YouSaid · the spoken record

Samuel Insanally

lines on the record: 34
first: 2001-09-24
most recent: 2007-09-24
sittings or episodes: 2
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

“As this new era of globalization unfolds, with its many challenges and opportunities, I invite this Assembly to support fully our appeal for the firm establishment of a more enlightened and compassionate model of multilateralism as the cornerstone of future international relations.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“In further demonstration of its commitment to the Charter of the United Nations, my Government has placed before the General Assembly an initiative calling for a new global human order based on the principles of equity and social justice. It is born out of our conviction that, given the failure of our past efforts, the world now needs to formulate a qualitatively different and more holistic strategy, leading to a stronger political consensus and broad- based partnership before the General Assembly. The draft resolution now enjoys the sponsorship of forty- nine States and will in time, we hope, command the support of the entire international community.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“It was another feather in the crown of international law, another blow struck against the resort to force and another victory for lawful and peaceful processes in the settlement of disputes. Guyana had initiated recourse to the dispute settlement provisions of the Convention, which, I am happy to recall, was brought into force by our country’s ratification in 1993. Under the aegis of a United Nations regime created by internationalism and the rule of international law, our two small countries can now pursue the development of their maritime space without the encumbrance of a dispute. It is an example of the peaceful settlement of a dispute that others might emulate.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Our common humanity obliges us to call once again for a return to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, and in particular the peaceful settlement of disputes, wherever and whenever they occur. In this context, I am pleased to announce that last month on 20 September an arbitral tribunal of great eminence under the presidency of Judge Dolliver Nelson, distinguished former President of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, sitting pursuant to Annex VII of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, handed down a decision regarding the maritime boundary between Guyana and neighbouring Suriname. The President of Guyana described the decision as just and erudite; the President of Suriname called it fair and equitable.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“It is, therefore, imperative that in the negotiation of future trade arrangements, including the Doha Round, due regard be paid to the development challenges of small States. Similarly, in the area of peace and security there is continuing blatant disregard of the rule of law by many States that, in pursuit of their own selfish national interests, do not hesitate to fan the flames of conflict in various parts of the world. As a consequence, millions in Darfur, in Palestine, in the Middle East and elsewhere are forced to endure unspeakable pain and suffering pain and suffering which, in today’s world of instant communication, we not only hear about but also actually see and feel in real time.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Instead of assistance, however, some of the preferences that we enjoyed hitherto in some markets are being summarily withdrawn. Witness the unilateral denunciation last week by the European Union of the Sugar Protocol, a legally binding instrument of indefinite duration, which governs the sugar exports of many African, Caribbean and Pacific countries to Europe. This step comes in the midst of negotiations on this issue and is clearly a sign of bad faith. It has been taken without adequate consultation and clarification and contradicts the European Union’s own lectures to us on partnership and good governance. As a result of this action, thousands of our citizens, especially the rural poor, whose lives depend upon the sugar industry, will likely face great hardship.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“In this new era of globalization, humankind has been made acutely aware of the deep interdependence of nations and the concomitant need for cooperation with one another to ensure our common survival. This awareness notwithstanding, many in the developed world continue to practise their misguided “beggar-thy- neighbour” policy, which effectively precludes developing countries from satisfying the aspirations of their people. Take, for example, the area of trade and economic cooperation, the main pillar on which globalization has been built. The developed countries continue to propagate the thesis that free trade will guarantee prosperity for all. The reality is that most countries, including my own, simply cannot compete successfully in fully liberalized markets unless they are assisted in making a gradual transition.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“That experience, however, impels us to renew our call in this Assembly for the strengthening of multilateral facilities to provide all victims of such natural disasters with prompt and adequate relief. As both the outcome of the High-level Event and the statements heard so far in this Assembly make clear, the battle against climate change cannot be won unless a truly global effort is made to save the planet. In the words of my country’s national poet, Martin Carter, in his poem entitled “All are involved”: Like a jig shakes the loom; Like a web is spun the pattern; all are involved all are consumed (All are involved) Therefore, unless all of us, both Governments and peoples, accept in a deep and meaningful way the imperative of prudent environmental management, our civilization, such as we know it, will disappear.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“As a country which is below sea-level, Guyana has been further sensitized to the threat of climate change as a result of frequent floods that wreak economic havoc on our coastal population. The last major inundation was in 2005, when the economic loss suffered was, according to the estimate of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, nearly 60 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product. Unfortunately for us, the tragedy, occurring as it did around the same time as the tsunami disaster, did not feature prominently on the international radar screen and, therefore, received little notice in the wider community. However, thanks to the assistance of a few friendly countries and the resilience of our own people, we are on the road to recovery.