PR#016
PRESS RELEASE

Prime Minister Briceño Addresses the 31st Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly

Belmopan. December 3, 2020. 4:35 p.m.

The Prime Minister Hon. John Briceño today delivered an address during the 31st Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly on the COVID-19 pandemic. The Session will span two days from the 3rd to 4th December 2020 and is being conducted virtually.

Given the global scale of the pandemic, a truly international and multilateral response is required to ensure that all countries are able to respond and recover from the pandemic. The Special Session on COVID-19 is an opportunity for heads of state and government of all UN members to assess and enhance the international community’s response to the pandemic.

Prime Minister Briceño underscored the deep and devastating impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on small island developing states like Belize, which are already reeling from the catastrophic impact of climate change. The Prime Minister called for the crises of COVID-19 and climate change to be turned into an opportunity to address the institutional and systemic challenges that countries like Belize face including indebtedness, limited fiscal space, climate vulnerability, and inaccessibility to concessional financing.

Prime Minister Briceño also spoke in his capacity as Chair of the Alliance of Small Island Developing States (AOSIS).

Ends

Thank you

As we prepare for the festivities ushering in the New Year, it is a fitting occasion to celebrate the accomplishments that AOSIS has achieved under the leadership of the Maldives.

We saw the launch of the S.A.M.O.A. Pathway in 2015 and the SIDS Partnership Framework.  More recently, we prepared ourselves thoroughly for the 2019 Mid-term Review with a successful inter-regional preparatory meeting in Samoa with an outcome that reflects the priorities of the three SIDS regions – AIS, the Pacific and the Caribbean.

In 2015, we welcomed the adoption of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, all of which maintain as a core operational principle the special circumstances of SIDS.

In 2016, with the overwhelming support of AOSIS Member States, the Paris Agreement entered into force and no sooner had it entered into force, was AOSIS then working assiduously with Maldives at the helm ensuring that we would be able to adopt modalities, procedures and guidelines for the operationalization of the Paris Agreement at this year’s COP.  While many lament that we could not have a more robust Paris rule book, we got the job done and now it is our task to implement with a view to its continuous improvement.

Introduction

It is against this background that Belize now prepares to undertake the role of the Chairmanship of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) for the period 2019 to 2020.  It is with great pride that we make this undertaking as the first low lying coastal continental state.

During the period of Belize’s tenure as AOSIS Chair, Belize will support AOSIS to achieve the highest order of support for the priorities of small island developing states (SIDS).  In this regard, Belize, in consultation with the AOSIS Bureau and with the support of the membership will aim to launch a forward-looking AOSIS Agenda and a robust ‘partnerships for action’ initiative to address SIDS financing constraints and needs.

Overview of the AOSIS Chairmanship

The first year of Belize’s Chairmanship will be a headline year for AOSIS: AOSIS will mark its thirtieth anniversary in 2019 as the United Nations prepares to review the S.A.M.O.A. Pathway and its Partnership Framework.  The review will coincide with the end of the first four-year cycle of the high level political forum which serves as the principal forum for the monitoring of the SIDS agenda.  It will also coincide with the convening of the Secretary General’s Climate Summit.  Each of these occasions presents an opportunity for reinforcing international political solidarity for SIDS as a special case for sustainable development and targeted new initiatives for SIDS.

Objectives

Belize views 2019-2020 as a critical period for ramping up ambition on climate action.  Therefore as Chair, Belize will lead the group to be at the forefront of a drive for greater climate ambition.  AOSIS will need to be persistent in advocating for drastic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in pursuit of the objectives of the Paris Agreement and to safeguard the larger sustainable development agenda.  At the same time, in order to address SIDS needs for adaptation and to make progress on mainstreaming loss and damage throughout the climate change agenda, AOSIS will need to exhaust every effort to ensure that international cooperation and financing are specifically targeted to SIDS.  These are key priority issues for AOSIS and Belize is committed to strengthen AOSIS advocacy and engagement in multilateral decision making processes especially in relation to them.

