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CARICOM: When Sustainable Development isn’t a Slogan, but a Necessity

Subject to a double vulnerability, from external economic shocks and natural disasters, the islands of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) see sustainable development as an urgent necessity rather than a politically correct slogan for the future.

In effect, the impact of global warming is particularly worrying for the Caribbean region.

According to a recent report on Latin America and the Caribbean by the World Bank, an increase of 2 degrees Celsius in the global temperature before the end of the century will lead to concrete threats such as an increase of 40% in the number of severe hurricanes, with twice the force compared to the world average, a decrease of up to 50% of the volume of fishing hauls, and a massive rise in ocean levels.

The Heads of State of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), who met last week in Barbados, moved forward in their intention to present a common vision at the upcoming Inter-American and global meetings, especially in the environment of the United Nations, in addressing the post-2015 objectives.

In particular, they will seek to influence:

The International Conference on Financing for Development, to be held next week in Addis Adaba, Ethiopia;

The Special United Nations Summit on Sustainable Development, to take place in September in New York; and

The Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21), in Paris in December.

“We must work to find a global solution for the impact of climate change raising the voice of the Americas,” said the Secretary General of the OAS Luis Almagro, in reference to COP21. The Secretary General took part in the Caribbean Summit as a special invitee, together with the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, and the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Alicia Bárcena, among others.

In the final declaration of the Summit, the CARICOM leaders said they were “acutely aware of the opportunity provided to build truly vibrant societies and resilient economies and chart a new era of sustainable development for the region and the world.”

In the case of climate change, the Caribbean Heads of State ratified the Declaration on Climate Actions that had been adopted in May, which defines a common position ahead of COP21.

Almagro added that the OAS is an excellent platform for amplifying the positions of the Caribbean on these issues and to bring them together with a common position of the entire Hemisphere, and that, following two decades of negotiations, will help the international community reach a binding agreement to mitigate and adapt to the impact of climate change.

The Secretary General reiterated his intention to create a system for the prevention and management of natural disasters in the Caribbean and Central America, including the articulation of a network of best practices with the system of the United Nations and other multilateral organizations.

In accordance with the economic and development needs set forth by CARICOM, Secretary General Almagro insisted on the need to put into practice initiatives on digital, fluvial, and aerial interconnectivity in the region; attracting investments; and improving the quality of education as well as expanding work opportunities for young people.

Secretary General Almagro was accompanied in Barbados by the Assistant Secretary General Albert Ramdin and his Chief of Staff, Jacinth Lorna Henry-Martin.


A gallery of photos of the event is available here.

Reference: E-206/15