Geoffrey Hanley at UNGA81: St. Kitts and Nevis says there can be no hierarchy of human suffering

St. Kitts and Nevis: The Acting Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis Dr. Geoffrey Hanley spoke at the Session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 25 2026. He said that Caribbean nations must base their answers to global crises on sovereignty, territorial integrity, international law and diplomacy.

While giving the St. Kitts and Nevis statement to the General Assembly Hanley said that CARICOM supports the International Court of Justice as the way to resolve the Guyana-Venezuela border dispute and the legal process involving Belize and Guatemala.

“Caricom supports the International Court of Justice as the lawful path for resolving the Guyana-Venezuela dispute and the judicial process concerning Belize and Guatemala,” he said.

He added that St. Kitts and Nevis wants international law applied consistently in the conflicts of Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Yemen, Chad and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

“We defend international law because for small states especially the alternatives is a world where power becomes the rule across Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Yemen, Chad and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”

“Civilians continue to bear an unconscionable burden. St. Kitanis affirms one standard international law applied consistently not selectively and conscience applied evenly not conveniently.”

“There can be no hierarchy of human suffering,” he added.

Hanley said that St. Kitts and Nevis with CARICOM is supporting Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett of Guyana for the role of United Nations Secretary-General.

“St. Kitts and Nevis proudly joins CARICOM in endorsing her excellency Caroline Rodriguez-Burket of Guyana for the office of the United Nations Secretary General.”

He said that her candidacy as a woman from a small developing state shows that global leadership is defined by vision and integrity not by a nation's size.

Talking about Africa-Caribbean relations Hanley said that the African Union's reparations mechanism and the Caribbean Reparations Commission met for the time on March 25 2026 building on the Addis Ababa Declaration signed at the second Africa-Caribbean summit.

“Africa Caribbean cooperation must move beyond sentiment. Our shared history must help build a shared future through capital, trade, technology, knowledge, culture and coordinated diplomacy.”

“At the second Africa-Caribbean summit, our leaders signed the Addis Ababa Declaration,” Hanley added.

He also mentioned the General Assembly's adoption of Resolution 80/25/250, which declared the trafficking and racialized chattel enslavement of Africans the gravest crime against humanity.

"Reparatory justice must move from recognition to remedy, and from words to action," Hanley said.

Focusing on Haiti, Hanley said that about 1.47 million people remain internally displaced while half the population faces urgent food insecurity just before the country's first round of presidential and legislative elections.

“Approximately 1.47 million people are internally displaced while nearly half of the population faces acute food insecurity,” Hanley noted.

He asked for the deployment of the United Nations-authorized gang suppression force and the timely renewal of its mandate along with Haitian-led recovery and governance efforts.

Turning to Cuba Hanley said that St. Kitts and Nevis has provided relief to the Cuban people and to its own nationals studying there and he urged constructive dialogue between the governments of Cuba and the United States.

“St. Kitts has contributed to humanitarian relief to the Cuban people and our own nationals studying there.”

Hanley also reaffirmed that St. Kitts and Nevis supports Taiwan's meaningful international participation, including in the World Health Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization and he said that cross-strait differences must be resolved peacefully.

Finally Hanley finished the address by saying that trust between nations must be earned through delivery not through promises.

"Let this assembly be remembered not for what was said here but for what was done after," he said.