Oceans governance is a matter of high priority for the SIDS.  AOSIS has already demonstrated leadership in advancing discussions on marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction in the context of the recently launched intergovernmental conference (BBNJ IGC).  With your support and cooperation, Belize will continue that leadership to ensure that the SIDS concerns particularly with regard to equitable use, capacity building, and technology transfer are reflected in the IGC draft treaty.

Belize will, in addition to these initiatives, continue to pursue ongoing training programmes including the AOSIS fellowship programme which has a proven track record for excellence.

Belize will also ensure SIDS’s effective participation in the development of any new international instrument such as the Global Pact for the Environment, as well as ensure integration of the special case for SIDS therein.

Leading by Example

Belize has long been an active participant in AOSIS including its Bureau and has willingly offered its expertise to lead critical negotiations.  We want to continue having this Bureau involvement and together look to enhance the AOSIS capacity to identify emerging issues, design innovative SIDS solutions and build bridges and strategic alliances.  We want AOSIS to continue to operate with utmost transparency inclusivity and accountability.

For Belize, a strategic and inclusive leadership shall define the Chairmanship and drive the work of AOSIS for 2019-2020.  In this way, we will ensure a solid foundation for further advancing the group’s objectives beyond Belize’s Chairmanship.

I am pleased to share with you an outline of our vision. In addition, I wish to share that Belize will endeavour and an indicative calendar of meetings.

Belize looks forward to working with you all and to your continued support.

Thank you.

A call to mobilize

Minister Figueroa
Secretary General
Under Secretary General
Excellencies

Distinguished Delegates,

Only half a mile offshore from where you sit, the Belize Barrier Reef extends North and South along Belize’s coastline. It is the biggest barrier reef complex in the Atlantic Caribbean region and the most pristine in the Western Hemisphere. And it is, in fact, the second largest in the entire world.

This Barrier Reef is one of Belize’s greatest resources, acting as an incubator for the fish and marine life that sustain the livelihoods of some 200,000 Belizeans; it is a natural wonder which draws visitors from near and far; and it is as well a breakwater against the destructive power of waves and a refuge for endangered species. It is part of our patrimony, a national icon that links generations past, present and future. It was also some time ago declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a fitting tribute to its ecosystemic longevity and diversity.

It should come as no surprise therefore that Belizeans have defended the environmental integrity of the Reef and its resources, especially through progressive conservation measures.

We have long surpassed international goals for establishment of marine protected areas with 21 percent of our territorial waters under some level of protection. That is double the international target of 10 percent by 2030. Our mangroves, which have a symbiotic relationship with the Reef and marine resources, are now fully protected.

And recently, to complete the circle my Government has legislated a ban on offshore oil exploration.

Stakeholders have also urged an end to single use plastics. And by Earth Day 2019 a proscription to that effect is likewise expected to become Law.

There are, then, huge conservation gains that Belize, like the rest of the Caribbean, has made. But a moment’s reflection makes clear that there is no room for complacency. There are threats all around, and many of them come from distant waters and shores. Thus, the Caribbean Sea grows warmer and more acidic not as a result of our actions but because of the industrialized world’s concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. And our natural and planned defenses are no match for the superstorms that are the new climatic norm. This underlines the sobering reality of the inadequacy of even our most ambitious actions.

These threats to our sustainability as small islands and low lying coastal states sometimes seem innumerable. And they join myriad other dangers represented by, for example, non communicable diseases and the proliferation of small arms. The scourge of transnational organized crime is not only a citizen security issue, but is destabilizing of our indigenous financial systems and has made us victims of de-risking and placed us in an economic and trade stranglehold.

In other words a perfect storm is overtaking us and all our resilience is required to combat it.

