YouSaid · the spoken record

Seymour Mullings

lines on the record: 79
first: 1996-09-24
most recent: 1999-09-24
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

“At a time of increasing globalization, the reality of interdependence should be leading us in the other direction — towards mutual respect, tolerance, understanding and partnership in a world of diversity, for these are the true foundations of multilateralism. As we close this century and approach the new millennium, we should do so in the hope of reaching greater achievements by acting in concert to uphold our ideals of humanity and to fight the common enemies of mankind: war, poverty, human suffering and injustice. This should be our firm resolve.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“As we have seen from the Secretary-General's report, one of the distressing practices in recent conflicts has been the deliberate targeting of civilians and humanitarian workers. This unacceptable flouting of humanitarian norms is a matter of serious concern for us and indicates the need for further elaboration of principles of international humanitarian law applicable in time of war. 4 Our review of the state of the world in the economic, political and humanitarian dimensions suggests the need for greater effort in building political commitment and investing resources for achieving common goals. Too many of the old problems remain unresolved, and our unity of purpose is too often compromised by political differences and considerations of narrow economic interests.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“At the same time, we should support the various initiatives for disaster prevention, including the enforcement of stricter building codes, improved drainage systems, the exchange of scientific knowledge, increased monitoring and the use of early-warning systems to protect ourselves and mitigate the damage. Much more can be done to avert disasters in those areas where members have greater control and power. Man-made disasters create a tragic problem of refugees, which otherwise is often the result of war, persecution or political turmoil. The tragic plight of refugees uprooted from their homes and forced to flee is a sad and disturbing picture, and even more so for the neighbouring States, which are often poor countries that do not have the means to handle heavy inflows.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We will seek to involve the broader membership in its consultations and to influence the discharge of the Council's responsibilities with fairness and with full respect for the legitimate interests of all parties, within the broader interest of international peace and security. The work of the United Nations in the area of humanitarian relief has always been an important part of its operations, and this is the area in which its work has had the most direct impact and practical meaning at the level of the people. This is particularly so in the delivery of emergency relief in natural disasters. The increase in the scale and intensity of earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and famine in recent times has increased the demands on the system, and there is an obvious need to maintain capability and readiness in the relevant agencies.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“This is best achieved through the democratic participation of the United Nations membership in the work of the Council, which serves to strengthen its effectiveness and to give it greater credibility within the international system. Jamaica supports that process and aspires for membership of the Council for a two-year period beginning next year. We do so out of a motivation to make our contribution as a small State in the management of international peace and security. We are driven by a strong commitment to multilateralism and to upholding the principles of the Charter and by a determination to exercise a careful and balanced judgement in relation to all issues affecting peace and security which may come before us. It will be our goal to assist the Security Council to work effectively and to act decisively.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“In the spirit of the friendly relations we enjoy with Cuba and the United States, we call for dialogue, the normalization of relations and an end to policies of confrontation and exclusion. Small countries have an important interest in ensuring that peace and stability is a permanent feature of the world order. In the absence of military power we depend on diplomacy and on the United Nations and its machinery and international adherence to its principles to safeguard and protect those who are militarily weak. It is in our interest to seek to strengthen and uphold all the multilateral institutions dedicated to this effort. The Security Council, which has such an important role in this structure, should be given the fullest support in meeting its responsibilities.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“In our area of Latin America and the Caribbean there remain a number of unresolved territorial disputes but our expectation is that States in our region will use available mechanisms to resolve such disputes by peaceful means. In the Caribbean our efforts are directed towards developing greater integration both within the Caribbean Community and within the wider ambit of the Association of Caribbean States, ACS. This is part of our regional effort towards establishing a regime of peace and cooperation in the Caribbean Sea. In this regard, I should express our ongoing concern over the remaining remnants of cold war politics in our region. The continuation of the embargo against Cuba is a source of tension and carries the risk of conflict, which is particularly troubling for neighbouring States.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We welcome the signing of the Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum earlier this month and urge the parties to move towards accommodation, to seek to realize the legitimate rights of all parties as the basis for a just and durable peace. The challenge is formidable and the solution will require statesmanship and courage. In South-East Asia the outbreak of violence in East Timor is a matter which has caused deep concern. As there is an obvious need for ensuring the safety of the inhabitants of the territory, we fully support the deployment of the international force which is now in the territory to maintain order. It is necessary now to contemplate the next step, which will be to devise arrangements for the political future of the territory.