UNITED NATIONS (CMC)– St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr Godwin Friday used his first address to the United Nations General Assembly on Friday to call for reform of the international system, including changes to the UN Security Council and global climate financing arrangements.

Friday, who took office following the November 2025 general election, also renewed calls for an end to the United States embargo on Cuba and for reparatory justice for slavery and the genocide of indigenous peoples.

Addressing the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly, the Vincentian leader said confidence in multilateral institutions had been weakened, while small and vulnerable states continue to carry a disproportionate burden from climate change, economic shocks and international conflicts.

He said countries should not abandon the United Nations because of its shortcomings, but should instead work to reform the institution.

Friday backed long standing demands for changes to the UN Security Council, saying its present structure continued to reflect the global power arrangements of 1945 rather than contemporary geopolitical realities.

He said Africa should have at least one permanent seat, with the same rights and privileges as existing permanent members, warning that failure to address the imbalance would reinforce concerns that global governance was driven more by power than fairness.

Friday also called for a woman to lead the United Nations, noting that all nine secretaries-general since the organisation’s establishment have been men. He endorsed Guyanese diplomat Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett as his country’s preferred candidate for the post, describing her as a strong advocate for developing countries and small states.

On climate change, Friday said the threat facing Small Island Developing States (SIDS) was not a distant possibility but a recurring economic and financial emergency. He cited the destruction caused by Hurricane Beryl in July 2024, saying a few hours of extreme weather could destroy infrastructure and livelihoods built over decades and force governments to borrow repeatedly to finance reconstruction.

He renewed calls for the full implementation of a multidimensional vulnerability index to help determine access to concessional financing, arguing that income-based classifications fail to reflect the exposure and limited capacity of small island states to withstand external shocks. He also supported proposals under the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS and the Bridgetown Initiative, including automatic debt-service suspensions following disasters, expanded use of Special Drawing Rights and more affordable financing from multilateral development banks.

“Affordable, patient, concessional capital is not charity to small states; it is justice for states that contribute the least to the climate crisis, yet bear the highest costs,” Friday remarked.

Turning to international security, the prime minister said wars in Ukraine and the Middle East were having direct consequences for Caribbean countries through higher food, fuel and shipping costs. He called for an end to the war in Ukraine with respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as a permanent ceasefire in the Middle East, protection of civilians and a two-state solution guaranteeing peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians.

Friday reiterated the Caribbean Community’s (Caricom) commitment to maintaining Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone of peace and said regional disputes, including the border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela, should be settled peacefully and in keeping with international law and the UN Charter.

On Haiti, he said the continuing security and humanitarian crisis was being felt throughout the region and called for sustained international assistance to strengthen institutions, improve security and create conditions for credible elections. He also urged developed countries to stem the illicit flow of assault weapons into the Caribbean, saying the weapons were contributing to gang violence and undermining public safety.

Friday reaffirmed Kingstown’s opposition to the longstanding US economic embargo against Cuba, describing the measures as collective punishment that restrict access to medicine, fuel, trade and economic development. He also highlighted St Vincent and the Grenadines’ 45-year relationship with Taiwan, praising Taipei’s assistance in development, disaster response, education and public health. He called for Taiwan to be allowed meaningful participation in the UN system and its specialised agencies.

The prime minister also renewed Caricom’s demand for reparatory justice, saying the consequences of slavery and the near-destruction of indigenous populations continue to influence global inequalities. He pointed to Caricom’s 10-point reparations plan as a framework for addressing the enduring effects of those historical injustices.

Friday posited that restoring confidence in the international system would require vulnerable states to see meaningful changes, including fairer debt arrangements, faster disaster financing, wider access to emerging technologies and action on longstanding international grievances.

Despite the challenges, the Vincentian leader said he remained hopeful that the United Nations could fulfil its mandate, if member states approached reform with courage, fairness and honesty.