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Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Maxine McClean

The nations of the world must work together if they are to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and eliminate extreme poverty.

This was underlined by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Maxine McClean, yesterday in an address at the 65th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Senator McClean told the global audience that Barbados shared the view of the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, that the Millennium Development Goals must serve as "the blueprint for ending extreme poverty".

She added: "These goals lie at the core of the global development agenda. They represent our common vision for a more peaceful, prosperous and just world, in which all human beings can enjoy better and safer lives. For the past decades, these globally shared and endorsed set of priorities have inspired extraordinary efforts by governments and non-state actors alike."

The Foreign Affairs Minister stressed there was no time for complacency. "Progress towards achievement of the goals remains mixed, and while success is still within our grasp, it is by no means certain", she noted.

In light of this, Senator Mcclean maintained: "Our common task is, therefore, to convert this unprecedented consensus into collective action on all fronts and immediately implement what has been agreed on to guarantee success by 2015. Failing this, the many words of the declaration we adopted a few days ago will simply serve as yet another solemn reminder of human needs neglected and promise unfulfilled."

In addition, the Foreign Minister told the global audience that Barbados believed that the number of permanent and non-permanent seats in the United Nations Security Council should be increased, and that states such as Brazil, Germany, India and Japan should join the ranks of the permanent members of the Council of Membership from the African Group. Cathy Lashley (CL) – clashley@barbados.gov.bb

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