YouSaid · the spoken record

Philip SEALY

lines on the record: 75
first: 2002-09-24
most recent: 2007-09-24
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

“We must address all these global issues with firmness of purpose and in a resolute manner if we are to save coming generations from the adverse consequences of war, underdevelopment and poverty, as well as the deleterious effects of climate change, and to ensure that all humanity can enjoy improved standards of living in freedom and in dignity on a habitable planet.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“In order for the suffering of millions of enslaved Africans not to have been in vain, the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago intends to make a financial contribution to the CARICOM initiative for a permanent memorial to be erected within these hallowed walls of the United Nations in remembrance of all those who perished in the Middle Passage and on the plantations in the New World in their struggle for freedom and liberation from the yoke of slavery. We call upon the international community to contribute generously to such a worthwhile and historic venture. In conclusion, the United Nations remains a centre for harmonizing the goals and aspirations of all mankind. There is no other universal forum with greater legitimacy or a more suitable mandate to bring about an improvement in the human condition.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“We in Trinidad and Tobago have used the opportunity to educate all of our citizens on the degrading treatment to which those human beings were subjected and to demonstrate that, notwithstanding our history of slavery, followed by the indentureship of other segments of our population, the people of Trinidad and Tobago have developed a harmonious cosmopolitan society, which is an accomplishment worthy of emulation in other parts of the globe that are fractured by fratricidal ethnic and religious struggles.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Earlier this year, we observed here at Headquarters and in the capitals of all CARICOM States a programme of activities intended to raise the consciousness of peoples the world over regarding the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade and the deleterious effects it had on Africa, depriving that continent of millions of its inhabitants, and on people of African descent in the Americas.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Despite the importance of the current work of the Authority on polymetallic sulphides and cobalt crusts, many States parties fail to attend the annual sessions of the Authority held in Jamaica. The continued absence of States undermines the common heritage principle laid down in Part XI of the Convention and threatens the very legitimacy of the work of the Authority. We accordingly call on all members of the Authority to attend regularly the sessions of the Authority and thus assist it in adopting regulations governing the exploration and exploitation of the mineral resources in the Area, which are of benefit to all mankind. Trinidad and Tobago, like its Caribbean neighbours, acknowledges its maternal links to Africa and notes that 2007 was an important year for the peoples of that continent and for the African diaspora worldwide.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Part XI of the Convention explicitly provides that the area beyond national jurisdiction and its resources are the common heritage of mankind. Trinidad and Tobago is accordingly of the view that any legal regime developed to regulate the marine genetic resources of the Area must be guided by the common heritage principle. Adherence to such a principle would ensure that the resources of the Area are exploited for the benefit of all members of the international community, and not just for the benefit of those with the financial wherewithal and the technical know-how. Similarly, we recognize that all States parties to the Convention are ipso facto members of the International Seabed Authority.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Our approach will be grounded in the recognition of the continued deleterious effects that the international trade in illegal drugs is having on the social fabric of societies the world over, including in the Caribbean. The time has come for the international community to recognize the illicit trafficking of drugs as an international crime subject to the jurisdiction of ICC. Another area of public international law to which Trinidad and Tobago attaches the utmost importance is the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. This year’s meeting of the United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea addressed the important issue of marine genetic resources.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“We are keenly aware of the important strides being made by ICC, as it devotes its attention to the prosecution of individuals accused of committing the crimes within its jurisdiction, namely, genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Trinidad and Tobago recalls in this connection the adoption at the Rome Diplomatic Conference of a resolution recommending that a conference to review the Court’s Statute also consider the inclusion of trafficking in illegal drugs on an international scale as being within the Court’s jurisdiction. We must seize the opportunity now forced upon us by international trends to fully engage ICC in efforts to stem the tide of that scourge, and similarly, to consider the inclusion of acts of terrorism, once that term is clearly defined by the international community.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“It is, accordingly, in this spirit that we have just signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was adopted and opened for signature during the sixty-first session of the General Assembly, and we will take steps to ratify the Convention once the necessary implementing legislation is put in place to complement what is already provided for in our domestic policy with regard to persons with disabilities. It is this confidence in and respect for the international rule of law that has encouraged Trinidad and Tobago to campaign, since the late 1980s and at the highest political levels, for the establishment of an International Criminal Court (ICC).”