HE Gaston Browne appealed to the United Nations to provide the world with security and freedom governed by justice and moral law
New York, United States of America-Sunday 7 October 2018 [ AETOS Wire ]
In
an empowering speech at The United Nations General Assembly, Antigua
and Barbuda’s Prime Minister HE Gaston Browne stressed the importance of
offering equal fundamental rights to all countries of the world.
“Year after
year, government leaders from across the world travel to this hall at
the United Nations Organization in the hope of finding a path to the
universal peace and progress that persistently elude us all. The people
of our nations, rich and poor, large and small, have long since stopped
paying attention to or caring about what is said here. For them, this
place is a talking shop where much is said and not enough is done to
change their lives or to give them reason to believe that the future
will be better. It is, therefore, important that the fundamental
undertaking by all nations as set out in the charter of this
organization is to treat as equal the rights of men and women and of
nations large and small.”
Emphasising
that the world is a global neighbourhood, Browne encouraged the
governments and political parties in countries around the world to bear
the great responsibility of respecting and upholding the human, civil
and political rights of their citizens and improving the human
condition. He explained that a few privileged nations were making
decisions that impact the livelihood of billions, and emphasised that
arbitrary rules set by unrepresentative bodies for their own narrow
purposes have no legitimacy in the world.
Calling upon
the members of the United Nations General Assembly to address this
situation, Browne said, “The value of the General Assembly is its
universality of membership and the fact that the voice of every member
state can be raised, but it must be seen to be more than a place for
talk. It must be a place for action and for results. For years, the
General Assembly was marginalised by the Security Council and by the
notion that a small group of powerful countries should make decisions
for the rest of the world. This United Nations General Assembly must
become the principal organ of the United Nations system. Unless the
General Assembly is revitalised and made relevant, the actions of the
Security Council and other organisations will be endured but not
embraced, they will be accepted but not respected, and they will be
enforced but not legitimised. I therefore make the call once again for a
reinvigorated and relevant United Nations General Assembly.”
Stressing the
importance of unity among the countries of the world, Browne stated
that if nations worked together, they could stop the spread of disease
but also curb the effects of climate change, ensure that people are safe
from terrorists and organised crime, share knowledge and technology and
have access to each other’s markets, trade goods and services, and
improve the lives of all people.
Calling upon
the United Nations to provide the world with security and freedom
governed by justice and moral law, HE Gaston Browne emphasised the
importance of right over might.
“On behalf of
the people of my country, the people of the Caribbean and Pacific
islands, the people who live in the eye of storms such as those on the
Eastern seaboard of the US, I urge all countries to come to the table
for dialogue and to stand by the agreements we make and the treaties we
sign. Our shared planet and our common humanity depend on it,” concluded
Browne.
Contacts
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