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

“In this context, we welcome the assertion by the Secretary-General that the use of per capita income to classify countries as a means of guiding development cooperation disregards the nature and multidimensional nature of development. Barbados endorses the need for the adoption of new indices and measures of development and applauds the ongoing work of bodies such as the Commonwealth and the United Nations Statistical Commission to develop new indices. There is no greater threat to the survival, viability and indeed the security of my country and other small island developing States (SIDS) than the threat posed by climate change. Science continues to warn that we are on the threshold of irreversible and potentially catastrophic changes to the global climate system.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Our efforts to address those threats have been severely undermined by international financial and cooperation mechanisms that fail to take account of the vulnerability and capacity constraints that we face Barbados and similar vulnerable countries have been graduated from grant and concessionary financing by multilateral institutions, such as the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank, without regard for our unique situation. There is a clear need for greater equity, fairness and transparency in the process used to determine classifications and resource allocation. The persistent use of international classification and ratings systems that are solely based on gross domestic product per capita and other narrow criteria must be expanded in scope to take into account meaningful variables such as vulnerability.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“In reality, we are a small island developing State, characterized by high debt, high vulnerability to external shocks, and susceptibility to the impacts of climate change and natural disasters. The global economic and environmental situation has had a disproportionate effect on our successful, but nevertheless vulnerable, economy. We bear the burden of rising food and fuel prices and a decline in foreign investment.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“A significant factor in our ability to overcome our constraints at the national level has been the tripartite social partnership comprising Government, workers’ unions and employers. The partnership grew out of an economic crisis during the early 1990s and continues to function effectively today. Those strategies have been reinforced by our commitment to observing the rule of law. We are a principled country that firmly adheres to the core values enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, including respect for the rule of the law, respect for human rights and the principle of sovereign equality. We have been classified as a middle-income developing country.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“We are a peace-loving, democratic nation, extremely proud of our political and economic stability. Our relatively peaceful situation does not mean that we are insulated or isolated from the prevailing global instability that is very evident today. Our political and social stability have facilitated the achievement of a standard of living that has led Barbados to be consistently ranked among the top 50 nations in the United Nations Development Programme’s annual Human Development Index. Such a status has been achieved as a result of the commitment of successive Governments to invest heavily in our people, particularly in education, health and other social safety nets. As a nation poor in natural resources, we have placed priority on our greatest resource, our people.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“In the current global environment, where challenges to international peace and security are widespread, it is important to reaffirm the validity of that principle as one of the cornerstones on which the Organization is founded. As a small island developing State, Barbados is severely challenged by the global financial and economic crisis and the recession that has resulted from it. Moreover, climate change and other environmental challenges continue to pose significant threats to the achievements of Barbados since its independence, in November 1966. As a relatively young nation, our independence was achieved by negotiation rather than by war. We have enjoyed the benefits of stability for more than 370 years of unbroken parliamentary Government.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“On behalf of my delegation, I have the honour to congratulate His Excellency Mr. Vuk Jeremić, President of the General Assembly at its sixty-seventh session, on his election. I assure him of the full support and cooperation of the delegation of Barbados during his presidency. Let me also convey my appreciation to his predecessor, Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, President of the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session, for his able leadership during that session. The theme of this year’s session, “Bringing about adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations by peaceful means”, underscores a core principle of the Charter of the United Nations.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Barbados maintains the strong position that responsibility for the setting of rules and the making of core decisions on matters of a global nature rightfully belongs within the ambit of the United Nations, given its primacy as the only legitimate forum for global action.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“It must generate the templates to be adopted and serve as a catalyst for action: it must seek to mediate where conflicts arise; it must work to ensure that there are reforms of the global economic and financial system to make it inclusive, transparent and supportive of the development aspirations of least developed countries and more developed countries; it must also facilitate South-South cooperation, supporting the efforts of these countries to share appropriate experiences and indigenous solutions. Barbados shares your vision, Sir, for a strong, inclusive and open United Nations as the guarantor of global governance.