News As It HappensFri, 27 Sep 2024 23:56:29 +0000en-US
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https://antiguanewsroom.com/statement-gaston-browne-prime-minister-of-antigua-and-barbuda-at-the-79th-session-of-the-united-nations-general-assembly/#respondFri, 27 Sep 2024 23:46:33 +0000https://antiguanewsroom.com/?p=212595Statement by The Honourable Gaston BrownePrime Minister, Minister of Finance, Corporate Governance and Public Private Partnerships of Antigua and Barbuda at the General Debate of the 79th Session of The United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday 27th September, 2024 Check against delivery Mr. President Secretary-General Distinguished Delegates Today, we all stand at the edge of a […]
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]]>Statement by The Honourable Gaston BrownePrime Minister, Minister of Finance, Corporate Governance and Public Private Partnerships of Antigua and Barbuda at the General Debate of the 79th Session of The United Nations General Assembly
in New York on Friday 27th September, 2024
Check against delivery
Mr. President
Secretary-General
Distinguished Delegates
Today, we all stand at the edge of a precipice.
Never before has humanity been confronted with such stark choices: to end wars or condemn humanity to endless suffering; to eliminate poverty or watch millions starve; to act on climate change or doom future generations to a scorched planet.
The choices we make today – here in this Assembly and in every institution of governance – will shape the survival of entire nations and the future of our world.
For small states like Antigua and Barbuda, these are not distant realities. They are existential threats.
Our islands are on the frontlines of a climate catastrophe we did not cause; a debt crisis we did not create, and conflicts in which we have no part.
And yet, we suffer the heaviest toll. The world is at a pivotal point, and inaction is no longer an option for any of us.
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are the first to suffer, but we will not be the last. All will be consumed, if we continue to dither and delay.
SIDS have learned to fight for our survival against the rising seas and violent storms.
But today, we must also fight for something greater: the survival of justice, of equity, peace and human dignity itself.
The time for games and lofty rhetoric has passed. We demand committed, concrete action and we demand it now! We do so not only for ourselves, but for all of humanity.
The Fourth United Nations Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4), is the pinnacle of monumental achievement, a milestone that marks not only our collective progress as SIDS, but also our unrelenting resolve. SIDS4 gave birth to the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS, the (ABAS) – a renewed declaration for resilient prosperity.
This Agenda is not just a roadmap for the future; it is a lifeline for now.
For SIDS, the ABAS represents the difference between thriving and perishing; it’s our road map to a prosperous future.
At its core is the SIDS Centre of Excellence, built by SIDS, for SIDS. This center is intended to be more than just an institution; it is an instrument for meaningful change; a center for ground breaking technologies, revolutionary processes and pioneering solutions.
With its Global Data Hub, Innovation and Technology Mechanism, Island Investment Forum and Debt Sustainability Support Service (DSSS); the Centre of Excellence can transform how we adapt to our vulnerabilities, and set a path for resilient prosperity.
However, this vision cannot succeed in isolation. We need the cooperation and support of the global community to ensure its success.
Without global cooperation, our hope of a secure future within our own countries will crumble under the weight of inaction.
That is why, today, I call for the unwavering commitment of the international community to the Centre’s success. Our survival depends on it.
Mr. President,
Climate change is not an abstract, or academic threat. For my people, and the people of SIDS, it is a persistent and destructive reality.
Intense hurricanes are now an annual terror. Coastal erosion is wiping away our productive areas for tourism and agriculture.
The climate crisis is not on the horizon. It is here, now, burning through our ecosystems, flooding our villages, and leaving us with fewer tomorrows.
And yet, we find ourselves at an absurd situation: continuing to subsidize the very industries that are accelerating our destruction.
Fossil fuel companies have become the architects of our demise, while generating ostentatious profits for their owners.
We must fight to end this madness, in protection of our planet and in the interest of humanity.
We need a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, to halt the reckless destruction of our environment, to end fossil fuel subsidies and to chart a course toward a sustainable future, with a negotiated and graduated transition.
Let COP29 be the moment we draw a line in the sand. Let it be known – we can no longer afford the luxury of delay.
