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Latest Commentaries

All of Sir Ronald's commentaries up to 24th Janauary 2025 can be read in the "Commentaries"  section of this website.   The most recent one concerns two of the Exceutive Orders, issued by US President Donald Trump on his first day in office on 20 Janauary 2025, concerning 'Birthright Ctizenship'  and 'Deportation of undocumeted migrants".  It exlpains Exceutive Orders and examines the effects of these two on the Caribbean.

Latest Podcasts

Sir Ronald's latest podcast, based on his weekly commentaries, has been posted on his You Tube page.  This 11th  Podcast deals with two of the Exceutive Orders, issued by US President Donald Trump on his first day in office on 20 Janauary 2025, concerning 'Birthright Ctizenship'  and 'Deportation of undocumeted migrants".  It exlpains Executive Orders and examines the effects of these two on the Caribbean.

Click on the link below to hear it: 

http://www.youtube.com/v/LgXeR1IdMc4&t=15s

 

 

Latest Video - OAS Permanent Council item on Venezuela and an IACHR report on elections

On 24 January, 2025, Sir Ronald Sanders explained his delegation's position on the resposibilities of the Government of Venezuela to respect and implement its obligations under inernational law and the principles of the UN Charter, even as he expressed disappointment over the lack of balance and thorougness of a report by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).  He said:

"Although the Venezuelan government has withdrawn from this Organization and no longer regards itself as bound by the Charter and ancillary Inter-American Conventions, my delegation calls on the Venezuelan government to respect its broader international obligations.
These include: the release of arbitrarily detained individuals; ensuring freedom of expression; adhering to democratic norms, particularly the sanctity of embassies and the peaceful settlement of disputes.
Despite its withdrawal from the OAS, Venezuela remains bound by international norms, international law, and the principles of the United Nations Charter.
These principles are not abstract ideals; they are the foundation for peace and respect for the civil and political rights of individuals and peoples.
Therefore, while my delegation urges the IACHR to strengthen its methodology and ensure balance and fairness in its work, we also call upon the Venezuelan government to honour its international obligations.
I reiterate that my delegation’s intervention regarding the IACHR report is not intended to favour any party in Venezuela. Instead, it is a call for balance and objectivity - principles essential to maintaining the credibility and moral authority of the IACHR in the eyes of our peoples and the international community."

The presentation can be see on YOU TUBE at: Sir Ronald Sanders statement at the OAS Permanent Council on the IACHR Report on Venezuela,1.24.2025

 

On 31st July, as Chair of the Permanent Council of the OAS at a Special Session on the disputed Presidental elections in Venezuela on July 28th, Sir Ron summed up the meeting which did not adopt a draft Resultion calling for a recount of the votes with independent international observattion:  See his comments in the link below:

Sir Ronald Sanders' closing remarks as Chair of OAS Meeting on Venezuela 2024 elections (youtube.com)

On Februray 23, 2024 at a meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States, Sir Ronald introdcued a Declaration by 25 of the 32 voting member states of the OAS, titled - "Two years on from the Russian Federartion's Invasion of Ukraine".  The presentation can be seen here:

Sir Ron Sanders reads Declaration: “Two years on from the Russian Federation’s Invasion of Ukraine” (youtube.com)

In the same meeting, during a debate that followed the presentation of the Declaration, Sir Ronald explained why the Russian Federation should not be given a free pass after it violated interhational law and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations - the entire word is threatened by it.

Sir Ronald Sanders intervention during OAS Permanent Council Meeting on Feb 21, 2024 (youtube.com)

 

The State of CARICOM at the beggining of 2024

At the end of 2023, Sir Ronald offered a reflection on the state of the Caribbean Community including its neglect of opportunities and the viable path that still lies ahead with appropriarte action.  This video was a companion to his commentary, "Smallness and Sepaateness will not do" puinlished on 28 December 2023.

A reflection on the Caribbean by Sir Ronald Sanders, veteran diplomat, regionalist and writer (youtube.com)

Sir Ronald questions "race parity" in the upper and upper middle levels of the Organization of American States (OAS) diring the debate on "gender parrity".  He says parity must exist not only among men and women, but also among people of all races.  However, there is little evdidence of "black persons - men or women", throughout the Organixation;

SIR RONALD SANDERS QUESTIONS OAS’ RECORD ON GENDER AND RACIAL PARITY - YouTube

 

The State of the Commonwealth

Although the main focus of a conference. held by the Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA) on 30 June 2022, was to discuss the challenges facing journalism, a day-long series of discussions taking place between the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) and the Commonwealth Games was bound to assess the state of today’s Commonwealth.

However, the panel discussion on ‘The Commonwealth, between the Kigali summit and the Birmingham Games’ focused on what session chair, the Institute of Commonwealth Studies Director Sue Onslow described as “politics and politics”.   The discussion featured:
 
he Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Professor Eghosa Osaghae, Caribbean diplomat Sir Ronald Sanders, and the Director of the Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute, Hugh Segal.   Below is the recording of the discussion,  It is also listed in the "Videos" sectio  of this website.
 
Re-imagining the Commonwealth. (commonwealthroundtable.co.uk)