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“He emphasized that the mission in which we as a nation are engaged collectively is a transformation process aimed at bringing sustained prosperity and the requisite higher quality of life to every individual, family and community across the country. The Government has therefore sought to give concrete expression to the national quest for a highly competitive, productive, innovative and caring society, in which all are encouraged to attain their highest potential and are facilitated in doing so.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“The passage through the Caribbean Sea of ships carrying radioactive waste is an issue to which all CARICOM Governments attach the highest importance. Allow me to take this opportunity to reiterate the continued objection of Caribbean countries against the use of the Caribbean Sea for the trans-shipment of radioactive waste. The repeated scientific and safety reports may offer some reassurance, but they do very little to appease our concern. Our Prime Minister, Mr. Patrick Manning, in his 2008 budget statement, brought into sharp focus the vision of the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago for our cosmopolitan society.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“To this end, the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago has already made a voluntary contribution of $1 million to the trust fund for the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre in Belize to strengthen that institution, so that it can assist CARICOM member States in implementing their adaptation strategies to deal with the adverse effects of climate change. But we in the Caribbean are not only concerned about global warming and its adverse effects on Caribbean States. We are also deeply interested in preserving the marine environment of the Caribbean Sea, which is an important natural resource for all its littoral island and continental States, given their varying degrees of dependence on tourism.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“As a State party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol, we call on all States parties to UNFCCC, particularly major emitters of greenhouse gases, to agree at Bali to launch negotiations on a post-2012 regime. In those negotiations, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago and other like-minded Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member States will seek to achieve substantial and legally binding emission reductions in the shortest timeframe possible and significant increases in the level of resources available to developing countries, in particular small island developing States, to assist them in adapting to the adverse effects of climate change.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“As a result of greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel use and land-use changes through deforestation, the world is already destined to an increase of 1.14 degrees Celsius by the end of the next two decades. There therefore needs to be a clearly defined global mitigation strategy that keeps the long-term temperature increase at less than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Increases over 2 degrees Celsius are very likely to have an increased adverse impact on small island developing States, such as Trinidad and Tobago. In order to avoid a global climate disaster, the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago calls for urgent and ambitious action by all States in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities, respective capabilities and social and economic conditions.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“The Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago fully expects that the negotiations will resume in good faith and that there will be commensurate progress in agriculture, industrial products and all other areas of the negotiations, in keeping with the mandate of a single undertaking. That will ensure the successful conclusion of the Round and an outcome that fully reflects the commitment undertaken at Doha to put development at the heart of the multilateral trading system. While those trade negotiations seem to have stalled and will require the injection of a high degree of political will to bring them to a successful conclusion, the international community is faced with yet another global concern in the form of climate change.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“The Government of Trinidad and Tobago therefore remains deeply concerned that, after many years of protracted negotiations characterized by many missed deadlines, the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations has yet to reach a compromise that would pave the way for an agreed outcome, particularly in the areas of agriculture and industrial products, and that incorporates the development dimension. We underscore the importance of ensuring that the principle of special and differential treatment is truly reflected throughout the negotiating modalities, and we call upon all parties in the negotiations to take fully into account the special needs of small and vulnerable economies.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Peace and justice are, however, inextricably linked and there can be no lasting peace in Darfur without accountability for the heinous crimes committed against the people of Darfur during the conflict. While international political and security developments continue to pose major difficulties for the international community, developments in the area of international trade give rise to even greater concern. We are mindful of the reality that the steadfast efforts of Trinidad and Tobago, of the subregion and of other developing countries to confront effectively the challenges of globalization and liberalization would be rendered futile in the absence of a fair, transparent and equitable international economic trading system.