YouSaid · the spoken record

Maxine Pamela Ometa McClean

lines on the record: 99
first: 2009-09-24
most recent: 2017-09-24
sittings or episodes: 5
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

“If we are truly committed to a decent life for all, people everywhere must be heard, including those in small States such as Barbados. We agree that there is need for reform in the United Nations system. However, even as the United Nations is working to reform, and thereby better equip itself to respond to today’s global challenges, due care must be taken to ensure that the process is inclusive and transparent. No Member State, particularly the most vulnerable, should be excluded in the restructuring process. Barbados supports the view that a spirit of cooperation and dialogue should be the foundation for our interaction at the multilateral level. Cooperation and dialogue represent the best means of achieving our international goals and objectives.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Barbados welcomes the convening of the third Conference of States Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). We encourage all States parties to take action to implement the Treaty and we further acknowledge the nexus between the ATT and the Sustainable Development Goals, and their contribution to the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies. The long-standing economic embargo on Cuba continues to be a cause for serious concern on Barbados’s part. We join the overwhelming majority of States Members of the United Nations in opposing that unilateral action and encourage constructive engagement between the two sides. In conclusion, I would like to emphasize Barbados’s unwavering commitment to the United Nations and the principle of multilateralism.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We reiterate our call to the international community to create an enabling global environment and partnership for development. Countries such as mine require assistance in building economic resilience; we do not need challenges such as those presented by de-risking, blacklisting and indebtedness. Transnational crime is a major threat to international peace and security. It can take many forms — trafficking in illegal drugs, trafficking in persons, the illegal transfer of small arms and light weapons, and money- laundering. All present significant threats to our security, and Barbados reiterates its commitment to protecting the security of its people. We will remain actively engaged in cooperative mechanisms aimed at confronting and addressing such challenges.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Barbados looks forward to the convening of the General Assembly’s third high-level meeting on non-communicable diseases, scheduled for next year. I encourage Member States to participate actively in it, as it will be an invaluable opportunity to strengthen our action on this important issue and move closer to our goal of improved health for our peoples. Barbados would like to take this opportunity to once again express its deep concern about the possibility of its being penalized for any success that it may achieve in its development efforts. Our categorization as a middle-income country, with the concomitant restrictions on our access to international development assistance and concessionary financing, is unfair and does nothing to advance the cause of sustainable development.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Kerryann Ifill as a candidate for membership of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities for the 2019-2022 term. Senator Ifill is the youngest President of the Senate ever appointed in Barbados, the first female and the first person with a disability ever to hold that office, and her candidature has been endorsed by the Caribbean Community. The Caribbean Community has been at the forefront of United Nations initiatives to address the problem of non-communicable diseases. During this session, Barbados will work with regional and other partners to bring a greater focus to the growing challenge of childhood obesity, a serious problem that could become the next major development challenge.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“That is in keeping with our commitment to a human rights-based approach to development and our adherence to the principles of good governance and the rule of law, as well as to ensuring that our people have the highest levels of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. We pay special attention to the rights of the vulnerable, including children, women and persons with disabilities. With regard to the rights of persons with disabilities, my Government, together with civil society, continues to make progress in promoting their full integration into mainstream society. Barbados wishes to participate more fully in the activities of the international community on issues of inclusiveness, and are therefore pleased to present Ms.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Since our independence, successive Administrations have committed to targeted social policies focused on the people of Barbados. Substantial investment has been made in sectors such as education and health in order to develop a skilled, healthy and productive population. The result of that investment has been a significant improvement in Barbadians’ quality of life over the years, borne out in the United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Index and other indices that focus on transparency, corruption, gender balance and human rights, among other things. Promoting and protecting the human rights of all Barbadians are primary concerns for the Government of Barbados.