I am honoured to address the General Assembly and present Romania’s renew commitment to multilateralism and the rules-based international order, with the United Nations at its core. With the fall of the hideous communist regime 30 years ago, my country embarked on a new era of freedom, democracy and prosperity. The Iron Curtain was replaced by our strong determination to rejoin the family of Western values and to interact openly with the rest of the world, driven by our deep respect for democratic principles and the international rule of law.
Today all of us are profoundly interconnected by multilateral governance and, more than ever, we must value the genuine spirit of cooperation that the United Nations has always promoted and which is indispensable for finding efficient solutions to international challenges. The forthcoming seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations in 2020 will be an opportunity for our Organization to step up the implementation of the Secretary-General’s ambitious reform package, renew our Organization and make sure that it delivers for all. The United Nations can count on Romania and our active commitment to fulfilling these ambitious endeavours.
Undoubtedly, climate change is a global challenge, from the shortage of water and food insecurity to sea-level rise. I thank the Secretary-General for his leadership in generating a meaningful agenda on this issue throughout the year. Unfortunately, Romania has not been spared by the adverse effects of climate change, but we came to this session of the General Assembly with a sense of hope and responsibility — hope that it is not too late to secure a safe and environment-friendly planet for our children, and responsibility to undertake concrete steps in order to keep the pace with our promises under the Paris Agreement and the rules agreed in Katowice, including by pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5° C above pre-industrial levels. Our national strategy on climate change has been conceived with the aim of shaping an economy resilient to climate change, with low carbon-dioxide emissions, and able to integrate climate policies through smart economic growth. Our objective is to reach by 2050 a society in which economic, social and environmental policies are interconnected and designed to ensure sustainable development, high living standards and quality of environment.
Further, advancing the European Union agenda on climate change was a priority for Romania during its mandate as President of the Council of the European Union in the first six months of this year. The transition to a climate-neutral economy was intensively debated within the European Union, and its long-term strategy on climate change is to be finalized soon. At the same time, Romania answered the call of the Secretary-General to come up with national initiatives for nine portfolios, entailing concrete actions with the potential to curb greenhouse-gas emissions and increase global action on adaptation and resilience. A list in this regard was sent to the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the 2019 Climate Change Summit.
Adaptation tools and mitigation of the negative effects of climate change are parts of the wider strategy of sustainable development at the national and global levels. In Romania, a dedicated strategic document launched last year, the revised National Strategy for Romania’s Sustainable Development 2030, guides our action over the next 12 years. Based on a broad public consultation, the Strategy mirrors the expectations of our society and maps the policies needed to meet the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The establishment of sustainable development units in the Administration and the creation of a civil society coalition for sustainable development are just a few tools we have envisaged in order to scale up our national effort in this area.
Development and security go hand in hand. Nevertheless, the approach based on the security-development nexus may not be enough to overcome security challenges as they may have roots going beyond development per se. Unfortunately, in our region, we continue to witness deliberate actions aimed at undermining security. The belt of unresolved conflicts around the Black Sea, which has strategic importance for transatlantic security, remains a serious source of instability, hampering regional cooperation and overall international security. Military presences on other countries territories without their consent, military build-ups, aggressive gestures, threats of the use of force, and the use of hybrid tactics to undermine internal stability are worrying developments and should be rejected by all of us.
Romania remains a strong supporter of the multilateral rules-based international order built around the United Nations, which represents our best hope for tackling such challenges. The effectiveness of this international order depends on the willingness of all United Nations members to engage in finding lasting multilateral solutions that conform with the core values of the United Nations. Romania is strongly committed to acting in this way as a pillar of stability in the region, and we have constantly supported the United Nations efforts aimed at tackling such risks, including through General Assembly resolutions pertaining to these matters.
Romania participated, and continues to participate, in United Nations peacekeeping operations, covering countries all over the world, from Afghanistan and the Sudan to Georgia and Haiti, and now Mali. In mid-October, 120 Romanians and four helicopters will start their mission in Mali — a critical area in support of the United Nations effort to help the Malian Government to achieve stability and build a safer future for its people by promoting sustainable development, peace and security.
Romania reiterates its deep concern about the global spread and magnitude of terrorism and condemns in the strongest terms the continued recurrence of terrorist attacks, including those targeting representatives of diplomatic missions. Recently, such attacks in Kabul, Afghanistan, tragically ended the lives of two Romanian citizens and seriously wounded one. I reiterate the firm commitment of Romania to combating terrorism at the international level by using all available tools, including international law. Romania has welcomed the reform launched by the Secretary-General at the beginning of his term and supported the efforts of the United Nations to enhance coordination and improve coherence in the implementation of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.
In conclusion, let me reaffirm Romania’s full support in the endeavour to galvanize multilateral efforts for poverty eradication, quality education, climate action and inclusion at the General Assembly throughout the seventy-fourth session.


On behalf of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Professor Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, on his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-fourth session. We offer him our full support during the duration of his mandate, which, we hope, will enable our Organization to make progress in addressing the most pressing issues that affect our peoples and the planet as a whole. We also congratulate the outgoing President, Ms. Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, for the wisdom with which she carried out the work of the previous session.
Furthermore, we take this opportunity to pay tribute to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for his tireless efforts to strengthen the role of our Organization in promoting peace, democracy and the protection of human life worldwide, as well as in combating poverty in all its forms in order to achieve sustainable development.
We welcome the theme of this session, “Galvanizing multilateral efforts for poverty eradication, quality education, climate action and inclusion”, because we believe in multilateralism as a means to solve the enormous and difficult problems facing the globe. Given that poverty is the greatest scourge of humankind, it is no coincidence that its eradication appears as the first Sustainable Development Goal. Eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, should be the number-one priority for all of the countries of the world that make up the United Nations.
Poverty is a major cause of hunger, land degradation, the unbridled exploitation of natural resources, armed conflict, the displacement of peoples, the saturation of major urban centres and migratory flows from south to north. And, as we all know, it has tragic consequences. It is in all of our interests to have societies in which peace, stability, progress and social justice reign, which means that we must unite our efforts to find the best solutions for our countries and regions, while also safeguarding their specificities. Only then will migratory flows be stopped. When it comes to the migratory flow from the south to the north, there is an unjustifiable impasse at hand. The destination countries must combine their efforts and coordinate their refugee reception policies and provide adequate support to the countries of origin in order to combat this sad phenomenon.
We believe that it is in the interest of us all to have peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies, which translates into the need to unite our efforts to find solutions not only to the refugee problem, but also to the various armed conflicts that unfortunately continue to cloud various regions of the world. In that connection, it is advisable for our Organization to create more binding mechanisms to ensure solidarity with the victims of war and terrorism and to create lasting solutions to both old and new conflicts, such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Syrian conflict, the Libyan conflict, the deployments of terrorist groups in the Sahel, and the actions of the Al-Shabaab terrorist groups in East Africa and Boko Haram in Central and West Africa. The situation of persistent political and military instability in the Central African Republic represents a great challenge for us and requires that we undertake concerted efforts to silence the guns in order to enable a negotiated solution through permanent dialogue with a view to ending the suffering of the Central African people.
The Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe welcomes the positive evolution of the ongoing democratic consolidation process in the Republic of Guinea-Bissau and encourages the Bissau-Guinean political actors to continue that path in order to ensure success in the presidential elections scheduled for November. In the same vein, we hope that the general elections in Mozambique scheduled for next October will take place in normal conditions and in peace and harmony, to the benefit of the country’s socioeconomic development and the well-being of the Mozambican people.
With regard to the situation in the Sahara, we call on the parties to commit to the political process within the framework of the United Nations until its completion. In addition, we commend Morocco’s efforts aimed at reaching a political settlement of the Sahara regional dispute, based on the Moroccan autonomy initiative.
Sao Tome and Principe once again reiterates its support for the Cuban people and calls on the international community to work towards the normalization of relations between Cuba and the United States of America and the lifting of the trade embargo, thereby allowing for Cuba’s progress and development.
