YouSaid · the spoken record

Dame Billie MILLER

lines on the record: 56
first: 2004-09-24
most recent: 2006-09-24
sittings or episodes: 3
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

“It is now more than ever that we need to strengthen the structures and institutions of the international system to safeguard our common interests in achieving a global order of peace and economic and social progress for all. We must all work together to reform this vital community of nations and ensure its pre-eminence in matters of development, human rights, and peace and security, and that it remains the principal forum for exercising multilateralism. We are not at liberty to abstain from this task.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Over the past 40 years, Barbados has played its part in strengthening and widening the role of the United Nations to enable it to promote and protect human rights, to eradicate poverty and disease and to cultivate a global culture of peace. Strengthening the role of the United Nations system in the management of global affairs and upholding and defending its moral authority remain key foreign policy priorities of the Government of Barbados. With the growing complexity and unpredictability of international affairs, especially in the context of globalization, and with the emergence of new challenges to peace and security, the fulfilment of the role of the United Nations remains critical.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Recent events suggest that we need to remain ever vigilant to threats of terrorism. They further remind us that once again we face increasing challenges to world peace and security. Barbados is of the view that there must be a concerted effort on the part of the international community to ensure that disputes among States do not continuously result in military action and loss of lives and that States remain faithful to the rules of humanitarian law and civilian rights. The questioning of the efficacy of the United Nations has not abated in spite of the ongoing reform process, and the threat to multilateralism remains real. In this, our fortieth year of membership of the United Nations, Barbados reaffirms its faith in the Organization and proclaims its unwavering commitment to multilateralism.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“We appeal to the members of the international community to recognize the fragility of this precious shared natural resource of the Caribbean, and its importance for most of our present and future economic activity, and agree on measures that will need to be taken to recognize the Caribbean Sea as a special area within the context of sustainable development. 06-53329 16 Also during this Assembly session, the two hundredth anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade will be recognized. Barbados joins other delegations in requesting the Assembly to set aside a day in late March of next year to commemorate this important date. This will not only deepen our knowledge and understanding of slavery and the slave trade, but also contribute to the removal of all the vestiges of slavery.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Special and differential treatment should not be seen as a concession or as an exception to the rules, but rather as a concept based on the development and policy needs of countries at differing levels of development. It should consist of a broad mix of provisions and programmes that recognize and appreciate the characteristics of developing countries and the economic challenges that trade liberalization and globalization pose for them, and it should seek to address these factors genuinely. In the words of the Prime Minister of Barbados, The Right Honourable Owen Arthur, special and differential treatment is nothing more than reciprocity with flexibility. Among equals, equality; among unequals, proportionality. During this session, the Assembly will return to a consideration of the agenda item on the Caribbean Sea.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“For while it is important to have agreements that open up access to markets, it is even more essential for any negotiated trade agreement to contain provisions that would assist developing countries to implement policies aimed at transforming their economies. In other words, market access is meaningless without goods and services with which to trade. An adjustment mechanism will be required to assist developing countries in coping with the loss of preferences, markets and the resultant reduction in financial resources during this most important transitional phase of their development. For the small and vulnerable economies this will mean some form of special and differential treatment to facilitate their full integration into the multilateral trading system.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“We call on the developed countries to demonstrate a unity of purpose to resolve differences among themselves, remembering that this round of trade talks is about development, or more precisely about raising the standard of living of people in developing countries. Consistent with the theme of this year’s session of the Assembly, “Implementing a global partnership for development”, developed and developing countries must partner together to achieve a workable agreement. If there is to be a successful outcome to the trade negotiations, a narrow focus on trade liberalization and enhanced market access alone will not be enough.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Barbados will continue to work with other Member States to adopt a resolution on reform of the Economic and Social Council at this sixty-first session of the General Assembly. Permit me to focus for a few moments on the issue of trade; for there is nothing else more important for small developing countries than an improved multilateral trading system if we are to have the chance to participate in and benefit from the ongoing process of globalization. The failure of WTO talks to reach agreement on new commitments for trade reform in the agricultural and industrial goods sectors represents a very real crisis in international trade negotiations. The challenges of reforming trade in these areas are not insurmountable.