Prime Minister Davis Speaks to UN General Assembly on Climate Change and other Pertinent Issues

Prime Minister Davis Speaks to UN General Assembly on Climate Change and other Pertinent Issues

UNITED NATIONS, New York - During his National Statement at the 79th United Nations General Assembly, on September 27, 2024, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance the Hon. Philip Davis noted that, over the past three years, The Bahamas had been pleading with member states to engage in urgent action with respect to climate change.

"Along with other Small Island Developing States we have highlighted our vulnerabilities, and our predicament," Prime Minister Davis said. "We have told you what we know, shared our experiences from the frontline, described what we are doing to address the various issues, and warned how our yesterdays are your tomorrows."

"There has been some welcome progress: but it falls far, far short of what is needed," he added. "And now we all have to live with the reality of a climate crisis that has pushed our planet past the critical threshold of 1.5°celsius for an entire year."

Prime Minister Davis pointed out that, at that "very moment", the new harsh reality manifested in hurricanes and heat, fire and floods.

He said: "Member states can somehow quickly find eye-watering sums of money for bullets and bombs, but only rattle small change in their pockets when it comes to financing the costs of loss and damage, repair and recovery, so desperately needed to adapt to the new climate reality. Why? Why do members persist in ignoring the biggest threat of our lives? The easy answer would be to say that you just don't care.

"But I cannot accept that."

Prime Minister Davis stated that to do so would be to accept a view of humanity which is at odds "with my Faith and lived experience of humanity."

"But we in The Bahamas clearly see that lack of determined, committed action, as a series of misguided, short-term choices and priorities," he said. "We can choose differently."

"We can choose better," Prime Minister Davis added. "We can act to address real, consequential priorities, priorities that are already impacting the lives of every single one of us, and will continue to impact the lives of our children and their grandchildren for generations to come."

He pointed out that the irony is that generations before them did not have an established forum such as the UN: "a place to come together, as a whole world, to work together for the common good."

Prime Minister Davis noted that the "genocidal crisis" of the Second World War gave birth to the United Nations, and the ensuing wars of Independence, and regional conflicts meant that they had in place the structure for "real, effective action."

He said: "And so today, as The Bahamas celebrates 51 years of membership of the United Nations, we offer our service to the international community as we bid for non-permanent membership of the Security Council, for the term 2032-2033."

"We do so because the present crisis of today, the looming crisis of tomorrow, requires even greater degrees of ingenuity, effort, multilateral co-operation and sacrifice, than the world needed in the aftermath of the Second World War," Prime Minister Davis added. "We understand well that the Council's mandate to maintain international peace and security goes far beyond the mere absence of war.

"But we also know that, from where we stand, on the frontline of the impact of climate change on humanity, that the mandate 'to cooperate in solving international problems' now, more than ever, requires us to stand up and step forward."

Prime Minister Davis stated that The Bahamas did so to "amplify the voices of Small Island Developing States."

"We do so, because the voices of Small Island Developing States are the harbingers of what lies in store for all of us," he said. "The Security Council of the future will not be equipped to deal with the biggest crisis of our time, without voices like ours at the table."

Prime Minister Davis added: "The link between climate change and global security is undeniable. Things are bad now, and they are going to get a lot worse, before they get better. Climate considerations must be integrated into all aspects of the Security Council's work. Because of this, The Bahamas stands ready to advocate and support whatever reforms are needed, to help maximise the effectiveness of the work of the Council."

He pointed out that membership for countries like The Bahamas was not what the Charter members contemplated when the UN was established; but it was "countries like ours which will help the Council with the inclusive, truly representative decision-making, needed to help address the greatest crises of our time."

Prime Minister Davis said that aspirations to lasting global peace and security will remain empty dreams, if not supported by economic security.

He added that, for too long, the global financial system had been skewed against developing nations.

"It is a cruel irony, that industrialized nations who bear the greatest responsibility for the climate crisis, often perpetuate another form of injustice in the form of our current, global system," Prime Minister Davis said. "We have been instrumental in exposing the hypocrisy of unilateral blacklisting, and advocating for a framework that prioritizes fairness and inclusivity."

He added: "The present system, with its dark rules and uneven playing field, drains resources from developing countries, leaving us to grapple with the consequences.

"The Bahamas refuses to accept this double standard. We are raising our voice to demand a fairer, and more equitable international framework, one where the voices of all countries, regardless of population or GDP, are heard and respected. The Bahamas will continue to be a leading voice in championing this issue for as long as we need to do so: no matter how lonely or how long the journey."