Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries have taken to one of the world’s biggest stage Saturday expressing their various concerns about a changing global environment that has left many of them deeper in debt, facing unprecedented climatic events and calling for reforms of the United Nations Security Council.
CARICOM prime ministers from St. Vincent and the Grenadines and St. Kitts-Nevis warned member countries of the United Nations of the need to re-think their strategies that, in times of overwhelming conflict, civilizations either descend into barbarism or into “respair”
St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves told the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Saturday that at present, the overwhelming majority of the world suffers as one State acts with exceptionalism, “grounded in manifest destiny”, while another, with military prowess, seeks global hegemony.
He said that instead of giving up, the world needs to remember that the multilateral system can also offer pathways to peace, prosperity, sustainable development and security, calling for global leadership to redouble its response to these challenges.
“It is an indictment on our civilized Assembly that horrific wars rumble on, unabated, in Ukraine, Yemen, Syria and parts of Africa,” he said, also condemning the oppression of the Palestinian people, the unjust embargo on Cuba and the imperialist attempts to subvert the elected Governments in Venezuela and Nicaragua.
“We urge the United States of America, our friend, the most powerful and economically dominant country since the dawn of civilisation, a nation which espouses humane value to end its unilateral and oppressive sanctions and impositions that are contrary to international law, which has been rolled out against Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
“It is also plain silly and factually incorrect to label Cuba a sponsor of state terrorism, a label prompted by partisan domestic politics in south Florida, but it hurst the Cuiban people massively and unnecessary.”
Gonsalves, who is also the pro tempore president of the Community of Latin American and the Caribbean States (CELAC), said that the sanctions against Venezuela, including the weaponizing of the US dollar have caused the collapse of the PetroCaribe agreement, through which Caracas sold oil to Caribbean countries under concessionary terms.
Gonsalves said the agreement “delivered substantial benefits to over a dozen Caribbean countries including St.Vincent and the Grenadines.
“We in the Caribbean have thus become collateral damage,” he added.
Gonsalves said that the situation regarding Taiwan is being ignored and that it is long overdue for the country “to be brought in from the diplomatic cold.
“The magnificent Chinese civilisation, through the fever of its history, has delivered to the contemporary world, in practical terms, more than one recognisable national political expression, institutionally.
“Surely, Taiwan’s quest for participation in relevant specialized agencies of the United Nations is reasonable and ought to be accommodated. Repeatedly, Taiwan has shown itself to be a responsible member of the international community. Peace across the Taiwan Straits is an imperative for the prosperity, and security of the world,” Gonsalves said.
Source- CMC
