Source: United Nations Radio
There is a particularly vulnerable group – the women and children of our world for whom ‘external shocks’, cause real and serious dislocation in their daily lives.

Jamaica's Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller told the UN General Assembly that too many mothers have to face tough choices to meet their basic needs and too many children are subjected to violence and abuse.

TAPE: Children, especially girls, are being used as pawns for economic gain, including through human trafficking and other exploitative actions. Human trafficking is a dastardly threat to the welfare of our women, girls and boys. Our ancestors fought for our freedom. It is disgraceful that at this juncture of world history we should see the emergence of a form of modern-day slavery which renders women, girls and boys to be traded as chattel. Many vulnerable young women are deceived and lured away by attractive offers to get them and their families out of poverty. They then find themselves in a strange land, with no support, no identity and no hope of returning home; sold into modern day slavery, their very bodies used as a currency of exchange. Jamaica is resolute in its commitment to strengthening local and national programmes to eliminate violence against women and children. At the same time, I call on the international community to take bold actions to address this scourge.

NARRATOR: Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller called for issues that affect women and children to be central to decision-making processes. She said Jamaica looked forward to continued collaboration with UN Women and the international community to help break this cycle of exploitation and insecurity.

TAPE: The devastating impact of HIV/AIDS and non-communicable diseases also propels the ‘cycle of global insecurity’. Jamaica is cognisant of the considerable investment that the United Nations and the international community have made in the fight against HIV/AIDS. This support has allowed developing countries, including Jamaica, to make a difference in the lives of those affected. Nevertheless, Mr. President, inadequate human and financial resources constrain our ability to scale-up testing and treatment, as well as to implement programmes to increase awareness and reduce the risk of new infections. The developing world and lower income populations are hardest hit by the impact of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). The high social and developmental costs of NCDs demand concerted policy actions at the national and international levels. We must implement the outcomes of the High-Level Meeting on NCDs held last year. This is Donn Bobb reporting.