YouSaid · the spoken record

Simmonds

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS SIMMONDS

lines on the record: 103
first: 1988-09-24
most recent: 1994-09-24
sittings or episodes: 4
sources: un-general-debate

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“5 The challenges facing the United Nations are monumental, but not more so than those facing individual nations, large or small, or individuals in poor communities, as well as in affluent societies. We occupy a global common. Therefore, we must together find practical solutions to the problems of hunger, poverty, war, crime, development and freedom in every corner of our world. If we fail, none will be secure, none will be at peace, none will be free.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Although we share the view that a population explosion may eventually threaten the Earth’s capacity to provide in a sustainable manner, we do not believe that simply trying to control population growth will by itself solve the serious problems that we are facing today. My Government is of the view that a concerted attempt to redeploy much of the world’s resources, to discover new resources and to use them more equitably would better serve the interest of development for all peoples. I cannot but remind us all that the international menace of drugs and drug trafficking still looms large. The danger and the trade are ever-increasing. We should continue to wage a determined and aggressive war on drug trafficking and narco-terrorism, which seek to undermine and unravel the social and political fabric of our societies.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“At the United Nations Conference on small States, we decided to commit our efforts to the efficient use of land resources, to work towards creating better education and improved health care, and to exploit natural resources on a sustainable basis. If we achieve this, we shall indeed be bequeathing to our children and their children a much safer world. It is against the backdrop of safeguarding our children’s future that the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis participated in the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo. We fully support the view that the issue of population control must be addressed.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“I call on the international community to honour its commitment made in Barbados in May 1994: “The international community should cooperate with small island developing States in the implementation of the Programme of Action ... by providing effective means, including adequate, predictable new and additional financial resources in accordance with chapter 33 of Agenda 21; facilitating the transfer of environmentally sound technology, including on concessional and preferential terms as mutually agreed”. (A/CONF.167/9, Annex I, Part Two, III.1) This will ensure success in achieving our goal of sustainable development. There is nothing more noble than the gift of life. At the important and historic World Summit for Children of 1990, participating Governments agreed to make the world a much safer place for future generations of children.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“While the international community moves ever closer to the realization of economic blocs, special attention must also be devoted to the fragile commodities export sector in some of these countries, and the need for special regimes to be put in place to ensure the viability of most of these small economies, which do not have the advantage of economies of scale and large consumer markets. I should like to repeat my fervent appeal to Governments of developed countries and to multilateral agencies to become more supportive of and responsive to the needs of small developing countries by providing the technical assistance, information-sharing, technology transfer and investments, and to promote human resource development through education and training.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Social, economic and political advancement in small developing countries should not be held to ransom by the industrialized world as a way of punishing them for environmental degradation. The protection and preservation of the environment is a global responsibility and must engender a collective approach. The industrialized world must take responsibility for much of the damage to the environment and work towards a framework for international cooperation and partnership in preserving it. Developing countries ought to be given assistance and be presented with alternatives to destroying the forest or depleting the limited resources at their disposal.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“The Declaration of Barbados underscores the fact that small island States have sovereign rights over their natural resources. The developed world, therefore, cannot claim paternity over our biodiversity under the pretext that their technology was used. Further, on the issue of the environment, I would like to call upon the developed countries to de-link economic assistance, trade and investment from environmental protection. In most cases, small island developing States are penalized for allegedly exploiting limited resources and for so-called environmental degradation. I urge the international community to assist developing countries to obtain the wherewithal to gauge the exploitation of resources and to do environmental impact assessments so as to ensure that the precarious balance is maintained.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“As I have done in the past, I appeal for greater equity within the international economic system. The time has come for the developed world to rethink the outdated policy of trying to make a single prescription fit all countries. We need to develop a more durable, and country-specific approach, based on fairness, economic circumstance and need. Above all, the concept of the vulnerability index must become part of the economic language and armamentarium of all multilateral and national development institutions. Indeed, the developing world should not view our small island Caribbean States as dumping grounds for 4 over-produced consumer items, but see us as developing economies whose fragile banana and sugar exports need to be protected.