The Labour Spokesman Editorial
The Seventy-Seventh (77th) Session of The United Nations General Assembly was called to order at UN Headquarters in New York City on Tuesday of this week. In his opening address the Secretary General, His Excellency Mr Antonio Guterres, spoke in very direct terms of the numerous problems facing our world, describing it variously as a ‘world in turmoil.’ He also spoke directly to the fact that, as the dangers increase, the world and its leadership appears to be in the grip of a growing paralysis. The growing disparities between those who are well off and those who are not is a reminder of the many conflicts which were started in the past. Yet most of the world seems unwilling or unable to learn from those experiences.
Mr Guterres has called for action to ensure that those who cause pollution and profit therefrom are made to pay. His proposal is for the rich and developed countries to levy taxes on the super profits extracted by the miners, processors and suppliers of fossil fuels, and for those governments to use that money to help countries suffering losses from the climate crisis and people struggling with rising food and energy prices. Can anyone expect such a recommendation to become a reality, given the controls which global oligarchs exercise? We of these small and developing countries would be well advised not to depend on any such help. Our experiences have taught us that we would be much better off devising and implementing homegrown solutions. Fortunately for us here in St Kitts and Nevis our country has been restored to the stewardship of a government capable of doing just that. Let us rally to their side and give them our fullest support and understanding.