TERRANCE MICHAEL DREW, Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, National Security and Immigration, Health, and Social Security of Saint Kitts and Nevis, noting that small island developing States know only too well the high cost of inaction, said:  “We are small, yes, but our voices carry the weight of rising seas, thundering storms and livelihoods teetering on the edge of erasure.”  Today the international community stands on the precipice of a world where peace is kept at gunpoint, where weapons are romanticized and violence is exalted, he said, adding:  “We need more than diplomatic platitudes.”  World leaders should not resign themselves to the idea that the children of Haiti, Congo, Sudan and Palestine are less deserving of rights and freedoms than children elsewhere.  The greatest delusion is that security and sustainability are separate. Recalling how, generations ago, the Labour Movement in his country paved the way for its people's emancipation, he called for grand ambition and clear vision.

When the waters rise in the South, he said, even the North will eventually drown.  When the forests burn in the North, the South too will choke from the smoke.  The pandemic has left scars that still fester, and global economic fragmentation threatens to deepen the divides.  Noting that the Caribbean is bracing for an intense hurricane season, he recalled that Grenada, Carriacou, Petite Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Beryl, and he noted that the southeast United States is being pounded by Hurricane Helene right now.  Recalling how hoteliers in his country have warned his Government that they may soon no longer be able to market themselves as beach resorts, he said the sands that once beckoned visitors from across the globe are now receding, swallowed by rising seas.  In May 2025, Saint Kitts and Nevis will co-host the Global Sustainable Islands Summit with Island Innovation, he said, adding that it will be a call to action to shape practical solutions and partnerships.

Welcoming the adoption of the multidimensional vulnerability index, he said it is not just another metric; for small island developing States, it is a lifeline.  Its full implementation will demonstrate that the United Nations, and by extension the global system, is committed to uplifting the most vulnerable. Stressing the importance of reforming the Organization, he said:  “Too many voices remain unheard, too many nations marginalized.”  The Council must include representation from the most vulnerable regions — Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa.  Expressing support for the Bridgetown Initiative, he said this bold framework demands a reformation of global finance.  He also highlighted the Argyle Declaration as a shining example of how the Caribbean manages security challenges:  “We go back to basics; we talk to each other.”  The Declaration has been instrumental in facilitating dialogue between Venezuela and Guyana.  This demonstrates that the most complex disputes can be navigated peacefully, he said, reiterating the call for an unconditional ceasefire in Gaza.

Turning to Haiti, he expressed support for the work of the National Transitional Council as it strives to create an environment conducive to a political solution.  That country should not be seen as a place of sorrow; it is a symbol of human endurance and defiance against injustice, he said, welcoming the establishment of the Multinational Security Support Mission. He also called for Cuba's removal from the United States State Department's list of State sponsors of terrorism as well as the end of the illegal embargo against it.  Noting that Cuban doctors and educators exemplify true philanthropy, he said that the international community should learn from its sustainable solutions and empowerment of its people.  “In the same breath, we must not forget Taiwan,” he said, adding that its people must be included in the work of the United Nations system, particularly in the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).  Saint Kitts and Nevis stands before you today, “not seeking pity, but partnerships,” he said, adding that his country is on a transformative journey to become the Western Hemisphere's first sustainable island State.  Highlighting its desalination plants powered by renewable energy and the construction of the first climate-smart hospital, he called on the international community to stand with small island nations.