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“The Government and people of Haiti can be assured that Barbados will continue to be a partner in this rebuilding and reconstruction phase. Our commitment remains strong, and we will play our part in Haiti’s long-term development. We call on all who have mobilized resources for the benefit of Haiti to work with countries like Barbados and in collaboration with the Government and people of Haiti to rebuild that country. There is a very definite role for a reformed United Nations to assist countries like Barbados. The model economy being pursued by Barbados cannot be achieved by unilateral action. As stated previously, the role of the United Nations is clear.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“Barbados is not prepared to renegotiate the special case of small island developing States but urges the international community to focus on the delivery of tangible and concrete actions to build resilience and promote sustainable development in small island developing States. The January 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti serves as a grim reminder of the fragility of island States to natural disasters. In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, the Government of Barbados provided financial assistance, relief supplies and deployed a contingent of medical and security personnel as part of a CARICOM relief team. If Haiti is to realize its full potential, the international community must remain fully engaged in Haiti, and the many pledges of financial and technical support must be delivered on time.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“The Barbados Programme of Action and the Mauritius Strategy for Implementation (MSI) remain the essential blueprints for the sustainable development of small island developing States. Barbados welcomes the recently adopted outcome of the five-year review of the MSI and hopes that this will result in a renewal of the commitment of the international community to support the sustainable development of small island developing States. It is of great concern to Barbados that, 18 years after the international recognition of the special case of small island developing States at Rio, our unique and particular vulnerability is being challenged.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“In this regard COP-16 should deliver outcomes that: prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable, particularly in the areas of adaptation and finance; finalize issues on which there is a broad agreement and provide guidance and clarity on the difficult issues; and demonstrate progress on the delivery of the $30 billion fast-start financing pledged at Copenhagen. Critical to the success at Cancún is arriving at a common understanding of how, when and where an ambitious and legally binding international climate agreement will be finalized. In 1994 Barbados had the distinct honour of hosting the first Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“The challenge of climate change remains one of the great threats to the survival and viability of Barbados and other small island developing States. Even as science points to a worsening situation, global emissions continue to rise and the prospects seem dim of arriving at an agreement to provide legal certainty in the fight against climate change. It is clear that the objective of an ambitious and comprehensive legally binding outcome will not be achieved in Cancún, Mexico, in December this year. Barbados nevertheless believes that the substantive outcomes at the sixteenth session of the Conference of Parties (COP-16) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change must demonstrate that the international community remains committed to addressing the defining challenge of our time.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“In addition, we have partnered with the United Nations Environment Programme to promote a transition to a green economy, building on existing Barbados initiatives in the area of resource efficiency and the promotion of sustainable consumption and production. We believe that our experience in transitioning to a green economy will serve as a useful model for other small island developing States and small economies, and we intend to share our unique perspective with the international community in the preparatory process for the Rio+20 Summit in 2012. The efforts of Barbados to transform its economy into a green economy and achieve sustainable 19 10-55276 development will be undermined without ambitious and urgent global action to address climate change.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“Even as the international community searches for a definition of the green economy, Barbados has simply defined this model as an integrated production, distribution, consumption and waste assimilation system that, at its core, reflects the fragility of our small island ecosystems as the basis for policy interventions for natural resource protection, business and investment choice, human development programming, and the facilitation of export market development strategies. In pursuit of the green economy the Government of Barbados has undertaken an assessment of the opportunities and challenges of a green economy transition. Our focus is on the priority sectors of tourism, agriculture, transport and housing, along with cross-sectoral issues of water resources, energy and waste.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“Given the emphasis on our people’s development and the dangers posed to our population, we supported the resolution entitled “Prevention and control of non-communicable diseases” (resolution 64/265), introduced by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) at the sixty-fourth session of the General Assembly in 2009. Our responses can be seen in our efforts to achieve our ultimate goal of crafting a green economy. We see the green economy as a tool for transforming our economy to achieve sustainable development. At the heart of this economic and social model is a commitment to people- centred development. Aligning our development strategy along this particular trajectory ensures a consistency not only with our global obligations but also, and more importantly, with our national values and in the best interests of all our citizens.