YouSaid · the spoken record

Francine Baron

lines on the record: 66
first: 2015-09-24
most recent: 2018-09-24
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

“That has made us stronger and more motivated. To those who came to our aid, we thank them and urge them to stay the course over the next few years. Let us set the example of a better future for all humankind. Let history record what we did, not what we said, and the efforts we made to end the march of climate change globally and reduce our vulnerabilities locally. We must grasp this moment together.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We once again add our voice to the chorus of voices calling for an end to that blockade. Dominica supports a United Nations where young people, who account for more than 40 per cent of the world’s population, can pursue a global youth agenda with opportunities for dialogue on key issues that affect their development. Similarly, we congratulate the stakeholder groups of persons with disabilities and other non-State actors for their efforts to advance opportunities for persons with disabilities in order to ensure that they remain part of the United Nations agenda. If we keep looking down at our feet, we will die of sorrow. We choose to look up. We move forward, knowing that we are not alone on this challenging journey. Only 12 months ago, the international community heard our cry and stood with us.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We call for support for a process of dialogue in order to achieve a peaceful resolution that can benefit of the citizens of those nations, while respecting and observing the time-honoured international norms of respect for sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of other nations. Over many years, this body has debated resolutions on ending the economic and financial blockade of our sister country Cuba. We have long established the fact that maintaining that trade embargo can have only a negative impact on our brothers and sisters in Cuba. Notwithstanding the constraints it faces, the Republic of Cuba has come to the aid of so many around the world, particularly in the areas of health care and education, and sometimes in the most trying of circumstances.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Two emerging global problems brought on by climate change are those of climate-induced migration and disaster refugees. Although those problems are not yet full-blown, some countries that act as safe havens have begun to feel the pressures. That further underscores the fact that the emerging problems brought on by the effects of climate change require urgent global attention. Dominica calls on the United Nations to begin the discourse on both climate migration and disaster refugees while it is still early. We champion our region as a zone of peace. We remain extremely concerned about the situation in our sister countries of Venezuela and Nicaragua.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“The creation of a special international climate-change resilience facility to provide technical and financial resources should be given the most urgent attention possible. The existing global, economic and development architecture must facilitate that new development paradigm. Official development assistance must be re-engineered to take into account the vulnerability of small island States and the imperative of building resilience to climate change. The international financial institutions must rethink the classification of debt. They must also rethink the essential services and vital infrastructure. As we battle the effects of climate change, we are supremely conscious that there are many other challenges confronting our region and the wider world.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“As we have critically examined the core of what it takes to be resilient, we have found that what looked insurmountable from a distance is not so daunting up close. That realization has buoyed our confidence and re-energized every Dominican. By the grace of God, therefore, and with the continued support of our partners in the global community, we will become the first climate-resilient nation in the world. We encourage other vulnerable small island States to embark on building resilience to climate change as well. The costs, however, are above and beyond the capacity of small States. Support is critical from international organizations and their member States with the requisite technical expertise and financial resources. The role of the United Nations is therefore central in coordinating and mobilizing resources.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Our people needed sanctuary and safety yesterday, not tomorrow. In the past 12 months, while contending with the sheer hard task of relief and early recovery efforts, housing the vulnerable and restoring essential services, Dominica has instituted a plan to make it the first climate-resilient nation in the world. We have drafted legislation to establish the Climate Resilience Execution Agency of Dominica, which will deliver the projects that will achieve that goal. We have recruited its leadership and identified $1 billion worth of critical projects to complement the plan. We have rolled up our sleeves and started work. Our plan is based on designing extremely resilient networks, waterproofing our economy and building resilient communities.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“The Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility paid out funds for the immediate relief efforts, but it does not have the capacity to insure against loss and damage. Today I want to propose that the United Nations oversee a climate loss-and-damage insurance fund, whereby premiums are paid by those who have contributed most and continue to contribute to climate change, and whereby payouts go quickly to those who suffer the direct consequences of climate disasters, once they have been independently declared as such. Ending the inequality that separates those who gain and those who lose would remove the fuel lines of climate change. That is what the international community must do, if it is serious about halting climate change. We urge the Assembly to do that, and we hope its feet are swift because we can no longer afford to wait.