TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

PERMANENT MISSION OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO TO THE UNITED NATIONS

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STATEMENT

Honourable Ralph Maraj

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the

Republic of Trinidad and Tobago

to the

55th Session of the

United Nations General Assembly

Wednesday 13 September, 2000

New York

Mr. President,

I wish to congratulate you on your assumption of the Presidency of the 55' Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

We are meeting just after the historic Millennium Summit of over 150 leaders of the world., Clearly, there is not much left to say.

On the other hand, there is much to be done. Urgent action is needed. The time for implementation is now.

National action is needed more than ever in all countries. The fact is that each nation has the primary responsibility to deal with its own problems. It is not sufficient to make visionary statements and Well-intentioned commitments. The will to bring about changes in our societies must be demonstrated in all nations. We should remember that we are the solutions to our problems and that if we are to be effective partners with others, we must demonstrate the willingness to help ourselves.

Poverty Eradication

We must eliminate poverty. It is an indictment against humanity that in the 2 1" century more than a billion of the worlds population is mired in the dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty.

Each country must adopt those policies necessary to engender growth in their economies and to ensure that all their citizens have access to the opportunities that are created. It now behoves the international community to take concrete and positive action to bring to fruition the commitments made by Heads of State and Government in the Millennium Declaration to reduce poverty levels by the year 2015.

Trinidad and Tobago has already taken action through an appropriate policy framework and other measures of reform. As a result, our economy continues to grow and we are generating employment whilst keeping inflation low. We are making efforts to ensure that all our citizens benefit from the country's successes and we are making strides towards the elimination of poverty and are today ranked very favourably in the United Nations Human Development Index.

Education

Education is the key. It is a powerful force for social change. It is a human‑right. It goes far beyond schooling. It assists in combating poverty, empowering women, promoting human rights and democracy, and promoting international peace and security.

According to the United Nations Report on "The State of the Worlds Children 1999", 130 million children in the developing world are denied the right to basic education. Regrettably, almost

Two-thirds of them are girls. This cannot continue. All children must have access to all levels of education. This must be a national objective in every country. United Nations Declarations by themselves will not help.

Mr. President, since independence, Trinidad and Tobago has placed considerable emphasis on Education which continues to rank among the largest items of government's expenditure. The laws of Trinidad, and Tobago provide that Education is mandatory for all children between the ages ,of five to twelve years. Tuition is free at public and government-assisted schools.

We continue to improve our system. Pre-school Education has also developed rapidly in Trinidad and Tobago and Special Education is also being given greater attention.

In further recognition of the importance of Education the Government of Trinidad and Tobago recently embarked on a programme which will ensure free Secondary Education for every child of Secondary School age and this took effect with the opening of the new academic year 2000-2001.

Access to Health Care

Mr. President, if people are not healthy they can neither find fulfilment nor contribute to their country's development. The poor of the world need easier access to essential drugs and vaccines to reduce mortality and disability. It has to be a travesty that only one percent of the budget of global health research is directed to diseases like pneumonia, diarrhoea, tuberculosis and malaria, all of which are concerns of developing countries.

Mr. President, in Trinidad and Tobago, Health Care is given high priority. The Health budget continues to be one of the major areas of government's expenditure and through a decentralized system of Regional Health Authorities, Health Care is made accessible and affordable to all. the Government is constantly investing in human resources and physical infrastructure to meet the demands of the population.

The Government of Trinidad and Tobago has reduced the cost of medication for some chronic diseases such as glaucoma, . diabetes, asthma and arthritis. We are also ensuring that equipment for our physically challenged citizens is affordable. Every effort is being made to reduce the of certain common surgical procedures. Next year, a National Health Insurance Pilot Project is expected to be instituted which will cover every citizen. Under the proposed system, the Government will pay the contribution on behalf of those persons who cannot afford to do so.

HIV/AIDS Pandemic

The ravages of the HIVAIDS pandemic and its devastating socio-economic consequences constitute another of the major health-related challenges for the international community in the 2 21st century. The spread of the HIV/AIDS virus is of particular concern to the Caribbean, the second most seriously affected region.

The Government of Trinidad and Tobago views this matter very seriously and has long embarked on a programme of action designed to combat this scourge. It is based on research and education and building partnerships with the public and private sectors, as well as the actors in civil society.

We are also convinced of the need for greater global partnership to develop an effective and more affordable vaccine against HIV/AIDS. The present HIV-related drugs should be made less expensive. We support the convening of a Special Session of the General Assembly to consider all aspects of this problem.

The Government is working in close collaboration with the international community on environmental issues and, in this regard, we are a State Party to all of the major Conventions concerning the Environment. Trinidad and Tobago is actively involved in the development of national legislation to give effect to these international treaties.

Environment

Our planet continues to experience environmental degradation. The problem will never be solved unless there is international cooperation, especially on the part of industrialized countries which are mainly responsible for the emission of greenhouse gases.

We in the smaller countries, especially small-island nations, are the most severely threatened. But even in a situation where we are victims, we do not absolve ourselves from responsibility. Trinidad and Tobago is already doing its part. We have established a Ministry of the Environment and an Environmental Management Authority. We have recently enacted legislation to empower this Authority. We have operationalized an environmental policing system and are now in the process of establishing a Green Fund, through which the industrialists in our country will contribute to financing programmes for protecting the environment.