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Although Saint Kitts and Nevis does not produce or use any significant amount of material to damage the ozone layer or contribute to coastal erosion and rising sea levels, we are among those which suffer most as a result of their impact. Small island States like mine suffer greatly from environmental and natural disasters, yet we lack the capacity to respond to and recover from them. The objective reality of our individual and collective experience speaks volumes. We have seen how less than a month ago, tropical storm Debbie — insignificant, really, as a tropical storm, not strong enough to be a hurricane — devastated the banana industry in Saint Lucia, thus wreaking havoc on that country’s economy. We need special attention. We need special regimes.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“However, existing problems and innovative attempts by small island developing States to improve their standard of living very rarely receive consistent support from the developed world. Micro States like Saint Kitts and Nevis are being called upon to prove their viability within the international community. The irony lies in the fact that when we manage to raise our standard of living to a decent level, the international community withdraws or reduces its support under the pretext that our GNP per capita is too high. I do not believe that we should have to reiterate the vulnerability index of small States like mine.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Our very survival as a people and as independent States is dependent on the sustainable development of our human resources and the maximization of our scarce material resources. These limited material resources are under constant and severe stress despite our efforts. Although we recognize the Conference in Barbados as a giant step for small island developing States, the discussion must be taken much further, beyond conference halls and into communities, and translated into practical tangible benefits. In Saint Kitts and Nevis, for instance, over the past ten years we have been engaged in projects and programmes whereby we seek to create a sound and pragmatic balance between economic and social development, on the one hand, and environmental protection on the other.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“The Republic of China in Taiwan is a major international player in commerce, trade and development assistance, and would make a significant contribution to the work of the United Nations. I would now like to turn our attention to the question of sustainable development and small States, and to commend quite highly the efforts of the United Nations in bringing the reality and concerns of small island developing States to the forefront of international focus. The Declaration of Barbados is a step in the right direction. It recognizes that small island developing States have special and peculiar needs. We, in small island developing States have been saying this for a long time.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Another way in which the United Nations can be made more globally inclusive is by bringing more Members into the fold. Last year, my Government called upon the United Nations to begin the process that would lead to the ultimate re-admission of the Republic of China in Taiwan into the United Nations. My Government stands firmly behind that appeal and we repeat this appeal here today. The Republic of China in Taiwan continues to adhere to the Charter of the United Nations and to govern itself by the principles of international and humanitarian law. It has proven repeatedly that it is a country committed to peace, democracy and development, not only for its 21 million people, who are entitled to proper representation internationally, but for all peoples, that their quality of life may be improved.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“3 We must remain cognizant of the fact that the fundamental sovereignty of all States, large or small, is respected equally by the United Nations. If necessary, the United Nations will protect the rights of the small against the power of the large. It has institutionalized the rights of small and micro States to exist and to coexist with the big and powerful nations. All independent States, therefore, irrespective of their size and population, are equal under international law. Every effort should be made, therefore, to enable small States to participate more fully in the day- to-day decision-making process of the United Nations. One way to achieve this is through more equitable geographical representation within the Secretariat, and I appeal for this to be implemented.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“If the Organization is to be able to respond effectively, we must evaluate from time to time not only our resources, but the way in which we manage those resources, and ensure that there is greater accountability in such management. In short, the United Nations, recognizing the responsibilities entrusted to it by the international community, must be more accountable to its Members. What we are suggesting, therefore, is a more balanced relationship predicated on the principles of responsibility and accountability. The delegation of Saint Kitts and Nevis welcomes the creation of the Office of Internal Oversight Services; its creation is not an end in itself, but a means to ensure that there is greater accountability within the Organization.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“We must act decisively to mobilize more resources from every possible source to intensify the relief effort in that tragic country. We, the Members of the United Nations cannot pamper our consciences with pious speeches on what the United Nations ought to do to alleviate the suffering, while at the same time rendering the Organization impotent by refusing to give it the necessary financial and material capabilities it so desperately needs to carry out its functions more effectively. The United Nations is being called upon with greater frequency to respond to a greater variety of conflicts, suffering and development needs.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“My delegation therefore congratulates the United Nations on its consistent efforts to fulfil its humanitarian missions in the many different theatres of tragic suffering world-wide. The humanitarian catastrophe which has been unfolding in Rwanda threatens to destabilize the fragile economic and political balance of its neighbours. The scope and scale of this human disaster, unprecedented in the history of modern-day Africa, should catapult us to seek a peaceful end to the crisis. Reports on the revolting policy of "ethnic cleansing" and indiscriminate massacres of women and children strike a familiar, mind-wrenching note in our collective psyche. Although its resources are minuscule, St. Kitts and Nevis could not fail to make a financial contribution to the United Nations relief effort in Rwanda.