THE HAGUE – Curaçao, Aruba and Sint Maarten will use the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York to highlight the challenges facing small island states, with sustainable development, climate resilience and access to financing among their main priorities.
The Caribbean countries of the Kingdom will participate in the UN General Assembly’s High-Level Week from September 21 to 24 as part of the Kingdom delegation, with several ministers representing the islands. The plans were outlined by Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister Berendsen in a letter to the Dutch Parliament.
According to Berendsen, Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten provide the Kingdom with a distinctive voice at the United Nations because of their position as Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and their connections with other Caribbean and Latin American countries.
The three countries are expected to bring attention to issues including climate resilience, sustainable development, migration, economic resilience and regional cooperation. Their participation also allows the Kingdom to serve as a bridge to other small island states.
One of the central issues will be rising sea levels. The Dutch government describes sea-level rise as an existential threat affecting both the Caribbean islands and the low-lying European Netherlands.
The Kingdom plans to actively participate in a high-level meeting addressing the existential threats posed by sea-level rise. It will also participate in discussions marking the 40th anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development.
According to Berendsen, these discussions will focus particularly on the structural vulnerabilities faced by small island states and the need for fair access to financing. The Kingdom intends to work closely with SIDS and like-minded countries to seek an ambitious international outcome.
Access to international financing has long been an important issue for small island economies. Despite their vulnerability to climate change and external economic shocks, their income classifications can make it difficult to qualify for certain forms of concessional development and climate financing.
The situation in Venezuela will also feature prominently during the Kingdom’s diplomatic activities in New York.
Berendsen said the Kingdom will continue working with international partners toward greater stability in Venezuela, which he described as the Kingdom’s largest neighboring country.
According to the minister, concrete progress toward restoring the rule of law, democracy and fundamental freedoms, as well as protecting human rights, is essential for achieving sustainable socioeconomic improvement in Venezuela.
For Curaçao, developments in Venezuela carry particular importance because of the island’s geographic proximity and longstanding economic, migration and social ties with the neighboring country.