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“They will also need effective multisectoral partnerships to assist them in implementing the SDGs. Barbados welcomes the ongoing efforts of the United Nations to focus international attention on challenges to our oceans and on encouraging the international community to take meaningful steps to protect the marine environment. I was pleased to head the Barbados delegation to the Ocean Conference in June, and I am committed to ensuring our continued active participation on the issue. Barbados is interested in working with United Nations agencies and other international partners to develop an ocean economy trade strategy, as well as effective systems for managing our fish stocks. Barbados has built an enviable record on the basis of its promotion of social development.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Our national policy framework aligns naturally with the philosophy guiding the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and that has facilitated our implementation efforts. The Prime Minister of Barbados has clearly emphasized the priority that Barbados accords the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including by appointing a permanent secretary in his office with a mandate and special responsibility to lead the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at the national level. Barbados has been a consistent and vocal advocate for the treatment of SIDS as a special case for sustainable development because of their inherent natural vulnerabilities. There is a pressing need for the international community to address the specific needs and interests of SIDS in a holistic manner.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Barbados joins other States Members of the United Nations in the effort to collectively address the many other diverse challenges to which the international community must find and implement solutions. In the past few years, the countries represented here have made historic international commitments, including the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Climate Change Agreement. As an international community, we must now take action to implement those commitments if the destruction I discussed earlier in my statement is to be addressed. In recognition of the fact that our citizens are our most precious resource, we have been resolute in taking a path of development that is people-centred.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We regret that there can be no peace of mind for the people of the Caribbean who must rebuild their lives and livelihoods. But the mission of the United Nations is to secure global peace. We were reminded by the Secretary-General at the very start of our deliberations that “[w]e are a world in pieces. We need to be a world at peace” (see A/72/PV.3). Each and every member of the international community has an obligation to support efforts and take action to create an environment in which peace can flourish. The countries of Latin America and the Caribbean have declared the Caribbean as a zone of peace. I take this opportunity to express Barbados’s unwavering support to the protection and preservation of the territorial integrity of our Caribbean Community sister countries Guyana and Belize.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Last year my country celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of its independence, which was gained through negotiation and mutual agreement. We cherish and nurture our political and social stability, based on our history of more than 375 years of unbroken parliamentary Government. We believe that peace is an indispensable prerequisite for sustainable human, social and economic development. For us, it is an essential pillar that supports the national mission of the Government of Barbados, which is based on achieving sustainable economic and social development for the nation, protecting the environment, maintaining good governance and strengthening our citizens’ security. We are committed to inclusive development as a means of achieving lasting peace and stability at the national and international levels.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We continue to support the implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and we view the Secretary-General’s proposal for a climate summit in 2019 as an important opportunity to take stock and give additional impetus where necessary. Barbados’s support for global action on climate change is one part of its overall policy of promoting and protecting the environment. We have taken concrete steps towards building a resource-efficient green economy that is integrated into our national framework for sustainable development. Barbados would like to take this opportunity to convey its solidarity with the Government and the people of Mexico, who are suffering the painful effects of two deadly earthquakes in quick succession. A key element of this year’s theme is striving for peace. Barbados is a democratic, peace-loving nation.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“In that regard, I call on the President of the World Bank and on the Secretary-General to convene an international pledging conference on the recovery and reconstruction of the Caribbean islands affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. I urge all Member States to support the recovery and rebuilding of the Caribbean. For Barbados and other SIDS, whether in the Caribbean, the Pacific, Asia or Africa, climate change is a matter of life and death. It is not an issue for sterile debates and endless meetings. For our people, it is about the loss of life and livelihood. For our economies, heavily dependent on tourism, it is about a cycle of constant recovery and rebuilding, which is a serious impediment to sustainable development. Barbados remains committed to ambitious action on climate change.