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“We take our place in a world in which the United Nations family continues to witness increasing economic interdependence and globalization, both posing challenges to national sovereignty. Barbados shares the United Nations vision for a world able to achieve and surpass the Millennium Development Goals. We are committed to the fight against the ravages of HIV and AIDS and other infectious diseases. As a natural-resources-poor small island developing State, we have achieved much on the basis of our investment in human development, primarily in the areas of education and health. We have thus prioritized our responses to those global challenges in a manner that puts our people first. Our successes to date have been due to our investment in our key resource — our people.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“It is against the background of articulating the role and importance of multilateralism and a strong and effective United Nations that I will explore the response of my country to these global challenges. I will also address the strategies to be pursued by this small nation intent on playing its part in this family of nations. Barbados is a small island developing State classified as a middle- income developing country. It faces significant vulnerabilities made real by the spectre of climate change and the associated natural disasters, the consequences of the recent financial and economic crises, and the threat posed by transnational criminal networks. My country has sought to take its place in a world characterized by increasing economic, environmental and social complexities.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“However, the Group must significantly enhance its outreach to non-members, including the smallest members of the international community, particularly when issues affecting their economic viability and survival are under discussion. Furthermore, it must also demonstrate real leadership in breaking the impasse in the World Trade Organization and ensure a successful conclusion to the Doha Development Round. It must also ensure that reforms in the Bretton Woods institutions are accelerated. Small States have traditionally played a crucial role in shaping global governance, and our voice should not be diminished in efforts to reform the current system. Barbados will play its part.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“We can no longer postpone the task of reforming the institutions responsible for global economic and financial governance. They must be better equipped to address the challenge of a globalized and highly interdependent world. In this regard, Barbados welcomes the broadening of the Group of 8 to include 10-55276 18 the participation of developing and emerging economies and the designation of the Group of 20 (G-20) as the premier forum for international economic cooperation. We also recognize the important role played by the G-20 in stabilizing the global economy. We acknowledge its ambitious agenda to restore global growth and achieve needed reforms in the world’s financial systems.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“Barbados continues to believe that the number of permanent and non-permanent seats on the Council should be increased, and that Brazil, Germany, India and Japan should join the ranks of the permanent members. Membership from the African Group must also be assured. Sustained and widespread future prosperity will require major reforms in global economic governance as well as new approaches to global economic development. The global financial and economic crisis has made clear the extent of the interconnectivity of financial markets, as well as their inherent vulnerabilities. While there is no precedent for the current level of global financial and economic integration, the policies, rules and institutions established to govern those processes are predominately national in scope, and global mechanisms highly compartmentalized.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“All progress begins with differences of opinion and moves onward as the differences are adjusted through reason and mutual understanding.” Renewing the vision of our predecessors must start with the United Nations and extend outwards to all organizations with a role in dispensing global governance. During this session we must finalize the decades- long project of Security Council reform. If the Council is to retain its unique legitimacy it should be made more broadly representative of the international community as a whole, as well as of the geopolitical realities of today. The Council’s working methods must also be made to adhere to the highest standards of transparency, accountability and efficiency. Its outreach to non-members must be significantly improved.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“Finding effective solutions to those challenges and mobilizing collective action provides the most immediate and obvious reason for enhancing global governance and strengthening multilateral cooperation. As United States President Harry Truman stated on 25 April 1945 at the birth of this Organization, in his address to the opening session of the United Nations Conference on International Organization, held in San Francisco: “Differences between men, and between nations, will always remain. In fact, if held within reasonable limits, such disagreements are actually wholesome.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“President, Barbados fully supports your initiative to address this issue during the course of this sixty-fifth session. We must take stock and reflect in a holistic and comprehensive manner on the system of global governance, including the United Nations and its organs, to ensure that it truly delivers on the vision of our predecessors and serves the interests of all mankind, particularly the poor and the vulnerable. Delivering global public goods such as global economic and financial stability; ensuring the promotion and protection of human rights; maintaining international peace and security; and ensuring environmental sustainability: those matters cannot be successfully addressed by States acting on their own, or even by coalitions of the willing.