Saint Lucia PM Philip J Pierre addresses 77th UNGA

Castries, Saint Lucia: Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre attended the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 77) in New York City on Wednesday, September 21, 2022. 

The United Nations offers Saint Lucia unique opportunities on a global platform to advance its development agenda. It also allows for deepening cooperation with traditional allies and the chance to explore avenues to forge new partnerships that will positively contribute to national development. 

He also gave the keynote address at the UNGA, where he outlined the pathway to global stability, climate resilience and a clean future free of geo-political tension and wartime conflict, which hinges on the collective will of the 193 countries party to the United Nations Charter and the desire of world leaders to adopt and faithfully adhere to its founding principles and fulfil their obligations for equitable development and lasting peace. 

Outlining the purpose of the theme, PM Pierre said that in this watershed moment, as everyone has described it, of interlocking challenges, they must all accept the truth that it is the ordinary people of this world who matter, the youth in particular.

“It is about the people whom we serve, who made us their leaders. It is they, the people, who must come first in all that we do. And so, we have gathered at this 77th Session under the theme of “A Watershed Moment: Transformative Solutions to Interlocking Challenges“- A lofty and noble theme, indeed, pregnant with hope and towering expectations, “said the prime minister. 

He stressed that if they truly think of the people of this world, if they truly dedicate themselves to serving them, then their words, their decisions, and their actions will deliver better health care, decent employment, and decent housing.

He affirmed, “As world leaders, let us practice Servant Leadership by faithfully adhering to and fulfilling the obligations of the Charter of the United Nations to which we all agreed to abide when we became its members. Let us truly be nations united.” 

PM Pierre asserted that let everyone transform their attitudes and approach to the less privileged. The more powerful among them must honour international obligations and responsibilities.

Shedding light upon the work done by his country, PM Pierre mentioned that despite the small size, Saint Lucia stands here with the self-confidence of a people assured that their history and their own struggles for freedom have earned them the right to be a voice for all the developing and oppressed peoples of the world and they are confident, that they have something to share with the world at this time of crises.

Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre was a guest at a dinner reception hosted by US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on Thursday, September 22. The reception was in honour of Heads of State and Government attending the United Nations General Assembly #UNGA77 meetings.

Several Caribbean leaders also had an opportunity to meet with the President of the United States. Prime Minister Pierre said, “it was a pleasure being the guest of President Biden at the American Museum of Natural History. “