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

“While we continue to benefit from ODA and foreign direct investment in our quest to further integrate Belize into the global economy, for the most part expensive foreign and local commercial debt has in fact fuelled the country’s development strategy. Thus, in the past 15 years, Belize has built up a high level of public debt, with high-cost long-term financing. The ratio of public debt to GDP grew steadily, from about 27 per cent in 1995 to 70.3 per cent in 2008, with a peak of 87 per cent in 2005. That 10-55396 2 debt-led strategy, which was the model of many other countries, will surely become an unwelcome and unwanted burden for our children. Perennial debt-servicing obligations constrain my Government’s capacity to increase social investments, especially in those areas where they are most needed.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“Our macroeconomic policy and fiscal capacity cannot adequately address the multiple exogenous shocks occasioned, inter alia, by the triumvirate of the financial, food and fuel crises. Adequate and appropriate international support at this time is therefore critical if we are to avoid drifting further and further away from the attainment of our development goals. In that connection, developed nations urgently need to make good their promise to deliver 0.7 per cent of their GDP for official development assistance (ODA). For Belize, meaningful international support is becoming increasingly harder to come by because of our designation as a middle-income country.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“We in this Hall tout sovereign equality, but we experience social and economic disparity on a daily basis, across the globe. Inequality persists between nations and within nations. Poverty proliferates in the midst of plenty. In my own country, although real output per capita grew over the past 10 years, so too did the proportion of Belizeans living in poverty. In other words, we experienced growth without the commensurate development of our people. Belize accepts that development is a matter of national responsibility. However, our contemporary reality now renders questions that were hitherto matters of national concern, matters of global concern. As a consequence of globalization, the management capacity of a State has diminished.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“Please permit me, Sir, on behalf of the Belize delegation to congratulate you on your election to the presidency of the sixty-fifth session of the United Nations General Assembly. As much as our peoples share common values of peace and democracy, your country and my own could not be more different. Switzerland is landlocked with a land mass twice the size and a population 25 times that of my coastal country. Belize has a $1 billion economy and Switzerland has a $400 billion economy. Nominal gross domestic product per capita in Switzerland is estimated at $67,000, while in Belize that figure is roughly $4,000. I bring up the differences between Belize and Switzerland because they are illustrative of the stark differences that epitomize today’s world.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“No effort will be spared to draw upon our limited resources as well as other available resources to invest in our human resources, to improve our political and legal institutions, to support traditional and niche industries, to practise fiscal responsibility and to protect and preserve our environment for present and future generations. We solemnly agree that our development is our own responsibility. We welcome the support of the international community in the spirit of multilateral cooperation as we take action to achieve our high aspirations.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“For that to happen, we must work for a more inclusive process. Twenty- first century challenges require a new dynamic for international relations, one that must be inclusive and, dare I say, democratic. The United Nations Charter is founded upon the premise of democracy. “We the peoples of the United Nations” assert our determination not only to be governed by the principles set out in the Charter but also to govern by these principles. As such, the Charter itself vests in us a role in our own governance. We in Belize accept that role, and we are thus empowered, notwithstanding the pressing challenges in satisfying the basic needs of our people, to return our country to a path of sustainable development.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“My Government is beginning a comprehensive public education campaign to raise awareness and ensure that, when our people decide, they will do so having been fully informed of the issues. We are approaching what could be a definitive moment in our history. I began my statement by addressing the governance dilemma — to govern and to be governed. What is consistent in the demands that we as developing countries — and small States in particular — have made is that we want to have a meaningful role in the governance of our affairs at the international level. We want to have meaningful input into the solutions that are being crafted for the problems that we face and of which, in some cases, we bear the disproportionate burden. For us, the model of multilateral cooperation must be imbued with legitimacy.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“We cannot fail in realizing the vision of two States, Israel and Palestine, living side by side within secure and recognized borders. We also cannot fail in resolving the political stalemate in our neighbour country of Honduras. Peace and security are not options, they are imperatives. My Government is committed to securing just and lasting peace for our people. Last year, we happily concluded a special agreement with Guatemala that will pave the way for the referral of the Guatemalan territorial claim to our country to the International Court of Justice. A preliminary and critical phase is upon us, in which we must prepare our people to determine by referendum whether the case shall be referred.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Haiti held elections earlier 09-52598 40 this year, in a relatively peaceful and orderly fashion. After 47 years, the Organization of American States has now lifted Cuba’s suspension from that body. We welcome these developments and expect that they signal a change in approach that will allow for the full integration of our sisterly nations of Taiwan, Haiti and Cuba into their rightful place in the international community. However, for that integration to occur, we must find an appropriate way for Taiwan to participate in the activities of the specialized agencies of the United Nations, we must sustain our support for Haiti and we must urge that efforts be made to end the anachronistic embargo against Cuba. In cases where processes have stalled, let us renew our engagement.