YouSaid · the spoken record

Wilfred Elrington

lines on the record: 243
first: 2008-09-24
most recent: 2019-09-24
sittings or episodes: 12
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

“Climate change is another existential threat, looming not only over Belize but over all nations of the world, large and small. In our view, it is urgent that the international community arrive at consensus as to the imminence and magnitude of the threat posed to humankind by climate change, as well as on the way forward in dealing successfully with that perilous phenomenon. That is another threat that can be successfully dealt with only by the United Nations. Combating the threat will necessitate huge expenditures, the deployment of cutting-edge technology and, most likely, the cessation of the use of fossil fuels.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“In his memoir, Interventions: A Life in War and Peace, former Secretary-General Kofi Annan wrote: “[Conflicts] suck in their neighbours, send thousands of refugees spilling into other countries, create havens for armed groups and terrorists, and they cause the spread of criminal networks and cross-border lawlessness, including piracy. In short, conflicts ... are inherent generators of global insecurity, the causes of which need to be addressed by wealthy and poor States alike.” I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Organization of American States and the group of friends who support the efforts of Belize and Guatemala to resolve the Guatemalan claim peaceably and, in the interim, to ensure that peace is maintained between our two countries.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“There are some 65 Guatemalan villages along the 141-mile-long Belize-Guatemala border. The villagers there are largely indigent and unemployed. Absent higher employment and increased security patrols on both sides of the border, the incursions of Guatemalans will not, in our view, abate, but will only get worse. Belize is resolved to do everything in its power to protect its citizens and territorial integrity, but our efforts alone will not be sufficient to put an end to the forays of Guatemalans into our country. Input from the international community will be vital in assisting with the development of income-generating enterprises in the border regions to ameliorate the poverty there, which is what compels Guatemalans to trespass in those regions. Border conflicts are dangerous by nature.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Those soils are then ultimately deposited on our pristine barrier reef, choking and destroying its fragile ecosystems and compromising the health of the entire reef and the marine ecological system that thrives there. Additionally, the increasing trespassing by Guatemalans into our country has given rise to more frequent violent encounters between Guatemalans and members of the Belize Defence Force, resulting in fatalities in some instances. Those incidents put a heavy strain on the relations between our country and Guatemala and the peace of our region as a whole. While Belize appreciates that the activities of the Guatemalans in our border regions are the direct result of poverty and failed development in their own country, we are concerned by the fact that such activities create the conditions for conflict.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Furthermore, both our territorial and maritime border regions have been suffering from depredations and environmental degradation as a consequence of the wanton and sustained illegal activities of Guatemalan campesinos, fishermen and criminal elements engaged in narco-trafficking, human trafficking, smuggling, illegal panning for gold, the extraction of xaté and other exotic plants and animals, the illegal felling of timber and the pillaging of our ancient Mayan ruins. The felling of timber in our rainforests is contributing to the denuding of our mountains, which results in violent flooding in the rainy season and the transfer of topsoil, sand and silt into the sea.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“When I addressed the Assembly last September (see A/67/PV.20), I was pleased to report that our two States had agreed to submit to the citizens of our respective countries, in a simultaneous referendum to be held on 6 October 2013, six days from today, the question of whether it was the will of our respective constituencies that the Guatemalan claim be submitted to the International Court of Justice for a final resolution. Regretfully, however, last April, Guatemala gave official notice to both Belize and the Organization of American States that the Guatemalan Government had decided not to proceed with the referendum and was proposing that it be postponed sine die. Not unexpectedly, that decision was not well received in Belize. The Guatemalan claim is a constant source of anxiety for our citizens as well as for investors in our country.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Sector-specific documents emanating from Horizon 2030 inform our national development agenda in areas such as security, energy, gender, education and health. Topping the list of our domestic priorities at this time is the resolution of the Guatemalan claim, which poses an existential threat to our nation and requires urgent resolution if the peoples of our two countries and our region are to continue to enjoy the peaceful coexistence that has characterized our relationship thus far.