Fortunately, the Caribbean has a long history of resilience. It is what has seen our nations/peoples rise out of the historical rubble of colonial and neocolonial oppression. It is a resilience that has been individual but also wholistic, made so by Caribbean wide solidarity. Clearly, though, there can be no resting on laurels. As the challenges are unceasing, so must the struggle be. And the particularly critical crunch we are currently experiencing constitutes a new imperative for collective Caribbean action.

Working together in the required deliberate manner, we have already successfully placed the special case of small island developing states on the international agenda as a matter of international priority. The 1994 Barbados Programme of Action today serves as the foundational document defining the SIDS Agenda for Sustainable Development; and it has since been expanded with the Mauritius Strategy for Implementation (2005) and now the S.A.M.O.A. Pathway (2014). As evidenced in the breadth of the SIDS Agenda 25 years since Barbados, the SIDS special case has had to be dynamic as our development challenges have become more and more acute. So the brief has been filed and continuing Caribbean advocacy is full bore. But, we may be forgiven for questioning whether the international community’s response has been all that it should be.

Why, for instance, is the world still set on a path to 4 degrees or more despite the scientific evidence that SIDS will only barely survive even global temperatures capped at 1.5 degrees C?

Why, despite our objective capacity constraints for accessing and mobilizing finance are SIDS still subject to the same access criteria as others far better equipped in every way to easily attract investments?

Why are our small economies being graduated into categories of high middle income or high income status to further strait jacket us?

To put it at its mildest, it is clear that despite our special and different circumstances global policy still deploys a one size fits all approach. This is unsatisfactory and we must therefore campaign without let for a proper international focus on and support for the SIDS Agenda. It is the only way to bolster our indigenous efforts and empower our resilience in the face of the multiple obstacles confronting the Caribbean’s sustainable development trajectory.

Now, therefore, is the time to refocus the spotlight on SIDS. And this is the opportunity to tailor solutions to address our special case. The San Pedro Declaration which you will adopt as the outcome of this meeting should serve to strengthen international resolve and mobilize international action for the SIDS Agenda. It must be emblematic of our strong and effective SIDS leadership. And it must be a reminder to the world that our well documented contributions to the global community are the plinth now of our call for that community to in turn address our needs and advance our cause.

Belmopan- 21^st March 2018.   The Forest Department joined other partners locally and around the globe in celebrating International Day of Forests on March 21^st, 2018. In commemoration of this day and this year’s theme, “Forests and Sustainable Cities”, the Forest Department is partnering with local municipalities countrywide to plant more than 10,000 trees by 2020.

The Forest Department officially teamed up with the first municipality, the Belmopan City Council, in support of their campaign for a greener city. In doing so, the Forest Department will deliver more than 1000 trees over time for planting in and around the Belmopan area. Several carefully selected tree species will be strategically placed for beautification, providing shade, cooler temperatures and oxygen, and promoting health and well-being.

Forests and trees continue to be an integral part of our survival. Whereas our investments in planting trees in forests can provide future economic benefits, secure our water supply, minimize flooding and reduce global warming, planting trees in our urban settings promote healthier lifestyles, encourage recreation and enhance the general well-being of our citizenry.

In receiving the first batch of new seedlings, Belmopan City Councillor, Mrs. Louise Willis, stated that this forms part of their expanding urban green space initiative, encouraging active and healthy lifestyles, improving mental health, preventing disease, and providing a place for people to socialize.

The initiative is part of the Department’s Forest for Life program being promoted under the Key Biodiversity Areas project, aimed at promoting forest stewardship. Since its launch, the initiative has reached more than 15,000 people, raising awareness on the importance of all types of forests and trees.

[END]

For more information, please contact the Forest Department at 822-1524 or email us at info@forest.gov.bz.

GOVERNMENT OF BELIZE

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry,
the Environment, Sustainable Development and Immigration,
Ministry of Economic Development, Petroleum, Investment, Trade and Commerce

Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation.

