Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis (14th August 2024) – H.E Dr. Mutryce Williams, acting in her capacity as Chair of the Caribbean Community Group at the United Nations, was among the most vocal voices for the adoption of the Multi-Dimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI) which was passed by the United Nations General Assembly, by consensus, on 13th August 2024.
The adoption of this pivotal resolution follows a thirty-year fight by the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) for climate justice, equity and inclusion. Ambassador Williams highlighted the significance of the occasion by stating, “the adoption of the MVI today, is more than symbolic for our countries. Our territories may be small in scale, but our challenges are monumental. We tread a precarious path, constantly at the mercy of climate chaos, and nature’s relentless forces.”
Ambassador Williams’ remarks were delivered as Tropical Storm Ernesto made its way over St. Kitts and Nevis, sending a sharp reminder of the vulnerability of island states, and the very real need to build sustainability and resilience for posterity.
Her Excellency took the time to credit her Caribbean colleagues for their relentless advocacy, particularly H.E Dr. Aubrey Webson of Antigua and Barbuda who
has been a stalwart and vanguard of the fight over the last decade. Ambassador Webson expressed his optimism for the future by underscoring, “we now have a tool with which we can feel proud, now onto the next stage of implementation.”
Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew, who has long championed a more equitable measure for accessing critical concessional and climate finance, praised the passage of the MVI by remarking that, “as St. Kitts and Nevis boldly transforms into a Sustainable Island State we can think of no greater multilateral partner than the United Nations in ensuring that Small Island States have some economic breathing room, and a level playing field for securing their sustainable development path. He further added, “St. Kitts and Nevis does not seek handouts, but we do expect that the international system will reflect equity and justice, and the MVI is a step in the right direction.”
The adoption of the MVI is a first step, and St. Kitts and Nevis will continue to advocate across CARICOM and AOSIS to ensure its implementation across the International Financial System.