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“As we embark upon setting the stage for the post- 2015 development agenda, Belize has recognized and identified four underpinning points: that the post- 2015 agenda must be global; that it should integrate the outcomes of major summits into a cohesive action-oriented agenda that can be implemented, building upon successes and improving lessons learned; that the necessary resources must be sourced and committed to underwrite the new partnership for development; and that it must be guided by our core values of conflict prevention and poverty eradication. Belize endorses the intergovernmental processes for the elaboration of the post-2015 development agenda. Our domestic priorities, which complement the global agenda, are contained in the document Horizon 2030, which articulates our development framework.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“President, should have kept the spotlight on the post-2015 development agenda for the sixty-eighth session of the General Assembly. In that connection, the theme “The post-2015 development agenda: setting the stage” is very apt indeed. The Millennium Development Goals must remain a work in progress. The post-2015 development agenda must be informed by our experiences with the Millennium Development Goals. In that regard, a careful analysis must be undertaken to ascertain why our rich development partners have failed to live up to their obligations under the partnership to provide the promised development aid and expertise to poor development partners. And new mechanisms must be devised to ensure that the post-2015 development agenda does not suffer a similar fate.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Poor countries possess neither the requisite leadership cadres, the financial, human and technical resources, the infrastructure, the necessary levels of investment and trade nor the institutions to bring about levels of development that are capable of generating the wealth needed to underwrite the expenses associated with the attainment and, most important, the sustainment of the Millennium Development Goals. Perhaps even worse, far too many countries have no realistic prospects for achieving such capacity within the foreseeable future. Despite that, Belize remains committed to the attainment of the Goals, which we are pursuing assiduously. Given our experience with the Millennium Development Goals, it is, in our view, eminently fitting that you, Mr.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“The resources being provided by international and other financial institutions and by private donors fall far short of what is needed by poor countries to attain those laudable, and indeed basic, Goals. It is evident that, for some inexplicable reason, developed countries have abandoned Goal 8 — developing a global partnership for development. In the absence of the cooperation of developed countries, the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals by poor countries will remain an illusion.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Eight hundred million people were chronically hungry — one in seven people on Earth — including 200 million children. And 1.3 billion people lacked even the most basic health- care, sanitation and education services. Today, 13 years later, as the Millennium Development Goals are being implemented, the scorecard reveals that, while a small minority of countries are showing commendable success in attaining the Millennium Development Goals, the vast majority of nations are still mired in poverty, with scant or no signs of development. We note with disappointment that rich countries have not even been able to bring themselves to honour their commitment to contribute 0.7 per cent of their gross domestic product as official domestic assistance to poor countries.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“It gave hope for the provision of huge amounts of desperately and genuinely needed aid, the transfer of technology and other development assistance from affluent nations, financial institutions and philanthropists to nations mired in poverty. That was undoubtedly good news. It was reminiscent of the Marshall Plan, which rescued Germany and Japan from abject ruin after the Second World War and catapulted them to heights of affluence they had never experienced before. By the end of the 1990s, most countries were in dire straits. According to former Secretary-General Kofi Annan, more than 60 per cent of the world subsisted on $2 or less per day, while more than 1 billion people were living on less than $1 per day. Illiteracy was nearly at 1 billion people.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“It is in the quest for the attainment of the two ideals of peaceful conflict resolution and the enhancement of the lives of all peoples that leaders of Member States make this annual pilgrimage in September to address the General Assembly. Belize commends the United Nations and its visionary leadership over the years for its unflinching efforts in discharging the core functions of the Organization. The promulgation of the Millennium Development Goals, in 2000, resulted in all countries working together, for the first time in human history, to address and rectify the gaps in their development agenda to reduce poverty. It was a signal event and a major breakthrough for the United Nations development agenda.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“I am once again privileged to address the General Assembly on behalf of my country, Belize. It is with great delight that I congratulate you, Sir, on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty-eighth session. You are a testament to all the peoples of the Caribbean and the world of the height to which each of us can aspire when industry and character are fused into one. Rest assured, Mr. President, of the unqualified support of Belize throughout your term in office. I also take this opportunity to thank your predecessor for his service as President of the Assembly at its sixty-seventh session.