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“While there has been little or no progress in the matter of peace in the Middle East, the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is pleased to note that, with respect to the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of the Sudan, agreement has finally been reached, which has resulted in the deployment of a hybrid United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force for Darfur. We welcome this positive development. While we hope that the hybrid United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force will bring peace and stability to the region and enable humanitarian relief to flow once again to where it is most urgently required, all our efforts must now be turned towards putting a cease-fire in place and striving to have all the rebels groups fighting in Darfur move towards a peace arrangement with the Sudanese Government.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“The Palestinian people have yet to exercise their legitimate rights to self-determination and to the establishment of an independent Palestinian State in an undivided homeland. We call on the Quartet to resume the Road Map process for peace in the Middle East, so that the world can, in the foreseeable future, see two States, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace, within internationally recognized and secure borders. Additionally, internationally acceptable solutions must be found to address the fate of the Palestinian refugees, the status of Jerusalem and the issue of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. All these matters have remained pending for far too long and the Palestinians should no longer be denied the realization of their statehood.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“New and important actors from Africa, Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean are a part of today’s global reality. An expanded and enhanced Security Council would provide the Council with even greater legitimacy and support in the carrying out of its Charter responsibilities. Trinidad and Tobago is of the view that much progress was made during the sixty-first session and the political momentum which was generated there should not be lost. A reinvigorated Security Council is needed to address the major issues that continue to bedevil contemporary international relations. In the Middle East, the failure to move forward on the peace process has set back global efforts to achieve a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Our further economic development and that of the global community as a whole, is dependent on the existence of global peace and security. In this regard, the Security Council has continued to take timely decisions on global crises in different parts of the globe, on terrorism and on nuclear non-proliferation. The reform of that principal organ of the United Nations, charged with maintaining international peace and security, continues, however, to elude us. It is time to engage in bona fide negotiations on this matter. The status quo is unacceptable. The Security Council must be reformed to reflect the current geopolitical realities of the twenty-first century and no longer the world as it was in the aftermath of World War II.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“It is on the basis of this strong economic performance that Trinidad and Tobago has continued its commitment to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), as we seek to advance the integration process, moving from the current stage of the single market to that of a single economy. Effective participation in this process of furthering strengthening and deepening the regional integration movement remains a major foreign policy goal of the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is for this reason and given the fact that our economic fortunes are inextricably linked, that Trinidad and Tobago continues to provide economic and humanitarian assistance to several CARICOM countries adversely affected by natural disasters.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“The performance of our economy draws its strength from vertically integrated and well-developed energy and petrochemical industries, which are complemented by buoyant and competitive manufacturing and service sectors, including financial services and tourism, as well as by the ongoing transformation of the agricultural sector. All these factors provide the basis for economic growth levels off 8.6 per cent over the last five years and a recorded rate of 12 per cent in 2006. We have also been able to achieve a 7 per cent reduction in poverty from a high of 24 per cent in 1998 and are currently experiencing a low unemployment rate of 5.9 per cent.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“These are indeed apt demonstrations of his willingness to confront forcefully and resolutely issues of transcendental importance to the present and future well-being of peoples everywhere. Though small in size and population, Trinidad and Tobago, through visionary leadership, transparency and public accountability and prudent management of our natural resources, is continuing along a path of sustainable development. Our development strategy seeks to go beyond the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and to ensure that by the year 2020 all sectors of our multi-ethnic and multicultural society will enjoy a standard of living comparable to that of the developed world.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“As President of the General Assembly, her efforts contributed to focusing the attention of the international community on the pressing challenges of climate change, inter alia, thereby facilitating, in the process, global awareness and increased support for internationally agreed action on this issue given its impact on our planet and, especially, on the very survival of several small island developing States. I consider this occasion opportune, as well, to convey Trinidad and Tobago's unequivocal support for our current Secretary-General His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon. We commend his leadership role in the troubling humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of the Sudan and applaud his initiative to convene the High-Level Event on Climate Change.