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“I must reiterate, however, that we should not stop there, but should aim also for the non-proliferation of all weapons, including chemical, biological and conventional. In this regard, St. Kitts and Nevis also supports the moratorium on the export of land-mines, and goes even further by calling for a ban on their manufacture as well as their export. Land-mines continue to cause tremendous misery and untold hardship for many populations world- wide long after conflicts have ended. In most cases the victims of these land-mines are poor farmers and innocent children. It is our sacred and solemn responsibility as world leaders to ensure a safe world for our nation’s children.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“These atrocities and the flagrant and consistent violation of human rights are an affront to everything we as human beings hold sacred. The international community must continue to express its just indignation at the atrocities in this arena of conflict. At the same time, we must pursue all initiatives to find a just and lasting solution, preferably at the negotiating table. Last year my delegation commended this body for its tireless efforts to keep the international community from the brink of nuclear warfare and called upon all countries signatories to the Treaty on non-proliferation to continue to abide by it and to urge those who had not yet become parties to it to do so. We repeat this plea today. We also look forward to an indefinite ban on all nuclear testing.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“The constantly changing realities of the present world situation call for Member Governments to harden traditional attitudes while making genuine attempts to search for pragmatic solutions requiring different and unprecedented approaches and compromises. It was against this backdrop that at the last session of the General Assembly my Government called upon the warring factions in the Yugoslavian conflict to come to the negotiating table. We note with great satisfaction that the leaders of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzergovina have managed to arrive at a peaceful settlement of disputes. However, my Government abhors the wanton murder, "ethnic cleansing" and systematic persecution of innocent people which still characterize the brutal conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Kitts and Nevis urges the Government of Iraq to respect the finalization of the demarcation of the boundary between Kuwait and Iraq, which was accomplished by the Iraq- Kuwait Boundary Demarcation Commission on 20 May 1993, and to respect and abide by Security Council resolution 833 (1993), which guarantees the inviolability of the boundary between the two States. It is the fervent hope of the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis that international support for this resolution will act as a deterrent, both now and in the future, against conflict between Kuwait and Iraq and will at the same time help enhance stability and security in the region.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“As prospects for peace continue to flourish in the Middle East, the tranquillity of the Gulf region is once again being threatened by an Iraqi troop build-up near the Kuwait border. It is time for the people of Kuwait to feel secure within their own borders. It is time for full compliance by Iraq with Security Council resolutions 2 pertaining to the aggression against Kuwait. It is time for Kuwait nationals detained in Iraq to be returned to their homeland. It is time for Iraq to pursue peaceful policies with its neighbours. Once again the Government of St.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“My Government welcomes the consolidation of peace and the efforts at cooperation between the Government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization. No one could have predicted that so much would have been possible, and in so short a time. The rapidly changing face of Middle East politics augurs well for the overall peace process, quality of life and stability of the entire region. In this spirit, my delegation applauds the joint Declaration officially ending the state of belligerency between the State of Israel and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. This historic event marks yet another bold and positive step on the road to ensuring a lasting peace in the Middle East. My Government calls upon the countries in the Middle East to give peace a practical chance.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Kitts and Nevis reiterates its commitment to join with the international community to give that country and its people the requisite support to develop lasting democratic and social institutions to ensure that democracy does work and is seen to work for every single citizen. The contrasting realities of our world are quite real and apparent. Whenever we believe that we have solved one major problem, another presents itself elsewhere. This notwithstanding, we can all be pleased at the current movement towards peace under way in the Middle East. Not long ago the prospect of peace in any form seemed practically impossible. However, today the peace process seems to be gaining a firm foothold in that region. The international community must be ready to give unreserved support to that process and afford it more durable mechanisms for success.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“We have successfully and emphatically closed the final chapter of the brutal and unjust system of apartheid, and a new and democratic South Africa has emerged from its ashes. However, despite the successes, the new South Africa is still on the threshold of unprecedented challenges. The journey is long and arduous, but the country’s leaders and its people have a wonderful opportunity to right historical wrongs while at the same time charting a new and purposeful course in their future. The amalgamated voice of the people of South Africa has been heard, not only within that country but the world over. They have put their faith in the democratic process. As South Africa sails the fresh and often tumultuous waters of representative democracy and attempts to institutionalize social justice, St.