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“In the circumstances, the United Nations is simply just too big to fail in the discharge of its singular obligation: to safeguard the well-being and safety of humankind and planet Earth.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“And we stand in solidarity with the citizens of the Middle East, particularly those in Syria, in their quest for those democratic freedoms to which we all aspire. As we move ahead to take on the new challenges that will emerge during the sixty-seventh session, as we redouble our efforts to address the long-standing problems our world faces, and as we renew our faith in the multilateral system, the role of the Assembly and of our United Nations Organization will become increasingly critical and relevant. This is the only body that is truly universal in character and which commands legitimacy and authority. The entire world looks to the United Nations to solve the multitudinous problems which beset mankind.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“As a consequence, all our countries have been calling for a change in paradigm so that the classification of countries as middle-income countries no longer guides development cooperation. We urge all our development partners to heed this call and address this situation. Finally, we would like to echo the call of other Members of this institution who have advocated the lifting of the economic embargo against Cuba, which continues to fetter the development of that sister Caribbean nation and its people. Belize also notes and joins those positive voices that support Taiwan. We therefore urge Taiwan’s full participation in the United Nations. We ask also that urgent attention be given to the concerns of the people of Israel and Palestine, whose legitimate expectation to live peaceful, fruitful lives continues to be frustrated.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“It is therefore deeply regrettable that, despite what appeared to be an emerging consensus and despite the underlying global urgency of a multilateral response, the conclusion of an arms trade treaty has so far been beyond the reach of the international community. It is urgent, in our view, that we redouble our efforts to break the gridlock and reach the compromise necessary to arrive at a consensus on an arms trade treaty as soon as possible. The States of Latin America and the Caribbean are almost all classified — wrongly and unjustly, in our view — as middle-income countries. That is a generic classification that masks the varied challenges our countries continue to face arising from poverty, high levels of income inequality, economic vulnerabilities and debt.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“That is why Belize is committed to the implementation of the Central America Regional Security Strategy and to working with our partners to ensure that the Strategy has the level of support necessary to guarantee that it is effective. Our region, Central America and the Caribbean, has been labelled as among the most violent regions of the world, with homicide rates that have reached crisis levels, occasioned largely by the use of small arms and light weapons. But almost all small arms and light weapons found in our region start out as legally manufactured and legally traded arms. Every Member of the United Nations is involved in some measure in this trade, which we believe is of dubious value to mankind.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“We thank the staff of that institution for the sterling work they are doing. With respect to the nefarious enterprises of transnational trafficking in humans, drugs and arms, Belize subscribes to the view that a regional response is imperative to combat these pernicious scourges. Our countries are not the markets for these illicit commodities. Our countries do not benefit from the immense profits generated by these criminal enterprises, yet we bear the burden of having to divert scarce resources, badly needed for development, to combat the activities of these merchants of death and destruction. Indeed, our countries are overwhelmed by the grim tasks which now befall us of having to mend the shattered lives of our children and of mourning their untimely deaths.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“We work closely in all these subregional groupings on the issues of concern to us such as climate change, security and economic development. And here we feel constrained to point out that the impact of climate change on our region has been direct, dire and devastating, compelling us to join forces with our CARICOM partners and with the wider Alliance of Small Island States to advance our interests in the climate change negotiation process. In that connection, Belize is proud of its contribution as host nation of the CARICOM Climate Change Centre, which is tasked to provide technical and scientific advice to inform subregional policy positions in executing adaptation and mitigation projects in our subregion and to raise awareness of the deleterious impact of climate change in our respective countries.