UNITED NATIONS-St Lucia PM calls for climate justice, UN reform and stronger support for Haiti.

UNITED NATIONS, CMC – St. Lucia’s Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre on Friday called for greater climate justice, reform of the United Nations Security Council and stronger international support for Haiti, warning that small island developing states continue to bear the consequences of decisions made by more powerful countries.

Addressing the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Pierre said the international community faces growing conflict, declining trust, and the reversal of development gains, while rules intended to protect humanity are too often applied selectively.

The Saint Lucian leader said those challenges are particularly acute for small island developing states, which face climate threats, high debt burdens and difficulties accessing affordable financing.

“For Saint Lucia, climate change is not a distant environmental issue. It is a direct threat to national security, economic stability, food and water security, and human survival,” Pierre said.

He called for expanded grant and concessional financing, easier access to climate funds, support for loss and damage, and meaningful debt relief.

Pierre said eligibility for financing should take account of climate vulnerability and not be based solely on income levels.

“Climate finance is not charity. It is about justice, responsibility, and survival,” he said, adding that vulnerable countries should not be forced to borrow to repair climate-related damage they did little to cause.

Pierre also used his address to urge increased international support for Haiti, saying member states must honor commitments made to the security mission assisting the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.

He urged the UN Security Council to renew the mandate of the Gang Suppression Force and called on member states to provide the resources required for it to operate effectively.

Pierre said addressing gang violence alone would not resolve Haiti’s crisis, arguing that sustained social and economic assistance is also needed to improve living conditions.

He said the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), through its Eminent Persons Group of former regional prime ministers, would continue facilitating dialogue among political and civil society stakeholders as Haiti works towards general elections.

The Saint Lucian prime minister also reiterated support for a Palestinian state and full UN membership alongside Israel and called for renewed international efforts to end conflicts in Ukraine, Sudan and the wider Middle East.

On Cuba, Pierre called for dialogue and the removal of obstacles hindering the country’s development, while highlighting Havana’s contribution to health and education across the Caribbean.

He also reaffirmed Saint Lucia’s support for Taiwan’s full membership in the United Nations.

Pierre said reform of the UN Security Council was long overdue, arguing that the body still reflects the international order of 1945 rather than contemporary geopolitical realities.

He called for expanded permanent and non-permanent representation for Africa, the Asia-Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean.

“A 21st-century United Nations Security Council could have been more successful in its responsibility for international peace and security had it not been anchored in the world of 1945,” Pierre said.

The prime minister also endorsed Guyanese diplomat Caroline Rodrigues-Birkett for the post of UN secretary-general and praised outgoing Secretary-General António Guterres for what he described as his solidarity with the Caribbean.

Pierre further addressed reparatory justice, saying reparations for slavery and colonial exploitation were not about vengeance but about “truth, acknowledgment, repair and transformation”.

He welcomed international moves towards reparatory justice and said the continuing economic and institutional consequences of slavery and colonialism must be addressed.

The Saint Lucian leader also warned against what he described as the risk of “digital colonization”, saying artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies could deepen existing inequalities if control remained concentrated among a small number of corporations and powerful states.

He called for stronger global standards governing artificial intelligence, data protection and privacy, as well as greater access to digital infrastructure, affordable connectivity and cybersecurity for developing countries.

Pierre said Saint Lucia remained committed to improving the lives of its citizens through investment in education, agriculture, healthcare, entrepreneurship and employment, despite the challenges facing small island economies.

“Saint Lucia believes that a better world is within our reach if we choose cooperation over coercion and ensure that justice and fairness prevail for all,” he told the General Assembly.

The 81st Session of the UN General Assembly opened on September 8, with its leadership placing renewed emphasis on rebuilding trust in the international system and delivering tangible results for member states.