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“No other entity can mobilize global political will and coordinated action around common causes, and provide a voice for the voiceless, like the United Nations. Scarred by the bitter experience of two world wars and a great depression, the founders of this Organization had the foresight and wisdom to recognize that only through multilateralism and a strong and effective system of global governance, with the United Nations at its core, could lasting peace be maintained and international law upheld. Today we bear witness to a world which is more interconnected and intertwined, yet in a real sense more deeply divided, than ever. Barbados is of the view that an enhanced and renewed system of global governance must be at the top of the global agenda. In this regard, Mr.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“Our common task is therefore to convert this unprecedented consensus into collective action on all fronts and immediately implement what has been agreed in order to guarantee success by 2015. Failing this, the many words of the Outcome Document that we adopted a few days ago will simply serve as yet 17 10-55276 another solemn reminder of human needs neglected and promises unfulfilled. This display of global solidarity in the face of unparalleled economic uncertainty reminds us that the United Nations is an invaluable and indispensable instrument for its Member States and for the world’s peoples, as we seek to respond to the challenges of our times. While we may not have the same degree of consensus on every pressing global problem, Barbados cannot contemplate the prospect of a world without an Organization such as this.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“Barbados shares the view of the Secretary- General that the Millennium Development Goals must serve as “a blueprint for ending extreme poverty” (A/65/PV.3). The Goals are at the core of the global development agenda. They represent our common vision of a more peaceful, prosperous and just world, in which all human beings can enjoy better and safer lives. For the past decade these globally shared and endorsed set of priorities have inspired extraordinary efforts by Governments and non-State actors alike. Now is not the time for complacency. Progress towards achievement of the Goals remains mixed, and, while success is still within our grasp, it is by no means certain.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“I am honoured to address the General Assembly at its sixty-fifth session as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Barbados. The theme of this year’s session, concerning the role of the United Nations, multilateralism and global governance, is timely, and it permits an examination of the complex issues facing the global community today. Moreover, it lends itself to an exploration of solutions to those issues as well as to restoration of the centrality of the United Nations and its organs. A week ago leaders from every corner of the world met and confirmed that the global consensus on the United Nations Development Agenda remained intact. They pledged to spare no effort to ensure the fulfilment of our collective promise to the world’s poorest and most vulnerable.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“Finally, in these difficult times we have a number of challenging issues before us for consideration. Despite our various agendas and differing priorities, we share an ultimate common goal: to achieve peace, security and development for all the peoples of the world. Until that becomes a reality, no country is truly secure. I reaffirm Barbados’ commitment to working with other Member States to attain that goal.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“In the Caribbean, our ability to address climate change has been severely hampered by the effects of the global financial and economic crisis. An essential measure of success at Copenhagen, therefore, will be the extent to which the decisions that we take serve to ensure the survival and continued viability of small island developing States. Before closing, permit me to seek the support of the General Assembly on an issue that has emerged as a crucial health challenge for many countries, including those of the Caribbean. Chronic non-communicable diseases have become one of the major causes of morbidity. We believe that that issue must be included in the global discussions on development. We therefore support the call made by the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago for a special session of the General Assembly on that issue (see ).”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“We have established a number of key milestones and indicators to assess progress towards the achievement of that goal. We have undertaken those activities with minimal support from the international community, utilizing our own resources. We have been forced to divert an increased share of our national budget to finance adaptation measures. According to World Bank estimates, the total annual impact of potential climate change on all CARICOM countries is estimated at $9.9 billion a year, or around 11.3 per cent of the total annual gross domestic product of all CARICOM member States and associate members. The international community has a moral and ethical responsibility to support urgent and ambitious global action to provide adaptation funding for small island developing States.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“The damage done to our coastline and coral reefs illustrates the potential threats that flow from the phenomenon of global warming. Such threats are not peculiar to Barbados, but are posed in myriad ways to nations across the globe, both developed and developing. In three months we will meet in Copenhagen to decide on a course of action to address this global threat of unprecedented proportions. We know the catastrophic consequences of failing to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. What is required is a massive transformation of the way energy is generated and used to propel economic growth and development. In Barbados we have committed to reducing our dependence on imported oil and have significantly increased our use of renewable energy. Furthermore, we have identified transitioning to a green economy as a national priority.