In addition to the consequences of violent extremism, the world faces many other challenges, such as the devastating effects of climate change, which pose serious obstacles to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals to which we all committed in this very Hall in 2015. We therefore believe that the United Nations must assume its true leadership role by uniting efforts to combat climate change. Natural disasters are occurring on a larger and more intense scale, leading to lives being lost, especially in the least developed regions of our planet. Global efforts must undoubtedly continue under the auspices of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and that responsibility must be shared among us all, because we are the ones responsible for safeguarding the future for the generations to come.
We strongly believe in our Organization as the ideal vehicle to harmonize our world through respecting differences, cultures, models and systems of Government, but also to provide solutions capable of underpinning cooperation and exchanges that generate wealth, prosperity and lasting peace for all. Sustainable development has gained prominence in the debates of recent General Assembly sessions, demonstrating clearly the spirit of inclusion for which we strive. But in order for this spirit of inclusion to become a reality for all, we must see to it that the reform our Organization also becomes a reality, so that Africa may take up its rightful place and cease to be the only continent without a permanent seat on the Security Council.
As a small island developing State, and with all the constraints that come with that status, the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe pursues policies adapted to our reality, with full respect for multicultural diversity and human rights. With no mineral resources and an economy highly vulnerable to external shocks, our country has faced enormous challenges in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals but has been making efforts to attain the goals that have been set. In order for these efforts to be effective, it is essential that we be able to count on the international community to provide the development-financing mechanisms announced at certain international forums. We cannot make lasting democratic achievements without sustained economic growth.
In that regard, and as the Assembly is aware, Sao Tome and Principe is preparing to graduate from the category of least developed countries to that of middle-income countries by December 2024, reflecting the efforts undertaken and the progress made by our country in key areas of sustainable development. However, our country will continue to face enormous challenges even after having graduated into that new category, and the continued support of the international community will be indispensable. Speaking from this high tribune gives us a unique opportunity to make a strong appeal to the international community not only to accompany us throughout the arduous task of transition but also to provide us with the necessary support for the full achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Access to development credit remains the only way to relaunch the global economy with the necessary conditions for risk mitigation, good governance and the fight against illegal financial flows. The African continent is lagging behind across all human- development indices. However, Africa remains a continent of opportunity for all, with huge mineral resources, vast arable land, forests, rivers and above all a large youth population. As for our country, Sao Tome and Principe remains unequivocally committed within the international community to building a better world for all.


At the outset, I would like to congratulate His Excellency Mr. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande on his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-fourth session. I would like to assure him, my brother, of my delegation’s support during this session. I would also like to take this opportunity to commend Her Excellency Ms. Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces on her term in office as the fourth female President of the General Assembly. I hope that more women will continue to be elected to the post in future in the pursuit of gender parity. I commend her for her excellent work during the previous session. I also want to convey my condolences to the Government and the people of France on the death of former President Jacques Chirac. May his soul rest in eternal peace.
I would like to begin by listening to the voice of silence, the voice of those who cannot speak but who are waiting for the Assembly to take action. As we speak, many are losing their precious lives because we cannot protect them. Many are escaping from countries because we cannot protect them. Many helpless children and women are being trafficked and sold like cargo without value. Many vulnerable children are heads of families or unable to go to school.
As an organization, we have urgent work to do. We are a generation with a place in history, a generation with a mission. And let us remember that time has a way of punishing history. If we do not take the right decisions and actions today, in time they may return to haunt us. The United Nations is an organization with a mission in human history. It was founded on three pillars — peace and security, human rights and development. That is our mission and the burden of our generation. It is our turn to do what is right for humankind and our time to make a difference to humankind. And the United Nations is our ultimate weapon to make a difference to human existence. No matter what happens, we should never, ever lose faith in the Organization. Let us agree with Samantha Power that “whatever its flaws, the United Nations is still the only institution that brings together all the countries of the world.”
This year we have met as an alliance of nations determined to fight a common war. We have declared war on poverty, education inequality and climate change, and we have declared that we will fight for the inclusion of minority nations. The world has enough resources to eradicate poverty and to send every child to school. We have the means to slow climate change and save the planet. All we have to do is to think as one humankind, with one goal, and to pool our resources.
But the trouble with multilateralism is that 1 per cent of the world controls 99 per cent of its resources. It is those who control the planet’s resources who are the real decision-makers for humans’ fate on Earth. That global inequality in decision-making undermines the ability of the United Nations to make the world a better place. Poverty eradication remains an elusive objective of the Sustainable Development Goals. Unfortunately, some members of the Assembly use poverty as leverage for controlling other human beings in other places. Many people around the world struggling in poverty are amazingly hard-working individuals. Many leaders in developing countries strive to improve the lives of their people with the best intentions. We all wish our people well.
Africa is not poor through the will of its people. It is the continent that has suffered in the world’s worst history of exploitation, from slavery through colonialism to the aid regime of the past 60 years. History knows us. We have built empires and cities of the West with our blood, sweat and minerals. Africa has given far more resources to the developed world than it has ever received in aid or philanthropy. Today, the more we strive to build our economies, the more climate change undermines them through disasters and external shocks. And yet the leading architects of climate change are outside the developing countries.
As I speak, poverty thrives in the least-developed countries. Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the worst- affected regions in the world, with more people trapped in poverty than anywhere else on the planet. Africa has a rising population of young people and women, and that booming population of young people and women trapped in poverty is a great danger to the world. Women and children are the worst affected by poverty. Poverty is dehumanizing. It is a tragedy of the people, and in the people’s quest to survive at any cost, poverty is a breeding ground for radicalization in Africa. A radicalized youth in any part of the world poses a threat to every part of the world. That is one of the reasons why we must act collectively and swiftly on poverty. It is why we must empower young people as humankind’s common resource. We can save the world by empowering young people and educating children. The cost of poverty, the cost of radicalized youth and the cost of children bred by ignorance will always outstrip any investment we can make today.
Sadly, there are millions of children across the least-developed countries who cannot access quality education. Many are being left behind by the digital divide. As the United Nations, we therefore cannot claim to be making progress with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development if a significant part of the world population is left behind. We must re-examine the underlying causes of poverty and take concrete measures to address them swiftly. Let us move quickly to empower youth and women. Let us move quickly to eradicate poverty. Let us promote sustainable and equitable economic growth. We must reduce inequities and create greater opportunities for all.
On that account, Malawi has taken pragmatic steps to eradicate poverty in a bid to achieve sustainable development. My Government is implementing the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy III, an overarching national development framework that targets the Sustainable Development Goals. We are pleased with our progress. We are implementing poverty reduction policies and programmes and social support programmes that target Malawi’s ultra-poor and vulnerable citizens. We are also providing free access to basic social services such as health and education. In order to sustain those programmes, we have consistently increased our budgetary allocations to the country’s key sectors of agriculture, education, health and social welfare. My Government has also developed a national social-support programme to guide the delivery of social protection services. The programme provides a comprehensive social protection response and offers women and children preventive, protective and life-changing interventions in a multisectoral approach. One flagship programme in this category is the social cash transfer programme. This intervention targets women, children and the most vulnerable in our society and provides a predictable cash flow to cushion vulnerable households. We also have an additional top-up value for all school-going learners. This programme has taken people who have lost hope out of poverty, improved school enrolment and retention, and reduced extreme hunger. The programme has so far benefited a total of 1.2 million individuals from 280,000 households, mostly children and female-headed households.
There can never be meaningful development without the inclusion of youth and women. Therefore, my Government has established a number of youth-centred programmes aimed at driving youth empowerment, and we have proven results and testimonies of real lives transformed.
We have focused on empowering young people by teaching them skills. We have introduced a progressive skills-education programme for young people in Malawi who have finished secondary school. We aim to empower the masses of young people who do not have access to university education. We are empowering them with the skills needed to create their own jobs and businesses. We want them to be masters of their destiny.