While we recognize that fossil fuels still play a role in the energy security of many countries, and we do not expect their production to cease overnight; we should not support companies extracting oil and gas to continue generating extravagant profits at the expense of our planet. It is only fair and just that these companies pay a global levy to fund mitigation efforts and compensation for the damage they continue to inflict.
This is not a punishment. It’s climate justice. It is a moral and legal responsibility in which the polluter pays. And the time for action is now.
While we face the climate emergency, we are also drowning in a sea of plastic pollution, that is choking our oceans and devastating our biodiversity.
It is no longer a question of if we act, but how swiftly we can mobilize against this threat.
Our nations must commit to a binding treaty, as required by UNEA Resolution 5.14, to put an end to plastic pollution and safeguard our world’s most fragile ecosystems.
Let us not allow this tightening suffocation of our planet to continue.
Distinguished Delegates,
Antigua and Barbuda, in concert with other Small Island Developing States, has played a leading role in the pursuit of climate justice.
At COP26 in 2021, together with Tuvalu, we established the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law.
Today, an expanded membership from the Caribbean and the Pacific, stands united in our demand for accountability.
In 2022, the Commission sought the first-ever advisory opinion from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, on the obligations of states to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
In May of this year, the Tribunal rendered a historic opinion, affirming that major polluters are under a legally binding obligation to protect the oceans – and by extension, Small Island States – from catastrophic harm.
This precedent sets the stage for the advisory proceedings now before the International Court of Justice, initiated under the leadership of Vanuatu, with the co-sponsorship of Antigua and Barbuda and other SIDS.
It is remarkable that the smallest nations, are those driving this global response to the greatest threat to human survival. Yet, despite our efforts, the COP process continues to fail us.
Instead of limiting global warming to 1.5°C – an essential threshold for survival – the world is hurtling towards a disastrous 2.8°C rise.
This is nothing less than a death sentence for Small Island States, but it is also a harbinger of grief for the rest of our planet.
We must demand that major polluters not only respect their obligations under international law, but also compensate us, for the loss and damages we have suffered.
Those who preach about a rule-based international order must now lead by example.
Rules must apply equally to all, including the mighty; not just to the poor and powerless.
At COP29, we expect no further delay in the capitalization and operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund, for which we have struggled so long and so hard. Equity and fairness demand it.
Mr. President,
The fight for survival is not just about climate – it is also about financial justice, reparatory justice, other injustices and equity.
The international financial system is skewed, outdated, and unjust – punishing the most vulnerable while rewarding the already rich and prosperous with favorable terms for their financial instruments.
For too long, small states like mine have been shackled by debt we did not cause; debt that arose from recovery spending on recurring disasters that are beyond our control.
We cannot achieve climate justice without addressing the structural inequities in the International Financial Architecture.
It is time to lift the burdens that keep us bound to the past and unable to invest in our future.
The SIDS Debt Sustainability Support Service is a critical mechanism that can provide tailored solutions, utilizing debt for climate swaps, debt relief, repurposing of SDRs and carbon pricing funding to help us escape the cycle of unsustainable debt.
This is not charity – it is the justice of financial inclusion.
And in the end, by remedying past injustices, it will establish a world, that is fairer, more just and more at peace with itself.
Excellencies,
The adoption of the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI), which Antigua and Barbuda was honoured to help advance in this organization, offers a path towards correcting the imbalance of unjust treatment accorded to small and vulnerable nations.
It is a vital tool, designed to acknowledge the complexities we face – not just in terms of limited economic capacity and other structural vulnerabilities and a lack of resilience, but also in our exposure to myriad external shocks.
International Financial Institutions must act on this, integrating the MVI into their policies to ensure that support is targetedwhere it is needed most.
The work has been done; the case has been made; the arguments are irrefutable.
There can be no just and sustaining reform of the World Bank, other IFI’s and multilateral banks without their effective implementation and use of the MVI.
There can be no legitimate excuse for failing to utilize the MVI. As I said before, the arguments for its use are irrefutable and just.