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Belize avails itself of this opportunity to thank all our development partners for the tremendous contributions they make daily to the security and development of our country and people. We know that more can and, indeed, must be done to raise our ambitions in delivering for the poor, for the needy and for the vulnerable. It is therefore urgent that we move to shape a post-2015 development agenda that reflects our equal stake in a common future, addresses the concerns of the wealthy and strong, and meets the needs of the poor and the vulnerable. Belize remains fully supportive of all regional initiatives. We have sought and obtained membership in the Organization of American States, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Central American Integration System and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“For this reason, the Belize Government has embraced the multilateral system and our cooperation partners around the world. We are partnering with them in many fields, including economic, social, environmental and humanitarian, in our perennial quest to better secure all our citizens and develop them to their fullest potential. In this regard, United Nations funds, programmes and agencies such as the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Population Fund, UNICEF, UNESCO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and the World Health Organization are working tirelessly with countries like Belize to carry out the decisions of the international community and support efforts to meet the aspirations of our people.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Furthermore, our situation is aggravated by the fact our population is less than 350,000 persons, who trace their origins to all over the globe and are consequently multi-ethnic, multi-faith, multilingual and multicultural. With such a diverse population, the urgency of social cohesion cannot be overstated. When we add to this mix the challenges which today confront us all, occasioned by natural disasters such as climate change and by man-made ones such as the global financial collapse and transnational criminal activity, it becomes readily apparent that it is wholly beyond the capacity of any one Government to discharge its obligation towards its citizens solely through national initiatives and devices and solely with domestic resources.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“For example, our Government is committed to a programme to ensure that low-income Belizean families do not have to face the difficult choice between sending their children to school or buying food. Qualifying families in underserved rural or urban areas can already rely on our conditional cash-transfer programme and on our food pantry programme. We provide education subsidies to families of children attending secondary school. We continue to emphasize and expand early childhood education and to improve access to alternative education. We are investing in improving the quality of the health care to which our citizens have access. As a small State that took its place among the nations of the world only 31 years ago, Belize is experiencing all the growing pains that naturally afflict the young.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“They must be safely and comfortably housed and they must be properly educated and trained, beginning from the time they are in the cradle. Our children must be trained and educated especially in science and technology. They must be trained to think creatively, to be fiercely competitive, to be industrious and to be prudent in the management of our resources. Our Government is convinced that it is only with this type of training and development that our citizens will be able to compete successfully in the world market and generate the wealth that is required to transform our society into a truly developed nation. If we fail our children today, we are setting ourselves up to fail in our common future. With a view to attaining development objectives, our Government has initiated some ambitious, comprehensive pro-poor policies.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“The resolution of the territorial differendum between Belize and Guatemala will not only consolidate Belize’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, but also enhance the peace and security of our subregion and be conducive to the strengthening and deepening of our regional integration process. Belizeans are a peace-loving people. We abhor conflict. We believe in the rule of law. And we have faith in the United Nations. With almost half of our population under the age of 25 and approximately 37 per cent under the age of 18, our nation’s future and destiny are inextricably tied to the welfare of our children. And in order for them to attain their full potential, they must be properly nurtured and fed with balanced, nutritious meals.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“But whereas we attained our political independence in September 1981, our sovereignty over our homeland is still being threatened by a territorial claim dating back to the post-1940s by our neighbour Guatemala. We therefore find the theme for this session’s debate a timely and fitting one, namely, bringing about adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations by peaceful means. Happily, I can today inform the Assembly that the Governments of Guatemala and Belize both have agreed to a recommendation of the Secretary-General of the Organization of American States to allow the Guatemalan claim to be adjudicated upon by the International Court of Justice if that is the will of the citizens of our respective countries, as expressed in simultaneous referendums to be held on 6 October 2013.