CARICOM is urging the United States to commit to the outcome of the Cancun Climate Change Conference, according to a call by Secretary-General Irwin LaRocque at the accreditation ceremony of new US Ambassador to the Com-munity, Brent Hardt at the CARICOM Secretariat headquarters yesterday.
According to a press release from the CARICOM Secretariat at Turkeyen, the Secretary-General commended the US government’s efforts to initiate programmes such as ECPA (Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas) which has 40 projects underway throughout the Americas, including in some CARICOM member states.
However, he pointed out that the best way to combat climate change was on a global level and within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
“The region therefore urges the U.S. to commit to the outcome of the Cancun Climate Change Conference in order to advance the chances of mitigation and adaptation for our small island developing and low-lying coastal states faced with the ravages of climate change, as we approach the negotiations in Durban, South Africa in December of this year,” Ambassador LaRocque is quoted as saying.
The Secretary-General also noted that both sides had identified security, closer economic linkages, and climate change among areas they will continue to focus on as they advance relations.
And in acknowledging the robust and friendly relations CARICOM and the U.S. enjoyed, LaRocque pointed out that the relationship had evolved, and was changing and adapting as their respective domestic circumstances and geopolitics required.
The one constant, Ambassador LaRocque said, was the strength of the relationship and the goodwill which were manifested in various activities at several levels, citing the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), launched last year.
Under the CBSI the U.S. government had provided significant funding to projects and initiatives in the region to reduce drug trafficking, enhance public safety and security and promote social justice.
“This arrangement is mutually beneficial to both the US and the region in the face of on-going threats to the security of our respective countries,” LaRocque said.
In the area of trade, he referred to ongoing discussions on a Revised Trade and Investment Framework (TIFA) which will form the basis for CARICOM-US engagements on trade and economic cooperation.
According to the release, LaRocque also pointed to the International Diaspora Engagement Alliance (IDEA) which will bring together governments, corporations and non-profit organizations to facilitate Diaspora communities in the promotion of trade and investment, job creation, business start-ups and the development of projects that will benefit their countries of origin.
Meanwhile, in remarks after presenting his credentials, U.S. Ambassador Hardt also spoke of the CBSI, describing the initiative as a “new and innovative approach” to security that sought to address both root causes and consequences of crime and violence that threatened the social fabric and economic vitality of CARICOM member states.
He added that the U.S. was committed to concluding a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, and was pleased that recent discussions had brought the two sides closer to that common goal. “We would also welcome an early meeting of the Trade and Investment Council. The extension of the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act for a further ten-year period through 2020 will ensure continued preferential access to the U.S. market for Caribbean products that can stimulate growth and job creation in the Caribbean region,” the release quoted the new envoy as saying.
With reference to IDEA, Hardt said that the initiative would bridge the gap between the Diaspora and entrepreneurs in their countries of origin.
“We want to promote trade, help start businesses, and develop new models for spurring economic growth. The Caribbean is the first region in the world selected to demonstrate the potential of this alliance, whose access to capital and technical assistance should begin bearing fruit next year,” the US ambassador said.
Caribbean Idea Marketplace
He also disclosed that in November, the State Department, in partnership with the IDB, Canada’s CIDA, the UK’s DFID, and key private sector organizations including Scotia Bank and Digicel, will launch Caribbean Idea Marketplace (CIM).
CIM is a business competition that will call on members of the Caribbean Diaspora to submit innovative business proposals. The winning proposals will receive matching grants ranging from US$50,000 to US$500,000 as well as special financing,” Hardt announced.
The United States, he added, shared the view that closer economic integration and expanded trade opportunities were fundamental to the prosperity and sustainable development of the region.
With respect to climate change, Hardt said that his country recognized the “disproportionate impact” of climate change on small island nations and low lying coastal regions such as such as those in the Caribbean.
Therefore, the U.S. is committed to cooperate with CARICOM countries and institutions under the ECPA to support energy efficiency, encourage renewable energy development, and mitigate the impact of climate change, Hardt assured.
He also emphasized that the United States is determined to work together with CARICOM and its member states to promote the health and development of their people.
“In the face of the continuing HIV/AIDS threat in the region, we have partnered with PANCAP and other regional entities to implement the United States-Caribbean Regional HIV and AIDS Partnership Framework. The Framework is strengthening the efforts of governments, regional organizations, and national health systems to reduce the incidence of HIV and AIDS among populations most at risk and provide treatment to those affected by the disease.”
He said also that the U.S. would work with CARICOM to address the complex and growing challenge posed by non-communicable diseases.
And acknowledging the close relationship between the U.S. and the Caribbean with the connections among people, families, businessmen and women, and tourists, Hardt said that in order to build on these vital connections, the State Department recently launched IDEA which seeks to bridge the gap between Diaspora communities and entrepreneurs in their countries of origin.
“We want to promote trade, help start businesses, and develop new models for spurring economic growth. The Caribbean is the first region in the world selected to demonstrate the potential of this alliance, whose access to capital and technical assistance should begin bearing fruit next year.”
Hardt also noted that the U.S. remains firmly committed to working with the Government and people of Haiti, along with their CARICOM and other international partners “to rebuild the country, strengthen its institutions, and reinforce the creative capacity and extraordinary self-reliance of the people . . .”
