HIS EXCELLENCY SIR ORVILLE TURNQUEST9
GCMG,QC, JP, LL.B.,
THE MILLENNIUM SUMMIT OF
THE UNITED NATIONS
AT
THE UNITED NATIONS
NEW YORK
FRIDAY, 8th SEPTEMBER,
2000
MR. PRESIDENT:
I AM DEEPLY HONOURED TO ADDRESS THIS AUGUST MILLENNIUM SUMMIT,
THE ONLY ONE FOR A THOUSAND YEARS, AS WE THE HEADS OF STATE AND HEADS OF
GOVERNMENT OF OUR MEMBER NATIONS COME TOGETHER TO DISCUSS AND TO SHARE OUR
VISION OF THE ROLEOF THE UNITED NATIONS IN THE 21'TCENTURY.
I WISH ON BEHALF OF THE DELEGATION FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE
BAHAMAS TO EXTEND WARM CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND YOUR CO‑PRESIDENT ON YOUR
ELECTION. OVER THE PAST THREE DAYS YOU HAVE DISPLAYED GREAT ABILITY IN STEERING
THESE IMPORTANT DELIBERATIONS WITH PRUDENCE ANDSENSITIVITY.
MR. PRESIDENT, MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY HAS PASSED SINCE THE
UNITED NATIONS WAS ESTABLISHED FOLLOWING A DEVASTATING GLOBAL CONFLICT. IN THAT
PERIOD OF 55 YEARS, WE HAVE SEEN THE UN CONFRONTED WITH MANY A REGIONAL WAR AND
SKIRMISH, AND HAVING TO DEAL EFFECTIVELY WITH SUCH SOCIAL CHALLENGES AS HEALTH,
WELFARE, THE LAW, EDUCATION, LABOUR, AND PRACTICALLY EVERY OTHER HUMAN
CONDITION AFFECTING THE WELFARE OF THE UN'S CONSTITUENT STATES AND TERRITORIES.
WITH EACH CHALLENGE, IT HAS BEEN IMPORTANT THAT FOR THE MOST PART
THE UN'S PROPOSITIONS AND SOLUTIONS WERE RELEVANT TOTHE TIMES.
CURRENT TIMES AND CONDITIONS, MR. PRESIDENT, DEMAND THAT WE AT
THIS MILLENNIUM SUMMIT ATTEMPT TO ANSWER THE BURNING QUESTION: "WHAT ARE THE PROSPECTS FOR THE UNITED
NATIONS IN THE 21st CENTURY?"
BECAUSE THE WORLD HAS, PARTICULARLY IN THE FINAL QUARTER OF THE
20TH CENTURY, ADVANCED TREMENDOUSLY IN THE AREAS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, AND
WE HAVE ALLOWED THE HUMAN SPIRIT FREEDOM TO FLOURISH, IT IS UNDENIABLE THAT THE
PROSPECTS ARE GREATER TODAY TO BE BETTER EDUCATED, TO LIVE HEALTHIER AND LONGER
LIVES, AND TO ACHIEVE A GREATER DEGREE OF ECONOMIC WELL-BEING.
THOSE ARE THE PROSPECTS, MR. PRESIDENT, BUT TO WHAT DEGREE HAS
THE WORLD TRULY BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE IMPROVED STANDARDS OF LIVING? WE ARE STILL
FOR THE MOST PART TRAPPED IN A PERNICIOUS SYNDROME OF THE HAVES VERSUS THE
HAVE-NOTS, BECAUSE THOSE VERY FACTORS WHICH HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO IMPROVED
STANDARDS FOR SOME HAVE LIKEWISE CONTRIBUTED TO THE EXTREME IMPOVERISHMENT AND
DISPOSSESSION AND MARGINALIZATION OF MILLIONS OF OTHERS AROUND THE WORLD.
THOSE SAME FACTORS WHICH HAVE ENHANCED THE EXISTENCE OF SOME,
HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION IN THE BACKYARDS OF OTHERS, AND
IN SOME CASES HAVE ACTUALLY THREATENED THE PEACE AND SECURITY OF HUMANITY TO AN
UNEXPECTED DEGREE, WHICH IS QUITE AN IRONIC TWIST OF FATE WHEN ONE CONSIDERS
THE NOBLE AND LOFTY PRECEPTS WHICH WENT INTO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE UNITED
NATIONS 55 YEARS AGO.
THERE IS, HOWEVER, HOPE; BECAUSE THOSE LOFTY IDEALS AND GOALS OF
THE UNITED NATIONS ARE YET INTACT, AND ARE SUPPOSEDLY HELD SACRED BY ALL OF US.