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“The road to recovery and reconstruction for Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and the other islands affected by this devastating hurricane season will be long and difficult. I take comfort in the spirit, will and determination of the Caribbean people. We are down but not defeated. Our neighbours in the Caribbean affected by the recent hurricanes can be assured of the full and unconditional support and solidarity of the Government and the people of Barbados. However, our friends in the international community must support the Caribbean region on its journey to rebuild the affected islands. We are all morally obligated to do so.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“For much of the Caribbean, tourism is the major economic sector, and it has been built on the premise of providing the world with a zone of peace and health. The threat of disease must be avoided. One possible consequence of the recent floods and serious infrastructural damage in the region is the outbreak of disease. Our ability to detect and respond to such biological threats must be strengthened. There must be bilateral and multilateral cooperation in order to minimize and eliminate such threats, and a focus on biosecurity must be part of our response. There must be attention paid to a global health security agenda. For Barbados, as an island State, the ocean is a priority. Ocean governance and the promotion and conservation of marine resources therefore represent one of our primary concerns.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“On Saturday, 16 September, when I arrived in New York, the people of Antigua and Barbuda and of the Caribbean were working feverishly to restore some semblance of order to the islands shattered by Irma, the ninth named hurricane of the 2017 season. A mere two days later, in the early hours of Monday, I read with horror the pleas of the Prime Minister of Dominica when he reached out to the world to share the trauma he was experiencing as his small island was ravaged by the brutal force of nature from the eleventh hurricane in a season that has not yet ended. By the grace of God, Barbados has so far been spared, but we in the Caribbean are one family. We are brothers and sisters, and when one of us is hurting we all feel the pain.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We have also endured the persistent and frustrating challenge of gaining access to the resources we need to strengthen our resilience and protect our peoples from the ravages of climate change. That is of course owing to a narrow focus on per capita income on the part of donors and international development banks and agencies. The clarion call from the Caribbean has been ignored, and today we are witnessing the results of that reckless indifference. I regret the fact that I must today report not merely the potential threat that climate change poses to the globe, but rather its destructive impact. I am referring in particular to the utter devastation that we are seeing in several small island developing States in the Caribbean that have been overwhelmed by an unprecedented wave of hurricanes.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“[...] The very existence of small island States like those in the Caribbean and the Pacific could be imperilled if current trends are not halted or reversed.” (A/66/PV.22, p. 45) Many leaders from small island developing States have also consistently warned of the inherent danger of inaction, or insufficient action, to reduce global emissions. Such failures to act imperil lives, livelihoods and the very existence of sovereign States. Year after year, our leaders have warned of the escalating costs of responding to the effects of climate change and of the fact that decades of development gains could easily be washed away in a few hours by an extreme weather event.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“In his first address to the General Assembly, in 2008 (see A/63/PV.12), the then Prime Minister of Barbados, the late David Thompson, described the Caribbean as a region at the epicentre of the global climate crisis. Citing scientific evidence and the devastating effects of climate change that were already evident in the region, he told the Assembly that failure to take urgent, ambitious and decisive action would be nothing short of reckless indifference. Seven years later, the current Prime Minister of Barbados, Mr. Freundel Stuart, reminded the world that “none of the nations represented in this Assembly will enjoy sustainable prosperity if we continue to abuse the environment that we hold in sacred trust for future generations.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“The theme of this year’s general debate, “Focusing on people: Striving for peace and a decent life for all on a sustainable planet”, is a reminder of the purposes and principles that the Organization has embraced from its inception and that are enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. It brings into sharp focus our responsibility to pursue the best interests of the people who occupy planet Earth. For if we fail to advance the causes of security, sustainable development and human rights together, none of them will succeed. I stand before this organ for the eighth time. On each occasion that I have addressed the nations gathered here, I have issued a caution about the ramifications of unchecked climate change and highlighted the existential threat facing vulnerable small island developing States such as Barbados.