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“We are hopeful that the renewed dialogue between the United States and Cuba will lead in the near future to the complete removal of the embargo and the normalization of relations between those two countries. Barbados welcomes the support provided by the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), which has been a vital tool for capacity-building in Haiti in the key areas of governance, the strengthening of the rule of law, and human rights. We therefore call upon the Security Council to extend the mandate of MINUSTAH so that 17 09-52604 the international community can continue to provide support to the people of Haiti in their quest for sustainable peace and development. As a small island, Barbados is aware of the grave dangers posed by climate change.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“We are therefore compelled to register our deep concern at any interruption of the constitutional order of any sovereign State and the dangerous precedent this could create if left unchallenged by the international community. Barbados fully supports the position of CARICOM and the Organization of American States, which calls for the immediate reinstatement to office of the legally elected President of Honduras. Barbados is equally concerned to ensure that, in our hemisphere, the relics of a past cold war era give way to a new spirit of regional partnership, in which diverse political systems can coexist in harmony. We are therefore heartened by the positive developments with respect to the reintegration of our sister Republic of Cuba into the mainstream of hemispheric affairs.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Barbados fully supports the proposal of the States members of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to build upon the existing programme already in place within the United Nations to address issues related to international financial services. Specifically, we call for the Committee of Experts on International Cooperation on Tax Matters to be transformed into an intergovernmental subsidiary body of the Economic and Social Council. The central goal of the proposed intergovernmental committee would be to give developing countries an effective voice when issues of cooperation on tax matters are being decided by the international community. Small democratic States like my own are convinced of the need to ensure adherence to the rule of law and respect for constitutional norms.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Small States can be effective partners in the search for global solutions to the ongoing crises, and those countries must have a seat at the table when decisions are being made on issues of global concern. In this regard, the targeting of small offshore jurisdictions in the wake of the global financial crisis on the pretext that these jurisdictions in some way contributed to the crisis represents an injustice worthy of the strongest possible condemnation. For those who would wish to rewrite history, we must recall that the financial crisis had its origins in the developed world and resulted from excessive risk-taking, corruption, fraud and ineffective regulatory controls and oversight in those countries.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“We stand to squander the opportunities to create a fair and more equitable system of global governance if responsibility for rule- and decision-making remains vested in limited- membership groupings which are accountable only to themselves. No exclusive group of countries, no matter how big, powerful or rich, has a monopoly on solutions. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the International Criminal Court were all championed by some of the smallest members of the United Nations and represent just a few examples of the invaluable contribution that small States have made to strengthening multilateralism and providing solutions to complex global problems.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“In his address to the General Assembly at its sixty-third session, the Prime Minister of Barbados (see A/63/PV.12), The Honourable David Thompson, reaffirmed his belief in the positive role that small States can play in advancing the cause of international peace and equitable social and economic development and emphasized the importance of building an international system that operates on the principle of multilateralism and that respects the sovereign equality of States and the tenets of genuine non-alignment. Barbados is concerned by the growing tendency of limited-membership groups to assume decision- making powers on issues affecting the entire international community without the consent or involvement of that community.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“09-52604 16 The reality of global interdependence is that our destinies are inextricably linked. We cannot retreat to isolationism or radicalism. We must, with a sense of urgency and purpose, create the multilateral infrastructure necessary to manage a complex and interdependent world. This new quest for a better and more effective multilateralism must be shared by all. Our collective effort must also seek to restore the role of the United Nations envisaged by its founders: “to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations”.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“This will require a level of transformation that equips the United Nations for the twenty-first century. At this session, priority needs to be given to securing commitment at the highest level to finalizing the reform agenda. Security Council reform must be prioritized if effective change within the United Nations system is to be achieved. It is evident that the structure, composition and working methods of the Security Council fail to reflect current global realities. Barbados believes that membership in the Security Council should be expanded in both the permanent and the non-permanent categories. Our goal must be to ensure that the Council is more representative, democratic and accountable to the full membership of the United Nations without placing its effectiveness in jeopardy.