UN General Assembly
2002

region and our oceans by the passage of hazardous nuclear waste through our waters. The world community must understand just how fragile our ecosystems are. We must reduce the risk by ending that practice, and thus we call on the guilty parties to respect the Caribbean Sea as a special zone for economic development within the context of sustainable development. I have taken this opportunity to focus our efforts towards increasing sensitivity in the international community to the concerns of our small island developing State. Our perspective is informed by our history and our experiences. Many are the challenges that confront us in a world of globalization and trade liberalization. We make our special plea for special consideration, without which we could become totally marginalized. The aspirations of our people are the same as those of other lands. We desire peace, stability, democracy, respect for human lives and economic and social uplifting. We intend to work hard to achieve those goals. Our people have come through slavery, indentureship, colonialism and imperialism, and we