JOINT PRESS RELEASE

Phasing Out of Single-use Plastic Bags and Styrofoam and Plastic Food Utensils

Belmopan. March 20, 2018.   The Ministry of Fisheries, Forestry, the Environment and Sustainable Development, the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Commerce, and the Ministry of Tourism led a collaborative taskforce comprising the Department of the Environment, Customs Department, Beltraide, Directorate General of Foreign Trade, and Solid Waste Management Authority to advance a proposal to Cabinet to reduce plastic and Styrofoam pollution through the phasing out of single-use plastic shopping bags and Styrofoam and plastic food utensils by April 22, 2019.  The proposal was approved by Cabinet at its sitting today, 20^th March 2018.

The phasing out of plastic shopping bags and Styrofoam and plastic food utensils, such as clamshells, flat plates and cups, is a necessary pollution control measure to protect the terrestrial and marine environment from harmful plastic contamination.  Biodegradable alternatives to the plastic and Styrofoam products already exist on the Belizean market in the form of shopping bags, clamshells, coffee cups and plates manufactured from plant-based materials.

Plastic shopping bags and Styrofoam clamshells are used by the average person for only a few minutes before they are thrown away where they can last for decades in the landfill or as litter on the side of highways, in rivers, along coastlines and in the sea, causing harm to wildlife and fishes vulnerable to choking on plastic pieces.  The annual clean-up cost of this pollution is considerable and is borne by volunteers, government and civil society groups.  In the municipal waste stream, plastic and Styrofoam comprise about 19% of the volume, and therefore 19% of the cost of national solid waste management.

Globally, plastic and Styrofoam pollution is a major concern.  Large floating debris piles have formed in the Caribbean Sea and other major water bodies.  These international waste debris are not only difficult to track, as they migrate with ocean currents, but they are prohibitively costly to clean up, some ending up on the Belize Barrier Reef.  With the second largest barrier reef in the world, Belize is doing its part to reduce marine pollution and protect the natural environment that is the foundation of our vibrant tourism industry.

[END]

For more information contact:
Tel:    +501-822-0160
email: ceo.sec@environment.gov.bz

On 12 December 2016, the Government of Belize deposited its instrument of accession to the United Nations Convention against Corruption with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who serves as depositary of the Convention. The Convention will enter into force for Belize on 11 January 2017.

The United Nations Convention against Corruption is a multilateral legal instrument that addresses the prevention and criminalization of a wide range of acts of corruption, in both the public and private sectors. It also includes provisions for international cooperation and asset recovery. With Belize’s accession, the Convention approaches near universal participation, with a total of 181 State Parties.

Reference: C.N.911.2016.TREATIES-XVIII.14 (Depositary Notification)

Mr. President,

Allow me at the outset to congratulate you on your election as President of the seventy-first session of the General Assembly and to assure you of Belize’s fullest support.

Thirty-five years ago this week Belize became a UN member state. Membership confirmed our independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and place amongst equals in this community of nations. Regretfully, however, membership did not resolve the territorial claim laid to our country some eighty years ago by Guatemala.

Our track record since our independence confirms that Belize holds sacrosanct the dignity of the human person, the principles of justice, equality, inclusivity, and the rule of law. Belizeans are inherently altruistic and compassionate. In the nascent years of our independence when civil war ravaged our Central American region, Belize was the beacon of hope and sanctuary of choice for thousands of refugees including Guatemalans desperately seeking to escape the scourge of war, poverty and oppression. In the process Belize welcomed thousands of refugees amounting to well in excess of thirty percent of our then population. Indeed even to this day the flow of migrants into our country continues unabated. Belize is a nation of migrants all living in unity, peace and harmony.

Our diversity, national identity and pride has long been a source of strength for our people. We have never cowered in the face of repeated threats to our security by our neighbour Guatemala. We remain steadfast in our resolve to protect and preserve our sovereignty and territorial integrity. Though many a peril lurks along our forested border, and in our maritime and riverine territories, we determinedly protect and patrol our borders to ensure the safety and security of our homeland. Simultaneously our untiring diplomats strive mightily to resolve the longstanding territorial dispute, our paramount foreign policy goal, by utilizing every diplomatic channel and means at their disposal.

