Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley has copped another international award for her contributions to the climate change fight.
The Barbadian Prime Minister and US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry are the recipients of the 2024 Ewald von Kleist Award for their fight against climate change and its security implications.
The award which is named after the founder of the Munich Security Conference (MSC), Ewald von Kleist, honours leading personalities in security politics who have made an outstanding contribution to international understanding and conflict resolution.
Speaking at the MSC in Germany, today, February 16, Prime Minister Mottley said she was honoured to be recognised.
“Thank you for the award this year, I take not for myself but really as an example for those of us who have tried to create a voice where none has existed – and that is exactly what is needed in the multilateral system to be able to allow for voices to be heard and people to be seen.”
As she sat on a panel discussion at the MSC, entitled Growing the Pie: A Global Order That Works for Everyone, Mottley noted the impacts of the climate crisis, lack of financing and international wars. She further demanded effective mechanisms be implemented to help countries manage risks.
“What the global system misses is an effective mechanism for decision making. . . . With respect to the European Union Deforestation Regulation, it is intended to help save the planet but you can’t work good for the planet and do bad for the people, because at the end of the day, if people can’t live and the people can’t have peace, and the people can’t have prosperity then you have a barren planning.”
“I think something is fundamentally wrong with a system that does not provide for an occasion. UN definitely gives us an opportunity to talk but we have to find an executive framework that allows decisions to be taken in a more timely manner,” remarked the Prime Minister.
She added: “We cannot afford the luxury anymore of a failure of regulation and a failure of decision making and too much regrettably is as a result of geo politics and domestic politics. By the time we wake up and are ready to do it, the consequences may be too far for us to bring back.”