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“The insane equivalent would be for the arsonist to tell a house-owner to take out fire insurance instead of trying to stop him setting fire to the house. If our principal response to man-made climate change is to make it easier for the victims to foot the bill, then the march of climate change will press on unimpeded. It is therefore untenable, indefensible and downright unacceptable. The game-changer would be to establish a different kind of insurance that pays out quickly to the victims of climate disasters, especially for vulnerable and at- risk countries like ours. Fairness requires that that insurance mechanism must be funded by those that have contributed most to climate change. Additionally, it needs to be scaled up as a matter of urgency.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“From the perspective of our shared destiny, those goods are being over-produced and over-consumed. Climate change is not a freak of nature. It is as man- made as power and greed. The “polluter pays” principle is an accepted principle — a golden nexus of morality, economics and environmental policy. The “polluter pays” principle is being tried and tested at the national level, but at the international level, alas, it is the victim who pays. Let us consider the insurance model championed by many industrialized countries and international agencies as the solution to climate change. Island States on the front line are being asked to take out additional insurance against the losses and damage that are the direct results of a change in climate caused by others. That is asking the victim to pay by instalment.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“A mere two years earlier, a tropical storm had wiped out the equivalent of 90 per cent of our GDP. The cost of rebuilding a better and more resilient nation comes with a price tag far in excess of what small developing States like Dominica are able to meet single-handedly. That is exacerbated by the debilitating impact that those events have on economic activities. It deprives the country of much-needed revenue at a critical time. As I speak before the Assembly at this very moment, dangerous storms are gathering in the Western Atlantic. As climate change warms the oceans and feeds the rainstorms, the risk of future loss and damage increases. Yet the price of the production and consumption of goods that contribute to climate change has not been set to compensate us for our losses and damages resulting from that change.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“It is no secret that some countries’ lack of motivation to take the necessary action is rooted in the economic truth that those who gain most from the activities that create climate change remain the most removed from its dire consequences. Since climate change is the result of an economic calculus that will keep pushing global destruction further and further along, it must be accepted as the responsibility of our time, one we must put our collective efforts behind to arrest. It was only after Prime Minister Skeritt left this Hall last year that international experts completed the post-disaster needs assessment for Dominica. Their conclusions disclosed that a single hurricane had in a few hours caused loss and damage equivalent to 226 per cent of our country’s gross domestic product (GDP).”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Much violence flows directly from the climate change-induced scarcity of things like water and productive lands. Climate change is the main symptom of our world’s broken economy, society and humanity. Those are precisely the issues for which the United Nations was created. Let this not be just another moment to simply sharpen the rhetoric or to speak merely of redoubling current efforts. We have done that too many times before, and have nevertheless watched climate change continue its ravages. While we pontificate and engage in a perpetual debate, climate change will march on, laying waste to our forests and fields, whipping up the fury of angry winds and punishing rains and wrecking lives and livelihoods.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“How could I say anything lightly, standing here in this forum that appeals to our universal humanity? We live in a world in which too many children go hungry night after night; light arms and small weapons continue to infiltrate our most vulnerable societies; and non-communicable diseases account for many preventable deaths. Yes, I agree that poverty, inequality and violence are shared responsibilities too, but their modern-day manifestations are wrapped up in climate change. Climate change arises from activities that support and reflect inequalities, and it is always the poor who suffer the most. It is the poor whose lands are impacted by severe droughts and flooding and whose homes are destroyed and whose loved ones perish. It is the poor who have the least capacity to escape the heavy burdens of poverty, disease and death.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We have not, as a global community, agreed on a plan for the implementation of the commitments made at the twenty-first Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Paris. Nor have we mobilized the resources to capitalize the $100 billion dollars per year pledged to assist the most vulnerable and to adapt to and mitigate the harmful effects of climate change. While we have been failing to live up to those commitments, Arctic ice shelves have continued to melt at an alarming rate, the oceans continue to get warmer, hurricanes and storms continue to develop and threaten our countries, and droughts are becoming more severe and flooding more pronounced. Climate change is therefore the global responsibility of our time. I do not even for a brief moment say that lightly.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We cannot on this occasion single out those many persons, countries and organizations that have reached out to us, but the people of Dominica are eternally grateful to all of them for standing with us in our darkest hour. I thank them all. A few days after the passage of Hurricane Maria, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica stood before this body and sounded a call for action (see A/72/ PV.19). He called for the world to wake up and take note that the war of climate change had come to our shores. He sent out a call to all countries — big and small, developed and developing — to come together to save our planet. One year later, what have we done? Where are we? What have we achieved? Among and around us are many who continue to deny the reality of climate change.