In her address to the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley delivered a resonant appeal for a global “reset”. Speaking on behalf of a Caribbean region beset by crises, Mottley’s call to world leaders was clear: the time has come to reimagine international relations, financial institutions, and global governance to better serve vulnerable nations, particularly small island developing states (SIDS) such as our Caribbean homelands.

Few regions are more acutely affected by the intersection of global crises than the Caribbean. Climate change, in particular, has left the region reeling from its impacts, with unprecedented hurricanes, floods, droughts, and rising sea levels threatening lives and livelihoods.

As Mottley put it, “The Season of Superlatives with its floods and droughts, its hurricanes and fires will take the lives and livelihoods of so many.”

For the Caribbean, this is an existential threat. Yet, the global response has been woefully inadequate, leaving nations like Grenada, St. Vincent, and others grappling with the climate crisis on their own.

Mottley’s call for a reset is rooted in the failure of current global systems to support vulnerable economies. The existing financial architecture, she argued, perpetuates inequality, with many developing nations burdened by unmanageable debt, high borrowing costs, and limited access to capital.

These nations are our homelands, which, despite contributing little to the global climate crisis, find themselves spending more on debt repayments than on health, education, or infrastructure. Her Bridgetown Initiative, which aims to reform the global financial system, offers a blueprint for addressing this disparity by calling for more equitable access to resources and solutions tailored to the needs of the developing world.

As she highlighted, reforms must start with the international financial system, but they must also address the historical injustices that continue to hold back our Caribbean homelands. And so, she made a compelling case for reparations, pointing out that the legacy of slavery and colonialism still haunts the region.

The global system, she argued, was built on the enslavement of bodies and the extraction of resources from the Global South; it is time for the world to reckon with that history. Reparations are not just about compensation, but about recognising the scarring left behind by colonialism. The Caribbean’s call for reparative justice is a call to restore dignity and fairness in an unjust world.

At the heart of Mottley’s vision for a reset is the need for inclusivity. She emphasised that small states must be given a seat at the table where global decisions are made. This is important when it comes to climate action, where the voices of those most affected, such as Barbados, are often drowned out by larger, wealthier nations.

Mottley underscored that climate justice cannot be achieved if the current systems remain in place – systems that favour those least affected by the crisis while leaving the most vulnerable to weather the hurricanes.

Yet, despite the enormity of the challenges, Mottley also expressed optimism for the future. Progress has been made, she noted, through international agreements such as the Global Digital Compact and the Pact for the Future. These initiatives, along with the reform efforts outlined in the Bridgetown Initiative, provide a framework for real, tangible change. The key, she insisted, is to maintain focus on the goal of building a more just and equitable world.

Mottley’s call for a reset is not just a plea for reform but a vision for a better future. It is a vision where our homelands, such as Barbados, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago, can thrive; where the climate crisis is met with decisive global action; and where the painful legacy of colonialism is addressed through justice and reparations.

The crises we face today are daunting, but Mottley reminds us that positive and lasting change is possible. Her vision of a reset is founded on hope, inclusion, and fairness – qualities that are essential if we are to build a more just, egalitarian, and perhaps even a better world.