CARICOM leaders discuss Haiti and other pressing issues

Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders Monday began their first full day of deliberations hoping to “point the way forward” on the situation in Haiti as well as on other issues of relevance to the 15-member regional integration movement.

Guyana’s President and CARICOM Chairman, Dr Irfaan Ali, speaking at the start of the plenary session, said leaders would spend a lot of time “in retreat format” to review progress, self-evaluate, and have very frank discourse and transparent discourse “so that we can make strong interventions and make a strong commitment to resolving the issues that are before us”.

He said the discussions began over two days ago with the regional leaders focused on the political, economic and social situation in CARICOM member nation Haiti where criminal gangs have been causing widespread security concerns and where calls for fresh elections have been made ever since President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in July 2021.

“CARICOM Heads met on Saturday and commenced discussions on the challenges we have with Haiti. This morning [they met] with the Friends of Haiti, an expanded grouping that included all the stakeholders and partners working with Haiti.

“We are hopeful that sometime today, we will be able to point the Haitian people, the region and the global community in the direction through which we believe long-lasting sustainable solutions can be achieved.

“Of course, this requires all stakeholders in Haiti, especially, to give a bit, to compromise a bit and to express a collective willingness to achieve the outcomes that we are setting ourselves to achieve,” Ali told the meeting, which is also being attended by Haiti’s Prime Minister Dr Ariel Henry.

Ali said that the regional leaders would also be discussing updates regarding the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) which is intended to allow for the free movement of goods, skills, labour and services across the region.

Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who has lead responsibility for the CSME, is expected to present an update report, Ali said during the opening ceremony on Sunday night.

He said on the issue of climate change, the regional leaders will continue to advance the region’s position on climate change financing, adaptation and mitigation and a fairer mechanism through which new loans are secured for the developing world in keeping with the just transition and in keeping with the objective of all of us achieving our climate targets.

The CARICOM chairman said an important issue in the region is the building of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and the meeting would examine ways in which the region can work on enhancing the work of SMEs and the more critical integration of the SMEs into the regional economy.

He said food and energy security are two important topics on the agenda.

“We believe the time has come for us to have a regional energy plan,” Ali said, adding it would be looking at the future of the forms of energy “and to see how the region can be self-sufficient, how we can guard against inflationary pressures and how we can become a net exporter of energy especially as we move towards renewables and transitional fuel”.

Regional transportation is also to be discussed.

“We hope we can further advance this to the wider CARICOM,” he said.

Ali said that the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) will come up for discussion. The Barbados-based CDB has come under the microscope in recent weeks since the bank confirmed that its president, Dr Hyginus ‘Gene’ Leon had been sent on administrative leave since January, reportedly until April.

Last month, leaders of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) had expressed their “utter disappointment and shock” at the treatment being meted out to the Saint Lucian-born economist.
(CMC)