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate you most sincerely on your election as President of the General Assembly at its sixty-second session. My delegation is confident that your in-depth knowledge of international economic and political issues, complemented by your extensive diplomatic experience, will serve you in good stead to guide our deliberations effectively in the coming months. I also wish to take this opportunity to express Trinidad and Tobago’s deep appreciation for the leadership of your predecessor, Her Excellency Sheikha Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa, the first Arab woman to hold that lofty position.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“This historical moment requires bold initiatives on the part of the General Assembly President, who, in tandem with the new Secretary-General, is called upon to provide the vision, courage and strength of conviction necessary to carry the United Nations forward along the path to confronting the myriad challenges facing the Organization in today’s world. We are confident that they will both be up to the task.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Trinidad and Tobago thus lends its support to the call made by countries of the African diaspora in the Caribbean and elsewhere for the commemoration by the United Nations in 2007 of the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade. The United Nations is central to any resolution of the problems with which the international community is confronted in today’s world. It is only by having a strong United Nations, fully resourced by its Member Governments and imbued with the necessary political will, that we will be able to tackle these problems and provide this generation and succeeding generations with a life of dignity and free from daily degradation of the human spirit. We seek a life in peace and security and free from the ravages of war, lived in good economic and social conditions, without poverty, illiteracy, hunger or disease.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“The history of Haiti is of special significance in the struggle for independence in the Caribbean and is linked to other historical developments more international in scope. One such development was the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade, the 200th anniversary of which will be marked in 2007. The slave trade has had long-term effects on the social and economic development of parts of Africa that are still being felt today. 31 06-53952 Nor were we in the Caribbean spared the effects of the slave trade, and we are of the view that any call on the international community to mark this occasion should go beyond the need merely to reflect on the atrocities committed during this perverse period of our history.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“It is a position that informs a fierce defence of multilateralism in full recognition of the benefits of collective action and of the responsibility of each country to assist when in a position to do so within the limits of its resources. This thinking underlies the actions taken by Trinidad and Tobago in respect of the provision of economic and humanitarian assistance, both institutionally as well as directly, to countries in our region and to those further afield. It is in this context that Trinidad and Tobago pledges its full support for the economic and social development of the Republic of Haiti in its return to constitutional governance, which has led to its readmission into the Caribbean Community Council and calls for the release of all donor funds that have already been pledged.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Trinidad and Tobago is of the view that the integrated management approach of the recently conceived Caribbean Sea Initiative will be critical to advancing the development goals of the member States of the Caribbean and uses this opportunity to seek the support of all United Nations Member States for the Initiative, which seeks to ensure that the Caribbean Sea is recognized by the United Nations as a special area in the context of sustainable development. Trinidad and Tobago is committed to the partnership approach in all areas of international interaction, be it for sustainable development, peace and security, human rights or humanitarian assistance.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Trinidad and Tobago invokes that same spirit of partnership of the international community to work towards the full implementation of the Mauritius Strategy, that being the framework for the collective development of this vulnerable grouping. In the midst of such daunting challenges, the littoral States of the Caribbean are faced with the constant threat of a maritime casualty resulting from the shipment of radioactive or other hazardous wastes through the Caribbean Sea. Such an occurrence could create the potential for an environmental disaster for all countries along the Caribbean coastline, but, in particular, it would threaten the economic well-being and livelihood of the many small island developing States of the Caribbean that depend on this fragile ecosystem.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Another area that cries out for timely and decisive action by the international community is that of the environment. Our planet today continues to be ravaged by patterns of production and consumption that gravely threaten its sustainability and give rise to phenomena whose management consumes the already stretched energies and resources of small island developing States in particular. The challenges to those countries posed by such phenomena as climate change and sea-level rise, as well as the effort and resources necessary to recover from adverse seasonal weather patterns, add another dimension to the challenges that they already face in the area of economic and social development.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Thus, even as we address major problems of a global nature, we should not forget those among us who face greater challenges in realizing their full potential. The international community has recently become increasingly sensitized to the difficulties faced in almost all spheres of activity by persons with disabilities, and during the sixtieth session of the General Assembly, we successfully negotiated a draft convention on the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities. Trinidad and Tobago joined in the adoption by consensus of the final negotiated text, and looks forward to its formal adoption by the Assembly and its subsequent opening for signature. We have in the interim developed, and are in the process of implementing, a national policy on persons with disabilities.