YouSaid · the spoken record

Ralph E. Gonsalves

lines on the record: 42
first: 2020-11-03
most recent: 2021-05-07
sittings or episodes: 6
sources: un-security-council

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

“In conclusion, let us all be reminded of our forebears’ vision of unity and solidarity as they fashioned the United Nations system. As we seek to confront the unique and complex challenges of the twenty-first century, including a sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic which has already destroyed far too many lives and livelihoods, the extant circumstances demand the presence of a renewed and effective multilateralism steeped in the virtues of inclusivity, equality and justice and guided by the principles of international law. We cannot remain separated by narrow interests or be divided in purpose. We must work in comity even more, together, urgently and resolutely, to realize peace, security and development for all of humankind.”
2021-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/456 (2021) · source
“It is necessary and desirable that all States work together constructively and within the framework of international law, with the support and assistance of the United Nations and relevant regional and subregional organizations, to achieve this vision of a more peaceful and prosperous world. When disputes do occur, they ought to be settled amicably and equitably through dialogue, diplomacy, mediation and other participatory approaches, rather than through unilateral or coercive means. There can be no substitute for trust and mutual respect. Any deviation from those universally accepted norms, wheresoever and by whomsoever committed, severely undermines the ideals of multilateralism embodied in the Charter of the United Nations. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines remains committed to these guiding principles.”
2021-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/456 (2021) · source
“Only a comprehensive whole-of-system approach will suffice in addressing the peace and security, development and humanitarian concerns of affected States. In the face of the vast but continually expanding peace and security challenges experienced globally, we must move quickly in a fresh direction. Bold and innovative steps are needed to alleviate human suffering, especially in conflict-affected settings. Capacity-building and development assistance should be scaled up and national ownership over peace and political processes should be strengthened. Practical, inclusive, people-centred and climate-sensitive solutions ought to be developed and implemented in line with national needs and priorities and in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals.”
2021-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/456 (2021) · source
“Amid the severe health, socioeconomic, political and security implications of COVID-19, States are required to contend with the ever-intensifying hazards of climate change, the continued spread of terrorism and organized crime, increased hunger and acute food insecurity, political polarization, disinformation and hate speech, the escalation of ethnic and intercommunal tensions and, in far too many contexts, conflict and mass human displacement. Those contemporary challenges are inextricably interconnected, and they will not be successfully addressed by any short-sighted unilateral or military means. To the extent that many of such issues stretch across borders and more easily overwhelm the limited capacities of vulnerable States, effective and coordinated multilateral action is an essential condition for any sustainable solution.”
2021-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/456 (2021) · source
“Yet there is still much more to be done in order to be ever more focused, creative and relevant in these complex and challenging times. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has laid bare the reality that a renewed multilateralism remains an urgent moral, political and existential imperative, undergirded by the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of the Charter of the United Nations.”
2021-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/456 (2021) · source
“I thank the preceding speakers for their remarks and commend China for convening this important debate. As a small country whose continued peaceful existence depends on the norms and principles of international law and the multilateral system in which those tenets are enveloped, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines places particular emphasis on today’s discussion. This fundamental principle is applicable to all States, large and small, in every part of the world. Commandist, bullying or threatening behaviour by any State in relation to another is antithetical to that precept and portends dangerous consequences for all. Last September, we commemorated the seventy-fifth anniversary of this treasured institution. We also celebrated the many successes and achievements realized in our collective quest for peace and prosperity.”
2021-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/456 (2021) · source
“The norms and principles of sovereign equality, territorial integrity and political independence must always serve as a guidepost for conflict prevention and resolution. In all situations, the mandates of regional organizations ought never to be subverted by hegemonic self-interests or eroded through unilateral action, but always to serve as platforms to enhance sovereignty and promote solidarity and cooperation. Still, none of these vital precepts ought ever to blind us to egregious abuse or violation of elemental human rights and the consequential need for appropriate collective action through the Security Council. I close respectfully with a reminder — please help Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in its midnight hour of need.”
2021-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/394 (2021) · source
“We welcome the ongoing efforts of the Secretary-General and his Special Envoys and Special Representatives to enhance cooperation between the United Nations and various regional and subregional organizations. The convening platform of the Peacebuilding Commission also proves useful in providing a coherent, multi-stakeholder strategy to assist conflict-affected countries to overcome their challenges. Greater efforts must be made to further enhance this comprehensive whole-of-system approach, and regional arrangements must be included at every step of the process. Conflict-prevention and -resolution activities are most effective when complemented by targeted peacebuilding and development initiatives that address the root causes of insecurity, improve lives and livelihoods, and bolster national ownership over peace processes.”
