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Ramotar makes fervent pitch to developed nations at UN
– wants greater cooperation in tackling poverty, narco fight, climate change
President Donald Ramotar, yesterday took world leaders to task over their less than fruitful approach in tackling Climate Change, combating the Narcotics Trade, and Trafficking in Persons, and even challenged the United Nations to reform itself in order give smaller countries greater representation.
Ramotar was at the time addressing the 68th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Ramotar also challenged the international community to revise how it treats with countries such as Guyana and those in the Caribbean when it comes to accessing financing.
President Donald Ramotar addressing the 68th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
The Guyanese leader said that the Caribbean has experienced major setbacks due to the international economic and financial crises which started in North America and Europe.
“While it appears that the latter two regions are emerging from these crises, in the Caribbean, the effects are still devastating,” said Ramotar.
He pointed out that even as the region continues to grapple with the effects of the financial crises, it is now being faced with even more stringent hurdles.
“We are told that as middle income countries – measured by GDP per capita – we are no longer entitled to concessionary financing.”
Ramotar says that this is now a recipe for reversing the gains made over years in the region
“We call for a rethink of this position and urge that greater consideration be given to the special vulnerabilities of our region, where a country can see one hurricane wiping out its entire GDP.”
According to Ramotar, “clearly, what we need is increased cooperation with the international community and our development partners and not less.”
Turning his attention to the matter of climate change, Ramotar stressed that the phenomenon is even more critical to Small Island Developing States “some of whom face an imminent passage to oblivion.”
He reminded the Assembly that “Climate change is not of our making but sadly as Small Island Developing States and low lying states we remain the victims of its most adverse impacts.”
He lamented the marked failure of the international community to take decisive action on the matter of the reduction of greenhouse gases which poses a threat to all humanity.
“It is tragic that while we all know the dangers that lurk due to global warming and climate change, we seem incapable of stopping ourselves…This is no doubt due to the unstoppable drive to accumulate for accumulation sake and sheer self-interest on the part of some countries.”
On the matter of representation at the level of the UN, Ramotar told the world leaders that the United Nations has a role in ensuring that poorer, smaller, developing countries are not always put at a disadvantage at the level of international economic discourse and action.
“It is critical that this body pursues and encourages multilateral approaches to international and global problems.”
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