We are therefore constructing community technical colleges in every part of the country, starting with a community college in every district. Now we are moving to bring a community college to every constituency. Every constituency will have a secondary school and a community technical college. Our goal is to empower young people and create equal opportunities for them all, in every part of the country.
Our youth-empowerment programmes complement our programmes for empowering women. Just as there can never be a society without women, there can never be development if women are not included. We have stepped up the inclusion of women in decision-making, and we have increased social protection measures that target rural women. We now provide soft loans to rural women for them to invest in small and medium businesses, an initiative that now benefits more than 4.5 million women. Our goal is to include women in economic activities.
The United Nations has agreed that education is a human right and the primary responsibility of the State. Every country is doing its best to educate its people. Education creates a human society that understands its own problems and equips the people with the capacity to solve their problems. Investing in education is the best way of investing in all other sectors of society. That is why in Malawi education gets the lion’s share of the national budget every year.
We acknowledge the support we get from various stakeholders, including development partners. These include United Nations agencies and civil-society organizations. But we regret that the global commitment on education is now weakening. UNESCO projections warn us that the global community will fail to meet educational commitments unless serious progress is made over the coming decade.
This year’s Sustainable Development Goals report indicates that that millions of children are still out of school. Worse, not all who attend school are learning. Consequently, many youths cannot fully participate in the highly complex global economy. These educational gaps also threaten an individual’s ability to move out of poverty. To fail to prepare young people is to prepare a generation to fail.
But we are the ones failing the global child. The world will pay the heavy cost of breeding poverty and ignorance by having failed the child. Let me remind the Assembly that poverty and ignorance are a breeding ground for the radicalization of young people, and we all suffer the cost of radicalism.
Let the world also remember its commitment to save the only planet on which we live. Climate change is an existential threat. In March, Malawi yet again suffered a devastating national disaster. We were hit by Cyclone Idai together with our Mozambican and Zimbabwean brothers. We lost loved ones, and the infrastructure was damaged. Cyclone Idai destroyed many people’s lives. Malawi needs more than $370 million to recover. My Government, in collaboration with the United Nations country team and other partners, has so far raised $45 million for immediate response. This has gone into food, temporary shelters, relocation and medication. But we still have a huge deficit that calls for more support from the international community.
Malawi plays its role in international peacekeeping with diligence. We are proud to sacrifice our scarce resources for the humanitarian cause of keeping others safe wherever they may be. As a peaceful country, we consider ourselves ambassadors of peace. We are proud that the Malawi Defense Force has always been professional and effective wherever it has gone on United Nations peacekeeping missions. Our military is the pride of the nation, and we are proud to find our place in the United Nations family and play our role. We must all work to make the world a safe place and to provide security to the vulnerable and the voiceless.
Malawi is understood to be a poor country. But we are testimony to the fact that small or poor countries can play a significant role in the affairs of the United Nations. I repeat what I said before: there are no small or poor nations in the United Nations; all we have are nations of the United Nations. In fact, the Organization would be more powerful and more effective if we all participated in decision-making on security. But for some reason, there are nations that refuse to share power with African nations.
In this regard, the United Nations is undemocratic. And yet those same countries and the United Nations are preachers of the gospel of democracy in Africa, although African countries are sometimes more democratic than Western countries.
Let me therefore call upon the United Nations to implement Security Council reform. Africa must be on the Security Council. I repeat: Africa must be on the Security Council. We cannot ignore and marginalize an entire continent of 1.3 billion people; that is unacceptable. We cannot marginalize and repress one third of the Member nations of the Organization. It is a travesty that we are meeting to galvanize multilateral efforts even as we marginalize and repress other Member States.
I therefore urge the United Nations and the permanent five in particular to open up Security Council membership, increase the number of permanent seats with veto power and make the Security Council truly representative of all States Members of the United Nations.
Africa will never relent on this position, which is for the good of the United Nations and the global community as a whole. The more we allow a few nations to monopolize power in the Security Council, the more undemocratic the United Nations looks. This cannot be allowed in this day and age. Let us be the change we want to see in the world.
Let me conclude by making what should have been my opening remarks. My country is a proud Member of the Organization, and we are thankful for the role that the United Nations plays in my country. This year, Malawi had an election, and I am in my second term of office. The process was duly audited by a United Nations-affiliated network, BDO Jordan, and the election was unanimously declared free, fair and credible by the European Union, the African Union, the Southern African Development Community, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa and the Commonwealth observer missions. But the opposition, led by the Malawi Congress Party, decided not to accept that very credible election. This is the party that ruled Malawi under a dictatorship for 31 years. This time it went to court, but ignored the court process and waged a vicious campaign of violence in the guise of demonstrations. Its violence betrayed a desire for ethnic cleansing and civil war, and an attempt to destroy the economy and make Malawi an ungovernable State of lawlessness. We responded with peaceful resistance and insisted on the rule of law. We fought violence with peace and hate with love. That is what saved Malawi from descending into chaos. We have seen democracy and the rule of law at their best in Malawi. Malawi remains the peaceful and stable country that we have always known, and a beautiful destination for tourists and investors. Malawi is a beautiful place where we fight to make life better for everyone.


I am pleased, on behalf of the Government and the people of Saint Lucia to once again address this global community of nations. It was a pleasure for me and for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to have had Secretary-General Antonio Guterres join us in Saint Lucia this past July for the meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community. At that meeting, the Secretary-General acknowledged the challenges faced by small island developing States (SIDS), especially that of climate change. Importantly, he noted the other obstacles to sustainable development for countries like ours, notably the urgent need for reliable access to development finance.
We thank the Secretary-General for his words of support and for his visit to our brothers and sisters in the Bahamas, and we note first-hand how tenuous our grip on development can be in the face of climatic events. We are very encouraged by his commitment to supporting the advancement of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean proposal on debt for climate adaptation swaps for SIDS. That initiative will go a long way not only towards freeing up domestic fiscal space, but also towards establishing a resilience fund to finance adaptation projects. Saint Lucia looks forward to engaging with the international financial institutions and our partners to forge ahead towards the implementation of that critical initiative.
We opened this high-level week with a focus on climate change and climate action. Saint Lucia, along with our fellow small island developing States, continued to make a strong case for urgent action. The disturbing fact is that every September when we gather here, it is against the backdrop of yet another devastating extreme weather event. Have we already forgotten what befell Dominica in 2017, when Hurricane Maria ravaged that island, causing a loss of 226 per cent of gross domestic product? Have we already forgotten Barbuda, laid to waste by Irma, or the British Virgin Islands and Anguilla?
I saw the devastation in the Bahamas first-hand when I visited that country in my capacity as Chairman of the Caribbean Community. I saw the faces of people, absolutely lost and desperate, as they attempted to rationalize what had happened to them and, more importantly, what would happen next. As expected, they cried and they yelled, but ultimately, after the initial reflex empathy and emergency aid, they remain voiceless. We need to let them know, through our actions, that we hear them, we see them and we will not forget them.
Many of the victims of these devastating extreme weather events have to focus on surviving from one day to the next. They no longer have the luxury to anticipate and plan for the future when they cannot contemplate where their next meal will come from. We should act with the same urgency as a mother searching for her lost child. We should act with the same desperation as a father who has seen the roof of his family’s home blown off. Let us recognize the awesome responsibility that has been placed on us — those of us in a position to give hope to the hopeless and tangible assistance to those most in need.
To date, despite the overwhelming evidence, the tragic loss of lives and the destruction of people’s dignity, we unfortunately have failed. We are failing as world leaders to act with urgency. Instead, we are too often allowing the denials of a few to paper over the real and existential threat to the lives and livelihoods of so many. Where is the action to deploy, with immediate effect, the resilient solutions and the commitment to wrestling to the ground the fact that a heating planet is to blame and the fact that we are the ones who are heating it? As for the few who stand with us and have provided tangible assistance as we fight for our survival, we are grateful for the support provided, thus far, but I daresay that, given the magnitude of the problem, we have only begun to scratch the surface.
