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Acting Prime Minister presses world leaders on climate justice, financing, AI access, Haiti, reparations, Taiwan and international law

UNITED NATIONS, New York — St. Kitts and Nevis Acting Prime Minister Dr. Geoffrey Hanley has issued a wide-ranging appeal for stronger international action on climate change, warning that Small Island Developing States cannot be expected to keep adapting indefinitely while the forces driving the climate crisis continue.

Delivering St. Kitts and Nevis’ national address during the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, September 25, Hanley placed climate vulnerability, sovereignty and access to development financing at the centre of the Federation’s message to the international community.

His intervention came after a year in which severe drought affected St. Kitts and Nevis and the wider Caribbean. According to the CMC report on the address, rainfall by the end of May was 44 per cent below the long-term average.

“We are investing in resilient infrastructure, but no Small Island Developing State can adapt indefinitely to a crisis the world continues to intensify,” Hanley said.

“Adaptation cannot excuse inaction elsewhere.”

Climate Change Now a Sovereignty Question

Hanley warned that rising temperatures and sea levels were no longer only environmental or economic concerns for island states. They now raised fundamental questions about sovereignty, nationality and statehood.

He argued that climate-induced sea-level rise must not be allowed to erase a country’s international legal personality, terminate its United Nations membership, deprive its citizens of nationality or diminish established maritime zones and sovereign rights.

The Acting Prime Minister also welcomed the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion on states’ climate obligations and urged governments to translate international commitments into concrete action through reduced emissions, stronger adaptation measures, climate financing and greater cooperation with vulnerable countries.

“Those who contributed least must not pay the greatest price,” he declared.

Hanley also pressed for stronger international support for ocean states, including greater access to scientific expertise, marine technology, capacity-building and financing as countries work to protect biodiversity beyond national jurisdictions.

Hanley Pushes Fairer Financing Rules

A major portion of the address focused on what Hanley described as the inadequacy of relying mainly on Gross National Income when determining whether vulnerable island states qualify for development financing.

He said that measurement alone could not adequately reflect the exposure of SIDS to hurricanes, droughts, pandemics, shipping interruptions, energy shocks and sudden downturns in tourism.

St. Kitts and Nevis has completed a pilot Vulnerability and Resilience Country Profile under the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index framework, and Hanley called on the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, development banks and climate funds to begin incorporating vulnerability more directly into financing decisions.

“We are not asking that Gross National Income be discarded; we are asking that it stop being expected to tell a story it was never designed to tell,” Hanley said.

“If vulnerability can be measured, it must be considered.”

Warning Over Global AI Divide

Hanley also turned his attention to artificial intelligence, warning against the emergence of another major divide between developed and developing countries.

He said developing states should not simply become consumers of technologies created and governed elsewhere. Instead, they should have meaningful participation in determining how AI develops and is regulated.

The Acting Prime Minister called for affordable access to computing infrastructure and digital skills, alongside safeguards for privacy, cybersecurity, data sovereignty and human rights.

He said St. Kitts and Nevis was advancing a Whole-of-Government Technology Strategy while regional initiatives, including the Caribbean AI Task Force, were seeking to strengthen cooperation on the responsible use of emerging technologies.

Caribbean Must Remain a Zone of Peace

On international peace and security, Hanley said the Caribbean’s longstanding status as a Zone of Peace should be protected as geopolitical competition moves closer to the region.

He reiterated CARICOM’s support for the peaceful and lawful settlement of territorial disputes, including the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy and the Belize-Guatemala dispute.

“We defend international law because, for small states especially, the alternative is a world where power becomes the rule,” Hanley said.

He also expressed concern over ongoing conflicts affecting civilians in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Yemen, Chad and the Democratic Republic of Congo, stressing St. Kitts and Nevis’ support for consistent application of international law.

St. Kitts and Nevis Backs Rodrigues-Birkett for UN Secretary-General

Hanley used the global platform to announce St. Kitts and Nevis’ support for Guyanese diplomat Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett to become the next United Nations Secretary-General.

The Federation joins other CARICOM states supporting her candidacy.

Hanley pointed to Rodrigues-Birkett’s experience in multilateral affairs and her background representing a small developing state as qualities relevant to the challenges confronting the international system.

Africa-Caribbean Ties and Reparatory Justice

The Acting Prime Minister also called for deeper relations between Africa and the Caribbean, arguing that shared history should be transformed into stronger cooperation in trade, investment, technology, culture and diplomacy.

He placed reparatory justice firmly within that conversation, highlighting growing collaboration between the African Union and the CARICOM Reparations Commission.

Hanley welcomed international recognition of the historical trafficking and racialised chattel enslavement of Africans but insisted that acknowledgement must be followed by practical measures.

“Reparatory justice must move from recognition to remedy and from words to action,” he said.

Haiti Must Not Become an Afterthought

Turning to Haiti, Hanley warned that the Caribbean nation could not be allowed to become an international afterthought amid widespread displacement, food insecurity and continuing instability.

He said Haitians must be able to participate freely, safely and credibly in forthcoming presidential and legislative elections and reiterated St. Kitts and Nevis’ support for CARICOM-backed efforts to restore security, governance and stability.

On Cuba, Hanley expressed concern about humanitarian conditions and called for constructive engagement between Havana and Washington, saying dialogue, cooperation and mutual respect offered the best prospects for improving conditions and promoting regional stability.

Taiwan Relationship Reaffirmed

Hanley also reaffirmed St. Kitts and Nevis’ longstanding diplomatic relationship with Taiwan, calling for what he described as Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organisations, including the World Health Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization.

He said differences across the Taiwan Strait should be resolved peacefully.

The address formed part of a packed UNGA81 programme for the Federation, with Hanley also participating in high-level discussions on ocean sustainability, pandemic preparedness, climate resilience and bilateral cooperation during the week in New York.

At the heart of St. Kitts and Nevis’ message, however, was a direct appeal for a global system in which the vulnerabilities of small states are not merely acknowledged but reflected in climate action, financing and international decision-making.

For Hanley, the message was clear: vulnerable island states are taking steps to build resilience, but the international community must also address the causes and structural inequalities placing those states at increasing risk.

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