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“We are heartened, however, that within the international community a broad understanding appears to be emerging regarding the utility of an international 06-53952 30 legally binding instrument to govern the international arms trade. Trinidad and Tobago therefore strongly endorses the call by some States for the conclusion of such an instrument. We are also of the view that until such a treaty becomes a reality, it is imperative that the major producers and exporters of small arms and light weapons establish comprehensive export controls in order to ensure that such weapons are not diverted into the illicit trade. Trinidad and Tobago’s approach to development places primary focus on enhancing the living standards and sense of well-being of the individual.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Trinidad and Tobago accordingly urges the international community to provide the necessary resources to bolster Caribbean regional efforts aimed at interdicting drug shipments and putting an end to the flow of illicit firearms, which negatively and profoundly affect the security and development of the region. It is well known that the living standards suggested by positive economic indicators are of little consequence if the basic security and sense of well- being of the individual is under threat. Similarly, the failure by the international community earlier this year at the Review Conference to reach broad agreement on additional measures to further implement the 2001 United Nations Programme of Action on Small Arms has been a source of disappointment to Trinidad and Tobago.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“One such challenge manifests itself in the increasing resort to gun violence by our young people and by others engaged in the nefarious drug trade. The countries of the Caribbean region are not producers of small arms and light weapons, yet small arms are increasingly visible in our societies and raise the fatality levels resulting from the commission of many serious crimes. Much of the illicit trade in firearms and related activity in our Caribbean region is linked to the illicit traffic in drugs. Yet international cooperation — essential to help us stem the flow of illicit drugs through our countries, which are already recognized as key transit States — is not forthcoming from our development partners.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Trinidad and Tobago therefore joins with other small vulnerable economies in calling for a process that would accelerate the recommencement of negotiations, while ensuring that adequate treatment is afforded to the development dimension. It is crucial that global trade rules be enhanced in recognition of the need for treatment to be accorded to small, vulnerable economies that takes their special circumstances into consideration and allows them to participate in world trade in a manner commensurate with their national capacity to do so. Even as our economies grapple with the systemic imbalances in the international trading system at home, Trinidad and Tobago, like many other Caribbean countries, faces social challenges that have global implications.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Global peace and security are also threatened by the failure of the international community to bring about the necessary structural changes in the fields of international trade and in economic and financial relations. Like most developing countries, Trinidad and Tobago is painfully aware of the significant imbalances that have been having an adverse impact on developing economies. The current suspension of the Doha trade negotiations, and the delay in the resumption of those talks, are consequently of particular concern to us, given the outward-looking orientation of our economy and the fact that the most basic tenet of our trade policy relates to increased market access for the export of our goods and services.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Some degree of relief was provided subsequently when, after long and arduous negotiations, we were able to agree on a development resolution that sought — on the basis of a global partnership, among other things — to operationalize and implement the development commitments made at the major summits in the economic, social and related fields. That resolution also provided for monitoring mechanisms to follow up on the commitments of the Bretton Woods institutions and the World Trade Organization. Trinidad and Tobago is hopeful that the commitments to the achievement of those international development objectives, as set out in that resolution, will be honoured and will not be the subject of renegotiation at the next review.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“It is also our sincere hope that this body will, in the near future, conclude its deliberations on a comprehensive international convention against terrorism that would provide a legal framework for combating that scourge — a framework acceptable to all nations. It has become something of a cliché to say that there will be no peace and security in the world without development and, conversely, no development without security. It was therefore with a degree of concern that we witnessed the near-total relegation to secondary status of the development dimension of the international agenda at the 2005 millennium review Summit.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“We again urge States Members of this Organization that are not yet party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court to consider acceding to that instrument as soon as possible. The well-being of peoples the world over is threatened not only by violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, but also by individual and collective acts of terrorism which the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago 29 06-53952 resolutely condemns. We are, indeed, hopeful that the recent adoption by the Assembly of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy will lead to a holistic and integral approach to a phenomenon that threatens the internal peace and security of States in virtually all regions of the globe.