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“In order to support the process, it is absolutely essential that the international community be ready to mobilize significant financial and technical resources to ensure the rebuilding of Haiti’s economy and institutions - institutions destroyed by decades of neglect and mismanagement. Saint Kitts and Nevis stands ready to assist in the long and arduous task of helping the Haitian people rebuild their economy. For many years the international community struggled to bring democracy to the majority of the people of South Africa. Today South Africa can be held up as a beacon of hope and a testament to the triumph of democracy. Last year my delegation welcomed the announcement of the holding of non-racial and multi-party elections - something for which my Government had been calling since joining this Organization 11 years ago.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“For almost four years the will of the people of Haiti and the resolve of the international community have been callously frustrated by the military, who usurped and have held on to power. Saint Kitts and Nevis is in full agreement with the resolute action taken by the United States, with the support of the international community, to ensure compliance with Security Council resolution 940 (1994). The multinational force has been carrying out its work with dedication, professionalism and restraint. While there have been some untoward incidents, we must not be deterred. We must be prepared to stay the course for the benefit of the people of Haiti and for the growth of stable democracy in this hemisphere. The process of establishing democracy will not end with the return of President Aristide; it will have just begun.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Our people enjoy the 1 effective workings of the democratic process and the safeguards provided by its institutions. We are determined to do all that we can, in our time, to ensure that future generations too will be able to exercise their democratic freedoms in an atmosphere of political stability. There is an ever-increasing thirst for democracy throughout the world. In our hemisphere, military regimes have been giving way to democratically elected Governments. Nowhere has this process been more dramatic than in Haiti, where, in 1991, the people, in free and fair elections under the keen scrutiny of the international community, chose Jean-Bertrand Aristide as their President.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Samuel Insanally, for the astute and most able manner in which he conducted and guided the affairs of this body during its forty-eighth session despite unprecedented trials and numerous challenges. His resolve and his successes give credence to his commitment to the planting of seeds of cooperation and goodwill in every corner of the globe to ensure that our children and grandchildren may feast on harvests of peace, equality, freedom and democracy. The Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, has faced many problems of great complexity during the past year. I wish to congratulate him on the outstanding manner in which he has been carrying out the mandate of the Organization. The Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis shares the commitment to democracy, respect for human dignity and the protection of human rights.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Once again I am proud and honoured to have the opportunity to address this assembly of nations and to convey to representatives fraternal and cordial greetings from the Government and people of Saint Kitts and Nevis. The convening of the forty-ninth session of the General Assembly of the United Nations provides the Governments of all Member States with an important opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to the cause of peace, democracy and the pursuit of a higher quality of life for our peoples. I wish to join other representatives by extending warmest congratulations from the Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis to you, Mr. President, on your election to preside at this session of the General Assembly. I assure you of my Government’s continued support and cooperation. Allow me, Sir, to thank the outgoing President, His Excellency Mr.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“All that is left is for us to summon the commitment to preserve, develop and manage our combined heritage with the objective of guaranteeing a better quality of life for all people, everywhere.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Within the programme, access to the resources must not be tied to conditions that would impose further burdens on the people of developing countries. Such resources must be made available on preferential terms, with special concessions for small island developing countries. I can stress the urgency of this requirement in no better way than to repeat what I said to the historic assembly in Rio: "We cannot aspire to save the planet for future generations, while consigning the poor, the underprivileged, the underdeveloped of this generation to a life of persistent misery and deprivation." The task *is enormous, the challenge is monumental, but within the international community we have the tools.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We in Saint Kitts and Nevis will continue to play our part in preserving our planet by implementing national policies and programmes based on domestic social and economic realities, including solid waste management, water quality improvement, control of soil and coastal erosion, forestry management, agricultural and fisheries development and preservation of our marine environment. In Rio, we endorsed an implementation programme known as Agenda 21. It addresses the major issues related to sustainable development. It charts the way to improved living standards in developing countries. We must now translate this blueprint into tangible action by providing the financial resources for its implementation.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The importance of our marine environment to the health, welfare and total development of our Caribbean people cannot be overemphasized. Consequently reports of the impending shipment of a large quantity of plutonium through the Caribbean Sea later this month are a matter of the gravest concern to us in Saint Kitts and Nevis. This is a matter which must and will be addressed by the Caribbean community. I call on the international community to support us in our efforts to protect our marine environment and to prohibit the movement of hazardous waste through our region.