Browne: Trinidad and Tobago supports Haiti’s self-determination, end to Cuba embargo

Minister of Caricom and Foreign Affairs Dr Amery Browne has stressed Haiti needs to lead the solutions to its challenges, supported by international co-operation.

He made the statement on Saturday during a speech at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Haiti has been grappling with political turmoil for years with gang violence also out of control.

On July 7, 2021, Haiti's turmoil was exacerbated with the assassination of its president Jovenel Moise.

Browne said, "We acknowledge that the path toward a stable and secure Haiti requires indigenous Haitian-led, Haitian-owned solutions…supported by the UN and the international community.

“In this regard, we welcome the news of the appointment of an interim prime minister and cabinet. We believe these are important steps in confronting the political, security, and humanitarian challenges in Haiti.”

Browne also saluted Caricom, the secretariat and the Eminent Persons Group “in helping the Haitians to achieve some of this progress for themselves."

He also lauded neighbouring states and Kenya for their assistance to Haiti in providing security support.

However, he said, an essential component for the success of the multinational support mission is funding. “We appeal to the international community to contribute the necessary funding to support this crucially important venture.”

Browne acknowledged that the US has led by example, contributing most of the financial aid, while Canada has also stepped up. “But some relatively wealthy countries,” he said, “have either contributed in drips and drabs or nothing at all.

He expressed strong support for the people of Cuba, highlighting the detrimental effects of the long-standing embargo imposed on the country by the US.

He said, "TT stands in full solidarity with the people of Cuba, who have been subjected to an unjust embargo for more than six decades."

He said the embargo "severely undermines Cuba’s prospects for attaining economic stability, growth, and sustainable development," noting that, despite its objectives, "these measures have clearly not achieved any desirable results—only the pain and suffering of ordinary Cuban people."

He called for the embargo to be lifted without conditions.

Browne also addressed wider systematic global inequality, stressing the need for progress in women's rights and sustainable development.

He said, "As we approach the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, women and girls in some parts of this world are still being denied basic human rights and freedoms."

He reaffirmed TT’s commitment to women's participation, saying, "This is important to us," and announced their resolution on "women, disarmament, non-proliferation, and arms control."

Browne also highlighted the recent Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS), praising its potential for sustainable development and urging international support for the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda

The Antigua and Barbuda Agenda is a framework created to address the various challenges met by SIDS.

It focuses on sustainable development, resilience, and climate change adaptation.

The agenda emerged from the Fourth International Conference on SIDS held in Antigua in 2023.

Browne also stressed the need for effective climate finance, describing it as "an investment in the resilience and sustainability of the most vulnerable nations."