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We continue to support regional efforts towards peacemaking between Ethiopia and Eritrea and welcome the OAU framework agreement which has been worked out to assist the parties to reach a settlement. We urge the Secretary-General to continue to maintain close contact with the parties in all the areas of tension, with the aim of promoting peace and stability, and to foster a spirit of reconciliation so that African States may be able to concentrate their efforts in confronting the critical challenges of economic and social development. 3 In the Middle East, while the situation still remains troublesome, there are some signs of renewed hope with the revival of the peace process and the emergence of a more positive climate for making progress towards a settlement.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We must pay tribute to the work of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which has shouldered the burden of peace- building in these two States so battered by civil conflict. We also note with appreciation the efforts of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in regard to the situation in the Great Lakes region and hope that the Lusaka Agreement will form the basis for reconciliation and peace. The situation in Angola remains a tragic one for the country, and the international community should remain united in support of measures taken against the UNITA insurgency and to bring an end to the nightmare which has for so long impeded the progress of that country. We are distressed by the continuing problems in the Horn of Africa.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“It should not be ignored and disregarded in favour of unilateral action on the part of any State or group of States. While the situation in the Balkans has dominated international attention over the past year, more attention should be given to the situation in Africa, where even more serious problems have arisen involving ethnic strife and political turmoil, affecting neighbouring States and creating humanitarian emergencies. As the Secretary-General has observed in his report, too little attention has been given to the conflicts arising in Africa despite the enormous toll in loss of life and in disruption and suffering resulting from armed insurgencies and inter-State conflict. However, we are encouraged by the process taking place in the West African region affecting Liberia and Sierra Leone.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“In recent times, we have witnessed atrocities committed as a result of the practice of ethnic cleansing as communities rise up against each other to settle old grievances. We all must continue to condemn these practices and understand the need for some kind of action to halt such excesses which violate international humanitarian norms. However, the principles of international law affecting the sovereignty of States and the use of force should not be brushed aside. We believe in the adoption of an approach which has the confidence of the international community whereby diplomatic and any necessary enforcement action is taken or authorized by the multilateral institutions entrusted with safeguarding international peace and security. The Security Council has the primary responsibility.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“In accordance with the principles of national sovereignty, he will need the cooperation and support of Member States in his efforts for the maintenance of peace, as delicate problems can arise in relation to any process of diplomatic intervention with respect to the role to be undertaken by the United Nations and appropriate regional organizations. During the past year, events in the Balkans have raised profound questions about the principle of intervention, the use of force, the scale of military enforcement and the role of the Security Council. The debate on these questions has revealed differing perspectives, elements of consensus and varying positions on the applicable principles of international law.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Wars continue to be waged at the regional level, primarily as a result of regional rivalries and unresolved territorial disputes. At the national level, ethnic strife and political divisiveness have continued to fuel internal conflict, leading to heavy loss of life and economic disruption and affecting regional stability from the spill-over of refugees to neighbouring States. We endorse the Secretary-General's strategy of quiet diplomacy and urge him to use his influence wherever possible to forestall the outbreak of conflict and to promote peace and reconciliation between disputing parties.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Jamaica therefore welcomes the arrangements for the holding of the first international conference on small arms, which is to take place in the year 2000. We look forward to this as a good opportunity to develop a programme for implementation by Member States to control the scale and distribution of these weapons. On reviewing the broader issue of international security, we have to note developments which give rise to concern and anxiety about the future of the world order and the role of the United Nations. The Organization should become engaged wherever international peace is threatened and where conflicts break out. Although the danger of global conflict arising from ideological confrontation has now, in large measure, receded, the world is still full of threats to peace.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Within the growing internationalization of markets facilitated by improved technology and policies of liberalization, the spectre of transnational crime has grown to significant proportions, especially in the illicit trade in narcotics and small arms. Together, these instruments of death and destruction represent a significant danger to the internal security of many countries, fostering criminal activities which serve to destabilize and corrupt the social order, to undermine democratic institutions and to increase lawlessness. 2 We believe that this growing trade in weapons, which promotes organized crime, terrorist activities and drug trafficking, requires the urgent attention of the international community.