Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, in her maiden address to the UN General Assembly on Monday, ranged over several of the most crucial matters affecting the international community, none more so than the impact of the proliferation of small arms, "the weapons of mass destruction" for small states in the Caribbean, afflicted as they are by widespread and violent crime. It is important for a leader of a small country from an equally small region outside of the big-arms conflict to place this matter on the agenda of the UN to conclude a legally binding agreement to regulate the trade in what is called "conventional weapons." At differing levels of the international community, nuclear weapons, biological weapons and traditional and large conventional weapons, such as tanks and big artillery, are of concern.
However, in these large states, small weapons rarely ever take charge of the concern of legislators and others. But, clearly, in small states in the Caribbean where handguns are the tools in trade of criminals, the destructive force being pursued with the small handguns has to be brought to the attention of the international community. Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar struck out boldly in telling the UN General Assembly the view of small states like those in the Caribbean about the agreement being sought on conventional weapons: "It is our view that this instrument must also make provision for regulating the trade in small arms and light weapons, thereby preventing their illegal diversion." As chairman, the PM is also in the position of influence in the 54-member Commonwealth to have the ear of powerful states such as India, Britain, Canada, Australia and those such as Nigeria with massive populations, so she can put such matters on the agenda in the hope that, eventually, the large states of the grouping will take those concerns of the small countries to fora such as the UN.
The Prime Minister was also on target picking up on the initiative of one of her predecessors, ANR Robinson, to have the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court expanded to include international drug trafficking as a crime to be dealt with by the ICC. The fact of the existence of the ICC, driven by the efforts of a leader from a small country such as T&T, is indicative of the power of small states to influence the course of the development of the multilateral international framework. Then there were the really people-oriented issues raised by the Prime Minister having to do with the international community advancing gender equality, the proposed General Assembly on non-communicable diseases, and the issues that are already seriously developing with regard to the impacts of climate change in small island states.
As is well-known, achieving advance in matters which affect the international community of nations in such fora as the UN is a long-term bargaining process. However, placing such matters on the agenda and keeping after them there in a systematic and sustained matter is absolutely essential for small states. It is with this reality in mind that the Prime Minister rightfully indicated to all that the multilateral bargaining and discussion table of the UN is especially important for the small and less powerful nations of the world. Indeed, it is indispensable for the peace and development of the entire community of nations. And in this regard the Prime Minister could not have done better than she did by calling for "predictable and regular channels to facilitate dialogue between the G20 nations and the members of the United Nations which constitutes the G192." What she was effectively doing is saying that decision-making cannot continue to be the sole province of the rich and powerful nations of the world.