United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has warned Caricom leaders about the growing threat to their economies and stability posed by organised crime and the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, as the heads of states opened their annual summit in St Kitts and Nevis on June 29.
“We must consider this challenge in a regional context as well as through the prisms of development, human rights, rule of law, and security reform. The United Nations’ System stands ready to work with you on these issues,” Ban Ki- moon said in a statement read at the ceremonial opening of the summit.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
The UN chief also said that the financial and economic crisis continues to take a heavy toll on many Caribbean countries, but he acknowledged that many countries have made commendable progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. “I want to thank you for sharing your invaluable experiences during the 2010 MDG Summit. Our work for the MDGs continues to be made all the more challenging because of the increase in fuel and food prices. The questions of debt relief for middle- income countries and fair access to the global trading system merit greater attention. For my part, I continue to raise these issues in the formal and informal platforms in which I participate, including the G8 and G20.”
Ban said that climate change is yet another urgent and growing threat to development, economic growth, public health and “our very security”. “You have been pioneers in calling attention to the vulnerability of small island developing states. I commend Caricom countries for the leadership shown in the lead-up to last year’s talks in Cancún, and will count on your strong voice as we prepare for the Seventeenth Conference of the Parties, later this year in Durban.”
More broadly, Ban Ki-moon said that the UN System is conducting an evaluation of its presence in the region, and next month’s General Meeting between the UN System and Caricom in Georgetown will provide an opportunity to discuss “how we can strengthen our partnership.”
The UN chief also hailed Sir Edwin Carrington, who was honoured at Thursday evening’s ceremony, for his 18- year stewardship of Caricom. Ban Ki-moon said that during Dr Carrington’s tenure, the partnership with the United Nations was strengthened. “I applaud your decision to confer on him the Order of the Caribbean Community in recognition of his contribution to the region and his global political stature.”
Ban declared the Caribbean region vital to the United Nations. He noted that the region is strongly committed to multilateralism and regional integration, and remains at the forefront in tackling global challenges – from climate change to strengthening democracy, to rebuilding after natural disasters. He noted that, most recently, the Caribbean region participated actively in the General Assembly High-level Meeting on AIDS, and is bringing similar dynamism to preparations for the September High- level Meeting on non- communicable diseases, “which I am certain will be a landmark event.”
“When I attended your Summit last year, we devoted much of our discussions to Haiti, a priority for both Caricom and the United Nations. We agreed that the 2010 elections would be fundamental to ensuring Haiti’s democratic future. The elections were challenging but ultimately successful in bringing about a historic handover from one democratically elected president to another democratically elected president from the political opposition.”
Ban said Caricom’s leadership was once again essential, especially the role played by the Caricom/OAS Joint Electoral Observation Mission. “We all must continue working with the newly-elected authorities to support recovery and reconstruction… I remain grateful for Caricom’s unflinching commitment in support of its newest member state,” Ban Ki-moon added.