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“The efforts of our people were keenly matched by the outpouring of support that we received from members of the United Nations family — from our brothers and sisters in the Caribbean region to our international partners and friends, ordinary men and women across the globe reached out to us to lend a helping hand. As we speak, scores of volunteers are on the ground helping with the rebuilding efforts. We have also received tremendous support from regional response agencies and international organizations, both within and outside the United Nations system, and from institutions such as the World Bank. All of their efforts have contributed significantly to the progress that we have made thus far.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“I am proud to stand here representing the farmers who have gone back to their fields and are now harvesting fresh produce to feed our people and to export. I applaud Dominicans far and wide for being part of the relief efforts and the rebuilding process, but I salute in particular those at home who have walked for miles every day up, down and across the island to be of service, and worked countless hours to save lives, provide essential services and deliver vital supplies to those in need. Hurricane Maria wreaked havoc on Dominica, but the world must be told of the strength of Dominicans, our tenacity and our determination as a people.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Immediately after the raging winds and torrential downpours subsided, our people raised their battered and wounded selves and began the daunting task of search-and-rescue and clearing roadways, and thereafter quickly moved into rebuilding mode. I am proud to stand here, one year later, representing a people who have fought against adversity since that day to attain some form of normalcy in their lives. I am proud to be representing students who spent months away from classrooms and endured the inconvenience of no electricity, no Internet and the disruption of living in shelters, but who attained some of the highest scores on the recently concluded Caribbean secondary-school examinations.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“I congratulate the President of the General Assembly on her election to the presidency, and my delegation wishes her every success in a productive tenure as we seek to direct the affairs of this important institution in the interests of humankind. I would like to express my condolences to the people of Indonesia, who are struggling to cope with the effects of the tsunami that struck them yesterday. We know all too well how challenging this time must be for them, and we off them our solidarity. There are few moments in the history of a nation that capture the resilience, fortitude and strength of its people. For us that moment came on 18 September 2017, when Hurricane Maria unleashed its fury of 180-mile-per-hour winds on us, bringing Dominica to its knees.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“The United Nations must, without hesitation, take strong and decisive 16-29811 51/52 action to pursue diplomatic solutions to end the war in Syria and to eliminate the nuclear capability of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Similarly, we must, as a matter of urgency, work together to defeat the increasing threat of global terrorism. It is up to us to take the necessary actions.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Our efforts to save our planet and to improve the lives of billions of people throughout the world — people who suffer from hunger and starvation and those who continue to be marginalized — will be pointless without peace and security. The destruction wrought by wars within and between countries continues to displace millions of people from their homes, creating an unprecedented refugee crisis. The threat posed by nuclear weapons, and especially by the determination of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to develop weapons with the ability to kill millions, is a major threat not only to the neighbours of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea but to people everywhere.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Dominica is happy to associate with this initiative, which promotes food security, sustainable consumption and production, ocean conservation and biodiversity as a way to meet, or even exceed, the commitments made by our leaders. We are The Oceans holds great potential for making the issue of our seas and oceans one of the most extensive educational initiatives of the SDGs. We urge Member States to join and to work collectively to save our planet for future generations. Collectively, we have the ability to solve the most difficult challenges of our time The unprecedented pace of human advancement in the twenty-first century has demonstrated that we have the capacity and ingenuity to combat climate change and to develop means of production and consumption to sustain humankind, while at the same time protecting our planet.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We commend the efforts and initiatives taken by the Friends of the Oceans group, the Government of Italy and, most recently, United States Secretary of State John Kerry. The recent Our Ocean Conference in Washington, D.C., like its predecessors, highlighted the need to draw greater attention to the ongoing destruction of our oceans resulting from marine pollution and its implications for humankind. We need innovative and global responses. We must also improve public awareness and education on marine pollution and highlight the best practices to protect our oceans. In that regard, we commend the efforts of representatives and countries advancing the We Are The Oceans concept.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We expect it to play a major role in the implementation of the CARICOM energy policies. Given its paramount importance to the future prosperity and sustainable development of the SIDS, I would like briefly to highlight SDG 14, which refers to protection of our seas, oceans and marine resources. The world’s oceans and seas are sources of nourishment and nutrition to billions, a major tourism asset and an important part of our complex ecosystem. International actions to protect the health of our oceans and seas should be pursued as a matter of urgency. Small and large countries should come together to coordinate efforts and to create a system to regulate activities that affect our oceans and seas.