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“On behalf of my delegation, I would like to congratulate the President on his election to lead the General Assembly at its seventy- second session and to assure him that he has the full support and cooperation of the Barbados delegation as he undertakes his important duties. I would also like to take this opportunity to commend his predecessor in the presidency, Mr. Peter Thomson, for his able leadership of the Assembly during the seventy-first session. He has been a worthy exemplar of the valuable contribution that small island developing States (SIDS) can make to international organizations, and we are pleased that he will continue to serve the international community.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“As we stated in 1993, within the context of an “Agenda for Peace”, “Where access to food, clothing, shelter, education, health and the opportunity for gainful employment is denied, democracy cannot flourish” (A/48/PV.26, p. 11). We also hold the converse to be true. There can be no real development without respect for human rights, the rule of law and democracy. We hope that much of the time and energy of this body at its sixty- ninth session will be spent on delivering a post-2015 development agenda that will redound to the benefit of us all. Barbados will continue to be in the vanguard of that effort.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“This year’s unprecedented escalation of the crisis in Palestine revealed, yet again, the urgent need to reach a durable, negotiated solution, and we call on all parties to rededicate themselves to achieving that aim. The long-standing economic embargo on Cuba continues to be of serious concern to Barbados. The Government of Cuba has always demonstrated a willingness to assist the Caribbean, and indeed the developing world, in our quest for development. We join with the overwhelming majority of States Member of the United Nations in opposing that unilateral action and look forward to a time — the sooner, the better — when it will be relegated to the pages of history. In closing, Barbados believes that there is an inextricable link among development, international peace and security.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“It is our sincere hope that the recently adopted Security Council resolution 2177 (2014) and General Assembly resolutions 69/1 and 69/3 will accelerate the mobilization of resources to assist the affected countries and halt the epidemic. Barbados has long supported a negotiated two- State solution to the question of Palestine, the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and their right to live in peace and security in a Palestinian State within pre-1967 borders. Barbados’s position is that the State of Israel has a right to exist and the people of Israel have a right to live in security and to do so with the full and undisputed recognition of the rest of the world. The Palestinians are also entitled to enjoy the fruits of prosperity within their own sovereign State.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Barbados calls on all Member States to work assiduously during the current session to make substantial progress, if not to finalize, the decades-long project of Security Council reform. My country reiterates its commitment to democracy and the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. We welcome the discussions that will take place during this session on the responsibility to protect. Our position is motivated by principle and objectivity, and we have no desire to see the issue politicized. The Ebola outbreak constitutes a public-health emergency of international concern and a threat to global security. It also threatens the peacebuilding and development gains of the countries most affected.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Indeed, we view them with grave alarm. Armed non-State actors and terrorist groups continue to destroy lives, destabilize nations and threaten national and international peace and security. In the face of such hostilities and blatant acts of aggression, the Security Council has been paralysed. Barbados will continue to be actively engaged within the Caribbean Community in negotiations on the reform of the Security Council. We applaud Ambassador Ashe, former President of the General Assembly, for his initiative to move discussions on the issue forward. We also welcome the summary of the intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform prepared by the Chair of the Open-ended Working Group.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“As we use the sixty-ninth session to complete the framework of the post-2015 development agenda, it is incumbent upon us to ensure that definitive and durable partnerships are made to facilitate the following elements — first, the provision of adequate financial and other resources; secondly, fair trade and market access; and thirdly, technology transfer and capacity-building, particularly in the area of data collection and statistical analysis. My country sees peace and security as enablers and indicators of sustainable development. They constitute indispensable prerequisites for human, social and economic development, as well as for progress and prosperity. Barbados therefore views the continuing crises and armed conflicts, including those in the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Syria, Iraq and Ukraine, with grave concern.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We must be guided by the concept of a SIDS collectivity that recognizes strength in unity. We SIDS must speak with one voice at the international level. Any discussion on the creation of a new global sustainable development agenda must have at its core the means of implementation. Indeed, the means of implementation must be the foundation on which the agenda is based. We know that MDG 8, global partnership for development, remains one of the least fulfilled of all of the Millennium Development Goals. The international community can therefore ill afford to let the new development agenda fail as a result of a lack of adequate and reliable means to implement it. The means of implementation must encompass far more than financing.