Mr. President,
These initiatives, which SIDS have taken, are a small component of the wider and more fundamental necessity for reform of the International Financial Architecture, to provide greater funding accessibility and better terms to include lower interest rates and longer maturity transformations.
They are part of the wider need for change, to effectively address the historic imbalances against SIDS, including financial exclusion.
The international financial institutions, and the nations that sit on their controlling boards, must develop bespoke funding instruments that meet the needs of small vulnerable states and other developing countries, taking into consideration their vulnerabilities and lack of resilience.
Mr. President,
We must also recognize that the principles of justice and equity we champion here, apply equally to all nations and are conditions precedent for a peaceful world.
In this spirit, Antigua and Barbuda calls for the end of the designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism and for the lifting of the long- standing, senseless embargo that has restricted its economic development.
The time has come to cast off the chains of this outdated measure, which no longer serves the interests of our modern, interconnected world.
Let us work together toward a future built on mutual respect and cooperation, where Cuba, like all nations, can fully participate in the global community.
This is not a matter of politics; it is a matter of fairness and human dignity.
The delegitimization of governments based on ideological differences, utilizing mis-information and disinformation including atrocity propaganda, serves no useful purpose, but creates unnecessary tensions and conflicts.
Let’s embrace and respect our differences, standing in solidarity with each other in defense of global peace and prosperity.
Excellencies,
I wish now to address the grave issue of small arms and light weapons (SALW) that are routinely exported from wealthy nations to our shores, creating havoc and instability.
I call on the United States and other small arms and light weapons producing countries, to put systems in place to curb the exportation of these lethal weapons to our shores. They are causing immense harm.
This issue is now emerging as a public health epidemic among SIDS, to the extent, that I hereby make the call for a High-Level Meeting at the 80th UNGA, to debate the threats of these weapons to peace and security and to devise solutions.
Antigua and Barbuda cannot remain silent as innocent lives are destroyed and generations are condemned to fear and hatred.
The events unfolding in the Middle East, particularly the conflict between Israel, Hamas, and Hezbollah, are deeply troubling.
The violence is destabilizing the entire region and reverberating across the world. Every missile fired, every life lost, deepens wounds already too many to bear. The violations of international humanitarian law are alarming.
We call on all parties to end the suffering, by sitting down at a table of peace, where sincere negotiations can lead to a lasting solution.
We believe that the only sustainable resolution is the creation of two sovereign states, with borders respected and rights upheld.
It is time for the people of this region – and all conflict zones, to end these conflicts and to give peace a chance.
From Gaza to Sudan, Ukraine to Yemen, the scars of conflict run deep, leaving devastation in their wake. The anguish of families torn apart by war reverberates across the globe, and it is our collective humanity that bleeds.
Conflict kills the victims of bullets and bombs, but it also diminishes all mankind.
On September 17th, inspired by the Secretary-General’s impassioned call for peace, I wrote to him proposing an initiative that transcends borders, language, and conflict.
With that letter, I transmitted a Concept Note, setting out a proposal for holding International Music Concerts for Peace, across every region of the world.
This initiative is intended not only to raise our global voices in a unified chorus against the horrors of war and other conflicts, but also to raise critical funds to support displaced persons and those who continue to suffer.
Music is a universal language. It speaks to the soul in ways that words cannot.
In moments when words fall short, music carries our collective cries for peace and justice. This would be more than a performance.
It would be a global appeal, a powerful demonstration that peace is not just an ideal – it is an absolute necessity; a survival imperative for this and future generations.
I call on all nations large and small, to support the concept of International Music Concerts for Peace.
Mr. President,
The world is crumbling under the weight of crises – poverty, wars, pandemic and the climate devastation. We are at a defining moment, and the choices we make now will determine the fate of every nation, large and small.
We can end these grave challenges, but it requires more than words. It demands decisive, concrete, unified action.
Antigua and Barbuda, like all small states, does not stand on the sidelines.
We stand on the principles of peace and love for our common humanity and in the path of struggle against these global predicaments we did not create.
Yet we fight not just for ourselves, but for a world where justice reigns, where peace endures, and where future generations inherit not a planet in peril; but one that prospers.