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“It is very important that any post-Kyoto agreement be endowed with the resources necessary for its full implementation. Development assistance statistics have shown a marked diminution in levels from past years, with little promise of the additional or new financing needed for environment-related projects. There, therefore, needs to be what has been called a partnership for additionality which, in return for a commitment by countries to the preservation of the environment, will provide adequate and predictable financing to allow them to pursue a path of accelerated and sustainable development. It is high time to honour the commitments made at the Monterrey International Conference on Financing for Development.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Guyana fully understood and responded to the challenges of climate change when, more than a decade ago, it made available to the international community almost one million acres of its pristine forest for the study of bio-diversity and the sustainable development of forestry. However, the future of this project is now threatened, since financial support from the international community has become increasingly scarce. At the same time, as our President stated at the High-level Event, the Kyoto Protocol rewards quite perversely, I might add those States which burn and pillage their resources but punishes others like Guyana which are committed to preserving their standing forests. This inequity should no longer be tolerated.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“These States, including many in sub-Saharan Africa, small islands in the Caribbean and the Pacific, and low-lying coastal States like my own, are especially vulnerable to climatic changes and, consequently, disaster prone. The Barbados Programme of Action and the subsequent Mauritius Strategy were both devised for the purpose of alleviating the destructive impact of the many natural disasters faced by these disadvantaged countries. However, despite their initial promise, these agreements have yet to yield the measure of assistance needed by small States to overcome the consequences of climate change. Invariably, these affected countries must rely on their own limited resources to protect their environment from harm.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“In the face of mounting evidence that climate change does in fact imperil the Earth and its resources, some developed States appear willing to accept albeit reluctantly that carbon emissions must be significantly reduced to preserve the ozone layer as a shield from the effects of greenhouse gases. Even so, they do not seem prepared to accept primary responsibility for protecting the environment. Instead of “common but differentiated responsibility”, they speak of “shared responsibility”, clearly demanding a greater contribution by developing countries to the campaign against climate change. This demand often becomes a conditionality for any development assistance they offer. For the many developing countries which suffer from a chronic lack of resources, this imposition is clearly unequal and unfair.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Altogether, those climatic changes will take a heavy toll on the economic and social growth of many countries, through a higher incidence of drought, desertification, flooding and other natural disasters. The primary responsibility for this environmental degradation has been laid quite rightly at the door of those developed countries whose industrialization policies and programmes have shown scant regard for preservation of the global ecosystem. By piggybacking on the natural assets of developing countries, those States have achieved astonishing economic and social progress and have created consumerist societies whose appetites for ever-greater extravagance know no bounds and must be satisfied at all costs.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“As a result of the increased consumption of fossil fuels in past decades, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by more than 25 per cent, which will, if unmitigated, eventually lead to a rise in the Earth’s temperature of more than 5 degrees in the years ahead. Such warming is likely to produce an increase in sea levels of almost 2 metres. Since one third of the world’s population lives close to coastlines, such an elevation will have a disastrous impact on the living conditions of many millions. At the same time, the world’s forests are said to be vanishing at a rate of 15 million hectares a year, threatening the loss of almost 50 per cent of the forest cover in developing countries.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“At the outset of my statement, I wish to offer the President and our newly appointed Secretary-General my warmest congratulations and best wishes for the success of the sixty-second session of the General Assembly, which has as its main focus the impact of climate change on global peace and development. As the recently concluded High-level Event revealed, there is now a greater awareness of that issue and of the need to address them with greater urgency. Like the legendary Rip Van Winkle, we appear to have finally awakened from a long and deep slumber, only to find that the world around us is in serious danger of degradation. Our environment has become frightening.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Given the universality of the Organization’s membership, the principles and values that it has long upheld and the growing interest of civil society in its activities, the United Nations has a singular opportunity now to exercise a leadership role in international political, social and economic policy-making. At this time of great uncertainty and trepidation, therefore, we must recognize, now more than ever before, the continuing need for the United Nations Organization which, despite its many achievements in its 56 years of existence, has yet to fulfil its full potential with regard to international cooperation. We must therefore not allow complacency, self-interest or unilateralism to compromise that global vision of the founding Members.