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“It may be questionable whether it was universally appreciated in 1945 that it was absolutely necessary to have a global institution dedicated to the protection of mankind against man’s penchant for causing destruction as well as against Nature’s destructive elements and forces. Today, however, the need for the United Nations is not only manifest to everyone, but there are clarion calls for it to do more and to be more inclusive, representative and democratic, calls to which Belize adds its voice. My country gained its independence largely in consequence of a resolution of the United Nations calling upon the United Kingdom to grant us our independence by the end of 1981, thereby bringing to an end more than 100 years of colonial administration.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Based on its performance over the past 67 years, we feel confident to opine that, whereas the United Nations is unquestionably imperfect, just as our democracy is imperfect, our United Nations is also, however — like democracy — the best institution devised by mankind dedicated exclusively to achieving a safer, more just and prosperous world. As the twenty-first century inexorably evolves, laying bare the fragility and vulnerability of our planet to dangerous global forces, both natural and man-made, which threaten the existence of all living things on our planet, the genius and prescience of the founding fathers in creating the United Nations is illuminated beyond doubt. It is probably debatable whether in 1945 the imperative for mankind to work together in harmony to ensure the survival of our very planet was appreciated by all nations.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“It is my distinct honour to address the Assembly on behalf of the Government and people of Belize. I wish to congratulate Mr. Vuk Jeremić on his election as President of the General Assembly at its sixty-seventh session. I am confident that he will guide the deliberations of the Assembly in a forthright and skilful manner. I take this opportunity to reaffirm Belize’s unequivocal commitment to the principles, goals and ideals of the United Nations, and to pledge our unconditional support for the success of its endeavours.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“And in that regard, we wish to urge that the Republic of China, Taiwan, be allowed to participate meaningfully in the work of the United Nations. In a similar vein, we would urge that the embargo against Cuba, which the Assembly has denounced for many years, be brought to a speedy end. Finally, while Belize appreciates the limitations of this United Nations, we also appreciate that there exists no better institution than this one, which is dedicated to world peace, security, justice and development. And even as we seek its reform, we recognize its primacy in international affairs and global governance. I am, therefore, pleased to assure you that Belize is fully committed to work within this Organization, through it and with it as it carries out its mandates.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“We will eagerly await the development of indicators and global targets aimed at achieving a 25 per cent reduction in non-communicable disease-related deaths by 2025. That will, no doubt, necessitate close collaboration and cooperation among Governments, international organizations, civil society and the private sector to facilitate access to medicines and healthy foods. Belize is committed to supporting that initiative unconditionally. Belize is of the view that, given the quantum and scale of the problems which confront the world today and the unquestioned need for an ever-increasing amount of resources, the international community cannot afford not to avail itself of every source of assistance at hand.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“In the Caribbean today, NCDs are responsible for 62 per cent of deaths, 40 per cent of which occur prematurely. If the current trend continues, non-communicable diseases will account for three out of four deaths in the Caribbean by the year 2030. Again, those diseases can be combated effectively only through collaborative efforts of the international community. In that connection, we welcome the conclusion of the recently held High-level Meeting on non-communicable diseases (A/66/PV.3 and A/66/PV.4), as well as the first comprehensive global political declaration addressing chronic non-communicable diseases (resolution 66/2). It should serve as a template for action at all levels.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“We in Belize have stepped up our national efforts, in conjunction with our neighbours in Central America, the Caribbean and the United States, to combat those criminal activities. But the going is difficult and progress is slow. We need more help from the international community. Ideally, we would need a universally applicable normative framework to regulate the trade in arms, such as an arms trade treaty that is legally binding, robust and comprehensive; one that establishes the highest possible standards for the transfer of conventional arms, especially small arms, light weapons and ammunition. I now turn to some of the silent killers that are ravaging our Latin American and Caribbean communities — the chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as hyper-tension, diabetes and obesity.