The world must act now, for the choices we make today will resonate through history.
Let us choose peace. Let us choose justice.
And let us choose the survival of our one human race, in our one homeland – the planet Earth.
Thank you.
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https://antiguanewsroom.com/antigua-trip-turns-tragic-for-jamaican-woman/#respondFri, 27 Sep 2024 23:25:20 +0000https://antiguanewsroom.com/?p=212591A 39 year-old Jamaican woman, Tatchine Weir, who travelled to Antigua in June in search of a better life, died unexpectedly on Tuesday morning, two days after she was scheduled to return home. CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATS APP GROUP The mother of three was known for her love and dedication to her family. Her […]
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]]>A 39 year-old Jamaican woman, Tatchine Weir, who travelled to Antigua in June in search of a better life, died unexpectedly on Tuesday morning, two days after she was scheduled to return home.
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The mother of three was known for her love and dedication to her family. Her daughter, Tamara Hawes, said she went to Antigua to stay with her boyfriend.
He’s Jamaican but him over there a work. He invited her to stay with him but she keep on a tell me say she want come home,” Hawes recalled. She said she encouraged her to stay.
“[I told her] stay and see if you can make a way for a better life.” However, she said Weir struggled to find work, eventually giving up her job as a cleaner. After visiting a hairdresser, she said, her mother started experiencing severe headaches.
“From she do the hair and pull it out, her head don’t stop hurt her. So mi tell her to tell the man say you want come home,” Hawes said. For three weeks, she said Weir endured debilitating headaches which reinforced her decision to come home. Weir called Hawes to inform her that a ticket had been booked for her return to Jamaica. But she could not reach her last Friday, September 20, or most of the following day. She finally contacted her mother on Saturday evening.
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I suspected she was coming on Sunday [September 22], but she didn’t confirm because she said she wanted it to be a surprise,” Hawes explained. “I knew that she was coming because we spoke late in the night and she already looked dressed.”
According to Hawes, her mother called her brother on Sunday morning and told him that she was coming and that he should pick her up at the airport.
“But, by the time I went to the shop and come back, I saw a number of missed calls on my phone. I thought she had reached Jamaica and they were just calling to get to my uncle to pick her up. Only to hear that my mother was in the hospital,” she said. Hawes said that she spoke with a man on the phone who indicated her mother was not speaking coherently.
One a the time mi a wonder if a the headache lick her head,” she said. By Monday morning, she said, her mother had been sent home from the hospital, but her condition was alarming.
When she a talk to me, she a talk like baby. She know she has three children but a my name alone she coulda remember. She asked me if she’s not coming home and mi start cry,” Hawes said. The following day, during a video call, Hawes learned that her mother was gone.
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Mi say, mek mi see her and, when mi look and see her, tears run out a mi eye and mi say to him ‘Mi mother dead, she gone now.’” Since then, Hawes said, she has neither eaten nor slept.
“Mi just sit down and mi want know how mi mother dead. Her death seem strange because her suitcase was packed and she was dressed,” she said.
As questions and speculations about Weir’s death linger, Hawes is urging the authorities to investigate thoroughly.
“I don’t want to assume anything. I will just wait on the autopsy, which they say will take two weeks,” she stated. In addition to her grief, Hawes now faces the logistical and financial challenges of bringing her mother’s body to Jamaica.
“She wanted to come home; otherwise she will not rest.”
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https://antiguanewsroom.com/police-respond-to-gun-incident-at-clare-hall-secondary-school/#commentsFri, 27 Sep 2024 18:02:28 +0000https://antiguanewsroom.com/?p=212588Clare Hall Secondary School is currently on lockdown following a report of a male student seen with a gun on campus. Police are on-site conducting a search, and sources indicate that no shots have been fired.
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]]>Clare Hall Secondary School is currently on lockdown following a report of a male student seen with a gun on campus. Police are on-site conducting a search, and sources indicate that no shots have been fired.
