MANHATTAN, New York — REGIONAL leaders are urging decisive action on pledges made by United Nations member states, as small island states continue to face existential threats to their populations.
Leaders from Barbados, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, Suriname, and Jamaica have emphasized the need for a better world for future generations, while outlining the specific challenges facing the Caribbean. As the world moves toward charting a new course with the "UN Pact for the Future," they stressed the urgency of addressing these issues.
Suriname’s President, Chandrikapersaud Santokhi, underscored that now is the time for action, as too many agreements have been made with little to no follow-through.
"We must act now with urgency to make this world a better place," Stankokhi stated.
He noted that from the Paris Climate Accord to the Loss and Damage Fund, Caribbean territories and their people continue to struggle to reap the benefits of these agreements, largely driven by developed nations. Small island states, he emphasized, are at the forefront of climate change, spending billions of dollars on rebuilding efforts instead of investing in the development of their people.
"Inaction is not an option. The Caribbean, to which my own country, Suriname, belongs, is a region that is confronted with existential climate threats and financial economic distortions, among which high debt. These nations struggle with enormous challenges in the pursuit of sustainable development as they lack the financial resources to invest in critical sectors such as health, education, and infrastructure. In 2022, low- and middle-income countries paid a record of US$443.5 billion to cover their external debt, as reported in the World Bank's International Debt Report 2023," the President explained.
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley called for an urgent reset in global thinking, stating that people in small island states remain second-class citizens in a world that is increasingly harsh. During her address at the ‘Summit of the Future,’ Mottley stressed that the world cannot overcome existential challenges without implementing the necessary changes.
She warned that without action, global economic governance will continue to foster distrust, adding that concrete steps are essential to ensure people see more than just "talk" from world leaders. Fundamental changes are needed "in what we do and how we do it."
"My friends, we will not succeed in overcoming our existential challenges if we are not prepared to change the global governance structures that are rooted in the outcome of World War II and have become unsuited to today's world. The distress in our institutions of governance, the mistrust between the governors and the governed will continue to foster social alienation the world over at the very time that we need to find as many people as possible to shape a new world, not governance but people," Mottley explained.
Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, took a more direct approach, highlighting the glaring financial inequalities faced by developing states, including the challenges of borrowing at concessional rates.
"At the heart of this challenge and one that must be addressed with urgency is the glaring SDG financing gap amounting to trillions of dollars annually. As the pact affirms, we must redouble our efforts to address global poverty, income inequality and food insecurity. We have an obligation to limit global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and we must deliver a future that fosters peaceful societies and achieves debt sustainability," explained Holness.
According to the United Nations, the Pact for the Future aims to protect "the needs and interests of the people." The session concluded on Monday evening and will be followed by the UN General Debate.
