Speech by Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, in the 79th session of the UNGA. teleSUR
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00:00of the United States of America.
00:13Excellencies, distinguished
00:16ladies and gentlemen, today we
00:19all stand at the edge of a
00:21precipice. Never before has
00:24humanity been confronted with
00:26such stark choices. To end wars
00:28to eliminate poverty or watch
00:31millions starve, to act on
00:33climate change or doom future
00:36generations to a scorched
00:38planet. The choices we make
00:40today here in this assembly and
00:43in every institution of
00:44governance will shape the
00:46survival of entire nations and
00:48the future of our world. For
00:51small states like Antigua and
00:53Barbuda, these are not distant
00:56realities. They are existential
00:59threats. Our islands are on the
01:02front lines of a climate
01:04catastrophe that we did not
01:05cause. A debt crisis we did not
01:08create. And conflicts in which
01:10we have no part. And yet, we
01:14suffer the heaviest toll. The
01:17world is at a pivotal point and
01:19inaction is no longer an option
01:21for any of us. Small island
01:25states are the first to suffer
01:28but we certainly will not be
01:29the last. All will be consumed
01:32if we continue to dither and
01:34delay. SIDS have learned to
01:37fight for survival against the
01:39rising seas and violent storms.
01:42But today, we must also fight
01:45for something greater. The
01:47survival of justice, equity,
01:49peace and human dignity itself.
01:53The time for games and lofty
01:55rhetoric has passed. We demand
01:58committed concrete action and we
02:01demand it now. We do not do so
02:04only for ourselves but for all
02:06of humanity. The fourth United
02:09Nations conference in small
02:11island developing states, SIDS
02:13four, is a pinnacle of
02:15monumental achievement. A
02:17milestone that marks not only
02:19our collective progress as SIDS
02:21but also our unrelenting resolve.
02:24SIDS four gave birth to the
02:26Antigua and Barbuda agenda for
02:28SIDS, the Abbas. A renewed
02:31declaration for resilient
02:33prosperity. This agenda is not
02:36just a road map for the future.
02:39It is a lifeline for now. For
02:43SIDS, the Abbas represents the
02:45difference between thriving and
02:47perishing. It's our road map to
02:49a prosperous future. At its core
02:51is the SIDS center of excellence
02:53built by SIDS for SIDS. This
02:57center is intended to be more
02:59than just an institution. It is
03:01an instrument for meaningful
03:03change. A center for
03:05groundbreaking technologies,
03:07revolutionary processes and
03:09certainly pioneering solutions.
03:11SIDS four is a platform for
03:14innovation and technology
03:17mechanism as well as the island
03:19investment forum and debt
03:21sustainability support service,
03:23the DSSS. The center of
03:25excellence can be literally
03:27transformed the way in which we
03:29adapt to our vulnerabilities and
03:31set a path for resilient
03:33prosperity. However, this
03:35platform is not just a road map
03:37to a prosperous future. It is
03:39an instrument for meaningful
03:41change. SIDS four is a
03:42platform for
03:45innovation and technology
03:47mechanism. However, this vision
03:49cannot succeed in isolation. We
03:51need the cooperation and support
03:53of the global community to
03:55ensure its success. Without
03:57global cooperation, our hope of
03:59a secure future within our
04:01countries will crumble under the
04:03weight of inaction. That is why
04:05today I call for unwavering
04:08commitment of the international
04:10community to the center's
04:12commitment to the future.
04:14Survival depends on it. Mr.
04:16President, climate change is not
04:18an abstract or academic threat.
04:20For my people and the people of
04:22SIDS, it is a persistent and
04:25destructive reality. Intense
04:27hurricanes are now an annual
04:30terror. Coastal erosion is
04:32wiping away our productive areas
04:34for tourism and agriculture. The
04:37climate crisis is not on the
04:40horizon. It is here. Now burning
04:43through our ecosystems, flooding
04:45our villages and leaving us with
04:47fewer tomorrows. And yet, we
04:50find ourselves at an absurd
04:53situation. Continue to subsidize
04:56the very industries that are
04:58accelerating our destruction.
05:00Fossil fuel companies have
05:02become the architects of our
05:04demise while generating
05:06ostentatious profits for the
05:08owners. We must fight to end
05:11this madness, and I emphasize
05:13that we must fight to end this
05:15madness in protection of our
05:17planet and the interests of
05:19humanity. We need a fossil fuel
05:22nonproliferation treaty to halt
05:24the reckless destruction of our
05:26environment, to end fossil fuel
05:28subsidies and to chart a course
05:30toward a sustainable future with
05:32a negotiated and graduated
05:35transition. Let us continue to
05:37fight. Let COP 29 be the moment
05:40we draw a line in the sand. Let
05:43it be known that we can no longer
05:45afford the luxury of delay.
