{"id":349349,"date":"2025-09-26T06:00:41","date_gmt":"2025-09-26T10:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/news\/?p=349349"},"modified":"2025-09-26T15:17:20","modified_gmt":"2025-09-26T19:17:20","slug":"president-of-dominica-pushes-for-global-accord-in-a-dualistic-reality-at-80th-unga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/news\/homepage\/news\/president-of-dominica-pushes-for-global-accord-in-a-dualistic-reality-at-80th-unga\/","title":{"rendered":"President of Dominica pushes for global accord within a dualistic reality at 80th UNGA"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Screen grab of H. E. Sylvanie Burton during her speech on Thursday at the UN.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Facing her peers at the 80th General Debate of the United Nations’ General Assembly, Her Excellency Sylvanie Burton, President of Dominica, emphasized the importance of global solidarity while asserting the rights of small nations to self-determination. In her address at the UN Headquarters in New York City, she highlighted the disparities between the developed and developing worlds, stating that we live in a dualistic reality, akin to Charles Dickens’ ” A Tale of Two Cities”,\u00a0 from which she quoted, illustrating how global power dynamics often overlook the needs and sovereignty of smaller nations.<\/p>\n

Alluding to a de facto double-standard, President Burton called for a fairer international system where all countries, regardless of size, have an equitable voice in shaping global policies, especially on critical issues like climate change and security, relying on the rule of law instead of the machinations of power.<\/p>\n

“Do we have a system where resources and decision-making are truly being<\/span><\/span>\u00a0equitably shared or are we instead operating a system where power protects itself?” she queried.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Honing in a little closer to home, she expressed Dominica’s unwavering support for Haiti, echoing the collective stance of CARICOM, and advocating for a Haitian-led solution to the country’s crisis.<\/p>\n

“The government of Dominica remains convinced<\/span><\/span>\u00a0that our sister CARICOM state, Haiti, faces major challenges today, in part because of the glorious<\/span><\/span>\u00a0contribution Haiti made to the quest for justice and freedom in our region and the world,” said Burton, in a nod to the Haitian Revolution.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

She also condemned sanctions and interventions, and underscored the significance of respecting the sovereignty of nations like Cuba and Venezuela, calling for the immediate lifting of unjust embargoes, asserting, “Cuba, like every other country, has a right to its self-determination.”<\/p>\n

Regarding\u00a0 Venezuela\u2019s internal affairs,\u00a0 the president emphasized that “the right of the government and people of Venezuela to resolve internal challenges without outside interference be respected.”<\/p>\n

With recent US attacks on Venezuelan vessels occurring within the Caribbean’s peripheral reality, Burton reaffirmed that the region remains a zone of peace, warning against any military conflict seeping onto our shores. She called on global powers to find diplomatic alternatives to resolve international disputes, emphasizing that “there is no place in the Caribbean for war.”<\/p>\n

Spelling out how conflicts and sanctions often have devastating impacts on small nations, exacerbating poverty, instability, and climate vulnerability, Burton urged the international community to prioritize dialogue, empathy, and adherence to the principles of the United Nations to foster a more just and peaceful world.<\/p>\n

Concluding her address, President Burton appealed for reforms to ensure small nations have a meaningful role in decision-making processes, especially on climate and security issues, given the global impact of these sectors.<\/p>\n

“We are always stronger, wiser, and better together,” she remarked.<\/p>\n