-President Ali says
-affirms St. Lucia’s unwavering support for Guyana’s territorial sovereignty expected

PRESIDENT Dr Irfaan Ali has issued a plea for the Caribbean Region to unite and address inequalities, stressing the significance of standing on the right side of history.

In a special session of the St Lucian Parliament on Wednesday, the President emphasised the strong connection between Guyana and St Lucia, stating that the bond between these nations transcends the physical distance separating them.
“The relationship between Guyana and St. Lucia transcends the boundaries of trade, economy, and systems.

More importantly, the relationship is shaped by history, culture, friendship, and importantly as you rightfully said, family,” the President said, while underscoring that the relationship between the two nations is “deep-seated” as it is blood in nature.
Adding to this, Dr. Ali said it is not odd to witness St Lucia’s continuous support of Guyana’s territorial sovereignty.

During his address, he remarked: “That is why for us, it is not strange that St. Lucia continues to support Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and that St. Lucia stands strongly with Guyana in defence of our territorial integrity and sovereignty.”

While reflecting on the bond between the two Caribbean Community (CARICOM) sister states, Dr. Ali pointed out that there are various areas in which the two countries can collaborate to champion energy, climate, and food security.

With it being common knowledge that the effects of climate change are devastating to not only the world, but especially the Caribbean region, Dr Ali called out the double standard when it comes to the topic of biodiversity and the lack of investments being made.

“Despite the disparity in size, we both share similar vulnerabilities, both within this region and also in our externalities. We are both affected by climate change. The effects of which we know all too well can be devastating,” the president stated.
Moreover, Dr Ali emphasised the detrimental effects of the alterations in the European Union Trade Regime on the banana industry in St Lucia and the sugar industry in Guyana.

Having said that, the President once again called upon the policy-makers to come together and tackle these challenges.
“Then we have the issue of climate mitigation and adaptation. It is not only financing that is the issue, it is how we build a society, how do we build an economic structure that allows everything we do to be sustainable and resilient,” he said.

He boldly remarked: “Yes, we have responsibility. So do the countries that destroy their environment, that destroy the forests in the era of industrialisation. They have responsibilities too, they have responsibility and they still have responsibility.”
The leader of Guyana highlighted the importance of finding a solution to shift people away from coal, particularly because coal remains a significant source of 36 per cent of the world’s energy.

“So we have to be very careful that we are not entrapped in some debates, some global debates, in which there is severe inequality in the premise from which the debate commences. It’s important. We’re all for renewables. We are all for going green. But who is financing it? The capital costs for going green [are great]” he reminded them.

Staying on this discourse, he asked: “Who is going to deal with the energy poverty that exists for tens of millions of people globally? These are the challenges. These are the questions that are not answered. These are the questions that are not answered but we have a responsibility.”

The President made another plea to the members of the St Lucian Parliament, urging them to unite and take a stand on all of these issues.

SYSTEMIC DISPARITY
The President demonstrated the challenges faced by the region by using the example of opening a bank account.
“If you look at the time it takes to open a bank account in the US versus the time it takes to open a bank account in the region, it’s chalk to cheese and then we speak about, you know, that there is no disparity in the system.”

Adding: “There’s systemic disparity and the only way we can address systemic disparity is if, as a region, we stand up against systemic disparity.”

With that being said, Dr. Ali told his fellow Caribbean brothers and sisters that they must fight the system of inequality.
He proceeded to emphasise the importance of the Region embracing democratic values and stressed the need for them to comply with both domestic and international laws.

“We cannot afford hypocrisy, changing our stance based on self-interest. If we are committed to principles and values, then we must uphold them consistently. If we advocate for a ceasefire in one area, it must apply universally because the loss of even a single life in war is one too many,” Dr Ali said.

He then went on to remark: “We have never been a region to shy away from advocating for humanity, justice, and principle, despite the challenges. Even when faced with opposition from those with great influence, standing on the side of justice and principle ensures that we will be on the right side of history. The rewards may not be immediate, but ultimately, we will be vindicated. This region has always been respected for standing up for what is right.”