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Foreign Minister Elrington addresses the UN General Assembly

By on September 30, 2013

The Honorable the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Wilfred Elrington today told the United Nations General Assembly that there is an urgent need for a solution to Guatemala’s territorial claim to Belizean territory. 

In his address to the UN General Assembly underway in New York, Minister Elrington noted that Guatemala’s unfounded claim is “an existential threat to our nation.”

Minister Elrington outlined to the world that since his last appearance at the General Assembly, Guatemala had reneged on its agreement to a referendum on whether or not to take the claim to the International Court of Justice for final resolution and that the claim by Guatemala continues to be a constant problem for Belize affecting investor confidence as well as contributing to the degradation of our forest due to illegal Guatemalan encroachments and lately, the increase in the panning for gold.

Minister Elrington also spoke of climate change as an existential threat and called on the international community to assist poor countries to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change.

The threat posed by non-communicable diseases was also a topic touched on by the Foreign Minister during his speech. 

He explained that the incidence of cancers, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, chronic lung diseases, hypertension and stroke were reaching epidemic proportions and called on the United Nations to assist in persuading international financial organizations that GDP per capita was not an accurate measure of national wealth, and that such a method of assessment would disqualify some country from needed concessionary financing.

He also urged the full participation of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in the United Nations and called for the lifting of the embargo on Cuba.

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