WE BELIEVE THAT WITHIN THE UNITED NATIONS CHARTER LAY THE PROSPECTS FOR THE CREATION
OF A WORLD IN WHICH TRULY AND CONFIDENTLY WE MAY "REAFFIRM FAITH... IN THE DIGNITY AND WORTH OF THE HUMAN PERSON IN
EQUAL RIGHTS OF MEN AND WOMEN AND OF NATIONS LARGE AND SMALL...
WE CAN YET, WITH THE UNITED NATIONS LEADING THE WAY, ADDRESS THE
MYRIAD CHALLENGES TO INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY IN THE 21 ST CENTURY, IN WHICH WE MUST
SOMEHOW RESCUE FROM EXTREME POVERTY THE NEARLY 50% OF THE WORLD'S POPULATION
WHO ARE OBLIGED TO SURVIVE ON $2.00 PER DAY, AND THE 1.2 BILLION PEOPLE
COMPELLED TO SURVIVE ON LESS THAN $1.00 PER DAY.
THE UNITED NATIONS OF THE 21ST CENTURY MUST LEAD THEWAY IN RESCUING THE WORLD'S 140 MILLION
WORKERS‑ MOST OF THEM IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES ‑‑ WHO ARE
UNEMPLOYED OR UNDER‑EMPLOYED.
THE UNITED NATIONS OF THE 21ST CENTURY MUST, IN A MEANINGFUL WAY, ADDRESS THOSE INEQUITIES IN
THE GLOBAL ECONOMY IN WHICH THE 1 BILLION PEOPLE IN THE DEVELOPED WORLD EARN
60% OF THE WORLD*S INCOME, AND IN WHICH THE 3.5 BILLION PEOPLE IN THE
DEVELOPING WORLD EARN LESS THAN 20%.
THE UNITED NATIONS OF THE 21ST CENTURY MUST FIND AMEANS OF DIVERTING MUCH OF THE $56BILLION SPENT
ANNUALLY ONHEALTH RESEARCH TO THE 90% OF THE WORLD'S POPULATION WHO SO
DESPERATELY NEED IT, WHO ARE PLAGUED WITH SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS SUCH AS
DIARRHEA, TUBERCULOSIS, MALARIA, PNEUMONIA, AND THE DEADLY HIV/AIDS, BUT WHO
SADLY AREAVAILED OF A MERE 10% OF THAT $56BILLION.
THE UNITED NATIONS OF THE 21ST CENTURY MUST ADDRESS THE
CONTINUING LITANY OF ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION, HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES, VIOLENCE
AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN, DRUG TRAFFICKING, THE RAMPANT SPREAD OF CRIME ‑‑
PARTICULARLY ORGANISED CRIME AND ILLICIT TRAFFIC IN FIREARMS, WHICH THREATEN
TO DESTABILIZE OUR SOCIETIES AND OUR WORLD. YES, THE UN OF THE 21 ST CENTURY MUST ADDRESS THESE
SECURITY THREATS WITH THE SAME VIGOUR THAT THIS AUGUST BODY HAS TRADITIONALLY
DEMONSTRATED WITH REGARD TO THREATS TO TRADITIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY.
THE UNITED NATIONS OF THE 21 ST CENTURY MUST, WITHOUT HESITATION OR SELECTIVITY, SOMEHOW FIND A
MEANS OF ADDRESSING THE MYRIAD INTERNAL CONFLICTS, WHICH MAY NOT FIT THE FORMER
NORM OF INTER‑STATE WARFARE, BUT WHICH HAVE NEVERTHELESS CLAIMED THE
LIVES OF MILLIONS, DEVASTATED THE ECONOMIES OF COUNTRIES AND REGIONS, AND HAVE
SUBJECTED THE INNOCENT AND THE VULNERABLE TO UNTOLD VIOLENCE AND EXPLOITATION.
MR. PRESIDENT, AT THE END OF THE 20TH CENTURY GLOBALISATION BECAME A UBIQUITOUS CATCH‑WORD
‑‑ SIGNIFYING A CONCEPT AND A CONDUIT FOR BRINGING PROSPERITY TO
THE WORLD AT LARGE. IDEALLY, GLOBALISATION HERALDED SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITIES
AND BENEFITS, BUT THE TRUTH IS THAT THE IDEAL HAS NEVER REALLY BEEN MANIFESTED.
