‘Implementation deficit’ highlighted as CARICOM Heads meet

Jul 06, 2010 News

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Weakened growth, declining revenue and a high level of debt are among the challenges facing the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said as leaders look to save face that the regional trade and integration bloc has failed its people.
Caribbean leaders are meeting in Montego Bay, a city whose links with the Caribbean integration movement go back to a historic conference in 1947 when British colonies of the Caribbean met here to chart a course for the region as the world emerged from the Second World War.
But in all that time, the Caribbean people continue to be cynics – contending that all the leaders do is talk.
The chair of CARICOM, Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding, looking to salvage his own reputation at home, was ever aware of how disillusioned the Caribbean people are and how wary they are of meetings like these. It’s all talk, but the “implementation deficit” stands out, Golding pointed out.
“We must…be mindful of the disillusionment expressed so often by many of our people who feel that CARICOM has not worked, that it has not lived up to their expectations,” Golding stated as the conference opened at the Half Moon resort.
Kamla Persaud-Bissessar, Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister, also called for CARICOM to fulfil its obligation, saying priority one, priority two and priority three must be a better quality of life for citizens of the Caribbean.
President Bharrat Jagdeo agreed, too, that there was an implementation deficit, that there was too much restating of the issues. As a result, he is pushing for Golding to simplify the agenda and for action to be brought to the discussions.
The presence of the UN Secretary General at the meeting gives added impetus to the discussions here and puts pressure on leaders to deliver. Mr Ban is the first UN Secretary General to address a CARICOM Heads of Government meeting, and he straight away explained the importance of the region.
“The Caribbean region is vital to the work of the United Nations – and CARICOM has been in the forefront of tackling regional and global challenges – from climate change to strengthening democracy to rebuilding after natural disasters to supporting UN peacekeeping efforts,” Mr Ban stated.
The challenges of the region were already discussed at the CARICOM Mini-Summit held at the United Nations last September.
“It is good to be here today to deepen our work in addressing complex and multiple challenges: the threat of climate change; the fallout of the global financial crisis; The security burden posed by organized crime,” Ban stated.
He said the financial and economic crisis continues to take a heavy toll, with many Caribbean countries face declining revenue, weakened growth, reduced tourism and high levels of debt.
He said while the region has made commendable progress towards the Millennium Development Goals, countries are yet highly vulnerable to external shocks.
Caribbean leaders have before discussed the need for a new economic model for development: debt relief for middle income countries, special treatment in the global trading system, dedicated credit for dealing with natural disasters.
“And I agree that the international community must collectively address the impact of the sustained economic crisis.
As I said in at the G-20 meeting in Toronto last week, the international community cannot abandon its commitment to the most vulnerable. In particular I advocated for investment in key areas where we can expect substantial and immediate returns: those are jobs, a green recovery, and health and health systems,” Ban stated.
Touching on climate change, the UN Secretary General said it impacts all our concerns: development, health, security. He commended CARICOM countries for their leadership in the lead-up to the Copenhagen climate talks and during the conference.
“The Caribbean community has conveyed an important message to the world: the threat of climate change is urgent and growing. You have been pioneers in calling attention to the specific vulnerability of Small Island States to climate change. Adaptation strategies to this very real threat will require sizeable and sustained investment,” Ban stated.
The Copenhagen conference called on the international community to mobilize $30 billion a year between now and 2012 and $100 billion a year up to 2020 for mitigation and adaptation actions in developing countries.
Ban recently appointed an Advisory Group on Climate Change Financing, co-chaired by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia and Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg of Norway, to push this forward. President Jagdeo sits on the group, and will be among those Ban will welcome in New York this month for the next principals’ meeting.
Caribbean nations were prominent in Copenhagen and Ban said he was looking for the region’s strong voice in the lead up to the next UN climate summit in Mexico.
CARICOM Member States are Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.
Associate members are Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands.
(By Neil Marks in Montego Bay, Jamaica)

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