COMMONWEALTH OF DOMINICA

Statement

by

Honourable Roosevelt Douglas

Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs

of the

Commonwealth of Dominica

at the

55th Session of the United Nations General Assembly

Wednesday, September 19, 2000

United Nations Headquarters

New York

Mr. President

I wish to extend my congratulations to Your Excellency, Mr. Harry Holkeri and your country, Finland, on your election to the high office of President of the 55th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Your experience and the respect accorded to you by the international community will certainly ensure that the matters of this Assembly are conducted with efficiency and expediency.

I would also like to express my delegation's appreciation for the very competent manner in which your predecessor, Mr. Theo-Ben Gurirab, presided over the 54th Session of the General Assembly.

Mr. President

The recently concluded Millennium Assembly was exceptional for the number of world leaders who attended the historic event. The Declaration adopted at its conclusion sets forth laudable values and principles for the guidance of the international community. Further, it documents the goals that must be achieved, and the challenges that must be met, if we are to succeed in creating a better world for all citizens of our global village. But the Declaration is also a strikingly sad chronicle of the deplorable and degrading conditions that affect the lives of most of the world's population: debilitating and abject poverty; economic deprivation; oppression and injustice; inadequate or non existent health care in the face of the HIV/AIDS epidemic; victimization on the basis of ethnicity; children without educational opportunities but with daily experiences of hunger, lack of fresh, clean water and uncertain prospects of ever escaping their depressing and unhealthy surroundings.

These conditions were not newly discovered immediately prior to the Millennium Assembly. Indeed, they have been the subjects of United Nations resolutions at successive sessions of the General Assembly in the past. While there has been some amelioration in some areas, largely through the efforts of the United Nations and its agencies, there has been noticeable deterioration in others. The challenge that faces the United Nations, and the international community in particular, is to go beyond the expressed concerns, reaffirmations and resolutions, and demonstrate, in tangible and effective ways, a commitment to be seriously engaged in a concerted effort at bringing about meaningful change in the lives of the many poor among us.

Mr. President

As the Commonwealth of Dominica and other small states embark on the difficult road to raise the living standards of their citizens we find the task made much more difficult by the negative impact of the twin forces of globalization and trade liberalization. Globalization and trade liberalization operate to the advantage of the rich and developed countries that have the institutional and human resource capacity and are well placed to reap the benefits and rewards that accrue from these processes. For small countries like my own with very limited ability to beneficially exploit this current dominant economic force, globalization has resulted in greater inequality and marginalization, and a widening of the gap between rich and poor nations. That is the unavoidable result since the proverbial 'level playing field' is non-existent. And the countries benefiting from the process seem to have no interest in making sure that all states, rich and poor, have an equal opportunity to be engaged in harnessing the opportunities presented by economic and scientific innovations and by the revolution in telecommunications and information technology.

Compounding this problem is the disturbing and alarming tendency of the rich and powerful to fashion international trading rules and organizations with the purported intention of liberalizing trade but which in reality give them a decided edge in international commerce. Those who advance the concept of free trade as the most efficient vehicle for income enhancement in developing countries continue to cling to protectionist policies for selected items of trade while simultaneously engaged in a determined effort to deny market access that provide some small measure of special and differential treatment for their exports.

Mr. President

A clear case in point is the World Trade Organization (WTO) and what it represents for the Commonwealth of Dominica and other small banana producing countries in the Caribbean and elsewhere. We have traditionally exported our product to the European market under special rules that made allowances for their special circumstances of small size, difficult terrain and high cost of production. In the interpretation and application of its rules the WTO is not minded to craft decisions that promote equity and fairness among parties of unequal standing. But that is the logical expectation of an organization that was evidently established to decide disputes among equals and on whose dispute panels, particularly at the appellate levels, the advanced countries are predominantly represented.

The ruling of the WTO in the dispute with respect to the European Union's banana import regime has resulted in economic stagnation and dislocation in the Windward Islands, a situation made all the more damaging by the continuing inability of the parties to agree on a formula for making the regime compatible with WTO rules. My delegation calls for a speedy resolution to this impasse, as we view the application by the US of trade sanctions against some members of the European Union as counterproductive and not conducive to the search for a fair, negotiated settlement.

Mr. President

At a time when there is a real prospect of our losing the market for our bananas and as we are exploring avenue of economic diversification, our fledgling financial services sector was subjected, in June of this year, to a potentially serious attack from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The OECD alleged that several Caribbean countries, including my own, were guilty of establishing and maintaining tax havens. These countries were also condemned for having competitive tax regimes and for their unwillingness to undertake to eliminate policies that the OECD has unilaterally determined to be harmful to its members.