It is abundantly clear that the international financial architecture — the systems, mechanisms and rules that govern global finance — that are associated with our fight for survival are moving too slow to pivot to address the new normal for small island developing States like mine. The inability and, at times, unwillingness to change the status quo as it relates to graduating countries out of programmes and creating new financing vehicles can no longer be tolerated. While we face the reluctance of global financial institutions to heed our calls, we are left to attempt to develop our own solutions and lean on new friends in our times of need. In fact, in the face of this new climate change reality, we are being forced to consider every all options to ensure our survival and that of our people. One such step is the establishment of a special purpose vehicle dedicated to SIDS, through which we hope to mobilize financing for resilience. We truly hope that we will be able to interest Member States in joining us in that very vital initiative.
My island home of Saint Lucia is small, just 238 square miles, with a population of fewer than 200,000 people. However, we are fortunate to be members of strong regional institutions. If one explores a little, one will note that, as a subregion, eight countries within the eastern Caribbean, including Saint Lucia, use what has become one of the most stable currencies in the world — the Eastern Caribbean dollar. We share a single court system, and we pool our resources to provide a large number of services for our people. In our wider Caribbean community, we cooperate in even more areas — a university of international renown, our own development bank, a common market and a regional security mechanism are but a few of our successes.
I highlight those achievements to signify that we are not a region of people who sit on our hands, waiting to be rescued. In fact, as a region, post-independence we have worked diligently to establish the institutions and fashion the responses to deal with the challenges that confront us, and we have achieved much success in so doing.
Like all other nations of the world, Saint Lucia has a goal to chart a sustainable development path that benefits every last citizen, leaving no one behind, a goal to ensure that all are clothed and fed and have a roof over their heads, with access to education, health and security, and to provide those basic needs that lay the foundation for a better future. Is that not the aspiration that, as leaders, we all have for our people? Yet, in the face of our ambitious Sustainable Development Goals, as SIDS, we continue to have to battle with insurmountable challenges, many as a result of rules and systems that do not create the mechanisms and the requisite urgency to address our unique challenges.
Some of those rules impose restrictions on States in the absence of credible evidence to support claims of wrongdoing. Our islands are being blacklisted, which is a demeaning and unfair practice that results, in some instances, in effecting irreversible damage to our reputations. Countries such as Saint Lucia, which has the ambition to be self-sufficient and aid-free, cannot therefore exercise the will to participate in financial services, an area in which we have a comparative advantage.
Our Government in Saint Lucia believes that every single person matters and that every person has a contribution to make. However, to genuinely say they matter, we must give them the ability to be able to participate. If we are constantly moving from one crisis to another, our people are not going to be able to participate in such necessary changes. For the past three years, Saint Lucia has been focused on trying to take control of its own destiny.
One such way is our new partnership with the World Economic Forum to be the first country to implement the Country Financing Roadmap. The Roadmap is a platform to support countries in making a transformative shift from funding to financing. It will harness the collective intelligence from the World Economic Forum’s expansive networks and promote consensus on the main challenges that limit capital flows to Saint Lucia. It will also leverage coordinated action to move from a holistic diagnostic to a country-specific tangible action plan. We are grateful for this opportunity to be the test case for that initiative and look forward to its success and, once successful, to its being replicated across other States.
Last April, the Foreign Ministers of the Group of Seven (G-7) expressed their support for the substantive participation of Taiwan as an active member of the international aviation community in forums of the International Civil Aviation Organization. Saint Lucia endorses that call, as we believe that the exclusion of active members for political purposes compromises aviation safety and security. The G-7 has now added its voice to those that have long advocated for the inclusion of Taiwan in the work of the global community.
As we continue our strides to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the participation of all States, including small States, in the various United Nations agencies and processes is critical to achieving our collective goals. We remain true to the Agenda’s clarion call to leave no one behind. Similarly, we express our solidarity with the people of Cuba and we question the continued application of the embargo.
On the issue of Venezuela, Saint Lucia continues to believe that this crisis should be resolved peacefully and through dialogue. Military action is not an answer. But let me be clear. The continued instability in that country is a threat to us all in the hemisphere. That cannot be overlooked or swept under the table.
I would like to be able to boast of a United Nations where small nations such as mine receive a fair hearing and genuine empathy when appropriate, a United Nations where, once the case is made, there is an examination of conscience followed by a commitment towards change. To some, that may seem like a high ideal but I submit that it is the minimum owed to States like Saint Lucia. It is indeed the object and purpose of the United Nations.


Mr. Patrice Athanase Guillaume Talon, President of the Republic, Head of State and Head of Government of the Republic of Benin, who was unable to travel to New York, has instructed me to deliver the following message on his behalf and on behalf of the Government: “It is with particular pride that I would like, on behalf of the Beninese delegation and on my own behalf, to reiterate my warm congratulations to Mr. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande on his successful election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-fourth session and to assure him of Benin’s full support for the success of his mandate. “I also congratulate his predecessor, Ms. Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, for the excellence of her work during her term of office, and reiterate my vision of success to the Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Guterres, whose courageous reforms I welcome and support.
“The General Assembly at its seventy- fourth session is taking place at a time when the fundamental principles of multilateralism are increasingly being questioned, and when serious climate, security and social challenges need to be addressed, which is a major challenge for the Organization that we created almost 75 years ago. The theme of this session invites us to galvanize multilateral efforts for poverty eradication, quality education, climate action and inclusion, which is a theme that summarizes the objectives we have set for ourselves for the next 12 months as part of our joint actions.
“Those challenges require us to strengthen multilateralism — a multilateralism that is seen as the expression of exchange between peoples and the equality of all. It is a necessity more than a projection into the future. If all our States retreat behind their national borders, if we sacrifice our collective values and if we perpetuate the current tragedies, we will certainly move away from these objectives. Indeed, it is multilateralism that will make it possible to build lasting peace and to meet each of these challenges.
“As we enter the fifth year of implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the current session of the General Assembly is of particular importance for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The high-level events held — namely, the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, the High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development, the high-
level meeting on universal health coverage, as well as the high-level meeting to review progress made on the Small Island Developing States Accelerated Modalities of Action Pathway — were opportunities for exchange and engagement. These forums, in which we discussed efforts and future actions to accelerate progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, should enable us to end all forms of poverty and to fight inequalities, while ensuring that no one is left behind. The Secretary-General encouraged us to approach our meeting on climate change on the basis of concrete engagement for future actions rather than negotiation and discussion.
“My Government is convinced of the seriousness of the current situation and has therefore developed and submitted an ambitious plan to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions by 2030. Accordingly, in all energy and agriculture sectors, Benin plans to contribute to reducing cumulative greenhouse-gas emissions by 16.17 per cent between 2021 and 2030 by increasing our renewable-energy production capacity and through sustainable agricultural. Over the same period, we will increase the protection of natural forests with a focus on reducing the annual deforestation rate by 20,000 hectares and by creating 10,000 hectares of forest plantations.
“I take this opportunity to reaffirm from this rostrum my country’s commitment to continuing to work towards sustainable development in order to achieve social inclusion and the reduction of inequalities, in particular by encouraging effective political impact through the strengthening of dialogue on social development issues, which will ensure the successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
“I would like to recall that my country stands firm on the principles and values enshrined in the Charter and the fundamental principles of international law. My country deeply believes in international solidarity and common efforts aimed at ensuring the well-being of all peoples. I renew my country’s support for efforts to achieve a two- State solution guaranteeing a viable Palestinian State with the attributes of full international sovereignty, living side by side and in perfect harmony with the State of Israel. Benin also regrets the continued economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed on Cuba by the United States of America and would like to call for the promotion of constructive dialogue so that these two countries can achieve a definitive normalization of their bilateral relations for the well-being and prosperity of their peoples.