05:47While we recognize that fossil
05:49fuels still play a vital role in
05:51the energy security of many
05:53countries, and we do not expect
05:55their production to cease
05:57overnight, we should not support
05:59companies extracting oil and gas
06:01to continue generating
06:02extravagant profits at the
06:04expense of our planet. It is
06:06only fair and just that these
06:08companies pay a global levy to
06:11fund mitigation efforts and
06:13compensation for the damage that
06:15they continue to inflict. And
06:17this is not punishment. It's
06:19climate justice. It is a moral
06:22and legal responsibility in
06:24which the polluter pays. And it
06:27is also very appropriate that
06:29the time for action is now.
06:32While we face the climate
06:33emergency, we are also drowning
06:36in a sea of plastic pollution
06:38that is choking our oceans and
06:40devastating our biodiversity. It
06:42is no longer a question if we
06:45act, but how swiftly we can
06:48mobilize against this threat.
06:50Our nations must commit to a
06:52binding treaty as required by
06:54the U.N. resolution 5.14 to put
06:58an end to plastic pollution and
07:01safeguard our planet. And we
07:03must safeguard our world's most
07:05fragile ecosystems. Let us not
07:08allow this tightening
07:10suffocation of our planet to
07:12continue. Distinguished
07:14delegates, Antigua and Barbuda
07:16in concert with other small
07:18island developing states has
07:20played a leading role in pursuit
07:22of climate justice. And I said
07:24to all of us that we cannot
07:25relent on the issue of climate
07:27justice. At COP26 in 2021,
07:30together with Tuvalu, we
07:32established the commission of
07:33small island states and climate
07:35change and international law
07:36courses. Today, an expanded
07:39membership from the Caribbean
07:41and the Pacific stands united
07:43in our demand for
07:44accountability. In 2022, the
07:48commission sought the first ever
07:49advisory opinion from the
07:51international tribunal for the
07:52law of the sea and obligations
07:54of states to mitigate greenhouse
07:56gas emissions. In May of this
07:59year, the tribunal rendered a
08:01historic opinion affirming that
08:04major polluters are under
08:06legally binding obligation to
08:08protect the oceans and by
08:10extension, small island states
08:13from the catastrophic harm of
08:15climate change. This precedent
08:18sets the stage for the advisory
08:21proceedings now before the
08:23international court of justice
08:25initiated under the leadership
08:26of Van Wattu with the
08:28co-sponsorship of Antigua and
08:29Barbuda and other states.
08:30It is remarkable that the
08:33smallest nations are those
08:35driving this global response to
08:37the greatest threat to human
08:39survival. Yet, despite our
08:42efforts, the COP process
08:44continues to fail us. Instead of
08:47limited global warming to 1.5
08:50degrees Celsius, an essential
08:52threshold for survival, the
08:54world is hurtling towards a
08:56disastrous 2.8 degrees
08:57centigrade rise. This is
09:01nothing less than a death
09:03sentence for small island
09:05states. But it is also a
09:09harbinger for grief for the rest
09:11of the planet. We must demand
09:13that major polluters not only
09:16respect the obligations on
09:18international law, but also
09:20compensate us for the loss and
09:22damages that we have suffered.
09:24Those who preach about a
09:27rule-based international order
09:29must now lead by example. Rules
09:32must apply equally to all,
09:34including the mighty, not just
09:36to the poor and powerless. At
09:39COP 29, we expect no further
09:42delay in the capitalization and
09:45operationalization of the loss
09:46and damage fund for which we
09:48have struggled so long and
09:50certainly so hard. Equity is
09:51demanded. Mr. President, the
09:55fight for survival is not just
09:57about climate. It's about
09:59financial justice, reparatory
10:01justice, and other injustices
10:03and equity. The international
10:05financial system is skewed,
10:07outdated, and unjust, literally
10:10punishing the most vulnerable
10:12while rewarding the already
10:14rich and prosperous with
10:16favorable terms for their
10:18financial instruments. The
10:19financial system is skewed,
10:22outdated, and unjust, literally
10:24punishing the already rich and
10:26prosperous with favorable terms
10:28for their financial instruments.