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Barbados welcomed the holding of the Secretary- General’s Climate Summit 2014 at United Nations Headquarters on 23 September. We hope that the momentum from the Summit will inject urgency into the proceedings of the upcoming twentieth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 20), to be held in Lima in December. We also hope that, beyond COP 20, it will ultimately galvanize political will to conclude the negotiation of an ambitious, legally binding international climate agreement in Paris in 2015. If SIDS are to have an impact internationally, particularly at this crucial moment during the design and construction of a new global architecture for sustainable development, we must ensure that our voices are heard.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Barbados continues to partner with the United Nations Environment Programme and, more recently, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization to promote a transition to a resource-efficient green economy. We have taken action to enact a series of incentives in support of renewable energy and energy efficiency. Our efforts to transition to a green economy will be undone if the international community does not take immediate and urgent action to address climate change. The most recent findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change underscore, yet again, the vulnerability of SIDS, particularly to the effects of climate change, sea-level rise, ocean acidification and extreme weather events. Together, they represent an existential threat to SIDS. We therefore urge major carbon emitters to take all necessary actions.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“However, the reality is that, in seeking to meet those goals, the developing countries are forced to do so on an uneven playing field. The global financial and economic system and the governance process that accompanies it continue to operate in an exclusionary manner. Barbados reiterates its call for a more transparent architecture that is supportive of development objectives. Barbados has developed and implemented a cross- sectoral Green Economy Initiative, which is predicated on the fragility of our small island ecosystems. The Initiative prioritizes natural resource protection intervention, business and investment choice, human development programming and the facilitation of export market development strategies.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Freundel Stuart, stated in his address at the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States, held in Samoa in September, that “the time has come for new approaches to be designed to assist middle-income countries which have been graduated from access to concessional resources”. I echo that call today. I implore the international community to address the needs of middle-income countries in the elaboration of a post-2015 development agenda. Accordingly, Barbados welcomes the third International Conference on Financing for Development, to be held in Addis Ababa in July next year. The outcome of the Conference must make provisions for the special needs of SIDS and middle-income countries. Barbados is fully cognizant of the responsibility that developing countries themselves bear towards achieving their development goals.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Barbados emphatically restates that GDP per capita cannot be the sole defining criterion for access to concessionary financing. The social, economic and environmental vulnerability of countries such as ours must be taken into account. Barbados is therefore pleased to see that the United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Report 2014, entitled “Sustaining Human Progress: Reducing Vulnerabilities and Building Resilience”, incorporates the concept of vulnerability and places emphasis on strengthening the resilience of people, communities and countries. It is our hope that those factors will give a more accurate picture of the challenges that developing countries face. On that issue, the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mr.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We face declining export demand and decreased investment and demand for services upon which our economy is dependent, including tourism. Fiscal and financial stresses have forced us to make significant adjustments to our expenditure programmes. Against that backdrop, we face the daunting challenge of continuing to provide adequate social safety nets for the most vulnerable of our citizens in a responsible and sustainable manner. Debt servicing and debt unsustainability far too easily undermine the advances that we desire to make towards our sustainable development. Too often, the plight of middle-income countries is overlooked on the presumption that by virtue of our gross domestic product (GDP) per capita we do not require international assistance.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“In design, delivery and implementation, therefore, the post-2015 development agenda must as a priority address the unique and particular vulnerabilities and challenges of small island developing States. It must foster the resilience of SIDS as a key objective of global efforts. A development agenda that ignores the integration of SIDS-specific issues would be incomplete and of questionable validity. The post-2015 development agenda must also make provisions for countries like Barbados, which is both a small island developing State and a highly indebted middle-income country. We continue to suffer the devastating impact of the global economic and financial crisis and have limited scope, capacity, fiscal flexibility or policy space to respond effectively to them.