“The late former Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali said,
‘If every ethnic, religious or linguistic group claimed statehood, there would be no limit to fragmentation, and peace, security and economic well-being for all would become ever more difficult to achieve’ (A/47/277\ para. 17).
“Peace and security in the Sahel are of crucial importance for the stability of our region. At the special summit of the Economic Community of West African States focused on the fight against terrorism, held on 14 September, we reaffirmed our commitment to respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries against all separatist tendencies.
“I would like to join my peers in the subregion and welcome the fact that the advocacy of the Group of Five for the Sahel (G-5 Sahel) before the Security Council has been favourably received, in the form of the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). Despite my country’s limited capacities and resources, Benin has always been involved in international initiatives aimed at preventing crises and maintaining peace. My country’s continued contribution of troops to MINUSMA illustrates this commitment.
“Once again, I would like to express the solidarity of my Government and the people of Benin with the countries of the G-5 Sahel and with neighbouring Nigeria, which are all gravely affected by terrorism. However, our countries have not failed to continue to focus on the well-being of our respective peoples through the implementation of the sustainable development programme by 2030, despite this regional security challenge.
“The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the launch of its implementation were an important step in the process of promoting the development of our States and the well-being of peoples. Accelerating its implementation has been a major imperative for my Government, which seeks to find innovative mechanisms for access to resources to ensure its financing. In the four years since its launch in Benin, one of the key lessons that has emerged is that integrating SDG initiatives into national planning frameworks is essential for the 2030 Agenda to be effectively implemented. This effort must pay particular attention to harmonizing the principles of prioritization, coordination and partnership.
“After contextualizing and selecting the SDGs, my Government organized its interventions around three focus areas, namely, sustainable food security policies, resilient production policies and inclusive policies, which generate positive synergies. In relation to each of these critical entry points, we have implemented specific actions leading to cross-cutting progress.
“In this framework, in order to guarantee quality education for children, we have set up the Integrated National School Feeding Programme, which not only improves the school performance, health and nutritional status of students but also develops local agricultural production, thereby providing substantial income to farmers. These concerted actions have also reduced the prevalence of food insecurity, which fell by 1.4 per cent over the period 2013-2017. By promoting the development of sustainable food systems and healthy lifestyles, this critical entry point into education creates positive synergies by reducing hunger, promoting good health and well-being, and fostering effective partnerships.
“With a view to achieving more such results, strengthening the resilience of production systems was chosen as the second critical entry point. It has found expression in, among other specific actions, sustainable land management and the roll-out of initiatives to protect and rehabilitate depleted lands with the aim of improving food security. These climate-change adaptation measures have led to more than 13,000 farmers being trained in sustainable land management, over 92 per cent of whom have adopted sustainable practices. In this context, the Government of my country is considering establishing an international research centre on climate-change-resilient agriculture. By strengthening the resilience of production systems, soil protection and rehabilitation help with climate-change adaptation and lead to increased productivity and employment and reduced hunger and poverty, thereby resulting in significant positive synergies for fulfilling the 2030 Agenda.
“In order to leave no one behind, Benin has set up, under the third critical entry point, a human- capital development insurance scheme for the most vulnerable in the agricultural, trade, transport, crafts, art and culture sectors. By providing health insurance, training, credit and pension insurance to 22 per cent of those without health coverage and 18 per cent of the extremely poor population, this specific measure contributes in a tangible way to poverty eradication, social protection, learning and access to decent employment. Once the pilot phase has ended, implementation at national level should complement other specific social protection measures with cross-cutting impacts on the attainment of the SDGs.
“Also under the third critical entry point, also with the aim of improving the living conditions of our population, my Government has invested massively in the area of drinking water in order to fulfil SDG 6 by 2021. In addition, it has halved energy dependence by setting up new 127-megawatt power-generation capacity, with the objective of reaching 400 megawatts by 2021 and a 25 per cent renewable energy mix.
“Taking into account the assessment that quality-control institutions should play a role in the regulatory and anti-corruption fields, and especially a prominent role in improving the effectiveness of public spending, Benin has embarked on a vast programme of reforms in the area of economic governance. The efficiency gains resulting from the implementation of the reforms, which target the administration, the judiciary and the party-based political system, will strengthen the effectiveness of public policy.
“Among emerging trends that may present opportunities for the medium-term financing of the development programme until 2030, my Government advocates the consolidation of public finances through investment and capital expenditures, the curbing of illicit financial flows and the return of foreign assets. For this reason, combating impunity and corruption is at the heart of our priority actions. In order to optimize the
State’s resources, we have, more specifically, set up enforcement agencies that play a key role in ensuring that actions are carried out with greater efficiency. Similarly, it is very important to strengthen oversight bodies in the public expenditure chain. Such measures are necessary to ensure that financial resources are actually used for their intended purposes. They also aim to make national actors more virtuous and to guarantee the quality of public spending.
“In summary, Benin has generally undertaken important actions to accelerate progress. They include improving access to transport infrastructure and electricity, with the introduction of new capacity that brings us closer to autonomy, cleaning up the country’s main cities, enhancing young people’s access to decent work and empowering women.
“On the political front, we have undertaken major reforms of the party and electoral systems. For example, a new political party charter and electoral code were adopted in July and September 2018, with almost unanimous support from members of parliament of all persuasions, are the result of a process initiated at the beginning of the seventh legislature in 2015. The reforms’ overriding challenge is to address the fragmentation of political parties, avoid the instability inherent in majority Governments built on alliances and create the conditions for every political party to actually play its role and implement its programme in a coherent manner and in accordance with its development vision. The new electoral code and the political party charter served as the basis for the organization of the parliamentary elections in April. This democratic electoral process, despite the disputes inherent in all reforms, was led serenely by the Autonomous National Electoral Commission and resulted in the election of the members of the eighth legislature, which was formally sworn in on 16 April.
“In conclusion, 30 years after making a historic commitment to children around the world by ratifying the Convention on the Rights of the Child, we have the opportunity today to reaffirm this commitment and ensure that every child enjoys all of his or her rights. My delegation is pleased to have ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which establishes a communications procedure that was adopted in New York on 19 December 2011.
“Furthermore, my country remains convinced that ever closer cooperation between States and the harmonious functioning of international organizations whose main function is to guarantee the common interest and collective security must remain our absolute priority of the day. That is for us the key issue at the seventy-fourth session of the General Assembly, which seeks to galvanize multilateralism, the only guarantee of success in the process of resolving our global challenges in the area of climate change, the fight against poverty and efforts to develop quality education. I wish this session every success.


I extend cordial greetings from the Government and the people of Grenada, on whose behalf I am always honoured to address this noble institution and its members.
I join those before me in congratulating you, Mr. President, on your election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-fourth session. I am confident in your stewardship and assure you of my delegation’s cooperation and support. I also echo my colleagues in thanking the outgoing President of the General Assembly at its seventy-third session, Her Excellency Ms. Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, for her able and energetic leadership.
I take this opportunity to thank and commend Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for his leadership of the United Nations and for his interest in and understanding of the unique development challenges facing small island developing States (SIDS). I also applaud the Secretary-General’s unrelenting efforts to address the scourge of climate change and the global poverty eradication agenda. I commend his unrelenting efforts in securing education for all, promoting total inclusion and leaving no one behind.
Allow me to congratulate fellow Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member State Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on being elected to a non-permanent seat on the Security Council. It is the smallest nation ever to do so.
Our Assembly is occurring in a global context with continued and increasing anxiety about economic, social and political inequality and marginalization. Grenada unwaveringly recommits to the United Nations and its principles, as outlined in the Charter. Our commitment in national and international life to the norms of peace, equality, justice, human rights and multilateralism is clear. We are proud this week to have signed or acceded to three new treaties: the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
Lest we forget, the raison d’etre of this body is essentially to solve the world’s problems through multilateral efforts. The issues that we now face, such as eradicating poverty, providing quality education and taking climate action, are problems that cannot be solved by individual Member States. Our efforts must be collective, focused and strategic if we are to achieve meaningful progress for the benefit of our peoples.
