US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken yesterday announced US$5.5 million towards the Caribbean food security plan.
“Today I’m pleased to announce that we’ll dedicate an additional nearly (US$) 5.5 million to help small farmers in the Caribbean boost productivity, increase access to technology and markets, and adopt climate smart practices,” Blinken said. He made the announcement during his address to the CARICOM Heads of Government meeting in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
Blinken, who is scheduled to arrive in Guyana this morning, cited the need for Caribbean nations to grow their own food as constantly iterated by all stakeholders.
“The United States is also committed to partnering with you to address growing food insecurity across the region,” he said, prior to pointing out that food insecurity in the region has intensified through a combination of climate change, COVID, and conflict, including Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
He emphasised that support for the region’s food security is pertinent as he pointed out to the findings of a recent UN report which stated that one in two people in the Carib-bean cannot afford a healthy diet.
The US Secretary of State added that his government has also made available, expertise from across the entire government to help the Caribbean achieve its food security goal. He noted that that expertise has been shared with the region from the Department of Agriculture to the Environmental Protection Agency to USAID.
Moreover, Blinken stressed the US’s commitment to providing aid and assistance by working with the region to tackle the climate crisis, strengthen disaster preparedness, expand access to international finance, expand assistance to help governments manage the financial risk of disasters, and support the creation of CARICOM’s new Crime Gun Intelligence Unit.
According to the Secretary of State, the US is working relentlessly to prevent a climate catastrophe and is committed to “build greater resilience and adaptation to climate change while accelerating the region’s transition.”
On the matter of expanding financial assistance to countries, he disclosed that at the US’s urging, the World Bank has agreed to offer debt deferment clauses in their loans by 2025. “We’ve made a similar commitment in the United States. We’re urging other lenders to step up with us. And we also know that with new leadership at the World Bank this is an intense focus for that institution.”
Further it was stated that the US is pushing for access to below-the-market interest financing to countries in the region that are experiencing climate shocks. The US, the Secretary of State said, is supporting the International Monetary Fund’s new resilience and sustainability trust, which is offering concessional financing on loans issued below the market rate – to Barbados and to Jamaica.
“But we are far from finished. We have a lot more to do on this front. Among other reforms, we need to create financing to help countries caught another middle-income trap, which you all know very well – those not developed enough to qualify for membership in groups like the G20, and yet too developed to qualify for aid from institutions like the World Bank. These investments are not just necessary to protect against threats – they are a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create good-paying jobs in communities across the region. We profoundly see not just the imperative of acting on the threat, but also the opportunity,” Blinken highlighted.
He noted that this is one of the ways that the US is partnering with CARICOM and other countries in the region to expand inclusive economic opportunity.
Turning his attention to gun violence, the US Secretary of State announced a new position at the Department of Justice to deepen collaboration on gun prosecutions. This post is being held by Michael Ben’Ary, an experienced Department of Justice prosecutor. Ben’Ary will serve as the United States’ very first coordinator for Caribbean Firearms Prosecutions.
The new CARICOM Crime Gun Intelligence Unit, was established with the aim of improving information sharing among our law enforcement agencies and strengthening the capacity of countries to investigate gun-related crimes. CARICOM countries, Trinidad in particular, have complained about the influx of illegal small arms from the US
“Today [yesterday] on this very powerful occasion, I’m here to tell you, to share with you, that you can count on America being by your side – as a neighbour, as a partner, as a friend, and as, together, we work to genuinely build unity and forge the future of our community, this community that we share, and do it together,” Blinken declared.