Regretfully, though not unpredictably, in the last eighteen months, there have been hostile incidents between civilian and military personnel of both Belize and Guatemala in the Sarstoon River, our southern border. Guatemalan naval personnel repeatedly impeded the peaceful ingress and egress of Belizeans both civilian and military on the River, wrongfully claiming the river to be theirs. However, as the northern side of the river is Belizean territory, the unimpeded use and enjoyment of that side of the river is the right of every Belizean citizen. Belize therefore promptly and properly protested each such attempt. Additionally, we engaged our Guatemalan counterparts in dialogue, under the good offices of the Secretary General of the Organization of American States with a view to putting a speedy end to that potentially perilous practice.

Simultaneously, the situation along our Western Border was also vexing. Continuous illegal entry by armed trespassers from Guatemala persisted despite the valiant efforts of our border patrol to deter them. The trespassers engage with impunity day and night in the panning for gold, the hunting for wild game and birds, the pillaging of Mayan temples, illegal logging and the cultivation of crops including marijuana for commercial purpose. In the process our priceless forest is being decimated, our waters both potable and sea compromised and our coral reefs choked to death by sediments that run off the denuded mountainsides after each torrential downpour. Being fully cognizant of the devastating environmental impact which these practices are having in neighbouring countries and further afield Belize cannot afford to let the same happen to us. From time to time in the course of attempting to apprehend the trespassers, firearms are used by Belize security personnel and by the trespassers who are invariably armed.

Indeed between the period September 2014 to March 2016 a Belizean Tourist Policeman was killed and a Belize Defence Force Sergeant ambushed and shot though not fatally, by trespassers entering Belize from Guatemala.

Tragically, and much to Belize’s regret, on the 20th April 2016, a Guatemalan minor was fatally shot and his father and brother injured when they came in contact with a Belizean patrol in one of our protected National Parks in the dead of night. An investigation was forthwith commenced by the Belize Police. Additionally, Officials of the OAS stationed at the Adjacency Zone between Belize and Guatemala also immediately commenced their own investigation. And, at the specific behest of the Government of Guatemala, Belize requested the Secretary General of the OAS to cause to be launched a special official independent investigation into the incident. The OAS commissioned two senior eminently qualified specialists to undertake that special investigation with the full knowledge and approval of the Guatemalan government. At the time of their appointment, Guatemala expressed no reservation as to their competence, suitability or otherwise to undertake that investigation. In August last, the Special Commission delivered its findings to the OAS Secretary General.

The Report discloses, that the deceased had been detained by security personnel in Belize a mere month prior to the incident. At the time of his detention he had in his possession, unlawfully, a .22 caliber rifle and wild game. He was neither mistreated, arrested nor prosecuted, but was promptly sent back safely to his country. The Report further discloses that the deceased, a brother, also a minor, and their father were knowingly and unlawfully well within Belizean territory on the night of the incident. And, that none of the wounds inflicted was caused by weapons carried by personnel of the Belize Defence Force. The wounds were inflicted by small caliber firearms carried on the night of the incident by two members of a local conservation Non Government Organization (NGO) that made up the Belize Patrol. Shots were fired by both groups – the Guatemalans and the Belizean joint patrol – on that ill fated night. And, the following morning, elements of the Guatemalan Army, along with civilians from a nearby Guatemalan village entered Belizean territory illegally, visited the site, contaminated the scene, and withdrew and withheld evidentiary material that could have been useful to the investigation.

In the wake of the incident a fanatical public relations campaign was launched by Guatemala against Belize falsely alleging that the death of the minor was at the hands of the Belize Defence Force. In addition, the Guatemalan president publicly announced the amassing of troops along our Western and Southern borders.