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Globalization must be made more inclusive and its benefits more equitably distributed. Barbados also believes that improvement in global governance must be mirrored in the strengthening of the management and coordination of the United Nations operational activities at the country level. This will ensure delivery of better coordinated development assistance. It will lead to better absorption of aid by recipient countries and ultimately facilitate their attainment of the MDGs. Indeed, the United Nations must be developmentally holistic. We anxiously await the Secretary-General’s report on the work of the High-level Panel on this issue. A stronger United Nations voice in development led by a revitalized Economic and Social Council will also contribute to an improved international system.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“These actions must be complemented by a supportive international 15 06-53329 system, the essential elements of which include improvement in global governance, more coherence in the operation of the United Nations system and a greater voice for the United Nations in the global development policy dialogue. Changes in global governance have not kept pace with the growth of global interdependence, and far- reaching institutional changes are required to bring about a more effective system. We call for democratization of the governance of the international financial and trade systems and concrete steps to be taken to end the marginalization of developing countries and small economies in the policy formulation and decision-making processes in the multilateral, financial and trade institutions.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“We are equally supportive of his other recommendations for new targets on universal access for treatment of HIV/AIDS by 2010 and on decent work and productive employment. We would, too, like to see speedier implementation of the decisions on increased financial resources for development which were made last year at the Group of Eight (G-8) meeting at Gleneagles and at the World Summit. These resources are now needed urgently, particularly by those countries, like my own, that have prepared their comprehensive national development strategies to achieve the MDGs and other international development goals and objectives. While the developing countries bear responsibility for their own development, national actions will not be sufficient to bring about their fuller participation in the global economy.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“If we are to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, the next ten years must be the decade of implementation, in which we collectively mobilize the will and resources needed. In this connection, we commend the Secretary-General for recommending a number of additional targets that would facilitate the monitoring of progress in the implementation of the Summit Outcome (resolution 60/1). When I addressed this Assembly one year ago, I called for the adoption of a new target within the MDG framework on universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights. Barbados thanks the Secretary-General for recognizing the critical link between sexual and reproductive health and rights and development, and we fully support his recommendation for a new target under Goal 6 of the MDGs.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“The reform agenda decided on at the World Summit, encompassed a broad spectrum of issues. We are pleased that progress has been made in areas such as the establishment of the Human Rights Council, the Peacebuilding Commission and the Central Emergency Response Fund, the agreement on a counter-terrorism strategy and the revitalization of the General Assembly. We regret that progress on the cluster of development issues, which enjoyed broad consensus at the 2005 World Summit, has been painfully slow. Also, further work needs to be undertaken on Secretariat and management reform as well as on reform of the Security Council. The primacy of development on the global agenda must be ensured. Barbados considers the initiative to select development as the theme for this general debate to be laudable.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“In July this year, the formal return of Haiti to the councils of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) was greeted with great satisfaction by all. At that time, the CARICOM heads of Government pledged their full assistance to Haiti to facilitate efforts to promote that country’s development and renewal. We call on the international community to support the strengthening of democracy and the social and economic development of Haiti and to disburse in a timely manner the funds pledged for Haiti’s reinvigoration and development. We cannot afford to repeat past mistakes. This session of the General Assembly provides an important first opportunity to review and assess the progress in the implementation of the decisions of the historic 2005 World Summit. At this juncture, it is Barbados’s opinion that the results are decidedly mixed.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“I must also take this opportunity to say a special farewell on behalf of the Government and people of Barbados to the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, who has served this Organization with great skill and dedication over the past 10 years. The Secretary- General has had to face myriad challenges, and he has always found the strength of character, purpose and fortitude to craft appropriate solutions. Barbados wishes the Secretary-General well as he proceeds into retirement at the beginning of next year, and we look forward to welcoming him again to the beautiful shores of Barbados whenever he feels the need for some respite and recuperation. I would also like at this time to welcome our newest Member, Montenegro, into the family of the United Nations.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“I am pleased to join with preceding speakers in congratulating you on your election to preside over the General Assembly at its sixty-first session. The fact that you are a woman makes me doubly happy. In 61 years you are only the 06-53329 14 third female President of the Assembly. Throughout your distinguished career, you have championed with determination and courage the cause of women’s rights, and I am confident that you will bring these and other outstanding qualities to your presidency. I pledge to you the fullest cooperation of the delegation of Barbados. I would also wish to thank and congratulate your predecessor, Mr. Jan Eliasson, for his leadership at the sixtieth session of the General Assembly and in particular for the skill he demonstrated in that very challenging task.