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Considering that small island developing States and other particularly vulnerable coastal countries are already experiencing dangerous climate change, avoiding adverse effects on these especially vulnerable countries should be the benchmark for determining our targets and our levels of support. In that regard, the prophetic words of the President of the Maldives resonate with good reason: “If you can’t save the Maldives today you can’t save yourself tomorrow.” Building upon the momentum of the much- proclaimed new era of engagement, we are hopeful that longstanding issues on the international peace and security agenda may achieve progress. In some cases, change is already afoot. Cross-Strait relations between Taiwan and China have improved and, for the first time, Taiwan has participated as an observer at the World Health Assembly.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“We welcome the various national and regional efforts to construct mechanisms to address climate change and its impact. In our region, Belize hosts the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre, which has benefited from the support of the international community and has been recognized as a centre of excellence. However, we know all too well from the impacts we are observing today that piecemeal action is not sufficient. In fact, notwithstanding national and regional action, global greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase. We can only begin to respond effectively to this problem by agreeing to implement ambitious mitigation targets and increasing our support for adaptation.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“If that were to occur, I shudder to think of the suffering and hardship it would occasion for our country and people. We are convinced that a more equitable and effective way to address the issue of offshore financial services is through a mechanism for multilateral cooperation in which all States participate on an equal footing. Climate change poses perhaps the most serious threat to our sustainable development and viability. I need not remind the Assembly of the emerging scientific evidence, which prognosticates more rapid climate change and sea-level rise. Let me take this opportunity to applaud the Secretary-General for making climate change a priority and for convening last week’s Summit. The urgency of a global response to this issue is inescapable.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Considering the vital role that this industry plays in the Belizean economy, ensuring its integrity is in our best interests. We have developed a regulatory framework and enacted legislation for its reinforcement. We have also made commitments to the OECD to improve transparency and establish an effective exchange of information. But now, in the midst of an economic crisis that had its origin in the financial markets of the developed world, the Group of 20 (G-20) finds it convenient to reactivate its harmful tax initiative at the expense — and to the disadvantage — of an industry we have so painstakingly and carefully groomed into a productive sector of our economy. Beyond the calls for reform, we have heard some G-20 members call for a complete annihilation of the industry.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“As a country whose GDP is just over $1 billion, the contribution of this industry to our economy is significant. A large percentage of the deposits from the international banking sector has been used to finance development projects, support our citrus industry and commercial free zone and export processing zone businesses, which account for some $1 billion worth of investments in our country. Furthermore, since this sector finances only foreign exchange earning businesses, it enables the generation of millions of dollars in foreign exchange that directly supports our fixed exchange rate system. It is also a source for the creation of relatively high- quality jobs for many Belizeans. On the whole, in 2008 the international financial services industry accounted for some 9 per cent of Belize’s GDP and 10 per cent of its gross imports.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“39 09-52598 During the 1980s and 1990s, the integration of markets spurred significant growth in high-income nations, while low-income nations exploited their comparative advantage in cheap labour. However, middle-income countries had neither advantage in knowledge nor low-wage products and consequently, in real terms, experienced economic stagnation. Many of us were forced to embark upon a process of diversification to ensure our continued growth and development. Therefore, in the early 1990s, Belize made rapid strides in building up its international financial services industry. We did so in accordance with the best practices of the industry internationally, and we were guided every step of the way by the recommendations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“In order for that to happen, however, bilateral and multilateral institutions must redefine the terms of engagement with our countries. Rather than focusing on per capita income, a needs-based analysis is necessary. Financing arrangements that tend towards the short and medium term must also be revisited. In order to build capacity, improve our institutions and spur economic growth, we need direct fiscal and budgetary support. Moreover, in view of the high ratio of debt-to-gross-domestic-product (GDP) in many of our countries, which has been further exacerbated by the recent global economic crisis, the need for concessionary financing and debt relief is ever more critical.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Some economies of middle- income countries are now even big enough to create systemic risks in global financial markets. On strategic issues, middle-income countries have not infrequently emerged as key players, and one half of the world’s protected areas are to be found in our countries. Still, poverty remains prevalent in our countries. Some three quarters of the world’s poor live in middle- income countries. We also account for an estimated 47 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions. Given the aforementioned, it is evident that whatever happens in middle-income countries affects the entire world for better or for worse. For this reason, if for no other, it is in the interest of the world community that middle-income countries remain viable, vibrant and dynamic.