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Such a force could also provide the necessary security for the hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons living in makeshift camps and for the return of refugees from neighbouring Chad, and would facilitate the provision of humanitarian assistance. On another front, Trinidad and Tobago applauds the efforts of the International Criminal Court and welcomes with satisfaction the progress made to bring to justice the perpetrators of the heinous crimes committed against the peoples of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Trinidad and Tobago views universal adherence to the ICC as integral to entrenching the rule of law in the conduct of international relations, and as yet another pillar of the promotion of international peace and security.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Trinidad and Tobago also views with growing alarm the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Darfur region of the Sudan and calls upon the international community to exercise its responsibility to protect the people of Darfur. The international community has a fundamental legal and moral obligation to act in cases of egregious violations of human rights such as this. It is incumbent on us to institute immediate measures to provide security and alleviate the suffering. We must also bring to justice at the International Criminal Court (ICC) those responsible for the crimes against humanity committed in Darfur. Trinidad and Tobago exhorts the Government in Khartoum to accept the presence of a United Nations- mandated peacekeeping force that would enhance the capacity to monitor the Darfur Peace Agreement.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“We urge the major political parties in the Palestinian territories to find common ground that would satisfy the aspirations of the Palestinian people, who for generations have longed to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination and independence. Peace and security in the Middle East also remain threatened by conflicts of a more recent vintage. The use of force disproportionate to the threat at hand, as in the recent cases of Gaza and Lebanon, has also had the effect of increasing the suffering of the civilian populations concerned and of destroying vital national infrastructure, and has served only to increase bitterness and hatred among those populations and to inspire resort to extremism.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“It is therefore vital that the process through which the chosen candidate will emerge be as inclusive and transparent as possible and that it remain faithful to the principles and procedures enshrined in the Charter as they relate to his or her appointment. The international community continues to grapple with the absence of realistic and pragmatic solutions to many longstanding global problems. A just and lasting peace in the Middle East continues to elude us, and the humanitarian situation of the Palestinian people continues to worsen daily in view of the economic and financial stranglehold placed on their economy following the assumption of power by democratic means of the political grouping of their choice.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Trinidad and Tobago is hopeful, therefore, that as we elect a successor to Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the Security Council will recommend to the General Assembly a person whose diplomatic skills are highly regarded, whose leadership abilities are well recognized and who will be able to maintain an excellent working relationship with all Member States and enjoy the confidence of the five permanent members of the Security Council, thereby facilitating decisive and timely actions by the Organization when they are most urgently needed. However, the functions of the Secretary-General can be carried out effectively only with the firm support of the entire international community.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“For us, it suffices that he has been the beacon that has kept the United Nations ideal alive during these difficult times. The role of the Secretary-General in the twenty- first century is no longer that of a mere chief administrative officer — burdensome as that role may be — but one that requires profound knowledge of the dynamics of current inter-State relations.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Kofi Annan is a very special friend of Trinidad and Tobago — and, might I confide, especially of Tobago. It is thus with mixed emotions that we bid him farewell at this session. Over the course of his tenure, our seemingly unassuming Secretary-General has steered the vessel that is the Organization with an abundance of skill and with clarity of vision, keeping it on an even keel as it has traversed one of the most turbulent periods in its 06-53952 28 history. He has been a champion of principle, a spokesman for international justice and the staunchest defender of all that the Organization stands for and to which all of our countries subscribe. There is so much that the Secretary-General has done that history will record.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Trinidad and Tobago is hopeful that the Human Rights Council will be an effective instrument for the defence and promotion of human rights worldwide, denouncing without fear or favour gross violations of human rights and seeking, through dialogue and cooperation, to bring about full compliance with internationally accepted norms related to universal fundamental human rights and freedoms. Institutional support for countries in transition from the post-conflict phase to that of sustainable development is a sine qua non for the success of efforts to restore peace and normalcy. It is in that context that Trinidad and Tobago views the indispensable role to be played by the Peacebuilding Commission in those countries that have been traumatized by years of internal strife. His Excellency Mr.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)