By: Kimberly Ramkhalawan
September 27, 2022
Twin island state of Trinidad and Tobago might have celebrated 46 years since becoming a republic but its Foreign Affairs Minister Dr.Amery Browne took to the international stage at the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday to share its views on current global matters, standing its ground on the merits it contributed to the organization since becoming a member some 60 years ago.
During his contribution to the gathering, Dr Browne shared its reasoning it could not accept any attempt to encroach on the international borders of Ukraine, which goes against the ‘violation of the UN Charter and the international law. It is a clear threat to international peace and security and the only credible solution is to end this aggression immediately’. Adding its voice to the growing number of nations calling for the “Russian Federation to immediately abandon its action and to resume negotiations with the Ukrainians in good faith to find a peaceful and durable resolution”
He says the experience in the last seven months, calls ‘for the UN’s Security council to be reformed to reflect current geopolitical realities’. Reminding the UN President of the 20th anniversary of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, an institution which is credited to be “our pioneering works through our distinguished former Prime Minister and President, the late Arthur N R Robinson” which led to officially creating the ICC, Dr.Browne says current “events around the world confirm that if in fact the court did not exist, it would have to be created in order for it to create accountability for growing acts of impunity”.
Meanwhile he shared other concerns arising from the war in Ukraine surges, which included “the use of coal fuels and the commitments made a year ago at COP 26 risk being derailed”. This he says has now derailed climate commitments made by countries which has resulted in droughts, rains, floods and catastrophic hurricanes continue to wreak havoc on small island developing states. While the onset of slow deterioration of coral reefs, and influx of sargassum seaweed threaten its ecosystem. With this he says his nation calls for full implementation of the Paris Agreement a dedicated facility to address the loss and damage, under the UNFCCC Financial mechanism, is very much needed.
Dr. Browne says on the matter of achieving food security for the world, the international community needs to work together to accelerate food production. The added burdens of rampant global inflation and crises involving food, fuel, feed and fertilizers, have caused an increased strain on its economies and its people, impairing its ability to achieve the outlined UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs. Meanwhile, he mentioned initiatives CARICOM leaders have taken on its own to mitigate the food crisis the region bears, which looks at reducing its food import bill by some 25 percent by the year 2025.
He too led a call for Haiti, urging the donor community to strengthen their role and engagement with the Caribbean state. To quell the devastating gang violence and to urgently improve the humanitarian situation in the country.
The minister led an impassioned call for more to be done in ridding the illegal transshipment and trade of illicit arms, drugs and human trafficking, as there was “steady flow of shipment of illegal firearms weapons entering its country from sources too far from the region”. Dr.Browne attributed this as undermining the “efforts to build safe and peaceful societies” resulting in unacceptable high levels of gang violence within its communities has reached the length and breadth of threatening the stability of its society. The TT Foreign Affairs says “violent extremism and international terrorism, and the use of technology for criminal purposes remain its current present dangers”. Because of this, his country remains committed to strengthening its cooperation with regional and international partners along with the UN and its agencies, to address these challenges which threaten the stability of its society.
He says Trinidad and Tobago will once again table the ‘Biennial resolution on Women disarmament nonproliferation and arms control’, encouraging all member states to co-sponsor and support this resolution. This looks to include more women at the table where critical policy decision making takes place.
As for equality for SIDs, Minister Browne described the “international economic and financial system as not fit for purpose”. Instead he said the system was designed to actually “undermine developing countries in their pursuit of sustained development”. To this, He told those present, that it could not “be business as usual , as a transformative global agenda such as the 2030 agenda, necessitates a transformative and economic framework that is compatible with the achievement of the SDG”s. Without such shifts in the global architecture, even the best efforts at national level will not produce the results needed for SIDS in the developing community. He says “Trinidad and Tobago calls on the international economic community to adopt tailored measures and solutions to address the fundamental financing challenges that developing countries face”
Touching on the issue of reparations, he voiced his nation’s position on the topic, noting that while the history of his nation cannot be rewritten or undone, he reiterated the call for “reparations for centuries of enslavement of African people for the historical crimes and native genocide visited upon the indigenous people of this world and for the exploitative legacy of colonialism that has directly resulted in the persistent underdevelopment of Caribbean nations and so many others”.
The foreign affairs minister did not shy away from matters of international concern, as he proceeded to issue a call “for the abandonment and destruction of all nuclear weapons as the only means of avoidance of total annihilation of human kind”. Dr.Browne echoed similar sentiments his Caribbean counterparts shared at the UN meeting, urging “for the unconditional lifting of the adjust economic commercial and financial embargo posed on the people of Cuba, and for the full integration of Cuba into the international economic and political system”.
The TT Foreign Affairs minister added time for “a long-lasting two state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict which will guarantee Palestinians a permanent homeland and recognize Israel’s right to live in peace and security.
In speaking to getting the 2030 agenda back on track, Minister Browne, called for all stakeholders, big or small, powerful or otherwise must embrace the value of multilateralism, sharing the sentiment that as a world, “clearly we are not quite there as yet”. He quoted Calypsonian David Rudder’s Rally around the West Indies “Soon we must take a side, or be lost in the rubble, in a divided world that don’t need islands no more, are we doomed forever to be at somebody’s mercy, little keys can open mighty doors” in making a case before the president, this world needs little islands. We bring a perspective that is valuable, beneficial and that is necessary, Trinidad and Tobago continue to offer the point of view of a small sovereign democratic nation harboring a big ambition, namely to unleash the creativity and resourcefulness of our diverse people, especially our youth, to make the most positive contribution to society, community and the world.
The Foreign Affairs minister meanwhile made a case for Trinidad and Tobago to serve as the president of the General Assembly of the 78th Session. He shared “being tasked with such a defining role by the assembly, would truly be an honour and a responsibility that the government and people of Trinidad and Tobago, shall embrace with commitment and impartiality. In the best traditions of multilateralism, let us therefore join our strengths for the benefit and upliftment of all human kind. Let us truly build a global community where no one is left behind.
He offered the national motto of Trinidad and Tobago, Together we aspire, together we achieve as some inspiration to the global community in closing.