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Regrettably, over the past year the United Nations has been relegated to a subordinate role in the search for solutions to the ongoing economic and financial crisis. Barbados will not be complicit in any effort to marginalize the United Nations, which has a unique and legitimate role in global economic decision- making and rule-setting. We will not join the sceptics in questioning the relevance or legitimacy of this vital multilateral organization. However, we will continue to be at the forefront of calls for its reform to ensure that it is fully equipped and empowered to assist Member States in confronting global challenges. To date, efforts to reform the United Nations have been piecemeal in nature, largely uncoordinated and at times even conflicting. The extraordinary challenges we face demand comprehensive reform.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“This has served to enhance the value of such cooperation and presents great potential for future growth and development. At the national level, an important lesson learned is that development requires the active involvement of communities, the public and private sectors and civil society. This has been clearly demonstrated in the implementation of our social partnership agreements, a strategy that has been very successful in the Barbadian context since the early 1990s and has been used as a model in other developing countries. Recent world events have highlighted the importance of taking a multilateral approach to solving global problems. The United Nations is perhaps the institution best suited to the task of mobilizing global responses.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“The time is right for the crafting of a new, more transparent architecture that is supportive of development objectives. Barbados, for its part, is extremely proud that despite its handicaps it has managed — through good governance and the observance of democratic principles, human rights and the rule of law — to provide an adequate standard of living for its people. However, this does not negate our inherent vulnerabilities, our limited resources or our restricted capacity to respond to the vagaries of the economic environment. One of the major positive consequences of the current crisis is the increase in South-South cooperation, which has played a quiet but important role over the years in promoting trade and investment among developing countries.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Multilateral agencies such as the World Bank have established through empirical research and their ongoing interventions that these countries are unique in the openness of their economies and in their susceptibility to external shocks. However, this group continues to be excluded from concessionary financing and debt relief. Focus continues to be placed on per capita income data, which is a poor indicator of economic sustainability and national vulnerability. Our countries are in need of adequate support mechanisms with revised eligibility criteria in order to prevent the derailment of our development processes. This crisis presents an opportunity for the developed economies and the international financial institutions to address the existing failures and shortcomings of the current financial system.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“While we welcome the initiatives to create rescue packages for the least developed countries, there is a clearly demonstrated need to expand these initiatives to include a wider group of developing countries. Barbados is one of a small group classified as small, highly indebted middle-income countries, which has been overlooked, but which is deserving of international attention and assistance from bilateral partners and the multilateral institutions alike. As we discuss the effects of the global crisis and propose assistance for affected countries, there is a need to ensure that countries like Barbados are recognized within the broad category of small vulnerable economies.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“The approach of the developed economies to this crisis has been to create national stimulus packages and to bail out their failing industries — in short, to turn to policies which address their domestic interests almost exclusively. Developing countries are suffering the brunt of the effects of the financial crisis created by greed and poor regulation in developed countries. Faced with stagnating or falling economic growth due to factors beyond our control, we are now left to deal with declining economic activity and a resulting rise in unemployment along with its resulting problems at a 15 09-52604 time when we are forced to battle increasing debt and decreasing external trade and foreign investment revenues.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“It is therefore with a sense of honour, fully recognizing the responsibility entrusted to me and to all of us here, that I address this General Assembly for the first time in my capacity as Minister responsible for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Barbados. Barbados commends Mr. Treki for his choice of theme for this year’s general debate, given the myriad crises that we face and the need for effective global responses. Indeed, the world is facing major economic, political and social upheaval. The threat of food and fuel scarcity, the worst economic and financial crisis in decades, the challenge of climate change and the influenza pandemics have all assumed an international and multidimensional character. Together, these have undermined the very foundations of our multilateral system, exacerbating already existing disparities.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“On behalf of my delegation, I am pleased to join the speakers who have preceded me in congratulating Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty-fourth session. He may rest assured of the full support and cooperation of Barbados as he carries out his important duties. I wish also to take this opportunity to express appreciation to his predecessor, Mr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, for his leadership of the sixty-third session. We meet at a pivotal moment in the history of the United Nations. Never since the founding of this Organization has our community of nations been tested by a confluence of so many devastating crises as we have witnessed in the recent past.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)