CARICOM Foreign Affairs ministers meeting in The Bahamas have appealed to representatives of the United States government to use their nation’s influence to change the eligibility criteria for special international assistance to developing nations.
The call was made on behalf of CARICOM by Antigua and Barbuda’s Foreign Affairs Minister, E. P. Chet Greene, as he addressed a meeting between his regional counterparts and a US delegation on the sidelines of the 17th Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) meeting in Nassau.
Greene noted that the Caribbean continues to grapple with the overwhelmingly negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic which derailed the progress made by developing countries in pursuit of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Noting that economic recovery is critical for the regional grouping, Greene stated that CARICOM states vulnerability must be a primary factor when determining access to concessional financing.
“Our small size, small markets, the frequency and intensity of natural disasters to which we are prone, are inherent characteristics of the unique development challenges that continue to assail us.
“Our small, vulnerable economies require a more relevant criterion for assessing our eligibility for development assistance.
“The United States’ influential voice in the international donor community in support of the development of a Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI) would be a tremendous boon for CARICOM Member States,” Antigua and Barbuda’s foreign affairs minister added.
Greene also took the position that the bilateral relationship between CARICOM and the United States remains solid.
“Our countries have shared values and principles in respect of multilateralism, good governance, respect for the rule of law and peace and security. CARICOM looks forward to continued collaboration in these areas of shared interests,” he said.
Greene also expressed the group’s appreciation to the United States for its continued generosity towards the region.
“CARICOM is highly appreciative of the initiatives of the Biden administration aimed at driving growth in the hemisphere, including in the small and vulnerable CARICOM Member States. We will continue to need the US’ support in climbing out of the disastrous effects of the pandemic and as we seek to achieve the SDGs by 2030,” he said.