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“As a small State, Barbados believes that a strong multilateral system, with the United Nations at its core, is our greatest protection from the unilateral pursuits of the powerful. We are unwavering in our commitment to the precepts of multilateralism and to the belief that no other international institution is better suited or equipped to meet the diverse demands for global peace, security and development than this Organization. As a member of the United Nations, Barbados must be assured that its voice will continue to be heard regardless of size or economic power. This is a struggle from which we are not at liberty to abstain.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“A restructured Economic and Social Council should find its voice again as a vibrant forum for economic policy dialogue, for promoting increased guidance and coordination to the United Nations funds, programmes and agencies and for monitoring the implementation and follow-up of the Millennium Development Goals and other major elements of the global development order. If the United Nations is to undertake fully and effectively the demanding responsibilities with which it has been charged, then it must be provided with the required level of resources, and the Secretary-General must be given appropriate managerial authority. The Barbados delegation intends to participate actively in 10 the delineation of these issues during this sixtieth session.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Barbados believes that the main organs of the United Nations should be strengthened. This will require the revitalization of the General Assembly to make it the chief deliberative and policy-making body of the Organization, as envisaged by the United Nations Charter. It will further require the reform of the Security Council to make it more representative of current global geopolitical realities. Small States should be represented continuously in the membership of the Council, and any arrangements for the selection of the non-permanent members of a reformed Council should be so formulated. We are convinced that the Economic and Social Council should play a larger role in policy-making on international economic and social matters and the promotion of improved global economic governance.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“The Secretary-General has emphasized that if the United Nations is to be a useful instrument for its members and is to successfully address the challenges facing humanity, then it must be fully adapted to the needs and circumstances not only of today, but tomorrow as well. Barbados shares this view. Reform should not be seen as an end in and of itself, but as a means towards achieving the goals we have set ourselves in 2000 in the Millennium Declaration, to make the United Nations a more effective instrument for pursuing the priorities of the world’s peoples. Reform should also seek to enhance the role of the United Nations in global affairs to create the conditions for more democratic and transparent decision-making and to provide a forum for the full and equal participation of small States.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Barbados supports the call for the negotiation of a new international instrument on the marking and tracing of weapons. This is an urgent priority which will provide the international community with an effective means of monitoring the movement and proliferation of small arms and taking comprehensive interdiction and enforcement action against illegal traders. Barbados remains resolute in its rejection of the continued use of the Caribbean Sea for the trans- shipment of nuclear and radioactive waste. This high- risk practice poses grave danger to our region in the event that there is an accident, a natural disaster or a terrorist attack.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Action taken by the United Nations must be clear and firm, and efforts must be redoubled to find compromises that would facilitate progress. The Caribbean remains a major route for international narco-traffickers and suffers from the destabilizing effects of the parallel illegal trade in small arms, promoted by the same transnational criminal elements. The absence of concerted international action against small arms trafficking places the peace-loving societies of the small Caribbean States at great risk. Small arms proliferation and the violence that accompanies it impact negatively on our development, our security and human rights, and pose a severe threat to the peaceful, stable and sustainable development of Caribbean democracies.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Issues of terrorism, responsibility to protect, disarmament and non-proliferation need also to be addressed. Terrorism affects all countries, both large and small, and all countries have an obligation to the international community to ensure that the perpetrators of acts of terrorism do not find safe haven and succour within their borders. While we believe that the United Nations should strongly and unequivocally issue a condemnation of terrorism in all of its forms, care must be taken to formulate an unambiguous definition that would provide a basis for a comprehensive convention. This would rightly place the United Nations at the very heart of the fight against terrorism, signalling a multilateral approach to this scourge. Closely linked to the issue of terrorism is that of disarmament and non-proliferation.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Furthermore, we are far from convinced that the High-level Plenary Meeting of last week fully refocused global attention on matters of development and rescued from obscurity the global development agenda, which has unfortunately been overtaken by a narrowly defined anti-terrorism agenda. “It is time to put the global development agenda, including that for the world’s smallest and most vulnerable countries and societies, back on track”. Those are the words of the Prime Minister of Barbados, The Right Honourable Owen Arthur. 9 Barbados considers that peace and collective security, human rights and the rule of law represent, in addition to development, a strong foundation on which the United Nations can assist the international community in building a stronger world.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“This decision inspired new hope in developing countries that we would be afforded the opportunity to participate more effectively and beneficially in the new global economic system. Regrettably, some of our developed country counterparts seem to have reneged on their commitment. We are still locked in a fierce struggle at the World Trade Organization to persuade these countries to rise above their narrow self-interests and embrace positions that would allow for the creation of a more just global economic order. Barbados fears that we could squander yet another opportunity genuinely to involve developing countries in the multilateral trading system. We do not believe that the international community can continue to ignore this fact.