UN General Assembly
1998

more developed than Mexico or Brazil. Antigua and Barbuda is deemed to be middle-income, and its numerous vulnerabilities are ignored as gross national product is the sole deciding factor. Our challenge is to convince the international agencies that we should be on the priority list for development loans and assistance. Antigua and Barbuda and other Caribbean countries have demonstrated how developing countries can use their limited resources for the advancement of their populations. We should not be penalized for progress. Small island developing States are constantly and continually at risk, whether through sea-level rise, hurricanes, earthquakes or volcanic eruptions, as has been the case with the emerald isle of Montserrat. A single hurricane can put back our development some 10 years. For ourselves, we have put out a plea for international assistance, as for the third time in three years we have been afflicted by a hurricane. Until the passage of hurricane Georges, our country had been advancing because of the prudent and experienced management for which we are known. We had built a network of superb