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https://antiguanewsroom.com/upp-official-sean-bird-confirms-resignation/#commentsFri, 27 Sep 2024 16:38:30 +0000https://antiguanewsroom.com/?p=212585Sean Bird has announced his resignation from the United Progressive Party (UPP). In a statement, Bird confirmed that he has sent his resignation letter to the party’s executive committee. This decision marks a significant shift in his political journey and has sparked interest in what his next steps might be.
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]]>Sean Bird has announced his resignation from the United Progressive Party (UPP). In a statement, Bird confirmed that he has sent his resignation letter to the party’s executive committee.
This decision marks a significant shift in his political journey and has sparked interest in what his next steps might be.
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https://antiguanewsroom.com/oecs-development-strategy-workshop-advances-national-development-plans/#respondFri, 27 Sep 2024 16:00:00 +0000https://antiguanewsroom.com/?p=212580The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission convened a workshop to discuss the OECS Development Strategy (ODS) from September 10 to 11, 2024, at the Paradise Beach Hotel in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The workshop primarily focused on accelerating the implementation of the ODS Action Framework and achieving alignment of its key initiatives […]
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]]>The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission convened a workshop to discuss the OECS Development Strategy (ODS) from September 10 to 11, 2024, at the Paradise Beach Hotel in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The workshop primarily focused on accelerating the implementation of the ODS Action Framework and achieving alignment of its key initiatives with those of Protocol Member States’ National Development Plans (NDPs).
The ODS Action Framework, established from the OECS Development Strategy paper in 2018, underwent significant refinement based on consultations with Protocol Member States. This Framework, which takes on board the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s review in 2022 also prioritizes the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The workshop aimed to achieve several objectives including:
- Assessment of the Alignment of Protocol Member States’ NDPs with the ODS Action Framework to prioritize regional actions.
- Assessment of the implementation status of NDPs towards drafting the OECS Development Report Update.
- Identification of achievements towards meeting the NDPs, supported by data and testimonials.
- Identification of Challenges and the exchange of best practices to enhance the implementation of the NDPs.
- Assessment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Progress through shared experiences and engagement through peer-to-peer learning on progress monitoring.
- Approval of Indicators to support the full implementation of the ODS scorecard and revision of regional targets to support measuring progress.
In his opening address, Mr. Joel Richards, Officer in Charge of the OECS Economic Affairs and Regional Integration Division, emphasized to participants the relevance of the ODS, noting,
“The ODS will complement national development plans and work in tandem to achieve optimal economic outcomes. We must identify policy areas where regional solutions can fulfill our national development ambitions, enhancing economic prosperity and social advancement for all citizens of the OECS.”
The ODS workshop provided a platform for representatives of Protocol Member States to communicate national priorities, demonstrate data-backed results, address implementation challenges, and approve indicators for the ODS scorecard. This engagement also strengthened collaboration across the Protocol Member States and explored avenues for promoting regional collaboration towards achieving sustainable development.
The OECS Commission remains committed to fostering a cooperative approach to sustainable economic development that will enhance the well-being of all citizens in the region. The successful completion of this ODS workshop marked a crucial initial step towards this achievement. This activity by the OECS Commission was funded by the 11th European Development Fund Regional Integration Through Growth Harmonisation and Technology (RIGHT) programme.
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https://antiguanewsroom.com/fraud-allegations-belmont-and-potters-women-arrested-in-box-hands-scandal/#commentsFri, 27 Sep 2024 15:40:22 +0000https://antiguanewsroom.com/?p=212583Two women from Belmont and Potters are under police investigation for allegedly defrauding clients in “Box Hands” or “Sou-Sou” schemes, reportedly stealing thousands of dollars. Complaints arose from clients unable to retrieve their funds or contact the women. Following these reports, police executed search warrants at their homes and took them into custody. Authorities are […]
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]]>Two women from Belmont and Potters are under police investigation for allegedly defrauding clients in “Box Hands” or “Sou-Sou” schemes, reportedly stealing thousands of dollars. Complaints arose from clients unable to retrieve their funds or contact the women. Following these reports, police executed search warrants at their homes and took them into custody. Authorities are advising the public to perform background checks before engaging in similar financial arrangements.
