UN General Assembly
1991

The underdevelopment of Africa is of special concern to my delegation. In 1957, when Kwame Nkrumah brought independence to Ghana, the people of Antigua and Barbuda were duly inspired. He regarded Africa's freedom as a necessary precursor to our own. Equally, we knew that Africa's development would herald our own. Since the early years of its independence, however, Africa's commodity earnings have declined considerably; terms of trade have worsened; conspiracies hatched in diverse other places undermined and terminated legitimate African leadership; civil strife fuelled by cold war concerns compromised stability; and. In some places, even the natural elements. Including drought and disease, have seemingly conspired to decimate youthful populations. My delegation is of the firm view that resource flows into Africa must be greatly increased and that the United Nations system must be prepared to play a more significant role in Africa's rejuvenation.