Mr. President, I must join with my CARICOM colleagues in lamenting the blatant and persistent misuse of the Caribbean Sea as a transhipment route for hazardous wastes. This continues to be a cause for major concern to the Governments of the region. We are not comforted by the assurances of compliance by those who use this route for economic gain. A single accident can threaten the very viability of our societies. Can the commercial benefit from using this route override its potentially horrendous consequences? Mr. President, accidents can occur and we again call for a halt to these shipments.

Democracy and Good Governance

No country can progress without Democracy and Good Governance, which create the environment for progress and development, peace and security. All citizens must be included in the mainstream of national activity. All must be allowed to contribute. Every voice must be heard, every view considered, and every citizen must have access to the opportunities that their societies create. This should be the primary responsibility of every Government.

Governance must also be based on the Rule of Law. Each nation, therefore, has the responsibility to develop effective judicial and Legal systems to both protect the rights of the individual and to guard the nation against any usurpation of its democratic systems.

We in Trinidad and Tobago are proud of our strong democratic traditions. Free and fair elections are held peacefully, regularly and on time. There is freedom of speech and political association and freedom of the press. Our democratic tradition is buttressed by a very active civil society involving strong trade unions, dynamic social and cultural groups and other non governmental actors.

We have an Independent judiciary and have recently embarked on the modernization of our Laws and Legal System to keep our country in step with modem trends.

Crime and Security

Each Government has the duty to ensure the security of both its state and its citizens.

One of the serious threats to security is the escalation of the worst kinds of crimes within national borders in many countries. This battle against the criminal element is faced by all societies, on differing levels, but it is a battle to which Governments must, of necessity, allocate adequate resources if they are to maintain peace and foster development. In many developing countries, the rise in the, level of violent crime is directly related to poverty and the deprivation suffered by individuals. This link between poverty and development on the one hand, and peace and security on the other, should not be minimized.

Like most countries, Trinidad and Tobago battles with the phenomenon of crime. In addition to allocating increased resources to our protective services, to provide them with manpower, infrastructure and equipment to deal with crime, we are implementing social programmes to combat deviant behaviour through the Ministries of Education, Culture, Social Development, Youth and Sport.

Illicit Traffic in Drugs and Small. Arms

Mr. President, Trinidad and Tobago continues to face the challenges of the illicit traffic in drugs. Due to its geographic location, Trinidad and Tobago is used as a convenient transhipment point in the drug trade. We have taken all measures available to us on the national, regional and international levels to combat this menace to our society.

The Government has, in this regard, established an Agency to coordinate the overall efforts against drug trafficking, and has entered into regional and bilateral arrangements for cooperation in combating this serious crime. Our strengthened legal framework has led to successes in the investigation and prosecution of crimes associated with drug trafficking. Legislative measures include the Dangerous Drugs Act, the Drug Court Bill, the Drug Abuse Rehabilitation Tribunal Bill and the Proceeds of Crime Bill.

At the international and regional levels, cooperative efforts include a number of bilateral

Extradition and Mutual Legal Assistance Agreements. As of July, 2000, Trinidad and Tobago, along with six other Governments, signed an Agreement establishing a Regional justice Protection Programme which provides a framework for regional. cooperation in the protection of witnesses, jurors, legal and law enforcement personnel.

. While we will continue to strengthen existing measures and expand the spheres of cooperation, we wish to reiterate that this is a problem which the international community cannot successfully tackle without the necessary commitment on the part of all states concerned

Another growing threat, which is closely related to the menace of the drug trade, is the illicit trade in small arms. We therefore attach great significance to the convening of the 2001 United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in all its Aspects, and fully support the very important preparatory work which will precede the Conference.

Elimination of Racism And Religious Intolerance

The disease of racism, racial discrimination and religious intolerance continues to plague us as we enter the 2 21st century. This is an intractable cultural problem which can only be ameliorated through education and enlightenment. It is the expectation of my delegation that the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination and Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, to be held in South Africa at the end of August 200 1, will produce action-oriented recommendations to eliminate this scourge. No effort should be spared to rid human civilization of this ugly affliction.

As a plural society, Trinidad and Tobago is proud of its record of harmony. In our country,

As immortalized in our National Anthem, "every creed and race find an equal place". We have

become well known as a rainbow society and at present we are seeking to create the institutions and the legal framework to even deepen our world-renowned harmony.

Mr. President, whilst I have thus far emphasized the need for national action, we are fully aware that cooperation at an international level is absolutely necessary if we are to deal effectively with the problems of our planet. In this global village, no country can survive on its own. Today's reality is globalization, borderlessness and integration at the regional and sub-regional levels. The United Nations, therefore, as all other international actors, has a pivotal role to play. For example, the international financial institutions must become more sensitive to the developmental needs of countries and the world trading system must take into account the special concerns of the disadvantaged and the vulnerable.

As we have already demonstrated, Trinidad and Tobago is willing to be an active participant in the concerted effort of the international community to achieve the goals we have set for ourselves. We have always proven this since becoming a member of this august body. We have participated, we have cooperated and sometimes, like with the International Criminal Court, we have led the way.