Caribbean on developmental course – Ambassador LaRocque

Nov 12, 2014 News

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…but business community expected to aid process

The Caribbean is still struggling to emerge from worldwide ‘financial shocks’ that have impacted the economies of

Member States. But such challenges are certainly not new to this section of the world.
“The threat of global climate change to our environment, our economies and indeed our societies looms large, particularly for our Community of Small Island and Low-Lying Coastal Developing States,” revealed CARICOM’s Secretary General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque.
He was at the time addressing a gathering at the University of Guyana Turkeyen Campus’ 48th Convocation Ceremony on Saturday last.
But according to Ambassador LaRocque in spite of the challenges “these are exciting times to be a citizen of the Caribbean Community.  They are also exciting times to be at the CARICOM Secretariat,” the Secretary General said as he went on to inform the audience that this past July, the Caribbean’s Heads of Government approved the first-ever five-year Strategic Plan for the Caribbean Community.
According to him, the plan is to be implemented through coordinated strategic management involving the Secretariat, Member States and other regional institutions. The plan is one that recognises the need for prioritisation, setting achievable targets and greater accountability, as well as for putting in place the necessary arrangements to strengthen its implementation.
Even as he urged the university graduates to go online and read more about the plan, Ambassador LaRocque disclosed that it contains a number of high priorities such as: accelerated implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).
He informed too that aided by the plan, steps will be taken to build competitiveness and unleash key economic drivers to encourage growth and generate employment.
“We are going to work towards the creation of a Single Information Communication Technology (ICT) Space in CARICOM. Imagine a space in which the cost of broadband is lowered, there is full portability of cell phone numbers across the Region, and there are no long distance charges for calls between CARICOM countries. That is what we will strive to achieve.”
Added to this, Ambassador LaRocque spoke of plans to enhance the Region’s resilience to the effects of climate change and threats to its environment through proactive adaptation and mitigation strategies as well as improved disaster readiness, response and recovery. He also highlighted the need for focus on human capital development – including education, training and advanced research capacity.
IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION
Turning his attention to the need to build a strong Caribbean Community, Ambassador LaRocque emphasised the importance of ensuring that the skills taught in the education system are the ones needed to fulfil the Region’s development goals.
“To do this, educational institutions, public policy-makers and the private sector must collaborate more closely,” said the Secretary General as he underscored that “the business community knows what skills it needs, now and in the future.”
And it is the business community, he noted, that can help design training relevant to the labour market – which directly improves the employment opportunities for graduates such as those from UG. But according to Ambassador LaRocque, while there are already examples of this kind of collaboration, more needs to be done.
“Our universities should be centres of research and excellence that inculcate a culture of creativity and innovation – a prerequisite for building competitiveness, which in turn is key to prospering in the new global economy,” he said.
According to him, targeted research linked to the creativity and innovation of Caribbean youths could in fact help lead to a transformation of “our economies and societies and ensure we build resilience in the areas which the Strategic Plan identifies as vital for sustainable development.”
Moreover, he noted that even as Guyana is poised to lead in areas of Climate Change, through its Low Carbon Development Strategy, perhaps UG will be able to embrace the opportunity to develop a Centre of Excellence in this area as well as in areas of forestry, given the country’s vast natural resources.
In support of these types of initiatives, Ambassador LaRocque said that a CARICOM Commission on Human Resource Development has been established. And one of its main tasks is to develop a CARICOM Education Agenda, with a roadmap for action by Member States, aligned to Twenty-First Century competencies, competitiveness and sustainability. The Commission, the Secretary General, said, will begin its work shortly.
“All of this is important, challenging, and rewarding work. I would like to use this occasion to invite you to help us do it. It is my hope that you and others like you – products of the education system in our Community – will be inspired and engaged to take our regional integration movement forward.  Our very future depends on it.  Your drive and energy, your idealism and commitment, are essential if we are to build a prosperous, secure, sustainable, resilient Caribbean Community with opportunity for all,” the Secretary General stated.

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