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The reduced impact of the United Nations at the country level is already significant and comes at a time when the needs are greater than ever. We call for a new commitment to development cooperation, a new global partnership between the developed and the developing countries and a new dialogue to review the policies and principles directing international economic relations, and for a new dispensation with regard to policy prescriptions affecting the development process. Without this, developing countries will be engulfed in the perils of globalization with consequences not just for economic welfare, but for the viability of political structures and social stability. There are also other, more insidious dimensions of globalization, especially those which impinge on the security of States, which we must consider.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We have been supporting initiatives for reform in order to promote better coordination and greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness in the delivery of technical assistance in the operational activities of the United Nations. What we have seen, however, is that the reform process seems more directed at generating cost savings and achieving a pooling of resources without increasing the quantum of funding available for development cooperation under the auspices of the United Nations. The process under way is one of contraction of United Nations-related development activities at the country level and a withering-away of the role of the United Nations in an area of critical importance for developing countries.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Another discouraging trend is the diminished significance and reduced contributions of donor countries in the area of development cooperation. At a time of the increasing incidence of poverty and a looming threat of marginalization, levels of official development assistance have been steadily decreasing at both the bilateral and the multilateral levels. In the case of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), technical assistance has been shrinking, especially over the last five years. In 1994, contributions to UNDP were in the region of $1.1 billion. This has steadily declined to the current level for this year of $718 million.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The challenge to the banana regime established within the framework of the Lomé Convention and the ruling of the World Trade Organization (WTO) panel, which has now led to negotiations for an amended regime, sends a message which is particularly discouraging and signals the indifference of some countries to the plight of others. The end result is not yet determined, but at this time the economies of some Caribbean States face a danger not just to their prospects for economic stability and growth, but to their very survival. Many appeals have been made which have gone unheeded. More than anything else, the banana controversy has signified the extent to which the interests of small producers are at the mercy of those in a position of dominance in the world economy and world trade.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Currently, what we are seeing is a withering of interest and diminished commitment on the issue of cooperation for development and a hardening of attitudes in an atmosphere which preaches competitiveness and the survival of the fittest. It is clear to us that special arrangements are needed, not only in relation to special categories of countries, but also in relation to commodities, where serious problems would result from the rigorous application of the dogma of free trade. Regrettably, even where such special arrangements exist they are under threat.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“There is evident need to review the prescriptions and to promote a development policy which takes into greater account the specific socio-economic context of developing countries and to devise more equitable arrangements in international economic relations. In an interdependent world, the human dimension of the development equation, especially the growing incidence of poverty and all its manifestations, must continue to be a matter of concern to the entire global community. It is therefore essential that we seek to establish a better framework for development cooperation and to implement an agenda for development as a matter of priority within the United Nations system.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The reasons for these trends are well-known: superior endowments of natural resources; early advantages in modernizing production processes; high levels of capital accumulation and technological development — all have helped consolidate the dominance of the developed countries in world production and trade. Countries which started later in the day will not find it easy to close the gap. And it is not true that the developing countries have only themselves to blame. Most of us have implemented programmes of structural adjustment and stabilization policies, but we have found that the current orthodoxy of free markets and a development model based on liberalization, deregulation and privatization is not providing the promised benefits in trade and investment flows.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The three nations we welcome today are also linked to Jamaica through the Commonwealth of Nations. This year the Commonwealth celebrates its fiftieth anniversary, and we salute its achievements in cooperation — especially in promoting the development objectives of its membership — including the recent initiatives to address the special problems of smaller States. The widening of the gap between rich and poor and the increasing marginalization of a large number of developing countries within the world economic framework are urgent matters demanding the attention of the international community.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We congratulate the Secretary-General for his report (A/54/1) outlining the activities of the Organization over the past year and containing his vision for its future work. Jamaica welcomes the three States that this year have joined the membership of the United Nations: the Republic of Kiribati, the Republic of Nauru and the Kingdom of Tonga. Their presence will enrich our deliberations as they bring their particular experiences and perspectives to influence the direction and work of the Organization. Their admission coincides with the holding of the special session of the General Assembly on small island developing States which over the last two days addressed the particular vulnerabilities of these States, which merit special attention within the international community.