Small island developing States have had to navigate our development agenda in that much broader context, while at the same time facing challenges that are as natural as they are man-made. The phenomenon of climate change and the attendant exacerbating consequences of increased frequency and more intense natural disasters are real, existential threats, which we must confront daily.
In that regard, we again extend our most profound solidarity to the Government and the people of the Bahamas. Hurricane Dorian was indeed an unprecedented event and amounted to the total destruction of significant aspects of the Bahamian landscape. Hurricane Dorian has again brought into sharp focus the inadequacy of the per capita income classification as a barometer for accessing development resources for small islands developing States. Indeed, Hurricane Dorian has reminded us that the entire gross domestic product (GDP) of SIDS can be wiped out in a few hours.
The experience of the Bahamas contains many new lessons and points to many new imperatives in adaptation for those small vulnerable States. The cost of adaptation to that experience requires massive public expenditure for the virtual reconstruction of the entire infrastructure if we are to withstand the successive onslaught of hurricanes. The need to ensure the safety of life and limb also challenges us to implement new, robust building codes that will provide bunker safety housing, particularly for the most vulnerable.
The States members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States are calling on all small island developing States to join us in creating a SIDS foundation, the purpose of which will be to mobilize the funding and other resources required to finance adaptation in a manner that does not impose fiscal stress on our fragile economies. With limited access to and ever-increasing competition for climate and development financing, those climate change and poverty challenges are further intensified.
Our foremost goal must be to aggressively pursue policies and strategies that will help us to mitigate the effects of some of those challenges, especially those over which we have little control, while at the same time, moving expeditiously to implement long-term plans that will help to sustain our societies. We therefore must focus on national and regional sustainable development plans and programmes, long-term low-carbon development strategies, low greenhouse gas emissions strategies and comprehensive disaster risk reduction and risk management strategies.
We are firm in the view that effective multilateralism, based on an inclusive approach that takes into account the needs of all countries is the only way that we can address global challenges like climate change and poverty reduction. It is clear that there is a strong relationship between climate change and poverty, with the most vulnerable being those that are most negatively impacted, while also being the ones that have contributed the least to the problem. In that context, I wish to outline several of Grenada’s key initiatives, plans and programmes that are geared to addressing climate change and poverty eradication and will also further the objective of sustainable development.
In Grenada’s case, there are many accomplishments of which we can be proud, including the remarkable economic turnaround of the past five years. Our economy remains strong, growing by 5.2 per cent in 2018, with a further increase expected this year. In fact, average growth over the past five years has been 5 per cent. That was achieved through the collective effort of the Government and its social partners and a tightly managed homegrown structural adjustment programme, consistent with our growth and poverty eradication strategy. It has not been an easy few years, but through sound macroeconomic policies, fiscal responsibility legislation and other legal measures, we have seen tremendous progress. Public debt, for example, now stands at 59.5 per cent of our GDP, down from 108 per cent in 2013. The decision to enact into law a fiscal responsibility act, which would help us manage and control our spending in any given year, is crucial to our macroeconomic viability and sustainability.
It is worth highlighting that we have done all that while ensuring that social spending was expanded to take care of our most vulnerable citizens. Our achievements in Grenada are indeed commendable and we are justly proud, but we do recognize that we have much work to do, especially as it relates to elevating our citizens out of poverty. Always cognizant that the proven pathway to advancement is education, the Government is working daily to improve the quality of education delivered to our nation’s students. Job security, compensation and enhanced opportunities for training are all among the incentives used to retain quality teachers in the educational system.
We are also working to revolutionize and improve students’ educational outcomes through the widespread use of technology and innovation. Other key initiatives, such as the establishment of several skills training centres island-wide and programmes in entrepreneurship to help narrow the gap between education and employment, especially among our youth, will serve to further improve the education system, reduce unemployment and alleviate poverty.
We fully support the theme of this debate, “Galvanizing multilateral efforts for poverty eradication, quality education, climate action and inclusion”. We therefore call on the United Nations to commit to multilateral action aimed at quality and affordable education for all.
As we attempt to create sustainable societies, we are confronted by certain global financial policies and actions that pose significant threats to our region’s sustainable development. Correspondent banking and de-risking, blacklisting and middle-income status graduation are measures that negatively affect Caribbean economies. The unilateral and premature graduation of many small island developing States to middle-income status, without consideration of our region’s specific vulnerabilities, has resulted in significant budgetary shortfalls, adversely affecting our economic and social development. Our region has inherent structural economic challenges that already restrict the pace of our development. We ask that those impediments to growth be considered when our matters arise for consideration.
The Caribbean Development Bank has pioneered the use of vulnerability indices in setting the terms of its financing. Likewise, we urge international partners to work towards an acceptable country vulnerability index that holistically assesses our countries’ development and risks. Moreover, the withdrawal of correspondent banking services to CARICOM member States can be seen as an economic assault that would destabilize the financial sector of our already vulnerable economies. We wish to call on countries, development partners and corporations to collaborate to fill the need for policy coherence and to work towards developing a road map that addresses the problem. Our own Eastern Caribbean Central Bank is engaged in helping to address the problem, and we express our support for United Nations principles of corporate banking. Remittances contribute in real and significant terms to the GDP of small States. In fact, the World Bank has stated that any sudden stop to remittances to economies that rely on those flows could pose a significant threat to socioeconomic stability.
In addition to the threat of lost correspondent banking relationships, we also have to contend with the unilateral and often unfounded blacklisting of our institutions as money-launderers and our countries as tax havens. It pains us as policymakers to expend our limited resources to comply with international rules, only to face arbitrary punishments when we are quite evidently doing our best. There are no easy answers to these challenges, but I urge our partners to desist from draconian approaches to these matters when dealing with vulnerable developing nations.
In Grenada, we are currently pushing forward with our National Sustainable Development Plan 2035, which will resolutely set us on an unprecedented long-term development path. The ability to successfully and fully enact an enduring strategy for development has been a shortcoming of successive Governments throughout the years. We are now working assiduously to correct that, given the adverse effects that this glaring gap has had on Government’s ability to manage its macroeconomic affairs.
Through extensive consultations, Grenada is well on its way to realizing the implementation of the National Sustainable Development Plan, which envisions that the tri-island State of Grenada shall become a resilient and prosperous nation, with a conscious and caring citizenry, promoting human dignity and realizing its full potential through sustainable economic and social progress for all. The Plan, as envisioned and outlined, provides strategic direction and presents home-grown solutions that are geared to improving the way Grenadians live, work and interact with our natural environment, institutions and each other. The Plan, by the people and for the people, calls for constant and consistent stakeholder engagement and coordination. A dedicated entity, the Development and Planning Institute of Grenada, will coordinate the sustainable implementation of the Plan and serve as a strategic link between all relevant stakeholders to ensure that the preparation and implementation processes are conducted in a collaborative manner through a consultative process, with clearly identified roles and responsibilities. A more stable and stronger Grenada is well on its way as we attempt to build resilience at all levels.
However, despite the progress made to date at the national level, there are risks to be managed that are beyond our capacity and ability to adapt to. In that regard, international partnerships, as per the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway, are the way to go. Our nationally determined contribution calls for financial injection of $160 million over the next five years. We are indeed heartened by the indications of support received so far from the Green Climate Fund, the Global Environment Facility, the Nationally Determined Contributions Partnership, bilateral partners and other agencies focusing on climate finance.
Our National Adaptation Plan calls for an additional $240 million over the next five years and, again, we are grateful for the support received so far and are heartened by the indications of further support. In fact, I must emphasize that the financial requirements of the Partnership and the National Adaptation Plan would amount to 40 per cent of our annual GDP, and that this does not include any provision for the impact of stronger hurricanes, extended drought and heat waves, flash flooding or losses and damage, including from slow-onset events. The needs in that respect are greater than we can afford with our national resources, and we need the international community to come together and provide the support needed. The only hope we have now is in the collective strength of multilateralism.