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Given the far- reaching geopolitical consequences that the global economic crisis has touched off, we now have the perfect opportunity to redress the shortcomings of the exclusive club model, thereby restoring trust and confidence in our multilateral institutions. The time for inclusive multilateralism is now upon us. Allow me to now address some of the issues that bear upon the immediate interests of my people and my country, Belize. Belize falls within the World Bank category of middle-income countries. Middle-income countries play a pivotal role in the global economy and in global politics. We account for some two thirds of the world’s population. Our economies provide important and growing sources of export demand and investment opportunities.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“If we accept that we operate as sovereign equals, we cannot continue to acquiesce to governance by a few. We must accept nothing less than equal representation. In that regard, we recognize and applaud our brothers from the South who have, through their economic prowess and political deftness, taken the mantle of leadership in some international issues. We are all entitled to be heard and, what is more, we are all entitled to have the decisions that are made reflect our concerns if not our demands. We need a new model for multilateral cooperation framework in which all nations have meaningful input into the decision-making process on issues that have a direct impact on their interests. This requires fundamental structural reform and not mere cursory efforts for technocratic coherence.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“In the larger global arena, we have a proliferation of convenient groupings — the Group of Six, the Group of Seven, the Group of Eight, the Group of Twenty and the Major Economies Forum, to name but a few. The club model of cooperation is deeply entrenched in our multilateral system. While we cannot deny that this model has facilitated some decisions and agreements, we also cannot ignore the costs associated with that facilitation. This model of global governance has progressively accumulated a debt of trust and confidence among the wider international community not only as a result of its manner of exclusive decision-making, but also because of the lack of implementation of global decisions and agreements. The club model of multilateral cooperation suffers from a crisis of legitimacy.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Our demands, although ceremoniously acknowledged in countless resolutions and declarations, remain unceremoniously unmet. If we are to define an effective global response to the converging global challenges that confront us, we must first examine how we are governed. While we, as Member States of the United Nations, have endorsed the principle of sovereign equality, it is apparent from the structural relationships engendered in our institutions that the principle is honoured more in the breach than in the observance. The United Nations has its Security Council and the Permanent Five; the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have their weighted voting and the World Trade Organization has its green room.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Its networks of interdependence have compounded how we as national Governments can secure the basic needs of our people. Its evolving system of global governance is unresponsive to the cares and concerns of middle-income countries like ours, for despite the devastating impact it is having upon our economies, we are yet to be invited to the table to participate in the discussion on the global economic crisis. Our pleas for an ambitious climate agreement are yet to be honoured with serious contemplation in the current negotiations, although the 09-52598 38 viability of our countries hangs in the balance, and the global commitment of a development-oriented trade round seems to have been perfunctorily relegated to the annals of trade-negotiating history.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Annually, we are threatened by hurricanes and floods of ever greater intensity, which reduce the yields of our farmers, erode our beaches and wash away vital infrastructure. Warmer seas damage our great barrier reef and impair its capacity to incubate and nurture the fish and other marine organisms that depend upon a healthy reef system for their survival. Illicit traffickers in drugs and arms penetrate our borders at will, leaving drug addicts, broken families, violence, death and destruction in their wake. Our population is also being ravaged by HIV/AIDS. Other non-communicable chronic diseases are approaching pandemic proportions. All these crises have placed the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals in Belize in real jeopardy. The globalization that was the tide to lift all boats has not been so even.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Joining us in the celebrations were members of the diplomatic core drawn from the four corners of the globe. And even as we made merry, our collective minds were silently cogitating upon the crises that are threatening to destroy our collective way of life and, indeed, the very planet which sustains us. All indications are that the aftershocks of the global economic crisis have now begun to affect Belize’s real economy. We are experiencing declining levels of revenue, a worrying reduction in productivity, diminishing remittances, crushing debt-servicing obligations, unrelenting budgetary pressures and a drying up of resources on which to draw. These challenges are aggravated by other ills that plague our day-to-day existence.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Please permit me to congratulate Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki, on behalf of the Prime Minister, Government and people of Belize, on having assumed the presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty-fourth session and to wish him every success in his stewardship. Permit me also to extend my Government’s thanks to Mr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann for his excellent stewardship of the work of the sixty-third session of the General Assembly. Belize is pleased to discharge its obligation by participating in the general debate of the sixty-fourth regular session of the General Assembly on the theme “Effective responses to global crises: strengthening multilateralism and dialogue among civilizations for international peace, security and development”. Just over one week ago, we celebrated the twenty-eighth anniversary of our independence.