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“On behalf of the delegation of Jamaica I extend to you, Sir, our congratulations on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its fifty-fourth session. You and your country, Namibia, are graduates of the United Nations, steeped in its principles, faithful to its causes and committed to its goals. We have full confidence that your leadership will continue to guide us this session in the adoption of constructive decisions which will serve to strengthen the role of the Organization in world affairs. We express our appreciation to the outgoing President, Mr. Didier Opertti, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Uruguay, for his outstanding work in conducting the business of our last session.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“As we move forward towards the end of an era, we must redouble our efforts to ensure that we do not face the dawn of the new millennium burdened by the weight of unresolved issues which impede the development of our community of nations and which undermine the well-being of our peoples. Clearly, it is in our individual and collective interest to participate fully in the process for development and peace, for, after all, the character of the global village of the future will ultimately be determined by the quality of the input that each of us invests today.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“It is hoped that these negotiations will be finalized at an early date, so that a regulatory regime for the resources of the seabed may be firmly established. We call on Member States to participate more actively in these negotiations in order to ensure that the code which is developed will protect the interests of all countries. We also urge Member States to support the operation of the Authority through the commitment of resources. It has not escaped our attention that many of the preceding speakers have made reference to the need for the promotion of international peace, human security and sustainable development.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“We continue to be concerned at the threat tothe fragile marine environment posed by the regular shipment of nuclear and other hazardous waste through the Caribbean Sea. Jamaica commends the Government of Portugal for its initiative in establishing the Independent World Commission on the Oceans, on which an eminent Jamaican serves. As part of its recognition of the International Year of the Ocean, the Government of Jamaica has established a National Council on Ocean and Coastal Zone Management to promote the sustainable development and use of our marine resources. The International Seabed Authority, which has its headquarters in Kingston, continues to make progress on the negotiation of a mining code.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Jamaica joins in condemning the acts of terrorism committed in Dar-es-Salaam and Nairobi during August. We support the adoption of a multilateral approach as the most effective means of removing this threat to the security of the international community. 6 Caribbean States recognize the ocean as a symbol of the common heritage of mankind, a vital resource which should be managed in a responsible manner so as to ensure its continued use for present and future generations. Caribbean Governments are committed to the protection of the Caribbean Sea, our shared patrimony. We have recently taken a decision to develop and implement a comprehensive coastal zone management programme by the year 2000.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The extraordinary demand for and supply of illicit drugs for this lucrative trade has resulted in the formation of transnational networks, including highly sophisticated money-laundering operations. Of even greater concern is the now well- established link between the drug trade and the proliferation of small arms. The ready availability of small arms has intensified the cycle of crime and violence in our societies. The special session of the General Assembly on the world drug problem, held earlier this year, underscored the need to strengthen the process of bilateral, regional and international cooperation in the fight against illicit drug activities. These initiatives should also deal simultaneously with the related problem of small arms. Jamaica calls on the international community to fully support these efforts.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“We believe that such a process of dialogue would pave the way for a broader framework of functional cooperation in areas of interest to both North and South. It is with much satisfaction that Jamaica assumes the chairmanship of the Group of 15 developing States, and we look forward to hosting the ninth ministerial meeting in Jamaica in February next year. Jamaica, during its tenure, will seek to ensure that developing countries play a more active role in shaping the international economy so as to promote greater balance and equity. My Government remains deeply concerned at the ever expanding illicit drug trade, which is not only a menace to civil society, but also undermines the economic viability of our countries.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Beyond this proposed conference, my Government recognizes that there is a need for ongoing exchange between the North and the South. While the days of the ideological divide and political polarization are behind us, we are still faced with the challenge of North-South disparity in development and opportunity. We need to foster increased collaboration between the developed and the developing world to identify ways in which wider cooperation on issues concerning trade and investment, debt and development may be pursued. We consider that a process of dialogue on these issues could be initiated by a representative group of developing and transition economies in consultation with the major industrialized countries.