The Global Commission on Adaptation reminded us just this week of the scale of the resources required to address the adaptation needs of developing countries. The report indicates that investing $1.8 trillion globally in five areas of climate adaptation between 2020 and 2030 could yield $7.1 trillion in net benefits. Mobilizing those resources will require a concerted multilateral effort. I therefore issue a call here today to the rest of the international community to step up and respond to the needs identified. I also call for a simplification of the process to access available financing, which regrettably, as it currently stands, serves as a barrier to aid to those most in need.
In the spirit of multilateralism and inclusion, Grenada has always supported and continues to support resolution 70/5, which calls for an end to the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America on Cuba. We believe that recent measures aimed at restricting remittances, as well as banking transactions, only serve to weaken the economic stability of our sister nation, thereby severely affecting the socioeconomic conditions of the Cuban people. We call for an end to the embargo against the Cuban people and the immediate repeal of the Helms-Burton Act. We ask for continued solidarity with and support for the Government and the people of Cuba.
Grenada remains concerned by recent political and social developments in Venezuela. What we seek is to encourage meaningful dialogue based on the premise that the Venezuelan people, brothers and sisters who disagree on form, can come together to safeguard the future of the people of Venezuela. In the meantime, Grenada believes in the art of diplomacy, the principle of respect for State sovereignty and the right of all people to self-determination. The onus is squarely on the Government and the opposition to ensure that Venezuelans do not lose hope. Grenada therefore supports all initiatives aimed at resolving the problem in Venezuela peacefully, including the CARICOM process agreed by member States of the region.
Grenada is committed to the maintenance of the Caribbean region as a zone of peace. In that regard, we are proud to be not only a party to the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean but also, now, a signatory to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
The United Nations membership must make paragraph 3 of Article 1 of the Charter a major priority in the next few years. Our founders called on the Organization
“[t]o achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion”.
We must do all in our power to provide added economic opportunities for the developing world. I therefore call on the Economic and Social Council to actively pursue undertakings designed to create an encouraging atmosphere providing Member States with the opportunity to raise the standard of living of their people. In the current global environment, we must be conscious that inclusion in the process of the global economy is vital. We are now engaged in direct diplomatic initiatives to strengthen the links as a matter of core strategic interests with our African brothers and sisters. In that regard, we welcome and look forward to recent steps taken by our Caribbean Community and Africa to deepen ties and explore ways in which to increase cooperation.
Finally, I must recall Article 1 of the Charter of the United Nations, which calls on the Organization to maintain international peace and security and, to that end, to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to peace. We must be relentless in our pursuit of the purposes of the Organization. Our challenge is to work towards the elimination of terrorist activities and armed conflicts around the world. Grenada therefore calls on all actors to work tirelessly to that end and for the peaceful resolution of all disputes so as to secure and maintain international peace and security by avoiding conflict at all costs. Our quest must be for economic opportunities for all States, and our goal should be the peaceful coexistence of all peoples of the international community. Indeed, if we can achieve that, we will be well on our way to transforming our world.


At the outset, allow me to convey to the Members of the General Assembly the warm greetings of His Excellency Mr. Paul Biya, President of the Republic of Cameroon, Head of State, who has authorized me to represent him at this session of the General Assembly and to take the floor on his behalf.
In joining those who spoke at this rostrum before me, I would first like to express my sincere and brotherly congratulations to His Excellency Mr. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande on his election as president of the General Assembly at its seventy-fourth session. I have no doubt that his extensive experience and leadership will enable him to successfully conduct our deliberations. Cameroon will give him all of its support for the full success of his mandate. Now is also a good opportunity for me to pay sincere tribute to his predecessor, Ms. Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, for the dedication and commitment with which she successfully led the work of the General Assembly at its seventy-third session.
I would like to reiterate Cameroon’s continued appreciation and encouragement to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres his tenacity in carrying out the courageous and relevant reforms that he has initiated since his appointment as head of our Organization and for his guidance in managing the many global challenges. Cameroon would like to express our full support for his commitment to international peace and security, and economic and social progress in the world.
The current session is taking place in an international context where we are faced with multiple challenges and where populations around the world are living in oppressive anxiety about the deterioration of international relations. The persistence of sources of tension in various regions of the world, particularly in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America is to be deplored. Terrorism, drug trafficking, transnational organized crime, including general banditry, and illicit trafficking of arms of all kinds appear to be spreading and are threatening the peace and stability of States and the flourishing of peoples. In addition, it is worth mentioning the phenomenon of migratory flows, which has become a matter of concern for all States, as it particularly affects young people in search of a better life.
On another level, it should also be noted that poverty and inequality persist and even seems to be gaining ground. Similarly, humankind is presently faced with a new scourge, namely, social media networks that have become full-fledged empires on their own. They carry masses of exaggerated information instantaneously and at the global scale, mixing truth and lies manipulated by actors in service of partisan interests, who by exercising their rights to freedom of opinion, expression or information deliberately trample on what is essential: respect for human dignity and our sense of responsibility. In addition to all of these scourges, the preservation of our planet is threatened by natural disasters, some of which are caused by human activity, be it climate disruption, floods, drought, volcanoes and earthquakes or other landslides, and fires, which cause the most varied types of damage.
In the face of those problems and misfortunes that know no borders because of increased globalization, Cameroon believes that the best solution lies, first and foremost, in increased, active, vigorous and better- structured solidarity at local, national, regional and international levels. Moreover, our century has major assets at its disposal — technological means and many other instruments and mechanisms — to address, eradicate or at least mitigate the devastating effects of these problems and concerns. Indeed, in today’s digital age, the exponential progress of science and technology has placed into human hands the most effective tools to reach the most remote parts of the universe and to explore and exploit the abyssal depths of the seas and oceans, in short, to control the infinitely large and the infinitely small. In sum, solutions are therefore within our reach to engage in a constructive, concerted and united approach.
The foregoing shows the relevance of theme of the general debate of the seventy-fourth session, namely, “Galvanizing multilateral efforts for poverty eradication, quality education, climate action and inclusion”. In choosing this theme, there is no doubt that the President wanted to make the international community aware of two major facts: first, the preservation of our common planet and the protection of humankind, which is at the centre of the planet and could be swallowed up and disappear if nothing is done, and secondly, the need to maintain a good interactive relationship and a necessary balance between these two entities.
In relation to the analysis I have just made, allow me to address the issue of multilateralism, on which many delegations have dwelt, and which cannot be dissociated from the theme of this session. Multilateralism is a healthy solution that must highlight our respect for the ideals, purposes and principles set forth in the Charter of the United Nations. It calls for the strengthening of active solidarity and the will to live together in the strict observance of world cultural diversity with a view to promoting and preserving the interests of everyone, especially the weak. That naturally implies the establishment of a new and just international order based on our determination to eradicate poverty and achieve all of the Sustainable Development Goals in a safer and fairer world for both present and future generations.
We must focus on the cardinal values of good governance and democratization at both the national and international level, as well as the renunciation of unilateral decision-making. In this spirit, the reform of the Security Council and world economic institutions is of great importance, as that would enable all countries, in particular African countries, to regain the place they deserve in the community of nations.
In this regard, Cameroon welcomes the General Assembly’s decisions to proclaim 24 April the annual International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace and to celebrate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations under the theme “The future we want, the United Nations we need: reaffirming our collective commitment to multilateralism”.