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Increases in ODA will not be sufficient to achieve the sustained economic growth and development that we all seek. It will also be necessary for the international community to address the indebtedness of poor and middle-income developing countries; promote foreign direct investment flows to a broader range of developing countries; confront serious global environmental problems such as climate change; combat HIV/AIDS; and reform multilateral trading arrangements as well as systemic deficiencies in the global economic and financial system. These are the real threats to our human security as we see it in the Caribbean. The Doha development round, launched by the World Trade Organization in 2001, is so called precisely because trade ministers deliberately sought to place development at the centre of multilateral trade negotiations.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Central to the global partnership for development, which is embodied in the eighth Millennium Development Goal, are the commitments by developing countries to pursue sound macroeconomic policies, to make the most creative use of our limited endowments, to respect human rights and to ensure that our material development takes place within the context of social justice, commitments that Barbados has proudly upheld since becoming independent in 1966. By the same token, developed countries must fulfil their obligations made at numerous United Nations summits and conferences on trade, debt and finance, and in particular their pledge to honour the outstanding target of 0.7 per cent of gross domestic product for official development assistance (ODA).”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Women living in poverty are not usually aware of their sexual and reproductive rights and are often ignorant about the services to which they have a right of access. Similarly, poor women, and in particular poor young women, are highly susceptible to contracting HIV/AIDS despite the prevalence of preventive measures. I feel compelled to support the call for mobilizing new resources for improved sexual and reproductive health services for women and for men worldwide. Individuals, non-governmental organizations and Governments in developing countries are already contributing more than 75 per cent to current expenditures in this field. It is certainly time for developed countries to live up to the pledges they made at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“And that means stronger efforts to promote women’s rights and greater investment in education and health, including reproductive health and family planning.” We must seize the opportunity presented by this current review of the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals to mainstream sexual and reproductive health and rights by adopting a universal access target or indicator that can be used to facilitate the monitoring of progress in this area and to hold Governments accountable. Barbados takes the position that women are central to the successful implementation of the Millennium Development Goals. After all, women of childbearing age constitute one billion of the world’s poorest people, and for this group sexual and reproductive health issues are at the fore of problems of ill health and loss of productivity.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Foremost among them, and beyond our control, is our vulnerability to economic shocks and to every natural disaster known to mankind — be it hurricane, volcanic eruption, mudslide, earthquake or flood. Equally challenging is the fuller and more effective integration of Barbados in the globalized economy, for which a successful outcome of the next Doha development round of talks on trade liberalization is crucial. Permit me to refer to an outstanding omission from the Millennium Development Goals, that of sexual and reproductive health and rights. Indeed, the exclusion was so stark that the Secretary-General himself stated: “The Millennium Development Goals, particularly the eradication of extreme poverty 8 and hunger, cannot be achieved if questions of population and reproductive health are not squarely addressed.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Unless action is taken on a much broader front and a much faster pace, the eminently laudable words of the Declaration will serve only as grim reminders of human needs neglected and of numerous promises unfulfilled. The Secretary-General has stated that our generation, with the combination of resources and technology at its disposal, must be the first to make the right of development a reality for everyone and to free the entire human race from war. Progress towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in Barbados is encouraging. Although the regional report of the United Nations Development Programme presents an optimistic outlook for most Caribbean countries in respect of the first five Goals, the region faces severe challenges and constraints to their achievement.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Barbados, as part of the tremendous efforts made by many, had hoped for bolder and more ambitious commitments, particularly regarding development. In all of the circumstances, we accept that the outcome of the High-level Plenary Meeting provides the platform for coordinated international action in response to the complex and interconnected global challenges confronting this and future generations. The Millennium Development Goals are now recognized as the world’s time-bound, quantifiable targets for addressing poverty in its many dimensions of hunger, disease, lack of access to health care and education, gender inequality and environmental degradation. Progress on their achievement has been far from uniform across the world, or for that matter across the Goals.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“I join with other delegations in congratulating you, Mr. President, on your election to preside over the sixtieth session of the United Nations General Assembly. The Barbados delegation’s appreciation is also extended to the outgoing President, His Excellency Mr. Jean Ping, Foreign Minister of Gabon, for the outstanding work he has done in guiding the Assembly during the previous session and particularly in the preparations for the High-level Plenary Meeting. Last week, heads of State and Government, in an attempt to define and articulate a global consensus, adopted an outcome document representing the determination of the vast majority to make progress towards full achievement of the goals and targets inspired by the Millennium Declaration, as well as a number of decisions on United Nations reform.