10:30For too long, small states like
10:32mine have been shackled by debt
10:34we did not cause, debt that
10:36arose from recovery spending on
10:38recurring disasters that are
10:40beyond our control. We cannot
10:42achieve climate justice without
10:44addressing the structural
10:46inequities in international
10:48financial architecture. It is
10:49not just about climate. It is
10:51about financial inclusion. The
10:53SIDS debt sustainability support
10:55service is a critical mechanism
10:57that can provide tailored
10:59solutions, utilizing debt for
11:01climate swaps, debt relief,
11:03repurposing of SDRs and carbon
11:05pricing funding to help us
11:07escape the cycle of
11:09unsustainable debt. This is not
11:11charity. It is the justice of
11:14financial inclusion. And in the
11:17face of the burden of debt,
11:19including past injustices, it
11:21will establish a world that is
11:23fairer, more just, and more at
11:25peace with itself. Excellencies,
11:27the adoption of the
11:29multidimensional vulnerability
11:31index, the MVI, which Antigua
11:33and Barbuda was honored to help
11:35advance in this organization,
11:37offers a path towards correcting
11:39the imbalance of unjust
11:41treatment according to small and
11:43vulnerable nations. It is a
11:44vital tool designed to
11:47acknowledge the complexities we
11:49face, not just in terms of
11:51limited economic capacity and
11:53other structural vulnerabilities
11:55and a lack of resilience, but
11:57also in our exposure to myriad
11:59external shocks. International
12:01financial institutions must act
12:03on this, integrating the MVI
12:05into their policies to ensure
12:07that support is targeted where
12:09it is most needed. The work has
12:12been done. The case has been
12:14made. The arguments are
12:16irrefutable. There can be no
12:18just and sustaining reform of
12:20the World Bank, other IFIs, and
12:22multilateral banks without their
12:24effective implementation and use
12:26of the MVI. There can be no
12:28legitimate excuse for failing to
12:30utilize the MVI. As I said
12:32before, the arguments for its
12:34use are irrefutable and just.
12:36Mr. President, these initiatives
12:38with SIDS have undertaken our
12:40sole intention to ensure that
12:42international financial
12:44institutions, including SIDS,
12:46are a small component of the
12:48wider and more fundamental
12:50necessity for reform of the
12:52international financial
12:54architecture to provide greater
12:56funding accessibility in better
12:58terms to include lower interest
13:00rates and longer maturity
13:02transformations. They are part
13:04of the widened need for change
13:06to effectively address the
13:08historic imbalances against
13:10the international financial
13:12institutions and the nations
13:14that sit on the controlling
13:16boards must develop bespoke
13:18funding instruments that meet
13:20the needs of small vulnerable
13:22states and other developing
13:24countries, taking into
13:26consideration their
13:28vulnerabilities and lack of
13:30resilience. Mr. President, we
13:32must also recognize that the
13:34principles of justice and equity
13:36we champion here apply equally
13:38to all of us and our
13:40conditions precedent for a
13:42peaceful world. In this spirit,
13:44Antigua and Barbuda calls for
13:46the end of the designation of
13:48Cuba as a state sponsor of
13:50terrorism and for the lifting
13:52of the long-standing senseless
13:54embargo that has restricted its
13:56economic development. The time
13:58has come to cast off the chains
14:00of this outdated measure, which
14:02no longer serves the interests
14:04of our modern interconnected
14:06world. Let us work together
14:08toward a future built in mutual
14:10respect and cooperation where
14:12Cuba, like all nations, can
14:14fully participate in the global
14:16community. This is not a matter
14:18of politics. It's a matter of
14:20fairness and human dignity.
14:22The delegitimization of
14:24governments based on
14:26ideological differences
14:28utilizing misinformation and
14:30disinformation, including
14:32atrocity propaganda, serves no
14:35purpose but creates unnecessary
14:37tensions and conflicts. Let's
14:39embrace and respect our
14:41differences, standing in
14:43solidarity with each other in
14:45defense of global peace and
14:47prosperity. Excellencies, I wish
14:49now to address the grave issue
14:51of small arms and light weapons
14:53that are routinely exported from
14:55wealthy nations to our shores,
14:57creating havoc and instability.
14:59I am confident that the
15:01international community will
15:03recognize the importance of
15:05small arms and light weapons
15:07producing countries to put
15:09systems in place to curb the
15:11exploitation of these lethal
15:13weapons to our shores. They are
15:15causing immense harm. This
15:17issue is now emerging as a
15:19public health epidemic among
15:21SIDS, to the extent that I
15:23hereby make a clarion call for
15:25a high-level meeting at the
15:2780th UNGA to debate the threats
15:29of these weapons and their
15:31effects on peace and security
15:33and to devise effective
15:35solutions. Antigua and Barbuda
15:37cannot remain silent as
15:39innocent lives are destroyed and
15:41generations are condemned to
15:43fear and hatred. The events
15:45unfolding in the Middle East,
15:47particularly the conflict
15:49between Israel, Hamas and
15:51Hezbollah, are deeply troubling.
