- U.N. General Assembly adopted a “Pact for the Future”
St. Vincent’s Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves was among the world leaders on Sunday who pledged bold action to protect present and future generations amid the climate crisis and conflicts gripping the globe.
The U.N. General Assembly adopted a “Pact for the Future” to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Now comes the hard part: uniting the world’s divided nations to move quickly to implement its 56 actions.
Speaking at the summit, Gonsalves said that the multilateral system has been ill for a long time, and the international community is now poised to make “some surgical incisions” that hopefully lead to healing.
He highlighted the current trust deficit and recent geopolitical tensions, saying everyone is aware of the litany of vulnerabilities that small island developing states face, as well as the historic issues that caused their legacies of underdevelopment.
He emphasized the need to reform the outdated international financial architecture, stating that countries like SVG must grapple with the “millstone of crushing debt.”
“Truth be told, the developed countries have been making a lot of promises to us and breaking them cynically,” he said, adding that the international community needs to take more ambitious action to address the climate crisis.
“Otherwise, all of us here are going to go to hell in a handbasket; you know it and I know it,” Gonsalves added.