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The goal of the Roadmap and Strategy is to transform the energy sectors of the member States by providing secure and sustainable supplies of clean, reliable and affordable energy with stable prices in order to better position the Caribbean Community to achieve the SDGs. As a result, CARICOM has been partnering with other countries and organizations, both formally and informally, to assist its members. One such partnership exists with the Government of Austria, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the SIDS Sustainable Energy and Climate Resilience Initiative to create the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency. The Centre will serve as a hub for coordinating Caribbean-wide renewable energy and energy efficiency programmes.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The role of regional institutions like CARICOM and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States has become even more essential in terms of social and economic development. That is why we have built institutions that serve the people of our region in every aspect of development. Our regional approach to our common challenges has also garnered better results than if we were to face them individually. CARICOM now provides a critical interface with our development partners in trade, energy, and social and economic development. In the area of energy, CARICOM has adopted and is currently implementing the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Roadmap and Strategy.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Even in the face of its own domestic challenges, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela continues to be a reliable partner in development. Our partnership with the Bolivarian Republic, especially over the past decade, has contributed significantly to our own tangible achievements under the Millennium Development Goals through initiatives such as the Bolivarian Alternative for the Peoples of Our America and the PetroCaribe Energy Cooperation Agreement. We look forward to our continued partnership and hope for a peaceful and amicable resolution of its current difficulties. A peaceful and stable hemisphere is in the interest of all of us. Within the Caribbean subregion, we continue to strengthen and deepen both bilateral and multilateral partnerships to promote development and our effort to achieve the SDGs.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Equally, countries such as the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and Cuba continue to make a durable and significant impact on the health care, education and energy landscape of Dominica. Cuba has the capacity to make an even greater contribution to our region and the world, once the economic embargo is lifted. Dominica is encouraged by the recent improvement in relations between the Republic of Cuba and the United States of America. We applaud President Obama’s initiative as progressive and worthy of international support. The critical next step, however, should be the removal of all other impediments to trade and economic activities, so that Cuba can fully benefit from the international trading and financial systems.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We will continue to draw attention to the unsuitability of those categorizations. At the same time, SIDS will continue to explore opportunities within the framework of South-South cooperation. We have recently been encouraged by the increasing levels of partnership among and between countries of the South. The role of China has become integral to South-South cooperation, and China has demonstrated its willingness and capacity to assist developing countries in critical areas of development. These have included funding for and the construction of essential physical infrastructure, as well as providing assistance in the form of equipment, the delivery of health-care services and human resources development.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We strongly believe, however, that an effective strategy to realize the SDGs will require an overhaul of the manner in which official development assistance (ODA) is executed. ODA must be more informed by the realities in the recipient countries, more predictable, and accessible in a timely manner. For instance, the very unrealistic and arbitrary classification of several small island developing States as middle-income countries, based on the flawed notion of gross domestic product per capita, is yet another way in which the efforts of small countries at building economic resilience and sustainable development are systematically undermined. It is a tendency that completely obscures the reality in SIDS and ignores their inherent characteristics of vulnerability.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“It also highlights durable and genuine partnerships as a cornerstone for achieving the SDGs in SIDS. Additionally, we believe that South- South, North-South and Triangular cooperation have served and will continue to serve as an effective platform for technology transfer and capacity-building. We thank our developed country partners, which continue to play a major role in our development and in our efforts to realize the SDGs. Over the years, those countries have stood steadfastly with us in our commitment to improve the lives of our people. Assistance with developing sustainable agriculture, tourism and energy, especially with geothermal energy development, have set the platform for sustainable social and economic development, while at the same time combating climate change.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The unintended consequences threaten our very economic survival. The solution lies, we believe, in meaningful dialogue between and among States. Through dialogue, we hope to see the creation of rules-based standards and mechanisms that govern the establishment and maintenance of correspondent banking relationships and regulatory changes under which the respondent banks, instead of correspondent banks, would be sanctioned for violations in connection with anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism, thereby removing the burden of compliance from the latter. Like most challenges of global magnitude, that calls for strong international partnerships. One such partnership is the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway, which we believe presents a blueprint for such modalities.