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“This dialogue, which began at the last session of the General Assembly, will be renewed at the fifty-seventh session, when, we hope, the concept will be further embedded in the international consciousness and ultimately accepted as the way forward to a more enlightened system of international relations. It is entirely appropriate that this dialogue should be held within the United Nations, since the multifaceted and transnational nature of today’s challenges requires a multilateral, rather than a unilateral, approach. There is no doubt that the United Nations is ideally suited to promote this global partnership in an environment that today requires firm, focused and inclusive governance.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“It also addresses new ways of managing development cooperation that would significantly overcome problems of aid dependence, current imbalances and asymmetries in international trade, and the high indebtedness that continues to plague developing countries. These objectives, in the view of the Government of Guyana, can be achieved through a comprehensive dialogue among Governments, based not only on political and economic considerations, but also on ethical and moral principles that are necessary to the creation of a more humane and just order in the world.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“The proposal for such an order acknowledges that the major constraints affecting economic and social progress in developing countries reside in the capacity limitation in the critical areas of markets, administrative and institutional infrastructures in both the public and private sectors, the leveraging of resources and the ability of developing countries to negotiate as equal partners in a number of forums outside the United Nations. This proposal therefore seeks to improve the effectiveness of development cooperation programmes, to optimize scarce financial resources and to reduce the spread of poverty.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“I think that we all must now acknowledge that the prevailing international system of development cooperation is seriously flawed and has failed to achieve its primary objective of increasing growth and improving the quality of life in poor countries. Inherent in this system are many debt and poverty traps that continue to ensnare millions of the world’s poorest people, many of whom now have to face diseases such as AIDS. Not only is the experience painful, but it often also deprives the poor of their basic human rights, there being an undoubted nexus, now universally recognized, between the actualization of human rights and economic development. It is out of this recognition that my delegation, last November, brought resolution 55/48 before the General Assembly on the role of the United Nations in promoting a new global human order.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“The upcoming International Conference on Financing for Development, which will take place in Monterrey, Mexico, next March, represents a unique opportunity to examine both the internal and external constraints that significantly affect the mobilization of financial resources for development, as well as to collectively address the inefficiencies and inequities of existing financial markets. The high concentration of these markets on existing financial assets aimed at short-term profit, rather than on new assets linked to the creation of wealth and employment for longer-term development, remains a source of great concern and must be remedied.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“We would do well to bear this in mind should recent events prompt a reordering of global priorities and lead to a diversion of attention from economic and social 16 issues to purely political and security concerns. Already, in the immediate aftermath of the attack, the President of the World Bank was reported to have said that the 2015 target for halving global poverty could not now be reached and that, in fact, poverty would increase over the next year or two. This deterioration is not easily contemplated by small economies like our own and those of the Caribbean region. In our view, it is imperative that the United Nations now actively pursue the Agenda for Development to enable developing countries, especially the small and the vulnerable, to ride out the current political and economic storms.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“However, it is not only the Middle East which suffers from the ravages of conflict. In far too many places — in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean and Europe, the risk of violence is ever present, fuelled by a variety of factors and made more dangerous by the possibility of further conflagration. To avert these threats, we must fully utilize the machinery provided in the Charter for the peaceful settlement of disputes. Yet, it is important in all of this that the Agenda for Peace not be allowed to diminish or to displace the Agenda for Development since, were this to happen, the prospects for any durable peace anywhere would be virtually non-existent. Peace and development are inextricably intertwined, and any attempt to separate them would not only be artificial but totally dangerous.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“In keeping with the spirit and substance of our historic compromise, we must act responsibly to remove from our midst all threats to global peace and security. Foremost among these is the situation in the Middle East, at the core of which is the Palestinian problem, stemming from the persistent denial to an entire people of the enjoyment of their basic and inalienable rights. The peace process must be immediately re-engaged with seriousness of purpose and determination to put an end, once and for all, to the senseless violence and bloodshed which has been the unhappy fate of the Palestinian people and others. They, as well as all other peoples in the region, must be allowed to live in a State of their own, free from fear or want, within safe and secure borders.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“We should not be so foolish, however, as to think that this will happen automatically. Salvation will depend on our willingness to learn from our experience and to do better in the future. From the ashes of the Second World War arose the phoenix of the United Nations, giving hope to new generations that they could live in peace, prosperity and larger freedom. Sadly, the end of the cold war did not generate a similarly bold enterprise, leaving humanity to wander aimlessly in search of peaceful coexistence. We must therefore, before it is too late, honour our commitment to the United Nations Charter and create a new vision and strategy with which we may face the challenges of this new era.