UNITED NATIONS, CMC—Dominica, which is moving towards becoming the world’s first climate-resilient country, appealed to the international community on Wednesday to honor its obligations due to the impact of climate change on small island developing states (SIDS) like itself.
“We stand today at a critical juncture in human history. Climate change, as we know, is not just an environmental challenge; it is a threat to every aspect of life as we know it. For Dominica, as for many Small Island Developing States, this is not a distant or abstract issue; it is a daily reality,” President Sylvania Burton told the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Burton, the first President of Indigenous descent from Dominica, told her global audience that on an annual basis, Dominica and other SIDS brace for the onslaught caused by intensified hurricanes, devastating floods, and prolonged droughts.
She recalled that in 2015 Dominica suffered at the passage of Tropical Storm Erika, which wiped out 96 percent of the island’s gross domestic product (GDP), and then again in 2017 when Hurricane Maria destroyed over 225 percent of Dominica’s GDP in hours.
“This year, we watched in agony as Hurricane Beryl swept through the island-states of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Barbados, and Jamaica,” she said, noting that these tragic occurrences embolden the region “to state firmly that the time for rhetoric has long passed.
“Business as usual simply will not suffice. As science dictates, we need urgent, bold, and decisive action to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. But to do this, we must drastically reduce emissions, boldly honor financial commitments, and build critical resilience infrastructure in regions particularly vulnerable to climate change.
“This is a moral imperative of the utmost urgency, a matter of climate justice. Our very future depends on the decisions made in these halls,” Burton told the audience.
She said that the UNGA is meeting at a time when Dominica and the rest of the Caribbean direct “our gaze to the east and on the storms and hurricanes that emerge in the Atlantic.
“There is no denying that climate change is happening. We see. Indeed, we feel its disastrous impacts daily. Already, the warnings of weather scientists regarding global warming and the consequent increase in frequency and severity of storms have proved to be accurate.”
She said Dominica, along with other Caribbean countries, has already prioritized the development of national climate adaptation strategies, invested in resilient infrastructure and agriculture, and invested in community education and renewable energy.
“Still, the reality is that as important as our interventions in this crucial space are, they will remain ineffective if our friends and partners in the industrialized world do not honor their commitments to reduce global warming and provide the funding that is required to enable our low emitting States to become resilient.
“We, therefore, seize this opportunity to urge again that the ethical pledges made via the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement, the Climate Action Summit, and within the framework of the Green Climate Fund be honored in the global community’s interest.
“The high-emitting countries must recognize and accept responsibility for their destructive practices
and do the noble thing. We will not relent until they do,” Burton said.
She said that another issue of concern to Dominica, despite the resources and publicity given to UN Agenda 30, is that the outputs so far do not inspire confidence that the global community is on track to realize the much-heralded goals.
“Alarmingly, the 2024 Sustainable Development Goals Report indicates that far from building on the progress achieved during the first five years, “fully half of the 17 targets are showing minimal or moderate progress” while “over one-third appear stalled or going in reverse.”
“It is, therefore, the hope of my government and the Caribbean Community of which we are proud members, that this Assembly will be known as (Sustainable Development Goals) remain central to our claim, that our civilizations are caring and progressive and that our collective management, scientific and diplomatic capabilities will be assigned to ensuring that the wellbeing of the present and future generations is guaranteed.”
She said, for example, that despite SDG 3, Good Health and Wellbeing, the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is an urgent crisis that calls for a unified and aggressive approach by all global leaders.
Burton said that the World Health Organization (WHO) concludes that NCDs, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, cancers, and chronic respiratory diseases, account for 75 percent of all deaths worldwide.
“These diseases shorten individual lives and imperil the future of our societies, economies, and shared global development goals. The fight against NCDs is not one that any nation, particularly a tiny nation, can win alone. That fight requires strong leadership, innovative strategies, and collaboration at every level.
“In Dominica, we have made significant progress in enhancing our healthcare system to better meet the needs of those at risk or living with NCDs,” she said.
In her wide-ranging address, the Dominican head of state called for continued support for ensuring peace and stability in Haiti, the removal of the US trade and economic embargo against Cuba, Washington’s imposition of sanctions against Venezuela, the end to the wars in Ukraine, Gaza and the respect for human rights worldwide.
“My ancestors, the Kalinago people, lived in harmony with Mother Nature, drawing on nature for food and general wellbeing, including medicinal products. There are many benefits to a life in harmony with Mother Nature.
“Their impact on the environment was minimal. The benefits to human health were long, active lives with minimal burden of chronic diseases. My ancestors also lived a communal life marked by social cohesion. My delegation recommends this way of life, of our Kalinago people, to this body,” Burton said.
and then 