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The Governments of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have long recognized and supported the need for common global action against the financing of terrorism, money laundering, organized crime and other illegal activities. Our countries have worked diligently with non-regional Governments and international institutions like the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering and the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force and have instituted domestic legislation to fight money laundering, restrict the financing of terrorism and seize the proceeds of crime. Our leaders acknowledge that the de-risking of correspondent banks is a direct response to the regulatory requirements imposed by those jurisdictions in which they operate. We want to see action to remedy its harmful effects on us.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The free movement of goods and services depends on the ability of the public and private sectors to move financial resources throughout the world. Therefore, recent actions taken by several international banks in the United States and across Europe to terminate correspondent banking relations with indigenous banks in the Caribbean have made it difficult for the Caribbean to do business with the rest of the world. The consequences are far-reaching. It has affected the transmission of remittances, undermined foreign investments, restricted the repatriation of profits and restricted our national and indigenous banks’ ability to participate effectively in the international financial systems, even though they have not been found guilty of any financial or security breaches.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The fund aims to ensure that the Government has immediate access to financial resources in the event of a natural disaster. The fund would also be used to finance climate-resilient projects and programmes. The capitalization of the fund will come from Government revenue and returns from the Government’s investments in renewable energy projects that have already been implemented with grants and concessionary financing through the Green Climate Fund. Two projects have already been identified: the geothermal energy project and a national waste-to- energy project. Today’s interconnectedness of global markets make access to the global financial system a prerequisite to economic development and a sine qua non for sustainable development.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We believe that such a facility would enable SIDS to access and secure funds in a more predictable and timely manner and to rebuild more robust infrastructure through effective technical assistance and physical development planning. It would also help these climate-vulnerable countries to build increasingly climate-resilient economies and to identify vulnerable areas that need to be adapted and mitigated to better deal with any future catastrophic event. The Government of Dominica is also taking effective steps at the national level to improve its ability to respond and deliver in post-disaster situations. This year, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit outlined a proposal to establish a national vulnerability risk and resilience fund.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“That is why Dominica continues its call for collaboration in the establishment of an international natural disaster risk fund, to provide timely financial support to SIDS affected by natural disasters. The current Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility within the Caribbean Development Bank for Caribbean SIDS, the International Monetary Fund’s support for disaster recovery and the World Bank’s Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery are good starting points. Regrettably, in the face of the enormous challenge, their funding levels remain vastly insufficient. We would be encouraged if the capitalization of this special natural disaster risk fund were to come from the parties to annex I of the Framework Convention on Climate Change and other major emitters, including voluntary contributors.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“I can say that Dominica’s experience with Tropical Storm Erika is all too common in the lives of SIDS. We continue to suffer the disproportionate burden and impact of climate change, which also severely undermines our efforts at sustainable development. Also troubling are the slow-onset events and the extreme weather events that are brought on as a result of climate change. These are expected to become more frequent and more destructive. What that means for us, in real terms, is that limited resources, which should be targeted at transformative and sustainable development, of necessity have to be continuously shifted to post- disaster rehabilitation.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“In less than 24 hours, Tropical Storm Erika took the lives of 30 Dominicans and wreaked havoc on our country’s physical and social infrastructure. That single climatic event caused damage estimated at EC$1.3 billion, or $483 million, which accounted for 90 per cent of the island’s gross domestic product. One year on, we are making great strides and are on track to build back better and to build increasingly climate-resilient and adaptive infrastructure. While we commend the Dominicans— at home and abroad — for their support and dedication, our progress has been made easier through the partnership and support of our bilateral and multilateral partners. We therefore take this opportunity to thank them publicly for their invaluable contribution to our rebuilding efforts.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Likewise, the ongoing phenomenon of beach erosion and destruction of coral reefs — so vital to our tourism product and the character of our islands — risks untold damage to our prized tourism assets. Consequently, the economic impact on SIDS is dire. More urgent and wide-ranging action is needed in the fight against climate change to ensure our very survival. To that end, we look forward to building on the momentum of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change as we move on to the twenty-second session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held in Marrakesh later this year. As many will recall, a little over a year ago the Commonwealth of Dominica was painfully reminded of the devastating impact of climate change.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“However, in order for those essential changes to take place, we must each do more at the national level, and all countries must deliver on their commitments in accordance with their respective means. That effort will require more structured and effective partnerships. Additionally, as we focus our minds on the SDGs, we must also sharpen our focus on the impact that climate change continues to have on the development of SIDS. In the past few years, we have witnessed a dramatic reduction in agricultural production. We are also experiencing more severe and prolonged droughts, often followed by sudden and high volumes of rainfall, which result in massive soil erosion and catastrophic loss and damage.