Advertisement 87
Advertisement 211
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines addresses the seventy-third session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2018. (UN Photo/Cia Pak)
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines addresses the seventy-third session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2018. (UN Photo/Cia Pak)
Advertisement 219

The world is at a “decisive crossroads,” Ralph Gonsalves, prime minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, told leaders gathered for the United Nations General Assembly’s annual debate on Thursday.

“We have retreated from the ethos of integration, cooperation, and consensus building…which is absolutely necessary to solve the global problems that confront us,” he explained.

As a small island developing State, St. Vincent and the Grenadines faces challenges to sustainable development, a small but growing population, limited resources, and susceptibility to natural disasters and climate change.

“Small size is no impediment to impactful contributions on the world stage,” Gonsalves told the Assembly.

Gonsalves encouraged solidarity and equality from the member states present for the general debate to deal with these challenges by invoking a “recommitment to the bedrock foundations of our [UN] Charter.”

Advertisement 271

Citing Goal 17 (on global partnerships)of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), he told the gathered leaders that “We have mainstreamed and prioritized goals related to clean energy, economic growth, sustainability, climate action and biodiversity. We have chalked up home-grown progress in tandem with selfless solidarity from some of our regional and global friends and allies, but much more is required to be done.”

He went on to say that St. Vincent and the Grenadines “stands firmly against the continued interventionist assaults on the sovereignty of our neighbours in the Republic of Cuba and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela,” calling for “constructive dialogue between and among the contradictory parties.”

“Ours is a flame of respect,” Gonsalves said, concluding: “For sovereignty, for diversity of views, for dialogue, for peace and for development.”

2 replies on “At UN, PM Gonsalves eschews ‘illiberal intolerance,’ calls for global cooperation”

  1. “Small size is no impediment to impactful contributions on the world stage,” Gonsalves told the Assembly but failed to mention that hardly anyone attended his address to hear these words from the leader of a pip-squeak country with limited resources which continues to support the wicked regime in Venezuela.

  2. With all the critical thinkers in SVG. It makes me wonder why we are not further than we are, with the lowest GDP in the region. Dr. Gonsalves is a brilliant speaker; it’s too bad that this eloquence does translate into a higher living standard for the people of SVG. And, his playing footman to Cuba and Venezuela doesn’t help either. Too bad that he is making us look bad by behaving like one of those African dictators who doesn’t want to relinquish power. Like if he is the one eyed man in the land of the blind.

Comments closed.