us, we pledge to uphold the principles and objectives of the Group, to preserve, at all times, our collective interest as developing countries, safeguard our common positions, and, by so doing, achieve significant advancement in the development agenda. I am humbled and emboldened enough to quote Albert Einstein, who once said: “The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.” “Looking on and doing nothing” is no longer an option for any of us. Let me, at the outset, unequivocally state that multilateralism should be the preferred means for effecting international peace, security and human development.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“I am further humbled by the gravity of the environmental challenges facing our world today and emboldened in the knowledge that without courageous and timely action, countless lives will continue to be plagued by misery and countless more unnecessarily lost. As the Prime Minister of a small island State, I am also humbled and emboldened by the show of confidence we have received from the Group of 77, having been elected Chairman for 2008. It is not a responsibility that we take lightly, and you can rest assured we intend to rise valiantly to the task of chairmanship, executing the responsibilities of the Chair with the sort of professionalism and skill the Group rightly expects of us.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Let me first congratulate you, Sir, on your election as President of the sixty-second session of the General Assembly. I also congratulate His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon at this, his first General Assembly session as Secretary- General. I am humbled to once again address this Assembly, and I stand before you humbled and emboldened. Humbled by the magnitude of the socio- economic challenges we face as a community of nations and emboldened by the trust that has been placed in me by the people of Antigua and Barbuda to articulate their interests in an increasingly competitive international system.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“24 If affirmative action is not to be proffered to Antigua and Barbuda and other small States of the Caribbean region and the world, let us at least be spared punitive suspension of whatever special facilities enabled us to move our economies forward. Antigua and Barbuda thanks this General Assembly for the opportunity to propose that, in keeping with the letter and the spirit of the United Nations Millennium Declaration, small States, such as those of CARICOM, should be afforded the promised opportunity to be beneficiaries of globalization and the new world economic architecture, instead of leaving us casualties, as we must now be accurately described.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“I challenge the United Nations to stand by the tenets of the Millennium Declaration, which call for equity among nations, large and small. There is a compelling reason for this call. Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries are currently engaged in three separate sets of negotiations that will seriously impact the economies of our countries and the welfare of our people. To date, there have been no concessions afforded to the special needs of small States in our negotiations with the European Union, on the Free Trade Area of the Americas and with the World Trade Organization. Not everyone engaged in these negotiations appears to be in sympathy with the fundamental goals of the United Nations Millennium Declaration.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Given that the Caribbean region is a recognized drug trans-shipment point between Latin America and the United States and Europe, the attraction of easy money and effective marketing to youth by drug dons make this job opportunity very attractive to the youth of the Caribbean region. My party, the United Progressive Party, campaigned on a platform of transparency, accountability and integrity in every functional aspect of government, and throughout the society as a whole. As a demonstration of my Government’s seriousness in combating corruption, I tabled anticorruption and integrity legislation in our Parliament during our first six months in Government. My Government and the majority of the people of Antigua and Barbuda are committed to every option that will support our dedication to good governance in our country.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Policy makers in the developed world, donor countries and multilateral donor agencies should not take our natural and physical attributes as barometers of our economic and social development. In this age of globalization, where the emphasis is on bigness, being small is definitely a disadvantage of major magnitude. Small economies cannot easily diversify production. Jobs are concentrated in a limited number of industries — namely, agriculture, tourism and services. Tragically, we are now encountering a situation where our unemployed young people are easily induced into the drug trade.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Among member countries of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, Antigua and Barbuda is considered to be relatively affluent. The grim reality is that Antigua and Barbuda is confronted with an economy that has been experiencing sustained decline. The country has been accumulating crippling debt. We are uncovering disturbing levels of unemployment, particularly among our young people. This can well place a significant proportion of our youth at serious risk. Many of these concerns are common to small States of the Caribbean. Policies and rules are made in organizations controlled by the powerful few. This brings us to the contradiction that, as small States strive to be all that we can be, we are penalized for our success.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“The effect of this is really to pull out the carpet from under small States the moment they stand up. Small developing States will never be insulated against external shocks. The international security measures mandated by America’s post-9/11 Patriot Act have inflicted an inordinate financial burden on the small economies of Caribbean member States. We have been compelled to finance security infrastructure for which we had no provisions. With intensified security concerns in the United States, Caribbean countries are confronted with increasing waves of deported felons from the United States. This carries the risk that, among these deportees, there might well be prime recruits for organized crime and narco-trafficking. Caribbean societies are simply not equipped to respond effectively to those challenges.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)