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Indeed, Barbados asserts that international peace and security can best be achieved through the building of tolerance based on recognition of cultural, racial and religious diversity. The fifty-ninth session of the General Assembly has before it a number of issues that have the potential to shape the nature and direction of international relations for many years to come. Barbados intends to play an active role in its deliberations.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“As the first landfall upon crossing the Atlantic Ocean, Barbados was the recipient of a large number of African slaves, leading to a major imprint of African cultures on the formation of the Barbadian society. That coincidence of history not only created the unique fraternal bond that characterizes the relationship between the Caribbean and Africa but also serves to make us uniquely aware of the interactions that the slave trade generated throughout the world among the different peoples involved. Barbados supports the call of the Director- General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for all peoples to eradicate through their actions the vestiges of slavery and to combat all new forms of servitude that represent intolerable violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“We are satisfied that the recent referendum has been safely and successfully completed. We now look forward to a period of calm in which the process of healing and dialogue — necessary for better understanding between competing groups — can occur. Venezuela needs all of its people working together if it is to move forward and continue to be a leading engine of development in the hemisphere and the beacon of democracy which its founding father intended. It behoves all who cherish democracy to do what we can to give Venezuelans that opportunity. This year, the world commemorates the struggle against slavery and its abolition, with the goal of deepening knowledge of slavery and the slave trade and highlighting its philosophical, political and legal legacy.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“We do not believe that efforts to isolate Cuba, through exclusion from participation in hemispheric bodies such as the Organization of American States and the emerging free trade area of the Americas and measures that create greater hardship for the Cuban people such as the 50-year-long economic embargo will foster change in Cuba. Like the entire Caribbean Community, Barbados, in its engagement with Cuba, has held close to the principles enshrined in the CARICOM Charter of Civil 11 Society. We cannot accept that a regime change exogenously imposed upon the people of Cuba could in any way be a viable option. The Government of Barbados has long enjoyed a warm relationship with its Caribbean neighbour Venezuela and has been deeply concerned by the political crisis in that country.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Two days ago, the Prime Minister of Barbados, the Honourable Owen Arthur, announced that the Government will provide technical assistance, as well as an initial contribution of 1 million Barbados dollars, to the interim Administration for the purpose of providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Haiti in the wake of Hurricane Jeanne. The issue of Cuba’s isolation within the hemisphere is also of concern to Barbados. We embrace Cuba as a bona fide sister State in the Caribbean region and are committed to a policy of constructive engagement with its Government and people.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“In this regard, the CARICOM Special Envoy, supported by a task force, has begun work to coordinate assistance to Haiti in areas where the countries of the region have recognized capacity. Over the past week, we have all been made aware of the perilous situation confronting our brothers and sisters in Haiti as a result of the devastation caused by Tropical Storm Jeanne. Haiti is part of our CARICOM family. It is our duty to galvanize all our energies to assist in mitigating the plight of the Haitian people.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Let there be no doubt: we expect the interim administration to uphold the highest standards set by the Charter of Civil Society for the Caribbean Community and to fulfil its commitment as regards the rule of law, equal justice for all, democracy and good governance. We look forward to the full implementation of resolution 2058 (XXXIV-0/04) of the Organization of American States on the strengthening of democracy in Haiti, as well as to the holding of municipal, national and presidential elections in 2005, as promised. In this regard, Barbados intends to play its part in international efforts to assist Haiti to put the electoral process in place. Barbados is hopeful that CARICOM will be able to play a key role in assisting Haiti through the Security Council-mandated United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH).”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“While the events surrounding the abrupt departure of President Aristide remain a matter of deep concern — particularly as they pertain to the constitutionality of the removal of democratically elected leaders — Barbados is committed to assisting the people of Haiti in the process of normalization, the search for a peaceful solution to the political crisis, the strengthening of democratic governance in the country and the provision of humanitarian assistance. Barbados is convinced that full engagement with the interim Government of Haiti best serves the interests of the Haitian people and reflects our stated desire to accompany them at this very difficult time in their history. This is a task which we must not shirk.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“It remains the ultimate goal of the region to have the Caribbean Sea recognized as a special area within the context of sustainable development, and we look forward to continued assistance from the international community in helping us to achieve that objective. Let me now turn to issues of particular relevance to Barbados and the Caribbean. Barbados considers it an irony of tragic proportions that, in the bicentennial year of Haiti’s liberation from colonial control, that pioneer of independence has been plunged once again into crisis.