2021-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/394 (2021) · source
“In this regard, lasting peace can never be imposed; it must emerge organically from among all relevant stakeholders. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines believes that regional arrangements, such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the African Union and our very own CARICOM, are often better placed to support peace processes than entities far removed from the unique and specific histories, cultures, politics and material circumstances of development.The Security Council is required always to lend its full support and encouragement to all regional mechanisms and refrain from any actions that may circumvent or undermine the legitimate role of regional bodies.”
2021-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/394 (2021) · source
“Turning now, more specifically to conflict-affected settings, it has become a ringing truth that regional institutions, in concert with the United Nations, are often best-suited to facilitate the pacific settlement of disputes through mediation, confidence-building, observation and verification missions, and other measures that promote stability, build trust and create an environment conducive to development. Indeed, any dispute that is likely to endanger international peace and security should first be addressed through these peaceful means, with the assistance and participation of relevant regional arrangements, as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. Let us restate foundational principles. Security is, at its very core, a collective endeavour, which can be achieved only as parties build trust and stable relationships.”
2021-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/394 (2021) · source
“The Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, the Regional Security System, the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas, the Association of Caribbean States and their allied regional agencies have been at the forefront, with their magnificent efforts. Still, much more is required to be done. Across our land, the faces of men and women are strained and anxious; they are hurting badly. The global community is being summoned to action to our aid in the name of humanity and in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, and it cannot allow itself to make haste slowly. Tomorrow, under the auspices of the United Nations, a global appeal fund for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines will be launched. I appeal for Member States to be generous in their solidarity.”
2021-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/394 (2021) · source
“A monumental challenge of humanitarian relief, inclusive of security considerations, recovery and reconstruction, faces us. Without effective cooperation between our country, the United Nations and our regional and subregional organizations, our life and living would be wholly unbearable. Without enhancement by such cooperation, the relief effort would be stymied and the prospects for our recovery and reconstruction dismal. The United Nations and its agencies have been actively at work, and the personal leadership of my friend Secretary-General António Guterres has been outstanding.”
2021-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/394 (2021) · source
“Saint Vincent and the Grenadines thanks the briefers for their insightful comments, and we commend Viet Nam for its leadership in initiating this debate on enhancing cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations. This subject is of immediate relevance to my country in the context of a massive natural disaster, against the backdrop of the multifaceted challenges of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and the predicted active Atlantic hurricane season that begins in six weeks’ time. Please permit me a little latitude for a minute or two. For 11 days now, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has been in the throes of a series of explosive volcanic eruptions on the island of Saint Vincent. As a consequence, nearly one-fifth of the island’s population has had to be evacuated to safer areas.”
2021-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/394 (2021) · source
“As we approach the one-year anniversary since COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, we must work together, urgently and intently, to build back better. Equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines must form part of any serious effort to recover sustainably from this pandemic. Let us be reminded of our common promise to humankind under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of leaving no one behind. No one will be safe until everyone is safe, and immunity can be achieved only when it is collectively composed.”
2021-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/157 (2021) · source
“Our delegation remains fully supportive of all efforts aimed at promoting a global ceasefire in armed conflicts everywhere. This ceasefire would afford conflict-affected countries the time and space to advance peace processes. It would also facilitate the sustained delivery of life-saving humanitarian, developmental and capacity-building assistance. A ceasefire will also ensure that vaccines can be distributed safely to those made most vulnerable by conflict, including internally displaced persons and refugees. Where mandates and capabilities allow, peacekeeping operations could be utilized to assist with the transportation and distribution of vaccines, including providing protection to those designated personnel who administer vaccines.”
2021-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/157 (2021) · source
“In addition, many will suffer needlessly if vaccine delivery is determined by a narrow market calculus rather than the social imperative of building immunity everywhere, in solidarity with each other. We urge vaccine manufacturers, as a gesture of good faith towards humankind, to work with developing countries to expand production capabilities, hence alleviating the strain on global supply chains. We also call for greater financial support for the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility to bolster the global inoculation campaign. During this difficult period, the Security Council must continue working in unison with other organs of the United Nations to systematically address the various dimensions of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
2021-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/157 (2021) · source
“We also reiterate the call by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) for a global summit in the context of WHO’s Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator Facilitation Council to discuss equitable access and global distribution of vaccines. We in CARICOM are resolved to share with each other, on the basis of need, whatever quantities of vaccines we receive or procure. Political will, principled engagements and solidarity among all nations remain crucial elements for overcoming COVID-19. There is a disturbing trend of “vaccine nationalism”: some wealthy countries hoard critical medical supplies, including vaccines. Such conduct only prolongs the pandemic.”