15:53The violence is destabilizing
15:55the entire region and
15:57reverberating across the world.
15:59Every missile fired, every
16:01life lost deepens wounds
16:03already too many to bear. The
16:05violations of international
16:07humanitarian law are alarming.
16:09We call on all parties to end
16:11the suffering by sitting down
16:13at the table of peace, where
16:15sincere negotiations can lead
16:17to a lasting solution. We
16:19believe that the only
16:21sustainable resolution is the
16:23creation of a new world order
16:25and a new world order.
16:27The only sustainable solution
16:29is the creation of two
16:31sovereign states with borders
16:33respected and rights upheld.
16:35It is time for the people of
16:37this region and all conflict
16:39zones to end these conflicts
16:41and to give peace a chance.
16:43Let us give peace a chance.
16:45From Gaza to Sudan,
16:47Ukraine to Yemen,
16:49the scars of conflict run
16:51deep, leaving devastation
16:53in their wake. The
16:56anguish of families torn apart
16:58by war reverberates across the
17:00globe, and it is our
17:02collective humanity that
17:04bleeds. Conflict kills the
17:06victims of bullets and bombs,
17:08but it also diminishes all
17:10mankind. On September 17th,
17:12inspired by the Secretary
17:14General's impassioned call for
17:16peace, I wrote to him
17:18proposing an initiative that
17:20transcends borders, language,
17:22and conflict. The
17:25letter I transmitted a
17:27concept note setting out a
17:29proposal for holding
17:31international music concerts
17:33for peace across every region
17:35of the world. This initiative
17:37is intended not only to raise
17:39our global voices in a unified
17:41chorus against the horrors of
17:43war and other conflicts, but
17:45also to raise critical funds
17:47to support displaced persons
17:49and those who continue to
17:51suffer. Music is a universal
17:53language. It speaks to the
17:55soul in ways that words
17:57cannot. In moments when
17:59words fall short, music
18:01carries our collective cries
18:03of peace and justice. This
18:05would be more than a
18:07performance. It would be a
18:09global appeal, a powerful
18:11demonstration that peace is
18:13not just an ideal. It is an
18:15absolute necessity, a
18:17survival imperative for this
18:19and future generations.
18:20I call on all nations, large
18:22and small, to support the
18:24concept of international music
18:26concerts for peace. Mr.
18:28President, the world is
18:30crumbling under the weight of
18:32crises, to include poverty,
18:34wars, pandemic, and the climate
18:36devastation. We are at a
18:38defining moment, and the
18:40choices we make now will
18:42determine the fate of every
18:44nation, large and small. We
18:46can end these grave challenges
18:48but the equality of our
18:50cultures and our cultures
18:52requires more than words. It
18:54demands decisive, concrete,
18:56unified action. And Tegan
18:58Barbuda, like all small
19:00states, does not stand on the
19:02sidelines. We stand on the
19:04principles of peace and love
19:06for common humanity and in
19:08the path of struggle against
19:10these global predicaments we
19:12did not create. Yet we fight
19:14not just for ourselves, but
19:16for a world where justice
19:18reigns, where peace endures,
19:20and where future generations
19:22inherit not a planet in peril
19:24but one that prospers. The
19:26world must act now, for the
19:28choices we make today will
19:30resonate through history. Let
19:32us choose peace, let us choose
19:34justice, and let us choose the
19:36survival of our one human race
19:38in our one homeland, the
19:40planet Earth. Peace.
19:42President Augustine Brown,
19:44Prime Minister of Antigua and
19:46Barbuda, during his address to
19:48the United Nations General
19:50Assembly. During his remarks
19:52the Ohio official assured the
19:54world needs to build a resilient
19:56prosperity. However, it cannot
19:58be achieved in isolation.
20:00Climate change is a reality that
20:02requires a collective response
20:04with a special focus on
20:06supporting small islands and
20:08communities. The United Nations
20:10has a special focus on
20:12supporting small island states
20:14worldwide, which are highly
20:16vulnerable to climate change and
20:18lack of resources to face it by
20:20themselves. Among other key
20:22topics, the official assured the
20:24world needs a fossil fuel
20:26non-proliferation treaty and
20:28start investing in a sustainable
20:30future. This is all for the
20:32moment. Stay tuned with From the