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The rights of women and the entitlement to such rights have been integrated into my country's development policies and programmes, which are implemented by a Ministry of Women's Affairs. We recognize the strong correlation between environmentally sound development and population growth, and we provide family-planning programmes involving education, information and accessible services. We maintain our commitment to our children through the provision of improved educational facilities and appropriate curricula, a variety of training opportunities, recreational facilities, improved housing and a strong programme of primary health care in which we maintain our standard of 100 per cent immunization against the common communicable diseases.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We also signed the Convention on climate change, because Saint Kitts and Nevis, and indeed the entire Caribbean region, are susceptible to the ravages of hurricanes, and, as island States, we are certainly vulnerable to the effects of global warming and a rise in sea level. The execution of those Conventions must have special meaning to our women and children. The United Nations has already committed itself to devoting special attention to them. Saint Kitts and Nevis fully acknowledges the importance and contribution of our women to sustainable development. Women in my country are fully involved as equal partners in the decision-making and development processes.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“That conference provided us with a rare, almost unique, opportunity for global cooperation and partnership. We paused there to chart afresh the course for improving the quality of life for all peoples in our time and for future generations, through an integrated, caring and people-oriented approach to sustainable development. We left there with a clear commitment to balance the urgency of environmental preservation with the imperatives of human development. We signed the Convention on biological diversity to encourage the rational management of natural resources, to ensure that the people of developing countries will justly gain the benefits associated with the use of their resources.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“I am aware that global recession and the recent uncertainties reflected in the financial system in Europe will put severe pressures on donor budgets and will thus encourage the trend towards the reduction of official development assistance. I must, in spite of the difficulties, renew the call for developed countries to recommit themselves to reaching the United Nations target for official development assistance amounting to 0.7 per cent of their gross domestic product. A reduction in aid would undermine our efforts to promote sustainable development and protect the environment. Yet those objectives were the very heart of the consensus reached at the historic United Nations Conference on Environment and Development the Earth Summit held at Rio de Janeiro in June of this year.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Therefore, while we support the call for an early and successful conclusion to the Uruguay Round of trade negotiations, we urge that as we, the small island developing countries of the Caribbean, work assiduously to transform our economies, earnest consideration should be given to the continuation of preferential trading arrangements to small countries such as ours. In particular, special treatment of the sensitive commodities, sugar and bananas, is vital to our stable adjustment to the changing global economic environment. The other area for urgent action is the maintenance of concessional flows of aid to developing countries.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The fact is that, as developing countries most of us being island developing countries in the Caribbean community we are individually small. When taken together and looked at in the international context, we are still small, and the basic problems, inequities and vulnerabilities of small developing countries still afflict us. We want to play an effective part in the international economic system; we want to be equal partners in the evolving global trading arrangements. In our case, however, equal does not mean identical, because we do not start from the same premise. The basic conditions and inequities which necessitated special arrangements under agreements such as the Lome Convention, the Caribbean Basin Initiative and CARIBCAN are still present.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“In the Caribbean we recognize that we must accept the principal responsibility for progress in our own development. We have demonstrated a commitment to reform and diversification, we have taken bold initiatives involving greater fiscal and economic discipline, and we are willing to do more. But we cannot do the job alone. We have made significant progress in regional cooperation and are now poised to take further initiatives to strengthen our functional, economic and political cooperation. We know that we can do more for ourselves through more effective regional integration. As a Caribbean people, we have to be realistic in assessing the potential impact of our regional integration process. The members of the international community too must be realistic in designing their policies for interacting with us in the Caribbean community.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“There is no one solution for the rich and the poor, for the industrialized and the non-industrialized, for the developed and the developing. Even within the category of developing countries, there are structural differences between small island developing countries and others. Special consideration must therefore be given to small island developing countries. In matters of trade we cannot be equal partners. How can we, when large countries, having the benefit of economies of scale, highly developed infrastructure and modern technology, can swamp our markets with virtually any product? On the other hand, the per capita cost to us of providing the infrastructure to support an export-oriented development is higher than it is in developed countries.