2021-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/157 (2021) · source
“The simple truth is that, unless vaccines are made available, affordable and accessible to all, many vulnerable countries and peoples, including those affected by conflict, will suffer unbearably, as the pandemic continues to destroy lives and livelihoods. Greater international cooperation among all countries, international financial institutions and major pharmaceutical companies is clearly required. The United Nations and its specialized agencies, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), should continue to play a central role in ensuring that vaccines can be administered safely, efficiently and globally to all persons in high-risk categories, and more widely, to achieve population immunity. In this regard, we would welcome an enforceable international rules-based compact to deliver vaccines to all who need it.”
2021-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/157 (2021) · source
“On behalf of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, let me begin by expressing our appreciation to the United Kingdom for convening today’s very pertinent discussion. We also thank the briefers for sharing compelling insights on this very important topic. The number of deaths, the level of economic destruction and the social dislocations associated with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue to expand globally as new variants of the virus, with increased transmissibility, threaten to disrupt even the most resilient of societies. Amid this continuously evolving threat, the question of equitable access to vaccines is of paramount concern.”
2021-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/157 (2021) · source
“We continue to support all efforts towards a two-State solution on the basis of the pre-1967 borders, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States. In order to achieve that, we need to facilitate dialogue between Israel and Palestine. Let us act with urgency to get this process on the road.”
2021-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/91 (2021) · source
“When vaccines do arrive for use in Palestine, the unimpeded and quick passage through Israeli checkpoints will be critical to allow for their distribution without further delay. Before closing, I will turn to the internal political situation in Palestine. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines commends the ongoing efforts of the Palestinian people to advance democracy in a mature and well-organized manner. We welcome the announcement by President Mahmoud Abbas of the holding of parliamentary elections on 22 May, presidential elections on 31 July and Palestinian National Council elections on 31 August. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines remains firmly supportive of the Middle East peace process, within the framework of international law.”
2021-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/91 (2021) · source
“In that regard, we reiterate our calls to the international community for increased assistance to be distributed swiftly to those in need. Further, we remind Israel, as the occupying Power, of its legal responsibility to provide medical supplies and COVID-19 vaccinations to Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza. While vaccine nationalism can produce short-term results at a domestic level, no country will be safe from COVID-19 until every country and everyone is safe. We acknowledge the efforts of the Palestinian Authority to secure as many vaccines as possible, including through the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) facility. We take this opportunity to encourage international support for the efforts of the Palestinian Authority to secure vaccines, and we call for further support for the COVAX facility.”
2021-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/91 (2021) · source
“The critical socioeconomic and security situation in Palestine, as well as the attendant humanitarian consequences, demand urgent attention. As Israel’s 13-year blockade continues to deprive millions of Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip of their fundamental rights, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has exacerbated the hardship experienced by the Palestinian people. We therefore call for the immediate lifting of the blockade and all forms of coercion against the Palestinians. The unprecedented funding shortfall for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East has caused a significant decrease in the vital services provided to Palestinian refugees across neighbouring countries, including Lebanon and Syria.”
2021-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/91 (2021) · source
“Saint Vincent and the Grenadines remains deeply concerned about the critical situation in the occupied Palestinian territory as a result of the unlawful measures and practices by Israeli authorities. In that connection, we reiterate that all settlement activities, including the recently announced plans to build 800 housing units in the West Bank, as well as tenders for construction of a new settlement of over 2,500 housing units, violate international law. We are also concerned about reports of settler violence against Palestinians, including children, and we call for adherence to the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention and all relevant United Nations resolutions, including resolution 2334 (2016).”
2021-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/91 (2021) · source
“In an effort to address the impasse between the parties, we echo President Abbas’ call on the United Nations to convene, in early 2021, an international conference to launch a genuine peace process. In addition, honouring the Palestinian people’s long-held quest for self- determination and statehood by revisiting the question of full membership at the United Nations is a matter that is long overdue and an essential component of a lasting two-State solution in the drive for sustainable peace in the Middle East. Peace and security within well-defined, internationally acceptable borders for Israel and Palestine are central requisites for any lasting settlement.”
