Wednesday, GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – Caribbean Group (CARICOM) Secretary Normal Dr. Carla Barnett mentioned the regional integration motion this yr made progress on applications and insurance policies “to impression the lives of the individuals of our area positively.”
In an end-of-year message, Barnett, the primary girl to carry the place because the area’s prime public servant, promised that the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat “will proceed to diligently administer the Group’s priorities of deepening financial integration and commerce, strengthening international coverage coordination and group relations and human and social growth, sustainable growth, and regional safety.
“Particularly, we’re targeted on efforts to implement the free motion of all CARICOM nationals inside the Group by March 2024 as decided by Heads of Authorities.”
Barnett mentioned that the progress in 2023 additionally coincided with CARICOM’s “landmark yr” because it celebrated its fiftieth anniversary of signing the unique Treaty of Chaguaramas with festivities throughout the area.
“The event allowed us to mirror on our accomplishments and recommit to the imaginative and prescient of the CARICOM’s founders,” she mentioned, including that the “previous 50 years have taught us that with collective motion, we are able to obtain considerably extra.
“With one voice, we decried the devastating wars which have precipitated humanitarian crises and signaled our help for the adherence to the basic rules of worldwide legislation, respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity, most lately within the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy.
“We continued our strident advocacy for worldwide help to assist return our sister member state, Haiti, to peace and stability, and for help to the Warfare on Weapons, which is negatively impacting safety throughout our area.”
Barnett mentioned that CARICOM made progress on applications and insurance policies agreed upon by regional leaders including, “We made commendable progress on the 25 p.c by 2025 initiative to scale back the area’s meals import invoice, thereby taking us a step additional in the direction of the attainment of meals safety in our area”.
She mentioned purposeful engagements with regional and worldwide companions and boards, such because the flagship occasion, the Caribbean Week of Agriculture, allowed for significant interplay with the non-public sector and different stakeholders.
She mentioned the area’s advocacy for decisive motion to mitigate the opposed results of local weather change continued all year long, together with on the United Nations Local weather Change Convention (CCOP 28) in Dubai, “the place we emphasised the vulnerabilities of our area, the necessity to operationalize the Loss and Harm Fund, and the particular case for acknowledgment of the intense vulnerability of Small Island Creating States (SIDS) and international locations with low-lying coastal communities who don’t contribute considerably to the reason for local weather change however bear the best burden.”
Barnett mentioned CARICCOM welcomed the decision to international locations “for a simply transition, to renewable power and decreased methane emissions, however this doesn’t go far sufficient.
“The transition have to be wider, and the key emitters require a lot higher urgency of motion to maintain 1.5 alive. Peaking emissions earlier than 2025 and timelines for eliminating fossil gasoline subsidies, beginning now, are wanted to safeguard the 1.5 international warming temperature restrict.”
She mentioned CARICOM continued to advance worldwide partnerships and mechanisms to guard and promote the area’s socio-economic pursuits.
“Deliberate efforts have been made, comparable to by the regional Youth Discussion board held in Jamaica in November, to incorporate the views and participation of our younger individuals, whose enter is important to the sustainability of our efforts.”
She thanked the worldwide companions, the non-public sector, labor organizations, and the civil society teams “which have responded so positively to the Secretariat’s efforts in the direction of extra structured engagement.
“Underpinning all we do is a deep want for a “Group for all,” that’s secure, more and more affluent, and the place our males, girls, and younger individuals will flourish for generations to return. I invite your continued participation to advance this objective,” Barnett added.
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