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https://antiguanewsroom.com/world-tourism-day-2024-tourism-and-peace/#respondFri, 27 Sep 2024 15:00:00 +0000https://antiguanewsroom.com/?p=212540MEDIA RELEASE World Tourism Day 2024: Tourism and Peace Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, September 27, 2024.The tourism and travel industry has been the dominant sector of the Caribbean economy for decades, and a driver of economic growth and development.[1] Notwithstanding, the Caribbean Region has witnessed first-hand the detrimental and far-reaching consequences of infectious disease outbreaks, as […]
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]]>MEDIA RELEASE
World Tourism Day 2024: Tourism and Peace
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, September 27, 2024.The tourism and travel industry has been the dominant sector of the Caribbean economy for decades, and a driver of economic growth and development.[1]
Notwithstanding, the Caribbean Region has witnessed first-hand the detrimental and far-reaching consequences of infectious disease outbreaks, as demonstrated by COVID-19 with its stringent ‘lock-down’ measures that severely impacted the livelihoods of our Caribbean people. Other challenges faced by the Region include interconnected and porous borders, small, under-resourced populations, varying surveillance, laboratory and human resource capacities, as well as susceptibility to climatic change and disasters leading to increased transmission of food, water and vector-borne diseases.
The aforementioned reiterate the critical need for mechanisms that allow for resilient and sustainable Caribbean tourism, leading to a more stable economic environment in the Region.
Under the theme of “Tourism and Peace” for World Tourism Day 2024, celebrated on September 27 annually, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has illustrated that tourism can transform communities – creating jobs, fostering inclusion and strengthening local economies, whilst promoting economic interdependence between neighbours, encouraging cooperation and peaceful development.[2] The UNWTO, on World Tourism Day 2024, calls for travelling responsibly, building bridges, and promoting mutual respect among cultures and nations, harnessing the power of tourism to advance peace and prosperity for all.2
The Caribbean continues to be a premier tourist destination, recording approximately 32.2 million visitors in 2023, about four million more than in 2022.[3] The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and its Regional Tourism and Health Programme (THP) stands in solidarity with the UNWTO and other international and regional tourism stakeholders, including the Caribbean Tourism Organization, and the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association, in commemoration of World Tourism Day 2024.
Dr. Lisa Indar, Ad Interim Executive Director, CARPHA and Head of the THP, states, “With the Caribbean’s heavy reliance on the travel and tourism industry, we must be mindful of the Region’s exposure and vulnerability to infectious disease and pandemic risks and the necessity for health to be intertwined into Caribbean tourism to promote sustainable tourism, sustainable economies, social and economic well-being.”
CARPHA’s THP is a multifaceted program, the first of its kind, which continues to pioneer work for improving sustainable Caribbean tourism and health security, whilst engaging and collaborating with CARPHA Member States. The THP adopts a multisectoral approach for improving the resilience of the tourism industry and by extension, the health sector of each participating country through surveillance, response, guidelines, capacity building, standards, policy, advocacy and partnerships, and a travellers’ health award and app. The THP strengthens regional and national health systems and enhances the health of visitor and resident populations by seeking to address the health, safety, and environmental sanitation threats to tourism.
CARPHA urges its Member States to advocate for the continued implementation of the THP for healthier, safer tourism and to further support the sustainability and resiliency of Caribbean economies.
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https://antiguanewsroom.com/the-middle-east-crisis-and-the-failure-of-the-un-security-council/#commentsFri, 27 Sep 2024 14:00:00 +0000https://antiguanewsroom.com/?p=212538By Sir Ronald Sanders As the Middle East plunges deeper into conflict, the weakness of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the body charged with maintaining international peace and security, is being starkly exposed. Entrusted with the “primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security,” the UNSC has been paralyzed by the veto […]
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]]>By Sir Ronald Sanders
As the Middle East plunges deeper into conflict, the weakness of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the body charged with maintaining international peace and security, is being starkly exposed. Entrusted with the “primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security,” the UNSC has been paralyzed by the veto power wielded by each of its five permanent members, who often prioritize national interests and alliances over collective global responsibility.
