Statement By

His Excellency Honorable Dr. Denzil L. Douglas

Prime Minister of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis

At the Millennium Summit of the United Nations Assembly

September 7, 2000

Distinguished Heads of State and Governments, Secretary-General, Mr. President, Excellencies, special guests, ladies and gentlemen:

I begin by saluting the architects of this Millennium Summit It is opportune and offers us as leaders a chance to build on the progress we have made, while we reflect, in an open and honest way, on the way forward and the future of the United Nations. The Summit comes at a time of heightened expectations within our respective countries. This implies that we engage in a sober and honest examination of problems confronting our peoples and this organization. We must use this occasion to reenergize and refocus our foreign policies and national programs to fit the new global framework to benefit our peoples.

I say categorically, Mr. President; this is not a matter I take lightly. It is a monumental task. One that requires boldness and the commitment of vision to fashion tomorrow not only to reflect the dawn of a new day but also the realization of peoples' legitimate hopes and expectations. This is the. mandate of my government, and my administration is committed to it In the challenge to raise the standard of Irving for our people we cannot relent. The cause of people, the preservation of peace, and human security is a work in progress.

It is within this context that my country credits the United Nations as having tremendous relevance in our lives. To us, the Millennium Summit is a call for collective action to create a more effiective United Nations. I have witnessed some successes in the United Nations, but I have also seen the organization frustrated. Although the General Assembly remains democratic, my government is still concerned that while member states extol the virtues of good governance and democracy within states, they seek, at the international level to preserve a system within the Security Council that is undemocratic and inimical to true democracy within the institution.

The reform of the Security Council has defied resolution for too long. Saint Kitts and Nevis encourages democracy within and among states. We celebrated the tradition recently when we welcomed new member states into our fraternity of nations. In this same spirit I bust that the United Nations will help to secure the requisite understanding that would soon enable the millions of people on Taiwan to benefit from this international spring of brotherhood and inclusion.

As the Caribbean Community's [CARICOM] current representative on health related issues, I am constantly reminded of the real and devastating pandemic of HIV/AIDS. This disease does not recognize national boundaries and threatens to undermine future economic and social development and to roll back the clock on progress in many of our nations. I urge the United Nations to continue its important work through the UNAIDS. We also look forward to a United Nations Special Session on HIV/AIDS to intensify and further coordinate our approaches at the international level.

We have to continue the work to modify behaviors and embrace new attitudes in dealing with the pandemic threatening to undermine the economics and social fabric of many nations in Latin America and Caribbean, a region said to have the second highest number of cases of infection after sub-Saharan Africa

Further, my government envisages a United Nations better equipped to preserve the progresses that we have made in the areas of human security, peace, poverty alleviation, sustainable development and democracy and to build on them. I invite the United Nations to be more involved in the debate on technology transfer lending expertise in this endeavor by becoming a more meaningful partner. It should help to identify not only areas for technology transfer, but more importantly, the transfer of relevant and appropriate technology.

Time and again, our small-island states have swallowed the bitter medicine prescribed to us in order to participate fully in this global economy, but whenever we appear to reach a milestone the post is arbitrarily moved. We urge the United Nations to become the genuine partner of small-island developing states that we envisaged, and to encourage the realization that the question of a vulnerability index must be factored into any assessment of the needs of small-Island states. This must also be considered in planning programs of assistance by the multilateral development, financial and state institutions.

We commend the areas of the Secretary General's report that speak to human security and we expect the United Nations to continue to play a proactive role in this endeavor. We urge the United Nations, through the Secretary General to Impress upon the OEM countries that unilateral "blacklisting" of countries is counter- productive and that any debate affecting the interests of small countries must be raised to the level of multilateral forums where all our voices can be heard. Also, the United Nations has to play a greater role in forging better understanding on trade related issues.

Mr. President, my people, in voting my administration into office, placed their hopes, faith and future in my hands. I continue to place their hopes in this organization. We can ill-afford disappointment The government and people of Saint Kitts and Nevis remain committed to the United Nations and we pray for Its continued viability. We hope that it will become the mechanism that best translates dreams into realities. But as we look to the horizon of its future I hope we understand that any future prosperity of our world requires a united Inter-national approach.

Thank you