COMMONWEALTH Secretary General Patricia Scotland will be among the special guests at the Conference of the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) in Port-of-Spain from July 3 to 5.
This year marks 50 years since the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas in Trinidad and Tobago in 1973, which led to the establishment of Caricom, and will officially launch the 50th anniversary celebrations.
Speaking ahead of her visit, Scotland commended the achievements of the organization.
“Caricom came together 50 years ago to enhance the connections, well-being, prosperity, and security of Caribbean countries and their citizens. Those objectives were prescient then, and now — half a century later — they are more important than ever,” said Scotland.
“The Commonwealth’s partnership with Caricom spans over the past 50 years, and today our co-operation on a wide array of initiatives is more comprehensive than ever before,” added Scotland.
In Trinidad and Tobago the secretary general will engage with Caribbean leaders, seeking their perspectives and collaborating on strategies to provide more tailored and practical assistance to the region.
She will also update leaders on preparations for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) scheduled to take place in Samoa from October 21, 2024.
With 12 of the 15 Caricom members also being part of the Commonwealth, the secretary general emphasized the importance of strengthening the collaboration between the two organizations.
She is also expected to highlight the targeted assistance being provided by the secretariat to the region, particularly through the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub. As of June 2023, the hub has helped secure more than US$52 million in climate finance for Commonwealth member countries in the Caribbean.
During the conference Scotland will also reaffirm the Commonwealth’s commitment to championing the concerns and interests of small states on the global stage, with a focus on urgent climate action and advocating for a new global financing system that addresses the needs of the small and vulnerable.
In particular, she is expected to draw attention to the significant gap between the ambitious climate finance pledges and the limited funding actually being disbursed to help developing countries tackle climate change.
“We cannot stand by as small and vulnerable states drown in rising seas and suffocate under crushing debt. Small states, least responsible for climate change, suffer a double injustice — enduring the devastating aftermath of disasters and grappling with exorbitant borrowing costs for recovery,” said Scotland as she highlighted the resilience of the Caribbean region.
“For decades, when it has been faced with the worst, Caribbean leaders have shown their best. They have led the world on the issues of the day, and they have shown their true power as a united voice for those who are in need.”
Acknowledging the recent announcements made at the Paris Climate Finance Summit as “important steps in a much longer journey”, Scotland added that after advocacy from the Commonwealth and the Caribbean — spearheaded by prime minister of Barbados Mia Mottley, with the support of other regional leaders — the reforms to multilateral lending practices are now being seriously considered.
This week’s Caricom conference is being convened under the chairmanship of Roosevelt Skerrit, prime minister of Dominica — the Commonwealth secretary general’s country of birth. (https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/commonwealth-sg-to-attend-caricom-50th-anniversary-meeting/)