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Our countries, with far fewer alternatives available to them than to the more developed, because of an unfavourable international economic system, high levels of external debt and unequal terms of trade, will suffer disproportionately. The exporters of primary products, now as in the past, are the first to suffer a downturn in the world economy and the last to recover — a process that occurs with a frequency that is altogether too depressing. These imbalances and asymmetries which seriously affect the progress of developing countries are now likely to become even more pronounced in the rapid process of globalization. Still, as is often said, “It’s an ill wind that does not blow some good”. We would therefore wish to believe that out of the calamity will come an improvement in our lot.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“A regional task force has been established to identify measures necessary to creating a cordon sanitaire to help insulate us from their onslaught. This is not an easy mandate since, as the immigration doors in the developed countries become more tightly closed, hundreds of criminals who have grown up in these societies are being deported now to our countries which, because of severe financial and human constraints, are ill-equipped to handle this influx. Although perhaps not as immediate or striking as these political and security consequences, the economic and social impact of the 11 September disaster has been no less powerful and pervasive. All countries have undoubtedly been affected by the disaster, but small and vulnerable States such as my own will find it especially difficult to cope with the resulting hardship.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“The international community must now develop an arsenal of appropriate legal instruments, including a comprehensive convention against terrorism, to combat this new enemy of our times. The message must be clearly sent to all who would use terrorism to pursue their objectives that their actions will not be tolerated by the Members of this Organization but, instead, will be dealt with firmly with the full force of the law. At home and in our various regions, we must build defences that are strong enough to keep out terrorism and its concomitants, such as arms and drug trafficking and other forms of transnational crime. Within the Caribbean Community, of which Guyana is a member, we have agreed to set up mechanisms for information sharing and coordinated action to deny these criminal elements access to our territories.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“As a small and vulnerable State, with limited ability to defend itself in the event of encroachment on its territorial integrity, Guyana cannot accept the threat or the use of violence to resolve conflicts and disputes, whether inter-State or intra- State. All differences must be settled, as called for in the Charter of the United Nations, by peaceful means, such as those prescribed in Article 33. The violence which was visited two months ago upon some 5,000 human beings — including many of 15 our own nationals — in this our host city and, indeed, before that, upon so many other peoples and places in the world, must be not only roundly condemned but also condignly punished.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“The world is a changed place since that horrendous event, changed in that we suddenly find, under threat, by unorthodox and hitherto unimaginable means, the values by which our Organization is driven, values the attainment of which have been the object of our onerous and protracted labours for a period extending over many decades. We cannot help but feel a sense of sorrow and shame that such a barbaric act — as the destruction of the World Trade Center and a part of the Pentagon most certainly was — could have occurred in this day and age only a short distance from this house of our common humanity. Like most leaders of the civilized world, the President of Guyana was swift to condemn this egregious crime.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“He has contributed much to the revitalization of the General Assembly. To the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, I convey our greetings and commendation for his sure and steady leadership of our Organization. The recent award of the Nobel Peace Prize to him and the United Nations is a source of great satisfaction and pride for Guyana and, indeed, for the entire membership of this body. As was so aptly stated by the Economist of 15 September, the terrorist attack on the United States altered the geopolitical landscape as indelibly as it did the Manhattan skyline.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“President, it augurs well that this examination will be conducted under your guidance, since, coming as you do from the land of the morning calm, you will no doubt bring to bear on our debate not only a fresh and dispassionate view, but also a ray of hope after the long dark night through which we have just passed. My delegation offers you our warmest congratulations and good wishes as you continue to preside over the work of this historic General Assembly, which, though inaugurated in the depths of despair, may yet hold out the promise of salvation for mankind. It would be remiss of me were I not also to extend our gratitude to your distinguished predecessor, Mr. Harri Holkeri, who presided with great verve and vigour over the Assembly through very difficult and interesting times.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Although the embers from the towering infernos which resulted from the attacks on 11 September have not fully died, it may nevertheless be possible to analyse the impact which that horrific disaster has had on international relations and, more particularly, the political, economic, and social consequences which it is likely to have for the world. Such an analysis, it is to be hoped, will instruct us on how we may best respond to these new challenges and pursue the twin goals of global peace and development in this new, twenty-first century. Mr.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)