However, the report of the Special Independent Commission chronicles what really took place on the night of the incident. Its objective, impartial findings of fact established the correctness of the Belize’s position from the start and the wholly erroneous nature of the allegations leveled against our country by Guatemala. It completely absolves Belize of any and all blame for the incident. It makes manifest the wrongness of Guatemala’s accusation against Belize and the personnel of Belize Defence Force. Guatemala has publicly and peremptorily rejected the Commission’s report. However, it is certainly irresponsible, if not reprehensible and utterly unacceptable, that Guatemala should now seek to reject the results of a process which it had specifically requested and agreed to and which was conducted by OAS appointed independent third country professionals with impeccable credentials and with no axe to grind. And, the wanton threat of use of force by a nation against its neighbor is wholly uncalled for, recklessly dangerous, and in clear violation of the charter of this United Nations and can in no wise be countenanced.

Mr. President,

Belize’s only wish is to live in peace and harmony with all our neighbours, including Guatemala. We fully appreciate that with each passing day with more and more Guatemalans trespassing into our country, despoiling our natural resources and engaging in illegal and destructive activities, the potential for violent incidents and conflicts becomes more and more probable and problematic. This situation makes for a prompt and peaceful end to this anachronistic and unfounded claim over our country an urgent imperative.

Mr. President,

Belize acknowledges the centrality of The United Nations in the multilateral order and as a uniting force for championing the common good. Its leadership likewise remains central to international peace and security, to development, and to the rule of law.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is truly a historical milestone for the entire world. Entrenched in the Belize Constitution is the essence of sustainable development. Our economic development has fully embraced the indivisibility of social and environment priorities. From the early 1990s Belize began to put in place development plans for its fledgling industries consistent with a progressive legal regime for environmental protection. We were pioneers in ecotourism, and had, even prior to our independence, established environmental protected areas and fisheries co-operatives. Today over 36 percent of our territory is under some form of protected status. Indeed Belize is now mainstreaming climate change adaptation in its development policies, plans and investment strategies thereby transforming our engines of growth to more renewable and sustainable ones. We recently adopted a Growth and Sustainable Development Strategy which aligns our national priorities with the sustainable development goals. The holistic and people centered approach to development has long been Belize’s trademark.

Complementary to these economic and environmental developments, Belize is incrementally providing free public education at primary and secondary levels; it has established a Maya Land Rights Commission to implement measures for the identification and protection of rights arising from Mayan customary land tenure; it is rolling out a national health insurance policy; and work is in progress to advance national efforts towards gender equality and equity.

The national debate on social issues took a precedential turn recently. A high court ruling held that Section 53 of our Criminal Code which criminalized consensual sexual acts between same sex partners is unconstitutional. The ruling also expands the definition of “sex” to include sexual orientation. However, in response to the request of a not inconsiderable segment of our population, our government has launched a limited appeal to the judgment challenging only the expanded definition of “sex” by the High Court.

Belize was among one of the first countries to sign and ratify the Paris Agreement in April 2016. We commend the United States and China for their leadership in doing so as well. We look forward to the day when its ratification will be completed and implementation commences.

Belize fully supports efforts under the auspices of the UN to design a new international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction and welcomes the decision to convene in June 2017 a high­ level United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14.

In the spirit of inclusiveness, we urge that the Republic of China on Taiwan be accorded meaningful participation in the work of the United Nations. The Taiwanese government works assiduously in promoting international cooperation and development in line with the spirit and principles of the Millennium Development Goals. They have also fully embraced the Sustainable Development Goals. We urge the international community to welcome Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the mechanisms, meetings, and activities of the UN specialized agencies including the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Setbacks in the global economy, externalities resulting from institutional policies (both public and private) to safeguard against financial and other security risks, the adverse impacts of climate change, the energy and food security crises, all have conspired against Belize’s sustainable development trajectory. Today, our small nation is rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricane Earl which in less than 8 hours debited some 5.5 per cent of our GDP.

