Fact check
“Mia Mottley said "Turn what we know into what we do".”
Reasoning
Official UN transcript and Barbados government release both contain the exact wording "Turn what we know into what we do," and reputable news outlets (Reuters, BBC) echo this. The Guardian reports a different phrasing (“into action”), likely a paraphrase rather than a direct quote, so the core claim is well‑supported despite minor discrepancy.
On confidence: Strong primary sources directly quote the phrase, with only a single independent source noting a slight variation.
Important context
The statement was made during Mottley's address to the 78th UN General Assembly, urging concrete climate action. Minor wording variations do not change the overall message.
Evidence
Supporting (4)
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceRemarks of Prime Minister Mia Mottley at the 78th UN General Assembly, 23 September 2026
"Turn what we know into what we do," Prime Minister Mia Mottley declared during her address to the General Assembly...
- Tier 1 — Primary sourcePrime Minister Mia Mottley addresses UN, urges world leaders to act
In her speech she urged, "Turn what we know into what we do," calling for concrete climate action.
- Tier 2 — Independent reportingindependent originBarbados PM Mottley urges world leaders to "turn what we know into what we do" at UN
Mottley told the United Nations, "Turn what we know into what we do," emphasizing the need for immediate climate action.
- Tier 2 — Independent reportingindependent originUN: Barbados Prime Minister calls for action, says "turn what we know into what we do"
"Turn what we know into what we do," said Mottley, urging nations to translate knowledge into policy.
Contradicting (1)
- Tier 2 — Independent reportingindependent originMia Mottley urges action, says "turn what we know into action" not "what we do"
The Guardian reported that Mottley said, "Turn what we know into action," noting the phrasing differed from the widely circulated "what we do" version.
Limitations
The Guardian’s contradictory report indicates some uncertainty about the exact verb used; without access to the full speech audio, absolute verification of verbatim wording cannot be guaranteed.
- Last verified:
- Sep 26, 2026, 5:03 PM CDT
- Pipeline:
- 0.1.0
- Claim type:
- Quotation
Where this claim appeared
‘Turn what we know into what we do,’ Barbados PM Mottley urges world leaders at UNUnited Nations