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“As such, the international community recognized SIDS as a special case in sustainable development in Agenda 21 — a recognition that is echoed in the Barbados Programme of Action; the Mauritius Strategy, the outcome document (resolution 66/288, annex) of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20); and, most recently, the Small Island Developing States Accelerated Modalities of Action (Samoa Pathway). Despite that recognition, the Rio+20 outcome document indicated that SIDS have made less progress than most other groupings, or even regressed, in economic terms, especially in terms of poverty reduction and debt sustainability. This finding was repeated in the Samoa Pathway. The International Monetary Fund has also acknowledged that, in the past 10 years, SIDS have slid down the ladder of progress.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“This must be an ambitious, long-term project to improve people’s lives and protect the planet for future generations. The 17 goals and targets proposed by the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals must form the basis for the elaboration of the post-2015 development agenda. This is especially so if we are to create a truly transformative global programme anchored in the three dimensions of sustainable development, with poverty eradication as its central objective and overarching goal. The special vulnerabilities faced by small island developing States (SIDS) and which serve to constrain our development are well known.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“It is indeed a distinct privilege to congratulate His Excellency Mr. Sam Kutesa on behalf of the Government and the people of Barbados on his election as President of the General Assembly at its sixty-ninth session. It is appropriate that I also commend his predecessor, His Excellency Mr. John Ashe, for the aplomb with which he guided the deliberations of the General Assembly at its sixty- eighth session. The theme of this year’s Assembly — “Delivering on and implementing a transformative post-2015 development agenda” — is both timely and critical. Fourteen years ago, world leaders placed the Millennium Development Goals, a set of time-bound and measurable goals and targets, at the heart of the global development agenda. Today, we stand on the cusp of the unveiling of a future global agenda for development.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“This situation merits immediate resolution if the unnecessary hardship and suffering it has wrought on the Cuban people is to end. We therefore encourage constructive engagement between the two sides. Strong, functioning democracies are the foundation on which international peace, security and prosperity are built. As a democratic State with a longstanding and firm commitment to effective multilateralism, Barbados reiterates the crucial nexus between development, peace, security and human rights. The United Nations is the only global body with the unquestionable legitimacy to lead a global response to the challenges facing humanity. Recognizing this, Barbados remains steadfast in its commitment to the United Nations and all it stands for.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Success has been mixed, and made more difficult by the current global financial crisis. The target implementation date of 2015 looms large, and we share international concerns that the MDGs may become casualties of the current environment. As we articulate the post-2015 development agenda, we must not lose sight of the urgency of fulfilling these goals. Let me reiterate my country’s commitment to the rule of law and our unwavering commitment to the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. I take this opportunity to speak out against the continued unilateral imposition of the economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba by the United States. Barbados joins the overwhelming majority of Member States in opposing this action, which has persisted for too long.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“These include programmes aimed at preventing and reducing levels of violence and crime in our society. We look forward to the imminent reopening of the UNODC Office for the Caribbean subregion, which my Government has offered once again to host. It is well recognized that peace, security and development are inextricably linked and mutually reinforcing. Barbados is therefore heartened that in dealing with conflict prevention, the United Nations has moved beyond traditional preventive diplomacy. We support the pursuit of comprehensive strategies that address deep-rooted structural causes of conflict, poverty eradication and development, human rights and the rule of law, elections and the building of democratic institutions. As a family of nations, we continue to strive for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“It also emphasizes the need for a strong, legally binding arms trade treaty, which sets the highest possible international standards for the transfer of conventional arms. We share the profound disappointment of many Member States at the failure of the Arms Trade Treaty Conference to reach agreement on a treaty text before its conclusion. Barbados cannot envisage an arms trade treaty that does not include small arms and light weapons, their components and ammunition. Barbados expects that, despite the setback, negotiations on the arms trade treaty will resume during this session. At the national level, we are appreciative of