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Additionally, clear, legally binding rules must 11-51670 20 be hammered out with a view to guaranteeing the environmental integrity of our countries. Over the last decade, crime and violence in Belize and the rest of Central America have escalated drastically, resulting in some 18,167 homicides. However, none of the arms used in those murders was produced in Central America. Those arms are the product of the illicit trafficking in guns and drugs between South and North America. The transnational nature of those crimes is exacerbated by cross-border collaboration among criminals. Confronting that type of criminal activity successfully will clearly require the collaboration and cooperation of the international community.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Today, 24 of our small island developing States (SIDS) have become partners in an innovative, sustainable energy initiative called SIDS DOCK, aimed at transforming our energy sector and catalyzing our sustainable economic development. However, in order to succeed in our initiative we will require delivery or transfer of the often promised environmentally friendly technology and the new and additional funding promised by the international community. In that regard, we consider the upcoming Durban Conference on climate change of high importance. We believe that every effort should be made at the Conference to forge a climate change regime that will incentivize significant emission reductions and the protection and preservation of existing forests, while simultaneously creating disincentives to polluting actions.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“For small island and coastal States like Belize, global warming poses an existential threat. We have already been overwhelmed by the nature, scale and frequency of the damage that extreme weather conditions, triggered by global warming, have wrought on our infrastructure and marine and terrestrial organisms. While we appreciate that each of us is primarily responsible for our own welfare and we are taking such measures as are within our competence to cope with our changing circumstances, climate change is a global problem that requires a global response based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibility. The President took the Chair. To that end, some small island and coastal States, including Belize, are moving resolutely towards low- carbon and no-carbon emission economies.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Terrorism remains no less of a global threat. Mortality from non-communicable diseases now rivals mortality from communicable diseases. And greenhouse gas emissions continue to fuel global warming at a perilous rate. Faced with the plethora of ills that now beset our world, we in Belize entertain no doubt that if any institution holds the key to solving the world problems it is this Organization, the United Nations, and its various agencies and institutions. Belize is therefore looking to the United Nations to lead the charge and to partner with us in combating three of the most serious threats that presently confront us, namely, the threat posed by climate change, the threat posed by crime and violence and the threat posed by chronic non-communicable diseases.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Drugs, arms and human trafficking dominate the global stage, while Mother Nature is undergoing extreme changes, leaving death, destruction and disaster in her wake. Thus far, unfortunately, international responses to these catastrophic occurrences have been both uninspiring and inadequate. Notwithstanding the armoury of human rights that are enshrined in our own Human Rights Charter, far too many people are still destitute, are still dying from hunger, are still casualties of preventable or curable diseases, are still illiterate, are still jobless and are still marginalized and excluded from their very own societies. Three years after the 2008 economic and financial crisis, the global economy is once again bracing for another setback, as the recovery in major industrialized economies stutters and risks a very real danger of reversal.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“We in Belize fully subscribe to the view that mediation is a much more sensible means of putting an end to disputes than the use of force or threats of force, especially in the case of neighbouring States whose people have to live side by side and who are often dependent upon one another for survival and security. But today’s world is also characterized by widespread anxiety, insecurity, unrest, violence and instability. This is manifested in our financial markets as well as in the streets of cities in the developed and the developing world. Threats, both natural and man- made, appear to be proliferating. Debt crises are now so globalized that they are dwarfing national fiscal and policy space.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“It is an honour for me to deliver this address on behalf of the people and the 19 11-51670 Government of Belize. It is a particular privilege to do so with Mr. Al-Nasser at the helm of the Assembly. I say so because Belize has the distinct pleasure of having him as the Ambassador of Qatar to Belize, a role in which he has distinguished himself and his nation, much as he is doing in his role as President of the Assembly. Today’s world is characterized by disputes between neighbouring States which have resulted and continue to result in untold damage, loss of life and financial ruin to the feuding States. Thus Mr. Al-Nasser’s selection of the theme “The role of mediation in the settlement of disputes” for this year’s general debate is a timely and appropriate one.