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“We must explore measures to relieve the external debt of the developing countries, including the cancellation of debt. We should seek to have dialogues between creditor and debtor countries to ensure an increase in the flow of concessionary financing in support of economic reforms, poverty eradication and the achievement of sustainable development. We therefore join the call for the urgent convening of a conference on financing for development at an early date. Crucial issues which we would wish to see discussed at such a meeting are strategies for mobilizing domestic resources for development; mobilization of international private financial flows; international financial cooperation for development; debt relief; and trade facilitation for development.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“These trends must be reversed if developing countries are to have a fair opportunity to achieve meaningful development; for the success of the development process is dependent on the availability of external financing, and concessionary resource flows play a significant role in the maintenance of economic stability, the development of infrastructure and capacity-building, which are prerequisites for effective participation in the globalization process. Jamaica considers that the time has come for us to address these issues in serious dialogue. There is an urgent need to identify ways in which development financing from industrialized to developing and transition economies for both public and private sector enterprise may be increased.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Official development assistance represents today only an average of 0.22 per cent of the gross national product of developed countries, a far cry from the target of 0.7 per cent set in 1972. The share of official development assistance in net resource flows to developing countries fell from 64 per cent in 1994 to 22 per cent in 1996. Taken with the heavy burden of the debt-service payments which must be met, we are faced with the unhappy circumstance of net reverse flows from the South to the North at a time when additional resources are needed to address the challenges which attend the globalization process.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“We note that while this process holds much promise for growth and prosperity, it also poses serious challenges for developing countries, many of which are being increasingly marginalized. The reality is that the globalization process is heightening patterns of uneven development among developed and developing countries, and it is already very clear that there is no globalization of benefits. 5 The plight of developing countries in the wake of the financial crisis currently affecting the global economy is made even grimmer when we take into account the decline in concessionary financial flows from the donor community which we have witnessed in recent years.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The success of the small island developing States initiative will depend on the negotiation of favourable agreements among national stakeholders and on the forging of effective partnerships with donor countries. Jamaica therefore looks forward to the convening of the special session for the review of the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States in 1999, which provides an opportunity for real progress to be made through the commitment of financial resources. What we need now is an action- oriented follow-up programme to take our economies into the twenty-first century. Jamaica is a strong advocate of multilateralism and believes that measures available within the multilateral framework should be employed to assist developing countries to benefit meaningfully from the process of globalization.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The danger posed by natural disasters was most recently demonstrated by hurricane Georges, which wreaked destruction through the Caribbean, causing widespread loss of life and property in Antigua and Barbuda, Cuba, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Saint Kitts and Nevis. We take this opportunity to appeal to the international community to provide urgent and generous humanitarian assistance and support for the reconstruction of our sister Caribbean States. Jamaica welcomes the ongoing effort of the United Nations to develop economic and ecological vulnerability indices for small island developing States and will be monitoring closely the outcome of this work.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The issue of sustainable development for small island developing States is of particular importance to Jamaica. It speaks to the very survival of a group of island States whose economic viability and developmental aspirations are inextricably linked to the carrying capacity of the fragile ecosystems in which these nations make their home. I speak of the ecologically vulnerable islands and low-lying coastal States of the Caribbean, which are continually subject to the pressures of urbanization and resource exploitation, to the pollution of their coastal waters and to the threat of natural disasters. We are endangered by the threat of sea-level rise and face the destruction of our coral reefs.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“We in the Caribbean region stand firmly committed to, first, nurturingthe development of each person’s potential without regard to gender; secondly, developing a culture of entrepreneurship; thirdly, research and development as a way of life and a means of improving production; and finally, improving the competitiveness of those industries on which our economies are based. We look to the international community to support these aspirations. In this regard, Jamaica welcomes the Secretary- General’s proposed initiatives to strengthen the international framework for human development. We agree that it would be useful to convene global and regional seminars exploring ways to advance human resource development and institution-building in preparation for the Millennium Assembly to be held in the year 2000.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“This challenge of good governance demands an institutional infrastructure that promotes transparency and accountability in public administration, ensures the effective management of fiscal and monetary policies and protects the integrity of judicial and law enforcement systems. A crucial component of our economic and social transformation is the development of our human resources. Jamaica supports the view that sustainable development cannot be achieved without sustained human development. Indeed, the pivotal importance of our human resources to the development process was reaffirmed by the Caribbean Community member States in the Montego Bay Declaration adopted in 1997.