OPPORTUNITIES AND BENEFITS HAVE NOT BEEN EVENLY DISTRIBUTED. INDEED
GLOBALISATION HAS COME AT A GREAT COST TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, AND NOW THERE
IS NEED FOR SERIOUS DEBATE ON THE ISSUE.
IN POINT OF FACT, THE CONCEPT OF GLOBALISATION WAS BROUGHT
SHARPLY INTO FOCUS WHEN SMALL STATES SUCH AS THE BAHAMAS ATTEMPTED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE
OF THE BENEFITS OF GLOBALISATION BY DEVELOPING FINANCIAL SERVICES SECTORS, ONLY
TO ENCOUNTER, RECENTLY, SERIOUS CHALLENGES FROM DEVELOPED COUNTRIES.
THE BAHAMAS CONTINUES TO EMPHASISE THE NECESSITY FOR GREATER AND
MORE INCLUSIVE DISCUSSION OF ALL THOSE ISSUES WHOSE OUTCOME HAVE SIGNIFICANT
IMPLICATIONS FOR THE WELL‑BEING OF CONCERNED DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, WITH
THE UNITED NATIONS GIVEN A ROLE IN RESOLVING THESE ISSUES.
MR. PRESIDENT, SIGNIFICANT AMONG THE MANY INSTRUMENTS WHICH ARE
PART OF THE UN CHARTER ARE NOW THE PROPOSALS PUT FORWARD BY THE SECRETARY
GENERAL IN HIS COGENT INSIGHTFUL AND TIMELY REPORT ON "THE ROLE OF THE UNITED NATIONS IN THE 21ST CENTURY'~ WHICH IS
AN IMPORTANT FRAMEWORK FOR THIS MILLENNIUM SUMMIT.
FROM
THIS SUMMIT THERE WILL PRESUMABLY ENSUE, AS IS TRADITIONAL, THE ADOPTION OF A DECLARATORY
DOCUMENT. THE QUESTION BEFORE US NOW IS WILL OUR EFFORTS HERE HELP TO BRING
THESE DISPARATE ISSUES AND INITIATIVES INTO A COGENT WHOLE? WILL WE HAVE MOVED
FURTHER INTO ENSURING THAT THE WORLD DOES NOT DESCEND INTO OPPOSING CAMPS OF
DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AS GLOBALISATION TAKES FIRMER FOOTING?
WILL THE DECLARATORY DOCUMENT ENCOURAGE RESPONSIBLE STEWARDSHIP
OF THE UNITED NATIONS BY ALL, BUT PARTICULARLY BY THE INFLUENTIAL AND THE
POWERFUL?
WILL THE EFFORTS OF THIS MILLENNIUM SUMMIT ENHANCE COOPERATION
IN AGREEING ON DECISIONS AND RESOLUTIONS TO WHICH WE WILL BE FULLY COMMITTED,
NOTWITHSTANDING THEIR NATURE?
WILL THE DECLARATORY DOCUMENT BE A DYNAMIC INSTRUMENT FOR OPENING
NEW VISTAS FOR OUR COLLECTIVE EFFORTS FOR THE BETTERMENT OF ALL THE WORLD'S
PEOPLE OR WILL IT BE ALLOWED TO GATHER DUST ON THE SHELF OF HISTORY?
THIS MILLENNIUM SUMMIT PROVIDES US WITH A UNIQUE AND HISTORIC
OPPORTUNITY TO BRING A QUALITATIVE AND NEW APPROACH TO PROPOSALS AND
INITIATIVES, TO BRING TOGETHER THE WORLD'S DISPARATE PEOPLES ‑‑ THE
HAVES AND HAVE‑NOTS TO WHOM I REFERRED EARLIER ‑‑ THE
DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING STATES ‑‑ THE WORLD OF THE 20TH CENTURY
AND THAT OF THE 21ST.
THE OPPORTUNITY IS THERE AND IT IS IMPERATIVE FOR THE UNITED
NATIONS, WITH A DEMOCRATIC AND TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE SECURITY COUNCIL, TO
PLAY THE ROLE DELINEATED IN THE CHARTER, BETTER TO EMBRACE THIS IMPORTANT
OPPORTUNITY.
THE UNITED NATIONS OF THE 21 ST CENTURY, MR. PRESIDENT, MUST COMMIT TO ENSURING THE PROMOTION OF
A NEW WORLD ORDER IN WHICH THE WHOLE IS TRULY MORE THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS,
WHERE EVERY PART ‑‑ EVERY HUMAN BEING ‑‑HAS AN
OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP HIS FULL POTENTIAL.
MR PRESIDENT I THANK YOU.