Belize endorse the views and sentiments expressed by all other delegations in their pleas for urgent relief from the deleterious consequences of the decisions of global banks to withdraw correspondent banking relations from our financial institutions.

We keep upgrading our regulatory frameworks to ensure strict compliance with all relevant laws and best practices of the banking and financial sectors internationally.

Mr. President,

Belize celebrated its 351 anniversary of independence on the same day as the International Day of Peace. Peace and stability in our hemisphere are critical to the development and wellbeing of the peoples of the Americas. For that reason Belize remains concerned about the status of the controversy between Guyana and Venezuela. We urge the Secretary General of the United Nations to exercise urgently his authority under the 1966 Geneva Agreement for a choice of options that would bring the controversy to a judicial and definitive conclusion.

Belize strictly adheres to the principle of non interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state. In that regard we stand in solidarity with the Government and people of Venezuela in their efforts to resolve their domestic issues in accordance with their laws and constitution.

We remain very concerned about the unabated cholera epidemic in Haiti, and urges the United Nations to take all necessary steps to help the Haitian people end this terrible scourge occasioned by agents of the United Nations.

Belize welcomes the tremendous progress already made in the peace process in Colombia which we fully support. We look forward to an early and successful implementation.

We note with approbation the progress made in the bilateral relations between Cuba and the United States. Belize reiterates its call for an early end to the economic embargo against Cuba.

We join in the call for an early end to the tragic conflicts in Syria and Libya which are an affront to humanity.

We adhere fully to the right of peoples to self-determination and reiterate our solidarity with the struggle for liberation and independence of our Sahrawi brothers and sisters.

Belize is disheartened though not discouraged by the intractable Israeli – Palestinian conflict. We believe that the only just solution to the conflict is one which results in two sovereign and independent states within clearly defined territorial borders, both living peacefully and securely in perpetuity.

We stand in solidarity with South Korea in the face of North Korea’s irresponsible experiment with nuclear and missile programmes, including the conducting of nuclear tests in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. We join the international community in condemning these actions which pose a clear and present danger not only to South Korea but to the entire world.

While we are heartened by the indefatigable efforts of the United Nations and other philanthropic and altruistic organizations and individuals to alleviate the suffering of migrants and other displaced persons worldwide, it is evident that much more needs to be done. We in Belize pledge to do all in our power and within our means to discharge our obligations to all suffering persons who seek our succor.

Mr. President,

In a country as small as Belize, in a world as big as ours, we are all citizens of planet earth, big or small. The policies we devise at any level must be reflective of this reality.

It is up to us leaders, working together, and shouldering our respective sovereign responsibilities, to guarantee that every nation, large and small, and every individual man woman or child, shall have a say in our noble endeavors for a more just, equitable, and secure world.

Our task is clear. Its attainment is not impossible but neither is it without difficulty. Let’s get it done. Belize stands ready to do its part.

In conclusion Mr President, as Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon begins to prepare to demit office at the end of ten sterling years of service to the United Nations and indeed to the world at large, Belize takes this opportunity to thank him and to wish him every success in his post UN Secretary General’s life.

Thank you.

Minister Elrington’s Statement to the General Debate of the Seventy First Session of the United Nations General Assembly. (PDF Version)

The Permanent Mission of Belize to the United Nations is pleased to announce the arrival of Belize’s First Consul General for New York, Mr. Herman Longsworth, and the opening of the Consulate General of Belize to New York. All consular matters will now be processed through the Consulate General. The public is hereby advised of the Consulate General’s office location, telephone and hours.

Address:
Herman R. Longsworth
Consul General
Consulate General of Belize to New York
600 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10016

Telephone:
646-571-2530

Office Hours:
Monday to Thursday
9:15AM to 4:00PM

Website: www.congenbz-ny.gov.bz

The Permanent Mission of Belize to the United Nations wishes to express its pleasure for having had the privilege to serve the public over the past thirty-five years and for the public’s friendly cooperation throughout.