Gonsalves decries broken global political economy in address to UN

The global political economy is broken and powerful nations have failed to come up with inclusive means to combat global challenges.

Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines Dr Ralph Gonsalves shared this view on Saturday, September 23, as he addressed the 78th United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Debating the topic: “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all,” Gonsalves said “It is widely acknowledged that the global political economy is broken and needs fixing, not by tinkering here and there, but through fundamental restructuring of a kind that endures for the benefit of all humanity, especially those who are disadvantaged, dispossessed or marginalized.”

In a wide ranging speech, he said that powerful countries and states are either unwilling or unable to come up with a method inclusive for all countries, to address the global challenges facing humanity.

“It is evident to all right-thinking persons, devoid of self-serving hypocrisy, that the struggle today between the dominant powers is centred upon the control, ownership and distribution of the world’s resources.” The Prime Minister added that the vital Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) will not be achieved by 2030 as there will be a significant deficit for every developing country.

He said that at throughout history, powerful countries tend exhibit what he calls a ‘certain schizophrenia’ as they possess and deploy all their instruments of domination yet they are racked by bewildering insecurities which then cause them to overreach and “sow seeds of their own downfall”

Referring to the United States as “the most powerful and economically dominant country since the dawn of human civilisation,” Gonsalves called for an end to “the unilateral and oppressive sanctions” that are contrary to international law against Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

He said it is factually incorrect to label Cuba as a sponsor of state terrorism, a label he said was started by partisan politics in South Florida.

Gonsalves said that the weaponising of the US dollar in Venezuela has caused the collapse of the Petro Caribé agreement, which was beneficial to over a dozen Eastern Caribbean countries, including St Vincent and the Grenadines.

“We in the Caribbean have thus become collateral damage.”

Placing special focus on Haiti, the Prime Minister said that the time for reparations has come and the demand will not go away as the affected countries are pushing for it.

He said that the UN Security Council cannot stand askance to the situation that is going on in Haiti involving criminal gangs and those tied to the government and national police.

Gonsalves said the United States, Caribbean and Latin American governments must work together to stop the flow of guns being smuggled into countries, with most of guns originating from the US.

“The heard melodies are troubling, those unheard are damning,” he quipped  The Prime Minister added that repeatedly, Taiwan has proven itself as a responsible member of the international community and it therefore should be apart of the United Nations General Assembly.

Addressing global climate change issue, Gonsalves, who is also Minister of National Security said that too often there are ‘sweet sounding lyrics’ by major emitters who are responsible for the changing climate, that turn out to be deceptive as there is a lack of meaningful corrective actions.

The annual United Nations General Assembly was this year held from September 19 – 26 at the UN Headquarters in New York.