Efforts to implement an innovative, responsive form of multilateralism would be in vain if they did not give priority to the human being — if they did not protect them from the dangers that arise from the disruption of peace, insecurity, natural or human-made socioeconomic precariousness, all of which prevent them from living in peace and dignity. Faced with each of the aforementioned challenges and in the context of our national Vision 2035 development document, which is in line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda 2063, my country has committed to building a proactive, long-term development strategy that reflects the deep aspirations of its citizens to live in a democratic and prosperous country that is united in its diversity and that offers equal development opportunities to all its citizens. To that end, President Paul Biya has committed the Government to carrying out major structural projects to strengthen infrastructure, including roads, ports and energy facilities, as well as projects in such sectors as sports, public health, and urban and rural development.
Significant progress has been made, most notably in the areas of education and inequality reduction. We have launched ambitious programmes and projects aimed to fight poverty and climate change. We provided a detailed overview of our progress in the voluntary national review that we presented during the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development convened under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council in July.
In the field of education, for example, despite strong growth in the numbers of student enrolments, we have substantially reduced disparity between boys and girls and achieved a significantly higher secondary-school graduation rate. Our efforts are focused, inter alia, on ensuring that young Cameroonians in all regions of the country are able to enjoy their right to education.
With regard to inequality reduction, Cameroon has established a social safety-net programme, raised the level of guaranteed minimum income and increased salaries for public officials. A three-year special youth plan, with a budget of 102 billion CFA francs, which is roughly equivalent to $175 million, is being implemented to facilitate the socioprofessional integration of young people. A large number of programmes have also been put in place to ensure the advancement of women and the family.
In terms of resilience and adaptation to climate change, Cameroon, which was among the first signatories to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, has set itself the goal of reducing carbon emissions to 32 per cent of current levels by 2035. I am pleased to inform the General Assembly that my country has adopted a national climate-change adaptation plan. Believing desertification to be one of the major consequences of climate change, Cameroon initiated, in 2008, the Green Sahel Reforestation Programme, which is aimed at restoring degraded land through such initiatives as an operation to plant thousands of trees in order to stop the desert from advancing. As part of this national action plan, the National Observatory for the Fight against Climate Change in Cameroon is now operational. Furthermore, our country is part of the great Congo basin forest in Central Africa and is home to the headquarters of the Commission of Central African Forests, for which we hold the presidency. This institution plays a crucial role in the management of the forests in our subregion and is an initiative to which all the countries of the region contribute.
It is to be hoped that funding for the implementation of the various programmes envisaged by the international community within the framework of the Green Fund will be made available in order to expedite the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. The same stands for access to science, technology and innovation, for which wealthy countries must deliver on the promises made in the light of commitments entered into as part of the Paris Agreement.
As members of the General Assembly are aware, in recent years Cameroon and the countries of the Lake Chad basin, principally Chad, Nigeria and the Niger, have been subject to insecurity at the hands of the terrorist group Boko Haram. Our countries have been pooling resources and working together as part of the Multinational Joint Task Force to resolutely fight that terrorist sect. Thanks to our combined efforts, we have achieved considerable success in this fight.
Nevertheless, Boko Haram continues to have considerable capacity for wreaking havoc in the region. We therefore wish to take the opportunity to solemnly reiterate our gratitude to all our bilateral and multilateral partners who have tirelessly supported us in our fight against terrorism, a scourge that now affects all regions of the world. We call for their unwavering solicitude, particularly in the management of the grave humanitarian crisis that terrorism has unleashed, and specifically in taking care of the many refugees and displaced persons. In this regard, we appeal for decisive support from our bilateral and multilateral partners in implementing the various development projects that we have designed in the region to eradicate poverty and, in so doing, tackle the root causes of the terrorist threat.
Another major concern my country is the crisis that has been playing out over the past three years in the north-west and south-west regions of the country. Separatist groups in these two regions have attempted to undermine Cameroon’s territorial integrity, national unity and cohesion, the stability of its national institutions and the well-being of its people through armed violence, calls for boycotts, general strikes, lootings, kidnappings for ransom, assassinations and arson, as well as the destruction of infrastructure, including attacks of all kinds against hospitals, schools, students, parents and teachers, law-enforcement agencies and civilian populations, to say nothing of the destruction of the country’s economic and social fabric. Moreover, this situation is provoking a wave of displaced persons and large numbers of refugees whom Cameroon is hosting, following sociopolitical crises in certain neighbouring brother countries.
Despite those difficult circumstances, the Government is controlling that internal and localized crisis, which poses no threat to subregional, let alone regional or international, peace and security. We manage it in the spirit of dialogue and cooperation. I can say today with satisfaction that the process initiated by the Government and driven by the Head of State for the management of the security situation in the north-west and south-west regions of Cameroon and for a definitive return to peace has made great progress. A decisive step forward was taken on 10 September 2019, with the announcement by the Head of State, His Excellency Mr. Paul Biya, to convene a major and inclusive national dialogue.
At this stage, I would like to share with the General Assembly the views of the President of the Republic on this major national dialogue. The national dialogue will allow Cameroonians “to seek ways and means of meeting the high aspirations of the people of the north-west and south-west regions, but also of all the other components of our nation. The dialogue in question will mainly concern the situation in the north-west and south-west regions. Since it will focus on issues of national interest such as national unity, national integration and living together, it is obvious that it will not concern only the population of these two regions. The dialogue will therefore rally all the sons and daughters of our beloved and beautiful country, Cameroon, to reflect on values that are dear to us, namely, peace, security, national unity and progress.
“It will also focus on... bilingualism, cultural diversity and social cohesion, the reconstruction and development of conflict-affected areas, the return of refugees and displaced persons, the education and judicial system, decentralization and local development, the demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants, the role of the diaspora in the country’s development... “The dialogue... will bring together a wide range of personalities: parliamentarians, politicians, opinion leaders, intellectuals, economic operators, traditional authorities, religious authorities, members of the diaspora, representatives of defence and security forces, armed groups and victims.”
I am pleased that the announcement by the President of the Republic of Cameroon concerning this major national dialogue was favourably received by the national and international community, as well as, inter alia, the United Nations, the African Union Commission, the European Union, the Commonwealth, and la Francophonie. Cameroon expresses its gratitude to them for their willingness to support us in this major exercise. It should be noted that the Prime Minister, our Head of Government, is currently conducting intensive consultations with the nation’s stakeholders, including civil society, for the full success of the dialogue, which is due to be officially launched on 30 September.
As members know, Cameroon has always been committed to promoting the rule of law and respect for human rights in their civil and political, economic, social and cultural aspects. The Government places particular emphasis on the fight against corruption. To that end, it has established bodies and mechanisms for good governance, guaranteeing the rule of law, development, prosperity, harmony and national cohesion.
With particular regard to abuses and other violations of human rights committed in the context of the crisis in the north-west and south-west regions, Cameroon is committed to the principle of impunity. In this perspective, perpetrators of attack on the stability of the State and all recorded crimes will also be held accountable before the competent courts, in strict compliance with the law. In this context, allow me to quote the President of the Republic once again: “Respect for the rule of law and the fight against impunity are pillars in the consolidation of a State ruled by law to which we all aspire. Violating the rule of law and granting impunity to some citizens is paving the way for anarchy.”
I reiterate from this rostrum the appeal of the President of the Republic of Cameroon to countries that harbour extremists and promoters of hatred and violence to arrest and act against those criminals in accordance with the law. In passing, I thank those of our partners that have already committed to cooperating with us in this area. This occasion gives me the opportunity to warmly acknowledge the contribution of bilateral and multilateral partners that have always reaffirmed Cameroon’s unity and territorial integrity. Their ongoing attentiveness and support are of great value. I reassure them that the President of the Republic of Cameroon, His Excellency Mr. Paul Biya, and his Government are making every effort to invest in resolving the crisis in the north-west and south-west and in restoring lasting peace in my country.
As I previously stated, we are now at a turning point in the history of the world in which peoples and nations are called to live in peace. The fundamental mission of our Organization remains that of guaranteeing peace and international security because there can be no development — the development to which we all aspire — without peace and security. Cameroon will continue to support the United Nations in this noble mission.