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“It is significant that small island developing States themselves have already implemented close to 70 per cent of the Barbados Programme of Action. We trust that the Mauritius meeting will provide our developed country partners with the opportunity to deliver on their past, present and future commitments. Implicit in the proposal first submitted to the General Assembly in 1999 to designate the Caribbean Sea as a special area within the context of sustainable development is the recognition of the marine environment as our most precious natural resource and one of central social, economic and political significance to the Caribbean. Its protection and preservation remain a major priority of the region. This year, the General Assembly will return to that issue.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“For small island developing States like Barbados, this wider multidimensional nature of threats to international peace and security is particularly important. In addition to the impact of natural disasters to which I have already referred, the trans-shipment of nuclear waste through the Caribbean Sea, global warming and water pollution all threaten our very existence as a nation. For us, challenges to our sustainable development represent some of the more serious threats to our security. 10 In this regard, we place great emphasis on the 10- year review of the Barbados Programme of Action, scheduled to take place in Mauritius next year, since it will present the international community with an opportunity to examine past successes and consider the future challenges that face small island developing States.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“It is of the utmost importance that the international community strive to achieve unity of purpose in confronting these diverse security threats and challenges, based on a common multidimensional security agenda. The Secretary-General recently stated that the global security agenda should reflect a global consensus on the major threats to peace and security, be they old or new, hard or soft, and on our common response. In that connection, we eagerly await his report on the work of the High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change. Member States must stand ready to make the necessary bold and drastic reforms of the current multilateral rules and institutions that govern international peace and security.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Barbados reaffirms its commitment to their achievement and urges all States to honour the spirit and intent of the Millennium Declaration. The dominant view in some parts of the world is that the most serious threats to international peace and security are the recent virulent forms of terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and non- conventional weapons, and the spread of transnational criminal networks. But for many others around the globe, particularly those in the developing world, poverty, the spread of HIV/AIDS and other diseases, natural disasters, civil strife and other social, economic and environmental concerns remain the highest priority.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“For its part, Barbados has already contributed substantially to the relief effort. But the reality is that CARICOM by itself does not have the financial resources to cope. We call for an international donor conference to help Grenada. In highlighting Grenada, however, we should not overlook the damage done by Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne to the Bahamas, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Tobago, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Cuba, Barbados and the United States, all in the course of the past few weeks. Such catastrophic events directly affect the ability of many small vulnerable developing countries to fully implement the Millennium Development Goals and should be taken into account by the Assembly as it lays the groundwork for the 2005 review. Attaining those goals remains paramount.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Some of us are constantly repairing and replacing infrastructure, replanting crops and rebuilding our very lives. When a hurricane hurts one or more big cities or states in the United States of America, resources are immediately redirected to help those affected. An entire state or city has never been eradicated. But that is precisely what Grenada experienced just three weeks ago. Can members begin to imagine the implications of a small State being reduced to rubble in less than a day? Terrorists could hardly do a more effective job. Yet such factors are never taken into account when gross domestic product is computed. In response to this devastation, the heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) met in emergency session and developed a priority programme for the rehabilitation of Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Barbados appeals to all World Trade Organization members to support the mandate given at Doha to examine issues related to trade in small economies and to frame action-oriented responses to those issues, in order to facilitate the fuller integration of small, vulnerable economies into the multilateral trading system. With respect to small island economies, some of the greatest development threats are those from natural disasters of every kind, including floods, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and, especially, hurricanes. Indeed, in the course of a few hours, Hurricane Ivan devastated the island of Grenada. An economy has disappeared. For many Caribbean countries, this cycle of destruction is repeated year after year — on occasion, several times in the same year.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“But while it would appear that developed-country benefits remain substantially secure, the framework severely limits the ability of small middle-income developing countries to realize the reasonable benefits expected and necessary to advance their development interests. Trade is a significant factor in the challenge of sustainable development, and trade rules need to take into account the vulnerabilities and the development needs of small States. It is true that developed and advanced developing country partners may experience 9 some developmental challenges similar to those of small States. But it is the inability of the small economies to respond satisfactorily to externally imposed shocks which makes them particularly vulnerable.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)