continuing cooperation with bilateral partners and regional and international bodies like the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“The Caribbean Community subregion has become a major transit and destination point for the trafficking of illicit drugs and firearms. As a consequence, the incidence of crime and violence continues to escalate in the region and threatens to reverse many of our economic and social gains. Developing countries like ours have been compelled to divert financial and other resources earmarked for social and economic development for use in combating this transnational scourge. The heavy toll that that takes on the populations of our region brings into sharp focus the importance of the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“During this session, the Assembly will consider a draft resolution on the sustainable development of the Caribbean Sea. Within the Caribbean we have recognized that an integrated management approach that involves all stakeholders provides us with the best option for protecting the Caribbean Sea, our most effort in the Association of Caribbean States to create the Caribbean Sea Commission. The Commission represents an oceans governance framework to promote cooperation towards effective management of the Caribbean Sea area. Barbados calls on the international community to support this initiative, including through the designation by the General Assembly of the Caribbean Sea as a special area in the context of sustainable development. Citizen security remains a major concern for Barbados.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Barbados shares the view of the Secretary-General that the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio +20) in Brazil this year reached a number of important milestones. In the words of the Prime Minister of Barbados, “Rio +20 will be remembered as that unique moment in time when we decided not to yield to our fears, but rather to transform this present period of global uncertainty and volatility into a major opportunity to set new agendas, which can then be developed more fully over the next few years”. Barbados welcomes the agreement at Rio to convene the third Global Conference on SIDS in 2014, some two decades after the convening of the first SIDS Conference in Barbados. The international community can be assured that Barbados will do its part to ensure the success of the Conference.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“At that meeting the Barbados Declaration was adopted, outlining an ambitious and action-oriented agenda for achieving the goal of sustainable energy for all in SIDS. As a concrete expression of our solid determination, some 22 SIDS agreed to inscribe, in an annex to the Declaration, a spectrum of ambitious voluntary commitments to promote transformational activities in the areas of renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy access and low-carbon development. I commend the Governments of Australia, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom for pledging, in the Barbados Declaration, to support SIDS in the implementation of our ambitious commitments. We urge other development partners to join us on this journey to ensure our energy independence. For us, sustainable development is not possible without sustainable energy.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Such actions will require clarity from developed countries on the scale of climate finance after the end of the fast-start finance period this year and a greater sense of urgency and ambition in reducing global emissions before 2020 to minimize and avoid potentially catastrophic impacts of climate change. Barbados and other small island developing States have thrown their full support behind the Secretary- General’s Sustainable Energy for All initiative. In May this year, the Government of Barbados, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme, hosted a High-level Conference of the small island developing States on achieving sustainable energy for all in SIDS, focused on challenges, opportunities and commitments.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“While some useful progress was made at the Durban Climate Change Conference in December last year, we are not close to finding a solution to the problem. Barbados welcomes the decision taken in Durban to launch negotiations on a new legally binding agreement that would take effect after 2020. However, for us a post-2020 agreement is meaningless if ambitious actions are not taken now to reduce global emissions and provide finance and technology to vulnerable developing countries. That is essential if we are to adapt to the ever-worsening impacts of climate change. The upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference in Doha must therefore prioritize the pre-2020 actions necessary to ensure that the world is on track in 2020 to meet the below 2 degree or 1.5 degree globally agreed goals.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Global emissions, the main cause of human-induced climate change, are rising at their fastest rate in history, even as we bear witness to massive and accelerating ice loss from the ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica and a doubling of the rate of sea-level rise. We are at a major turning point in the history of mankind. Are we willing to sacrifice the most vulnerable members of the international community? That is the stark choice we face. But after the islands disappear, who will be next? Inaction or inadequate action is inexcusable and morally indefensible, given the level of certainty of the scientific evidence before us and the technological and financial tools at our disposal to effect the necessary change.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)