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“The Government has also undertaken a national multiparty and multisectoral consultative process to redefine our national development objectives in our Horizon 2030 project. In addition, the Prime Minister has established a council of science advisers to better inform the Horizon 2030 process on the integration of science and technology in the national development agenda. Belize is resolutely embracing its responsibility for its national development. Our efforts are aimed towards ensuring that we achieve the type of development that genuinely affords all our people the opportunity to realize their true potential with dignity. To that end, we seek only empathy and partnership from the United Nations, not charity.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“Our Government is working towards building domestic capital through social investments, job creation, improved access to credit and combating crime and violence. To that end, we have launched project Restore Belize, which encompasses a comprehensive anti-crime initiative complemented by a socio-economic 3 10-55396 component aimed at restoring the social fabric of our society through the provision of skills training, continuing education for adults, infrastructure development and fostering civic pride. We have instituted school feeding programmes, subsidies for students of secondary schools, seed programmes for farmers and capitalization of our own development finance corporation for onward lending to entrepreneurs.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“Global integration has deepened with technology, market liberalization and the freer movement of capital. Our interdependence has generated global systemic risks. We need a United Nations that reflects more equitable North-South representation and that can effectively deliver. That means that the organs of the United Nations must be reformed. The process of decision-making must ensure coherence and be inclusive. Above all, equity and justice must inform our mechanisms for delivery. The reform we seek goes much deeper than the changing of the guards; it is a reform that would rebuild trust among each other and confidence in the system. Belize is crafting a twenty-first century vision for a modern, green and sustainable economy predicated on capacity-building, human dignity, human development and innovation.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“That myopic view needs to be broadened, and we must disabuse ourselves of the donor-driven dialectic. The United Nations has the responsibility to craft a new orientation, from a donor- recipient culture to one of true partnership with mutual respect. As every speaker in this debate has emphasized, in order for this institution to meet that challenge, it must itself reform. Current decision-making structures and organization tend towards a North-South polarity. That dynamic imperils cooperation and renders debate more ceremony than meaningful dialogue. Over the 65 years of the United Nations existence, our world has changed. We are dealing with new realities. The Organization is nearly universal, with 192 countries represented here. The club of nuclear-power States has expanded, and may yet continue to expand.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“In fact, today the progress that we can claim on the health-related MDGs is a testament, in part, to those partnerships. Beyond our hemispheric relations, we are forging new partnerships. We recently received two years’ worth of emergency relief materials from the United Arab Emirates, for which we are most appreciative, given the frequency of hurricane visitations to our shores in recent years. Through those partnerships, Belize is being enabled to pursue its broader national development objectives. Our experience is being replicated the world over, as we see in other examples of South-South cooperation. We need now to make those partnerships the standard for global cooperation. At the United Nations, we have long focused on official development assistance as being synonymous with global partnerships.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“While Belize’s traditional donors have long provided valuable assistance, for which we will always be grateful, we are now benefiting from new modalities of cooperation, which are yielding more direct and immediate returns for our people. Belize’s cooperation experience with Taiwan exemplifies a model of cooperation based on partnership. With the help of the Government of Taiwan, Belize has steadily developed its capacity in agricultural research, aquaculture, education and social-sector investment. In the Latin American and Caribbean region, cooperation has long been based on that approach. Belize has benefited immensely from partnerships with Cuba, Brazil, Mexico and Venezuela. Of special significance is the cooperation in the health sector.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“It is therefore not surprising that Belize finds itself off track in meeting Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on poverty, hunger, education and the empowerment of women. Considering the synergies between Goals, slippage in one threatens the achievement of others. The terms of engagement between international financial institutions and middle-income countries must be revised if countries such as my own are to break away from the vicious cycle of debt-led development. While those terms will necessarily have to provide for suitable risk-mitigation strategies, they should not be so burdensome as to constrain our policy space. They must respect the national ownership of our development initiatives. International cooperation and support therefore must complement, rather than dictate, the way forward.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)