2021-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/91 (2021) · source
“I thank His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Ali Nafti, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tunisia, for convening today’s important open debate. I also thank the briefers for their informative remarks. In addition, I wish Mr. Tor Wennesland, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, every success in advancing the peace process and sustaining it to a successful conclusion, in accordance with his mandate. The ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict can be resolved only through direct peace negotiations. To that end, we reaffirm the importance of the Middle East Quartet and the regional players in promoting effective dialogue and compromise to settle the long-standing differences between Israel and Palestine, with the support of international partners.”
2021-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/91 (2021) · source
“Just as the Second World War provided the impetus for the United Nations to emerge from the ashes of conflict, so too can the coronavirus disease pandemic provide a critical turning point from which we pursue, collectively and earnestly, a renewed and effective multilateralism that works in the interests of all nations and peoples. Let us seize this moment and fashion a better future for all of humankind. It is time for appropriate action.”
2021-01-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/24 (2021) · source
“Finally, we encourage all countries to adhere fully to the principles of international law and, in doing so, to refrain from all forms of unilateral coercion imposed on weaker nations. Even in the most difficult of circumstances, a firm commitment to the timeless principles of sovereignty and political independence, within the framework of a mature multilateralism, provides the greatest assurances against chaos and disorder. The history of human civilization is punctuated by awesome challenges that brought people together and created much-needed catalysts for positive change.”
2021-01-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/24 (2021) · source
“We reiterate our appeal to developed countries to honour their overseas development assistance commitments; provide scaled-up support to conflict-affected countries through concessionary loans, debt relief and quick-impact projects; and provide greater support for climate adaptation and mitigation to alleviate climate-driven security risks in fragile contexts. We also echo the calls of Sir Hilary Beckles, our keynote speaker in November, for the Special Committee on Decolonization to finalize its important work and for reparations to be provided for the historical crimes of native genocide, African slavery and violent colonization, which left severe legacies of underdevelopment in their wake (see S/2020/1090). Reparatory justice must form part of any serious international development agenda.”
2021-01-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/24 (2021) · source
“We must also leverage with greater frequency the strategic advisory capacity and convening platform of the Peacebuilding Commission to mobilize multilateral partners, including regional and subregional organizations and international financial institutions, so as to assist States Members of the United Nations in building institutions, strengthening capacities and addressing the challenges of fragility. As we advance together in this important decade of action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, greater political will is needed by all Member States if we are to make good on the promise of leaving no one behind.”
2021-01-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/24 (2021) · source
“During our presidency in November, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines hosted a high-level event on the contemporary drivers of conflict and insecurity (see S/2020/1090). We take the opportunity afforded by today’s meeting to recall that, in their collective wisdom, our briefers, Council members and the wider United Nations membership called for a comprehensive and coordinated whole-of-system approach to addressing the root and proximate causes of fragility and insecurity, including those that have been left largely unsettled by the rapid process of decolonization. The Security Council must continue to play a leading role as it works more closely with the other main organs of the United Nations system, namely, the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council, to foster developmental solutions to the challenges of peace and security.”
2021-01-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/24 (2021) · source
“It offered many significant lessons, not the least of which is the importance of multilateralism. Against the backdrop of the continuously expanding public health, socioeconomic, humanitarian and security challenges experienced the world over, there is a clear and present need for practical and people-centred solutions that bolster national ownership in countries that require assistance. To be sure, there is no magic panacea for the root causes of fragility, which include, among other factors, the debilitating effects of climate change and environmental degradation, food and health insecurity, poverty and underdevelopment. But through solidarity and collective action, a better future remains within the grasp of those who yearn for it, from Haiti to the Horn of Africa, from the Sahel to Yemen.”
2021-01-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/24 (2021) · source
“Saint Vincent and the Grenadines commends the Republic of Tunisia for convening today’s open debate. Addressing the root causes of fragility is fundamental to maintaining peace and security. To that end, we thank the Secretary-General and other briefers for sharing important insights on this salient topic. I am particularly grateful for the profound reflections on this subject by the Presidents of Tunisia, the Niger and Kenya — the three African members of the Security Council — whose countries Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has been working closely with in the Council as the “plus one” of the A3+1. I also thank my brother Uhuru Kenyatta, President of Kenya, for his kind words about my country. The year 2020 has been an immensely challenging one.”