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Last year, when this body met, we resolved collectively to take global action to transform our world in a manner that would bring about sustainable and equitable development. The adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), has set the stage for increasing international discourse and action in our fight against inequality, to combat climate change, to empower our citizens, to protect the vulnerable and to improve the lives of billions of people across the globe. Today, Dominica, like other small island developing States (SIDS), remains motivated and committed to achieving the SDGs. For my country, the realization of the SDGs is not simply about ticking boxes. Fundamentally, it is about making a real and meaningful difference in the lives of our citizens.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We must continue to call for the protection of our planet. We must listen to and heed the cries of those who are suffering throughout the world. We must create and adopt policies that address the pressing needs of the most vulnerable among us. Above all else, we must continue to work to resolve the issues that threaten the peace and stability of our nations.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“The world of today is far different than it was 70 years ago. There are far more Member States and the balance of power has shifted slightly, with the South playing a greater role. Human development has been unprecedented, moving more people out of poverty, and yet so much more needs to be done. We have placed our planet in peril from the existential threat of climate change. The rise of terrorism and radicalization throughout the world, especially in Iraq and Syria, is an attack on peace and security everywhere. We therefore must resolve to enhance the role of the United Nations in resolving matters that go beyond borders and affect all of humankind and our planet. That requires changes to the working methods of the General Assembly and a more representative Security Council to reflect today’s realities.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“The removal of Cuba from the United States list of countries that sponsor terrorism is an endorsement of the call that Dominica, the Caribbean Community and the majority of the States Members of the United Nations have been making for almost two decades. Those steps are undoubtedly steps in the right direction, that is, towards the full integration of Cuba into the international, economic, financial and trading systems. We appeal to the legislative branch of the United States Government to allow President Obama to complete the process by lifting all sanctions on Cuba. Almost 70 years ago, on 24 October 1945, the United Nations came into existence when 29 nations ratified the Charter of the United Nations. The impact of two major wars in short succession had devastated the world, leaving millions dead. The world vowed “never again”.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“The leadership of Venezuela has also led to the creation of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA). ALBA has funded and continues to fund development programmes in agriculture, infrastructure, education and health care in Dominica and its other member States, especially in the Caribbean. Similarly, the Republic of Cuba has been a leader in South-South and triangular cooperation. Cuba has provided tremendous support to countries in the Latin America and Caribbean region and as far away as Africa, thanks to its vast pool of human resources, especially in health care and education. At the same time, Cuba has provided capacity-building and technology transfer in essential areas. We applaud the actions taken by President Barack Obama to normalize relations between Cuba and the United States.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Our cooperation with the People’s Republic of China has 12/33 15-29946 03/10/2015 A/70/PV.28 brought about major improvements in our country’s infrastructure, education, health care, sports, national security and agriculture. We thank China for its contribution to the people of Dominica. South-South cooperation in some cases has created economic space for our countries to implement infrastructure and social programmes for the benefit of our people. A case in point is the PetroCaribe arrangement by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in which Latin American and Caribbean countries are provided with a reliable supply of oil and oil products under favourable terms and conditions. That spirit of solidarity is a shining example of South-South cooperation.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“We therefore encourage countries in the South that have the means to do so to support South- South and triangular cooperation, to build essential public infrastructure, to provide financing and to participate in science and technology innovation and capacity-building. The People’s Republic of China, for example, has emerged as a leader in South-South cooperation. The South has been benefiting from China’s role in economic and social development through bilateral cooperation. We commend the efforts by the People’s Republic of China for its role in establishing the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, thereby creating a multilateral platform for South-South cooperation as an extension to its excellent bilateral cooperation.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“A single major natural disaster can set back one of our small islands for more than a decade by obliterating the country’s gross domestic product overnight. The recent cases of Grenada and Dominica illustrate that point vividly. In order for financing for sustainable development to be effective, durable and genuine, there must be partnerships based on mutual respect. Development partners, especially intergovernmental agencies and financial institutions, must be more responsive to the needs of SIDS. Interventions therefore must reflect the aspirations of the people and be informed by genuine participation and local ownership. The traditional North-South relationship must be reset to embrace collaboration and cooperation rather than prescription and dictation. The new approach should be enhanced by South-South and triangular cooperation.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)