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Instead, we have as our weapon the power of the rule of law, cooperation and friendship between peoples and nations and an abiding faith in multilateralism. Let us be so guided.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” The global conscience was awakened and alerted, because our forebears knew that continued disregard and contempt for human rights and freedoms would lead to barbarous acts between peoples and nations. They foresaw the advent of a world in which human beings would enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want, and proclaimed those freedoms as the highest aspirations of the common people. My Government holds an unflinching commitment to those values and aspirations. We are still soldiers in the battle for freedom, equality and 9 08-53141 justice, but in fighting that battle we no longer need the crude instruments of war.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“Not only must we negotiate a compromise for the referral of the matter, but the question of taking the claim to the ICJ must be put to national referendums in both countries. The road to the ICJ and the final resolution of the territorial difference will undoubtedly have many high tolls. Belize appeals to the international community through the United Nations for its continued solidarity and support. Sixty years ago when we adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, humanity had been wrested from the throes of war. The Declaration confirmed in article 1 that “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“The principles upon which it was founded and the objectives for which it was formed are no less relevant today than they were in 1945. For my own country, our membership in the United Nations secured the hope of peace, security and development, even as we continue to struggle with a long-extant claim to our territory. It provides the framework within which we can peacefully settle our differences. Today, the Governments of Belize and Guatemala have an opportunity finally to settle that dispute by juridical means, specifically through referral to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). We have reached a major stepping stone, but we are not deluded by the challenges ahead.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“It is our conviction that the adoption of that view by the developed world would prove to be the catalyst for achieving the unity that the world now needs to be able to address successfully the challenges of our day. To that end, the United Nations must be strengthened so as better to serve to monitor the implementation of the globally agreed commitments. Its universality must be reinforced with the participation of all relevant stakeholders in its elaboration of responses to our threats and challenges. In that regard, my Government wholeheartedly supports the participation of the Republic of China on Taiwan in the United Nations specialized agencies. Finally, its decisions must carry the full weight that impels action. The United Nations still represents the great hope for all our peoples.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“However, the current crises are signalling clearly that we can no longer subsume the global interests under our own. The challenges we face clearly demonstrate how our fates are intertwined. As leaders, we must start now, with a sense of urgency, to take the necessary action to deliver on the promises of development. More importantly, we must commit to submitting our actions to international oversight. The United Nations must play the pivotal role in addressing the global leadership crisis. Belize holds the view that the way forward is for the United Nations to concentrate its efforts on convincing the leaders and peoples of the developed world that the security, development and well-being of all peoples of the world afford the best guarantee for their own security, safety and development and ultimately their very survival.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“But we know from the reports that our progress towards the realization of the MDGs has been slow and uneven that the realization of the Monterrey commitments has been dismal particularly on the part of developed countries and the international financial and trade institutions, and that the Doha Development Round has collapsed. Indeed, were these commitments not set down on paper, one might question their very existence. We also know that the failure of the full implementation of our global commitments is not for want of resources but for want of compassion and empathy. Globalization may have forced the world into a closer relationship, but at the political level it has not managed to calibrate national interests vis-à-vis global interests. We therefore still act only when it is in our narrow self-interest to do so.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“If we consider the numerous conferences and summits that have been convened to craft global responses to development, sustainable development, financing for development, trade, climate change and more recently the food crisis, there is no want of commitments and common objectives. The Millennium Development Goals promised to the world’s peoples that we would take concerted action to improve the quality of their lives. The Monterrey Consensus promised a new global 08-53141 8 partnership that would support those efforts to eradicate poverty and promote sustainable economic growth and development. The Doha Ministerial Declaration promised to put the needs and interests of the developing countries at the heart of its work programme.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“That is clearly manifested in the multilateral trade and financial institutions, where negotiations are closeted in green rooms and where the fundamental democratic principle of one vote per country is subverted in a system that determines voting rights based on economic power. If the developing countries are to become developed, it will be imperative to revisit those structures and transform them into institutions that are representative, transparent and democratic. In addition to the systemic issues that must be addressed, we must also tackle the crisis of implementation.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“economic power for the past century and a half is being squeezed today — on one side by the forces of global economics, and on the other side by political demands for devolution of power. Globalization — the closer integration of the countries of the world — has resulted in the need for more collective action, for people and countries to act together to solve their common problems.” Stiglitz continued that “while the nation-state has been weakened, there has yet to be created at the international level the kinds of democratic global institutions that can deal effectively with the problems globalization has created.” There is no disputing that the interests of the developing countries are poorly represented and dealt with in the present global institutions.