2021-01-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/24 (2021) · source
“But through renewed multilateralism that places people at its centre — multilateralism that considers the needs and perspectives of all Member States equally and respects the timeless principles of international law — a better future is possible. As we embark on this important decade of action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, let us work to ensure peace, security and prosperity for all of humankind. Let us work together, in unity and solidarity, to lift humankind higher.”
2020-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1090 (2020) · source
“We also encourage developed countries to honour their official development assistance commitments; provide scaled up assistance to conflict-affected areas through concessionary loans and quick impact projects; set and meet ambitious targets for curbing emissions and provide greater support for climate adaptation and mitigation to alleviate climate-driven security risks in fragile contexts. Lastly, we urge all States to withdraw their unilateral coercive measures and prejudicial constraints on weaker nations. These actions are illegal and inhumane and they undermine global cooperation and national ownership — the most basic tenets of sustaining peace. The urgent challenges of our times will not be solved overnight. We need safe hands and creative minds and we have to apply our hearts to wisdom.”
2020-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1090 (2020) · source
“The PBC’s continued efforts to host regular interactive dialogues with the African Union Peace and Security Council, despite the logistical challenges of COVID-19, stands as testament to the value of the PBC. We laud the critical financial support offered by the Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund, but we lament that this essential tool remains significantly underfunded. We therefore urge donor countries and the international private sector to provide greater financial support to this mechanism.”
2020-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1090 (2020) · source
“Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a firm believer in the whole-of-system approach and we encourage the enhanced cooperation between the Security Council S/2020/1090 and other main organs such as the Economic and Social Council, as exemplified by the work of its Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti. We must work more closely with the Economic and Social Council and the General Assembly to ensure sustained attention on Haiti. We welcome the crucial role played by the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) in convening a range of partners from the international community, including international financial institutions and regional and subregional organizations, to assist Member States in advancing their peacebuilding priorities.”
2020-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1090 (2020) · source
“These are the vital ingredients on which the collective identities and stable relationships required for lasting peace are built. The moral purpose of our United Nations is to ensure freedom for all nations and peoples. Amid the vast and continually expanding health, economic, social, humanitarian and security challenges experienced by people globally, we must move quickly in a new direction. We must take bold steps to alleviate human suffering, especially in conflict-affected areas. We cannot cross a chasm with baby steps; otherwise, we will fall into the widening gorge beneath us.”
2020-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1090 (2020) · source
“Minimalist approaches that treat peacekeeping and peacebuilding as incremental activities to be completed in a linear fashion will not suffice. Instead, a holistic and coherent approach that mobilizes the entire multilateral system to address the root causes of insecurity is needed. In this regard, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines emphasizes that peacekeeping, peacemaking and peacebuilding must all be pursued concurrently as part of a peace and security, development, and humanitarian continuum. Adequate resources must therefore be made available to improve lives and livelihoods, while bolstering national ownership over political and peace processes. The importance of social inclusion and national ownership cannot be overstated.”
2020-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1090 (2020) · source
“These synchronous and systemic dislocations cannot be effectively solved in isolation of each other, nor can they be sufficiently addressed by military means only. Our delegation welcomes efforts to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of all Security Council-mandated operations through forward-looking reforms such as the Secretary-General’s Action for Peacekeeping initiative that brings political solutions to the forefront of our efforts to maintain international peace and security. We underscore that these efforts should always be premised on the needs, interests and priorities of affected countries and their populations, rather than on budgetary compulsions circumscribed by a narrow market calculus.”
2020-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1090 (2020) · source
“At the same time, we also bear witness to the continued rise of hate speech and disinformation, the erosion of trust in public institutions and democratic norms, the escalation of ethnic and intercommunal tensions, disruptions to humanitarian delivery, an increase of sexual- and gender-based violence and other human security concerns. Apart from the implications of COVID-19, States are also distressed by the ever-intensifying hazards of climate change and a corresponding rise in zoonotic diseases such as dengue fever, increased mass human displacement, the continued spread of cross-border terrorism, an escalation of acute food insecurity and other contemporary challenges that overlap and interlink with each other and are propagated simultaneously across the social, economic, political and security systems of States.”
2020-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1090 (2020) · source
“It is an honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Government and the people of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. At the outset, I thank representatives for their constructive engagement throughout this discussion thus far, and look forward to their continued support for the duration of our presidency. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has exposed vulnerabilities throughout the world. Inequalities, both within and among countries, which remain largely unaddressed by the multilateral system have been further deepened and widened, as our global conditions of life, living and production are profoundly altered and rearranged by this pandemic.”
2020-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1090 (2020) · source