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“4 We continue to look to the United Nations system for support of our development agenda, which goes beyond our effort to gain fair access to international markets and to secure a just and equitable share of global prosperity. Central to improving the welfare of our people must be measures to alleviate and ultimately eradicate poverty and to promote environmental protection and sustainable development. We need to strengthen our institutional framework for capacity-building and we need to invest in development of our human resources. This is our people-centred vision for development, and we recognize the need, if we are to make a reality of this vision, to continue to devise and implement public policies which ensure that the gains from economic growth and development are equitably distributed throughout society.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“There can be no doubt that peace and security are prerequisites for the attainment of sustainable development. It is equally true, however, that where there is economic and social deprivation, there can be no real peace. Jamaica therefore strongly endorses the right to development as an integral part of fundamental human rights and underscores the important contribution which realization of this right would make to the fuller enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms. In this regard, we welcome the report of the Secretary- General on progress being made in the elaboration of a strategy for the implementation and promotion of the right to development.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“We commend the Government of Trinidad and Tobago for taking the initiative in calling for its establishment. That institution will provide a framework for the legal expression of international opposition to the terrible crimes being perpetrated against humanity which the United Nations had not been able to address effectively. This year the international community celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. As we commemorate this important milestone, we should affirm our commitment to the ideals of tolerance, peace and understanding for all peoples. Let us also demonstrate mutual respect for each other’s right to self-determination, including the right to choose one’s own path for achieving national goals, and the right to sustainable development.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“We believe that, like any other international body, the Security Council should undergo a process of democratic reform if it is effectively to meet the new challenges of an ever changing world. We are committed to working as equal partners with the rest of the international community to strengthen the capacity of the Security Council to respond to the needs of Member States in matters of peace and security. To that end, my Government has presented its candidature for a non-permanent seat on the Council for the period 2000-2001. My Government attaches importance to the fact that the long awaited International Criminal Court, which the Secretary-General described as the missing link in the international legal system, has now been constituted by an internationally agreed Statute.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“I wish to pay special tribute to these volunteers, some of whom have given their lives, for their sacrifice in the cause of peace. The Charter of the United Nations invests in the Security Council the principal authority for multilateral decision-making in matters affecting international peace and security. We are therefore concerned at the tendency of States to take unilateral action which they deem to be in their national interest in situations of conflict with other nations. Jamaica reaffirms its confidence in the principle of collective security, on which the role of the Security Council is predicated. It is also important that the actions of the Council inspire confidence and that there be greater openness and transparency in its working methods.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“In the face of this, we should strengthen our resolve to stand against aggression and the use of force, and to support the resolution of disputes and conflicts through negotiated settlements. We encourage Member States to support the Secretary-General’s initiative for strengthening the capability of the United Nations to deal with conflict resolution, prevention and early warning. I also wish to use this opportunity to commend the United Nations peacekeeping forces for the great contribution which they continue to make to the maintenance of peace, notwithstanding the difficult circumstances in which they work. We are deeply distressed at the increasing acts of violence directed against international peacekeeping personnel.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“We share the international community’s concern that the peace process in the Middle East has been stalled, and we are disappointed that there is still no substantial progress on the long-standing problem in Cyprus. Hostilities in Afghanistan continue unabated, civil wars still rage in the Sudan and Angola and violence in Kosovo has escalated. New complications have arisen to increase instability and conflict in the Great Lakes region of Central Africa. These unresolved conflicts undermine the political, economic and social fabric of the States concerned, bringing destruction and untold human suffering to the victims of war. We cannot afford to drift into complacency while increasing numbers of the world’s people are destroyed, dispossessed and despoiled by war.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“In recent years, the international community has witnessed a disturbing increase in the number of conflicts within and between States. The stable peace anticipated at the end of the cold war has been elusive. Instead, we have watched as efforts to resolve ongoing regional disputes unravel because of obduracy, mistrust and hostility. We have watched as intolerance and hatred have 3 divided communities and fuelled conflicts across the continents. We are concerned that despite the intervention of the Secretary-General, his envoys and the membership of the United Nations, there is still no real progress towards peace in a number of long-standing disputes.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)