Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados addressed the United Nations General Assembly, emphasizing that the survival of small states and global peace depends on preserving a rules-based international system. She warned that truth, trust, and fairness are being eroded by war, inequality, and the climate crisis, and stressed that countries of all sizes can only survive if a rules-based system is maintained. She cautioned that a “law of the jungle” approach threatens both the future of nations and the planet.
Ms. Mottley highlighted a “crisis of truth,” noting that institutions meant to promote order and prosperity are being undermined. She pointed out that the erosion of trust between citizens and governments, and the trivialization of news, science, and law, threatens the very foundation of global society.
Turning to conflicts and crises, the Prime Minister called for peace in Ukraine while urging governments not to ignore suffering elsewhere, including Sudan and Gaza. She advocated for the release of hostages and condemned disproportionate attacks on Palestinians. She stressed the urgent need for humanitarian funding, citing $66 million required for Gaza’s children and $200 million for Sudan over the next three months for essential food, water, and health services.
On climate change, Ms. Mottley urged world leaders to act with honesty and urgency. She welcomed international legal opinions affirming states’ obligations to reduce emissions and proposed a binding global framework on methane. She clarified that the fossil fuel industry itself is not the enemy, but emissions are, and called for political will to mobilize $1.3 trillion annually by 2035 to support the green transition. She also criticized chronic underfunding of climate finance and the undercapitalized Loss and Damage Fund, linking the climate and development agenda to the broader question of effective global governance.
The Barbadian leader stressed that debates on climate and development risk being “performative exercises” unless backed by sufficient resources and a fair, functioning system. She urged nations to step up and provide the necessary funding to achieve meaningful results. She also called for UN reform, emphasizing that the Security Council must reflect today’s multipolar world, criticizing the practice of including countries for symbolic votes while excluding them from key decision-making.
Ms. Mottley concluded with the poignant image of a young Palestinian girl walking through rubble in Gaza, carrying her sister on her shoulders. She described the scene as the “ultimate picture of hope and resilience” and urged world leaders to draw strength from it. She emphasized that if a six-year-old can endure immense pain while still holding hope for a better future, global leaders, with far greater resources and responsibility, must summon the same resolve to act decisively.