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We also support training programmes through our own school for the deaf and private sector support institutions. The people must be given the tools education, basic infrastructure, appropriate technology transfer and the life-quality-enhancing support of affordable housing, good health care and facilities for recreation. Instead of a massive mobilization of financial resources for developing countries, however, we are faced with reductions in concessional financing and across-the-board cuts in aid. These will hit the poorest and smallest countries hardest and undermine our efforts to reduce poverty, stimulate growth and protect the environment. Free trade is being touted as the new panacea for all our ills. There is, however, no single prescription for the economic ailments of all countries.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“It is a monumental task, which will require massive mobilization of resources, sensible and sensitive application of those resources, and an unprecedented level of cooperation between developed and developing countries. There must be a major emphasis on human resource development so that the people may be empowered to drive the development process. In this decade of the disabled, and beyond, they too must be involved. My Government is making every effort to ensure that the disabled of our country are involved in the total process of mobilization. In order to increase public awareness and to assist in the development of the disabled, my Government has spearheaded a major fund-raising effort through the annual walkathon undertaken by Ministers of Government as part of our celebration of independence.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We regard the peace talks that have started as a positive development and we urge that they be continued in good faith by all parties concerned, so that a just and lasting solution which addresses all of the issues of fundamental rights, security and economic and social development can be achieved. The people in developing countries are still anxiously awaiting the "peace dividend". This body of nations must work assiduously at bringing an end to conflicts, at ending hunger and starvation. We must, in short, strive to move beyond a mere crisis-response modality and shift into a posture to effect just and sustainable development throughout the world.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The climate for negotiation has to be restored in order to facilitate the emergence and subsequent establishment of a democratic and non-racial South Africa. We seize this opportunity to invite the international community, if necessary, to remobilize its forces in the struggle against apartheid, in the struggle for freedom, peace and democracy in South Africa. Let us not abandon the oppressed people in South Africa. Let us stand firm instead until justice, equality and freedom become realities. The primary objective must be "one person, one vote". This is the only brand of democracy we in the Caribbean understand. This is the only brand of democracy we want for ourselves and for our brothers and sisters in South Africa. We commend the role the United Nations has played and continues to play in respect of Arab-Israeli relations.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The recent upsurge in violence, which appears to enjoy tacit support from elements within the ruling regime itself, must cause us to doubt the sincerity of the De Klerk administration to lay apartheid in its final resting place. The Government and people of Saint Kitts and Nevis call upon the General Assembly at this forty-seventh session to condemn the wanton killings in South Africa and to appeal to all parties to resume talks in good faith, for the sake of democracy and good government. We call for an end to the violence in South Africa. We urge the immediate resumption of the negotiating process towards a free and democratic South Africa. We re-emphasize our unshakable solidarity with the anti-apartheid struggle and we appeal to the South African regime to exercise more effective control over its security forces.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“In the meantime we must continue and increase humanitarian assistance to the people of Haiti through international relief organizations, and ensure that our assistance reaches those who need it most. We must also be prepared to mobilize significant development assistance to Haiti when democracy is restored. In relation to South Africa, we in the Caribbean have been strong in our condemnation of apartheid. I have no doubt that our principled stand, along with that of other countries has contributed to the eventual dismantling of the main pillars of apartheid. Encouraged by the African National Congress, and as a means of encouraging further progress, we relaxed some of the sanctions that we had imposed.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The people of Haiti still cannot breathe the pure air of freedom; they still suffer under an oppressive illegal regime which blatantly and monstrously repudiated the will of the people, which was so freely and overwhelmingly expressed in the elections of December 1990. Saint Kitts and Nevis, and indeed the entire Caribbean community, continue to condemn this dastardly assault upon the democratic process in Haiti, and we maintain our call for the restoration of constitutional democracy in Haiti. I call on the Member States of the United Nations to ostracize the illegal regime in Haiti and to take all appropriate measures to restore democracy and the constitutionally elected government in Haiti.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“It is serious cause for concern that countries in which the economy is in shambles, and in which production of goods and services is practically at a standstill, can still find the means to procure massive amounts of arms and ammunition and sustain armed conflicts for many months and even years. Here again we see resources that should be channelled to address issues of human development being diverted into weapons of destruction for the perpetration of violence. It is therefore clear that there is also an urgent need for a reduction in both conventional and non-conventional weapons and I call upon the Assembly to pursue this objective. While much of our attention seems to be directed towards Eastern Europe let us be reminded that peace and development continue to elude the people of Haiti and South Africa.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)