UN General Assembly
1991

Current initiatives to establish political union among the four Windward Islands represent a concerted attempt to merge the limited resources of those islands to create ail enhanced environment for economic growth and development. In this regard. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has faithfully honoured its commitment to the free trade provisions within the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States as well as recently enacted measures aimed at stimulating production and consumption of CABICOM goods and services. Even as we face, together with other developing countries of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group, possible harmful effects on our economies owing to developments in the European Economic Community after 1992, we continue to pursue structural-adjustment policies intended to further our integration into the world economy. He, the banana-producing countries in the Caribbean, being essentially small mountainous islands, have difficulty competing with large-scale consortiums in other countries, and our democracy and social progress could well be damaged by any sudden denial of our trading arrangements in a post-1992 Europe. He would hope that the assurances given to us in the Lome Convention will be honoured in letter and in spirit.