UN Chief urges leaders to work to prevent global political crisis

UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon on Saturday warned leaders of the Americas meeting in Port of Spain that the world faces a political crisis and urged them to work together to prevent it.

Ban was speaking at a working luncheon of Latin America and Caribbean leaders at the Hyatt Regency, Port-of-Spain. He highlighted two areas of dire concern, which he said threaten international stability: the global recession and the neglect of the environment.

“First, as a global community, we are living on the edge,” he said noting that over the past two years there have been dramatic changes in energy, food, climate-change and recession.

“I fear worse. Today’s economic crisis, if not handled properly, could evolve into a full-scale political crisis, defined by social unrest, weakened governments and angry publics, who have lost faith in their leaders and their future,” he warned.

The UN Chief said the world is today facing greater problems with fewer resources in national budgets, aid programs and voluntary donations. But he felt that since most of the challenges are linked leaders "can find effective, efficient, enduring solutions for a more sustainable, inclusive and prosperous future.”

Ban also spoke of the global stimulus pledge made by the G-20, which he described as a major step towards a "Green New Deal".

Read the summit declaration of the April 2009 G-20 summit in London

He spoke of shrinking glaciers in Antarctica and the Andes; deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, and the loss of bio-diversity. “The very existence of some Caribbean nations, including portions of Trinidad and Tobago, could be threatened if sea levels rise.”

Ban also had a warning about economics and encouraged leaders to develop a collective social and economic security plan, which he said would be the basis for global social justice. “We must push this prosperity agenda. Opportunities are coming up at the July G-8 meeting in Italy, and the climate change summit at the United Nations in September.”

Ban expressed his displeasure with the rich-poor gap in the Americas and urged the leaders to be good neighbours. “Haiti, for example, is at a turning point. We made progress at this week’s donor’s conference in Washington, but we need to continue building that partnership for change,” he said.