Bahamas calls on UN to review fees for developing states

Mon, Sep 28th 2009, 12:00 AM

NASSAU, Bahamas - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs the Hon Brent Symonette called on the Sixty-Fourth Session of the United Nations General Assembly to review the membership fee as it relates to small island developing states.

This year the General Assembly will consider the Scale of Assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of the United Nations for 2010 ? 2012, as well as the Scale of Assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of UN peacekeeping operations.

During his address, September 25, Mr Symonette reiterated The Bahamas? position that per capita gross national income (GNI) should not be given undue weight in determining ?capacity to pay?, as it often leads to distortions. This distortion is more visible in the case of the scale of assessments for peacekeeping operations, he noted.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs the Hon Brent Symonette as he addressed the Sixty-Fourth Session of the United Nations General Assembly, September 25.The current scale places The Bahamas, a small island developing state, in the same category as the most developed economies of the world, with the exception of the permanent members of the Security Council, he said. ?This unjust formula creates an onerous burden and we call upon this body to address this inequity, which seriously undermines the development objectives of The Bahamas and other developing countries,? Mr. Symonette said.

?Clearly, the GNI criterion does not properly reflect either the vulnerability of our economy, or the extraordinary costs associated with the duplication of infrastructure required because of our archipelagic configuration.? Despite this, he said ?The Bahamas has never wavered form its responsibilities? as a fully-fledged member of the international community, ?and will continue to meet its obligations to the UN? in the manner prescribed and agreed.

?While my Government is committed to paying its assessed contributions, in full and in a timely manner, we believe that the proposed Scale of Assessments is unfairly and unduly burdensome for countries such as The Bahamas and should therefore be reconsidered and adjusted, taking into account those considerations that reflect our vulnerabilities,? Mr. Symonette said. He also addressed the impact the global economic recession has on the Bahamian economy, climate change, maritime safety and security, illicit trafficking in narcotics, and the Caribbean Community?s commitment to a stable Haiti.

?The economic fallout for The Bahamas has been considerable,? he said. ?Ours is a small, very open economy that is closely linked to the performance of more developed economies.

?Tourism matters in The Bahamas. It is our primary industry and it affects all aspects of economic life in our country.? To deal with this, the Government ?acted quickly? to soften the impact of the international economic downturn, he explained.

?It took appropriate steps to ensure the continued integrity of the domestic financial system, we accelerated capital works to generate employment and economic activity, and we increased targeted social relief to those most disadvantaged by the crisis,? Mr. Symonettte said.

In the area of climate change, he said The Bahamas has a special interest not only in actions being taken to mitigate the adverse impacts of this situation, but in measures designed to slow and reverse actions which negatively impact climate.

As a founding member of the Alliance of Small Island States, The Bahamas has joined others in calling for a global agreement in Copenhagen with legally binding targets that will allow achievement of the ultimate objectives of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs the Hon Brent Symonette as he addressed the Sixty-Fourth Session of the United Nations General Assembly, September 25.

By: Lindsay Thompson

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