As world leaders gather in New York for the General Assembly of the United Nations, the world finds itself once again at a crossroads. The gathering of presidents, prime ministers, diplomats, and ministers is meant to be a forum for dialogue and the pursuit of peace. Yet too often it has been overshadowed by the loud voices of the powerful and the competing interests of those with the greatest military or economic clout.
That is why the moral presence of small nations, particularly the Caribbean, is so vital. Though small in geography and population, our region’s history and resilience grant us an outsized voice. The leaders of Caribbean countries, grounded in the struggles of post-colonial independence and tested by the persistent challenges of economic vulnerability and climate catastrophe, must seize this moment to raise their voices. They must remind the world that justice, fairness, and human survival cannot remain hostage to the rivalries of great powers.
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A World at War
The urgency of a Caribbean voice at the UN could not be clearer. From the devastation in Gaza and the West Bank, where the Palestinian people still search for a permanent and dignified homeland, to the brutal war in Ukraine, to the persistent violence in Sudan and across Africa, humanity continues to be consumed by war. Even in our own hemisphere, the Caribbean’s neighbor Haiti has been torn apart by gang violence, leaving its people caught between despair and survival.
At the same time, the Caribbean’s long-standing tradition of being a zone of peace is under threat. Warships, submarines, and foreign military deployments have increased in the region, eroding the spirit of non-intervention and peace that Caribbean states have long championed. The message from the Caribbean should be clear: the world must return to diplomacy, to peaceful coexistence, and to respect for sovereignty.
In this moment, Caribbean leaders can invoke the words of Bob Marley, who prophetically warned that war would continue “until the philosophy that holds one race superior and another inferior is finally discredited and abandoned.” His words remind us that peace is not simply the absence of war but the recognition of human dignity, justice, and equality.
The Zone of Peace
The Caribbean has not been silent in the past. In 2014, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) adopted a historic declaration affirming Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace. That declaration underscored principles of non-intervention, peaceful resolution of disputes, respect for sovereignty, and the rejection of foreign military bases and interference. It was a bold and necessary statement at a time when the shadow of military intervention still lingered over the region.
Yet today, that very principle is being tested. Caribbean waters have become increasingly militarized, with foreign naval vessels present under the guise of security and anti-narcotics operations. Caribbean leaders must remind the United Nations and the world that our region has chosen peace, and that our people have no desire to be drawn into the escalating conflicts of the great powers.
Small States, Big Moral Compass
The Caribbean’s voice carries weight precisely because of its moral foundation. Small states often see the world more clearly than the mighty, for their survival depends not on domination but on cooperation. This has been demonstrated before. In the 1970s and 1980s, Caribbean leaders like Michael Manley of Jamaica and Eric Williams of Trinidad and Tobago stood boldly on the world stage, championing non-alignment, the rights of the developing world, and the push for a new international economic order.
At the United Nations, Caribbean representatives have consistently punched above their weight. Whether on issues of apartheid in South Africa, nuclear disarmament, or decolonization, the Caribbean has stood on the side of justice. The region’s support was crucial in the international campaign that eventually ended apartheid. Caribbean nations, though small, were never afraid to confront larger powers when justice was at stake.
Today, that same courage is needed again.
Economic Justice and Climate Change
The Caribbean voice must also challenge global structures that perpetuate inequality. The international financial system continues to punish small developing states with unsustainable debt burdens and inequitable trade rules. Caribbean economies, reliant on tourism, remittances, and a few natural resources, are vulnerable not only to the shocks of global recession but also to punitive loan terms and the ever-present threat of being blacklisted.
Add to this the existential crisis of climate change. No region feels its devastation more acutely than the Caribbean. Rising seas are swallowing coastlines; hurricanes of increasing intensity destroy infrastructure and livelihoods in a matter of hours; prolonged droughts threaten agriculture. For Caribbean nations, climate change is not a future concern — it is a present danger.
At the UN, Caribbean leaders must press for climate justice, demanding that those most responsible for greenhouse gas emissions contribute meaningfully to mitigation and adaptation funds. The call for a loss and damage facility must not fade into bureaucratic delay; it must be a central demand. For the Caribbean, survival is at stake.
Diaspora and the Global Caribbean
The Caribbean voice does not end at the water’s edge. Millions of Caribbean people live abroad, particularly in North America and Europe, where they continue to advocate for the region. The diaspora provides both moral and material support for Caribbean causes, and its presence amplifies our regional concerns on the global stage.
Carib News, for decades, has stood as one such amplifier — reminding the diaspora and the international community alike that the Caribbean is not voiceless, that its concerns are urgent, and that its contributions are meaningful. The diaspora must continue to join in this mission, standing shoulder to shoulder with leaders back home in demanding peace, fairness, and justice at the UN.
A Call for Unity
Above all, Caribbean leaders must act with unity. Divided, our voices are whispers; united, they are thunder. CARICOM, working together, can present a moral front far stronger than any individual state could alone. The issues are too grave, the stakes too high, for disunity.
The United Nations, despite its shortcomings, remains the single most effective platform for small nations to be heard. The Caribbean has used that platform before with courage and clarity, and it must do so again. At a time when war, division, and injustice dominate headlines, the moral compass of the Caribbean is needed more than ever.
One Love, One Voice
As Bob Marley taught the world, peace is not a dream—it is a duty. Caribbean leaders must remind the United Nations that the world is weary of war, weary of suffering, and weary of injustice. They must call for a new commitment to peace, to economic justice, to climate action, and to international cooperation.
Carib News urges our leaders, our readers, and our diaspora community to join in this call. Raise your voices at the United Nations and beyond. Let the Caribbean be the balm to a world in pain, offering not just criticism but hope, not just protest but vision.
For in the end, our survival as a region — and as a world — depends not on the weapons of war but on the will for peace. One heart. One mind. One love.
