Address by
Dr. the Rt. Hon. Keith Mitchell
Prime Minister of Grenada
at the
14th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement
Havana, Cuba
September 16, 2006 

Salutations – Mr. President, Colleague Heads of Government, Delegates, Guests, Members of the Media, ladies & gentlemen.

Mr. President, Colleague Heads of Government, Ladies and Gentlemen, on the occasion of this the 14th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement and the “Year of the Energy Revolution in Cuba”, I thank you for the distinction to stand before you in this famous International Convention Centre which over two decades has served Cuba with excellence.

On behalf of the Government and people of Grenada, I bring you warm and fraternal spicy greetings. I want to thank the Government of the Republic of Cuba and the Organising Committee. My greetings come in recognition of the magnitude, responsibility and importance of this summit, and for the tremendous efforts you have made to provide the highest political, organizational and logistical standards, as well as the exemplary hospitality typical of the Cuban people. Your amazing display of preparedness, resolve and resilience and your worldwide comradeship is a privilege we endear. 

Indeed it is important that we the members of the Non-Aligned Movement pay special tribute to our hosts. The Cuban Government and people have always put the interest of the countries of the Third World as one of their most important priorities. Wherever there is need, the Republic of Cuba is always there to lend tangible assistance.

I pause at this time to embrace the opportunity to welcome those countries who recently became members of this Movement and wish them productive years ahead.

Comrades in any undertaking or activity or in any movement, there comes a time for introspection. For our Movement, I think this is probably an opportune time for such reflection. Among other factors, we need to critically examine the present and future activities of the Movement and also how we relate to each other generally speaking. It is not sufficient for us to give lip service or to be seen to be strong on rhetoric but not to be seen as proactive in confronting major issues and in helping our brothers and sisters in times of need.

It is in this context therefore that we need to ask the following questions and address some issues.

ü                        What are we doing as a body in confronting and addressing the problem of HIV/AIDS in member states and the Third World as a block.

ü                        What plans do we have in place to deal with the rising energy costs which is currently wreaking havoc on our fragile economies.

ü                        The issue of terrorism must be seriously examined and addressed by the Movement.

ü                        The Movement needs to look critically at the issue of poverty alleviation among member states.

ü                        The issue of the transfer of technology also has to be addressed.

ü                        The voice of the Non-Aligned Movement needs to be heard on globalization, trade imbalance and trade issues as we advance towards a new World Order.

These are just some of the issues and questions that the Movement needs to critically analyse.

As Prime Minister of Grenada and one of the longstanding members of the Non-Aligned Movement, I have to bring to the fore, a specific concern. In the aftermath of the destruction of Grenada, it’s infrastructure, economy, agriculture, our homes, churches, schools, health facilities and our entire social infrastructure by Hurricanes Ivan & Emily a mere nine months apart, we appealed to the entire international community for much needed help to rebuild. My entire Caribbean family who are members and non-members of this Movement came to our aid immediately. The President and people of the Republic of Cuba, the President and people of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the Prime Minister and people of India, the President and people of the Republic of South Africa and some other members of the International community all provided crucial support.

Sad to say we did not receive any significant help from the rest of the members of this Movement in spite of repeated appeals through the United Nations and by me personally, in some cases not even the courtesy of an acknowledgement was received to our correspondence. This brothers & sisters is just an example of a lack of solidarity.

In Grenada as we undertake the enormous challenges of rebuilding and rehabilitation post hurricanes Ivan and Emily, we are forever grateful to the Cuban Government and people, for their assistance. Cuba has continued to provide hundreds of scholarships in various fields, with assistance in constructing our general hospital and other health care facilities and of course has given sight to hundreds of Grenadians through the Miracle Eye Programme.

In a complex international environment, we, Non-Aligned countries, must consolidate the unity of the Movement to best undertake our Mission and the serious challenges that lie ahead. We must work as trusted partners for all concerned; as a force for peace, equality and good governance; a catalyst for global consensus building; and a source of assistance for sustainable development and poverty eradication.

As a follow-up to this Summit, I look forward to a productive engagement that will translate our resolve into reality, to mutual benefit.

Finally, and most sincerely, on behalf of the Government and people of Grenada, and on my own behalf, I wish our beloved President, Dr. Fidel Castro Ruz, a speedy and long lasting recovery. President Castro has been the pioneer for the kind of cooperation between developing nations that I have spoken of. Let us work from today to emulate his tremendous example.

I thank you.