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“Gordon Brown, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, on 26 September in this very Hall (see ) when he stated, in essence, that every global problem requires global solutions, that we cannot solve the food crisis, climate change and the pressures on resources without involving Africa and the developing countries, and that Africa and the developing countries are not the problem but part of the very solution to today’s problems. What Gordon Brown speaks to and what many of the leaders in this general debate have highlighted is the global leadership challenge we face. In addressing that challenge, we would propose that we first examine how our multilateral institutions function. Joseph Stiglitz in his book Making Globalization Work wrote that: “The nation-state, which has been the center of political and ...”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“And given the predatory nature of the world we live in today, we will never be able to attain those resources using our own devices. We will most certainly need the assistance of the international community. We live in an interdependent world. While the developed countries may possess all the human, financial and technological resources we lack, the crises which now confront us are making it manifest that not even the richest and most powerful of them can successfully withstand and combat the catastrophic consequences of nature’s fury and man’s excesses by relying on their own devices and resources. They must join forces with the rest of the world. That imperative was articulated by Mr.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“We are not in a position to say today with any degree of certainty that by 2015 all the children in our country, boys and girls alike, will complete publicly funded primary education. Nor can we forecast that by 2015 we will attain gender equality, reduce childhood mortality by two thirds and maternal mortality by three quarters, and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS and other diseases. The truth is that small countries like ours are not the masters of our own destinies. We are severely constrained in what we can do to advance our own development agendas because we simply do not possess and cannot readily access the human, financial or technological resources needed to develop our people and to secure our futures.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“The hardships and deprivations which Belizeans suffered in the past and continue to suffer even today have been caused in large part not by nature dealing us a bad hand but by the human exploitation and 7 08-53141 selfishness of which we are the victims. Nature itself has been bountiful to us — so much so that our national poet, Samuel Haynes, who penned the lyrics of our national anthem, was moved to begin one of the stanzas with the following line, “Nature has blessed us with wealth untold”. Yet with all our abundant natural resources, it is very doubtful whether we will, despite our best efforts, be able to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by the year 2015.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“The second and equally important precondition is the acceptance by all peoples that we are heirs to and owners of the Earth and of all the resources thereon and that no individual race or nation has a greater claim to them than anyone else. And the third and perhaps most important precondition of all is the acceptance by all peoples that our planet as we know it is not indestructible, that it can be mortally damaged, if not destroyed, by what we do to it, and that none of us would escape the consequences of such a tragic turn of events. The experience of our own country, Belize, bears out the fact that the treatment we mete out to each other determines to a large extent our own destinies.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“On the contrary, we are convinced that our world leaders, who gathered within these hallowed walls this past week, possess the moral, intellectual and financial capacities to overcome the present challenges and to secure the future of our planet Earth and of all who dwell upon it. We therefore look to the future with optimism. My Government believes that there are a number of preconditions that must be satisfied before we can hope to successfully combat the challenges we face. The first is the acceptance by all peoples that we are our brothers’ keeper and that, as you, Sir, so poignantly stated, “either we treat each other as brothers and sisters or we witness the beginning of the end of our human species” (, p. 5).”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“Being a very small State in a world that has long been characterized by greed, indifference, arrogance, apathy, selfishness and myopia, Belize is no stranger to crises. In our evolution from colonialism to independence, we have had far more than our fair share of them and we survived them all. Thus, while we join in the consensus, so forcefully articulated over the past week, that never has there been a time in the recorded history of humankind that the world has been beset at one and the same time by so many crises of potentially catastrophic proportions as it is today, we remain convinced that the solution to those crises is not beyond the collective wisdom of humankind.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“On behalf of the Government and people of Belize, I congratulate you, Mr. President, on your assumption of the presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty-third session. It is a distinct honour for all Central American and Caribbean peoples. I assure you of Belize’s fullest support during your term of office. I would also wish to thank your predecessor, Srgjan Kerim, for the sterling manner in which he presided over the sixty-second session. I also wish to pay tribute to our very capable Secretary-General, who works so assiduously to discharge the multifaceted responsibilities of the United Nations. Belize accepts with pride and humility the invitation so kindly extended to us to share our vision of how we should address the great challenges of the day and how we can achieve the unity we need in order to do so effectively.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)