Nowhere is this failure more evident than in the present escalating violence between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants across Lebanon’s southern Blue Line, and in the conflict in Gaza which preceded it.
On September 25, the day after the opening of the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned the Security Council that “hell is breaking loose in Lebanon.” He urged the Security Council to work “in lock-step” to prevent further catastrophe, highlighting the conflict’s growing “scope, depth, and intensity.” Despite this plea, the Security Council did not act, although 500,000 people have already been displaced in Lebanon, with the death toll mounting daily.
This failure to act prompted French President Emmanuel Macron to voice his frustration. Speaking to the General Assembly, he lamented the deepening divisions among nations and underscored the urgent need for effective multilateralism to rebuild trust and tackle crises. Macron went further, acknowledging that the Security Council itself, of which France is a permanent member, requires reform. He called for a change in the body’s working methods, proposing limitations on the right of veto in cases of mass atrocities and greater attention to operational decisions needed for peacekeeping.
By contrast, while the Security Council indulges in inconclusive debates, held hostage to narrow self-interested positions, the UN General Assembly has demonstrated the grave concern of the majority of UN member states regarding the Middle East crisis. On September 18, the General Assembly adopted a historic resolution demanding that Israel end its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory within 12 months. The vote, with 124 nations in favour, 14 against, and 43 abstaining, reflects the growing global impatience with Israel’s occupation.
This vote is more than just another UN resolution; it is historic for two reasons. First, it is the first time the General Assembly has explicitly condemned Israel’s apartheid regime. Second, it is the first time in 42 years that the UN has called for sanctions to end the illegal occupation, as confirmed by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in its July ruling. Human rights experts have pointed out that international law now hangs “on a knife’s edge,” with most states failing to take meaningful steps to comply with their legal obligations.
The Israel-Palestine conflict, complex as it is, remains a story of missed opportunities and broken promises. At its heart lies the failure of powerful governments, which emerged from the Second World War, to create a Palestinian state alongside Israel, as they promised in 1948. The ongoing violence since then is a tragic consequence of the refusal by major powers to engage on this question in a fair and balanced manner that acknowledges the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, both Muslim and Christian who lived in Palestine until they were driven out in 1948.
In the meantime, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has remained belligerent, rejecting calls for a ceasefire with Hezbollah and continuing his aggressive military campaign. Since October 7, when Hamas launched a stupid and inhumane targeted assault on Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking over 200 hostages, over 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory strikes, many of which were indiscriminate.
Netanyahu’s intransigence, despite mounting international pressure – including now from Israel’s closest ally, the United States – has deepened the possibility of a full-scale regional war.
For decades, the U.S. has shielded Israel from international censure by using its veto power to block Security Council resolutions. But as the violence escalates and Netanyahu’s refusal to heed American advice becomes more pronounced, cracks in this long-standing relationship are emerging. The U.S. now faces a delicate balancing act: maintaining its commitment to Israel’s security while addressing growing frustration among Arab states and the majority of other nations.
Supporting Netanyahu’s policies serves no interest except his own and those of the ultranationalist and ultrareligious factions in Israel, upon whom his political survival depends. His actions not only deepen the conflict, but also jeopardize long-term regional stability.
The two-state solution, once a distant hope, is now an urgent necessity. Stability in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as the security of the Israeli people, can only be achieved through a peaceful, negotiated settlement. The overwhelming majority of UN member states have expressed support for this path. It is time for the Security Council to move beyond its divisions and take decisive action. A binding resolution that enshrines the commitment to a two-state solution is not just a moral imperative—it is a practical one.
The United States, with its unique influence over both Israelis and Palestinians, is the only country capable of brokering peace, if it sheds all double standards, and applies objective and fair criteria to its approach. The rest of the world must encourage and support U.S. leadership in this context. The survival of countless lives and the future of peace in the region depend on it. So, too does, any confidence in the UN Security Council that may still exist.
(The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the US and the OAS. The views expressed are entirely his own. Responses and previous commentaries: www.sirronaldsanders.com)
The post The Middle East Crisis and the Failure of the UN Security Council appeared first on Antigua News Room.
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