The Commonwealth of Dominica believes that the Unilateral formulations contained in the OECD report are inconsistent with the international practice and are designed to impede the development of the competitive capacity of the Caribbean jurisdictions in the provision of offshore financial services. We believe that international rules and practices must evolve from genuine consultative practices and must be democratically applied on the basis of accepted principles and norms. We take the view that the report is simply one more example of small developing states being coerced into complying with rules, standards and practices promulgated by advanced states for the protection of their own economies.

Mr. President

We are committed to the establishment of the adequate legislative and regulatory frameworks necessary to insulate the sector from illegal activities. We are also ready to work with the Financial Action Task Force to address any legitimate concerns they may have. However, we do not intend to surrender our sovereign right to act in the best economic interests of our citizens, nor will we be deterred from so doing by threats of any kind.

Mr. President

While our efforts at improving our export earnings are being undermined and our financial services sector comes under serious scrutiny the development programs and strategies of the Commonwealth of Dominica continue to be affected by the continuing decline in official development assistance (ODA). The expectation that foreign direct investment would bridge the gap has not materialized, notwithstanding the strides we have made in providing a climate of good governance and stable, democratic institutions which, we have been told, are the prerequisites for investment development.

The simple truth is that the more advanced developing states have benefited disproportionately from the tremendous increase in foreign direct investment over the last decade, with the small and less developed states receiving little or nothing at all. There must be an understanding that if small developing states are to embark successfully on the road to sustainable development without the benefit of foreign direct investment, official development assistance is indispensable to that process and the declining trend in the provision of official development assistance must be reversed.

Mr. President

The most deadly threat to our human resource base and to our population at large is the contagion of HIV/AIDS. The disease takes a heavy toll not only in lives but in social and economic terms and the countries most affected are the least able to deal with the consequences.

Statistics from the recent world conference on HIV/AIDS indicate that the Sub Saharan region of Africa has the highest rate of infection in the world with the Caribbean coming second.

This is not an African or Caribbean problem. Global in scope and impact the HIV/AIDS pandemic warrants global attention and action. The Commonwealth of Dominica believes that, as a first immediate step there must come into being a partnership between the pharmaceutical manufacturers and the stakeholders in the international community with the expressed purpose of ensuring that less costly HIV/AIDS medication is readily available to those most in need. Simultaneously, there must be increased efforts at raising the awareness and consciousness of the crisis and the preventive measures available while a dedicated commitment to the development of an AIDS vaccine must be matched by increased funding for research.

In 1994, the Commonwealth of Dominica participated in the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States and there, reaffirmed our commitment to sustainable development programmes that enhance the quality of life of peoples, including their health, well-being and safety.

The task ahead of us is to ensure that the resources of Small Island Developing States the oceans, coastal environments, biodiversity and human resources-are utilized in an sustainable manner that will be beneficial to the present and future generations.

My country shares with other Small Island Developing States the problem of the safe disposal of solid and liquid waste. It has been recognized that this lack of capacity has as its direct result, marine pollution and coastal degradation.

Our position is consistent with the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development that Small Island Developing States will be constrained in meeting the challenges that face them, if they do not have the cooperation and assistance of the international community.

However, in the midst of out attempts to deal with the myriad of difficulties that we face, our vulnerability may be further compounded by the transportation of hazardous materials through the Caribbean Sea.

The Caribbean Sea is the pivot of many economies-a source of food, recreation and income for thousands of people. We therefore request all parties to be cognizant of all possible implications and environmental consequences which may be posed to the Caribbean States.

Mr. President

As the United Nations meets for the first General Assembly of the new century, the delegation of the Commonwealth of Dominica wishes to address once again the issue of democratic representation in the United Nations for the people of the Republic of China.

It is a grave concern to my delegation that the Republic of China, with a democratically elected government and a population of 23 million is unable to participate in our deliberations.

The Republic of China is a model of democracy in Asia and is more than able to carry out the obligations of the United Nations Charter. Over the past few decades, the Republic of China has proven itself to be a good world citizen, using its own economic development to generously assist in alleviating debilitating poverty through economic assistance programs in developing countries.

Mr. President

The situation with the Republic of China must be addressed to ensure participation in the work and activities of our organization and its agencies as a valued member of the international community.

Mr. President

My delegation calls for this 55th General Assembly to be a new beginning for the United Nations. Rejuvenated by the unprecedented sharing of vision that we witnessed during the Millennium Summit, let us utilize the ideas, proposals and suggestions and criticisms to chart a way forward for the United Nations, that will allow it to meet the needs of the new century.

Let us look towards a new vision for the future that will incorporate the weak and the strong, the rich and the poor and the developed and the developing so that none will be marginalized.

Let us collaborate in achieving the objectives of the UN Secretary General's Millennium Report of freedom from fear and freedom from want.

Let us include all the members-developed, developing and least developed in the decision making process so that all can share a future based on the premises of the United Nations Charter.

Thank you, Mr. President.