Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), once again emphasised at their 44th Regular Meeting that the Community must take the initiative to address the dire circumstances in Haiti, a Member State of the Community, to which there are moral and political obligations.
This is according to Dominica’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Business, Trade, and Energy Dr. Vince Henderson while providing an update on the meeting that he and Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit recently attended in the Bahamas.
At Monday’s media conference, Dr. Henderson emphasised that heads had agreed that CARICOM needed to take prompt, decisive action in light of the growing insecurity and its wide-ranging effects on all sectors of Haitian life.
The foreign minister noted that, as with the Organization of American States (OAS), which has backed several of the resolutions, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit took the initiative in pressing CARICOM leaders to act immediately.
“The Prime Minister felt that it was absolutely necessary that immediate action be taken and that included getting into Haiti to understand firsthand what is happening in that country,” the minister revealed. “And I also need to inform you that while some seem to be a little timid, the prime minister expressed his readiness to go to Haiti. And he said that I should go, so we are prepared to participate in that process.”
The Heads of Government were joined in part of their discussions by the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, who offered assistance in getting the various delegations to Haiti and ensuring that services will be provided to all members of the delegation.
Dr. Henderson further emphasised that by contributing to the creation of a plan to reestablish security and the rule of law, as well as by supporting the police, the Canadian government has actively participated in efforts to find a peaceful solution to the crisis in Haiti.
The Heads of Government took note of the different security assistance programmes offered by the Canadian government and placed special emphasis on enhancing the ability of the Haitian National Police to safeguard the populace from criminal activity.
Ariel Henry, the interim prime minister of Haiti, expressed his willingness to take part in the process of ensuring that the nation may reach the point where peaceful, free, and fair elections are possible, as has been the case with other regional nations.
Dr. Henderson further stated that discussions during the meeting focused on food security and ways to lessen the region’s dependency on food imports, which he adds is a crucial component of CARICOM’s initiatives to guarantee food security.
A $25 million effort to ensure that agriculture can be modernised within those states is also something the participating nations are considering launching.
The Bridgetown initiative, which the Foreign Minister noted is tied to the results of combating climate change and the involvement of CARICOM, was another significant item at the meeting.
“In the Conference of the Parties on climate change, the Bridgetown initiative was born out of a concept developed by the Barbados Prime Minister in which all [of] CARICOM participated, to help us to build the fiscal resilience to fight the impact of climate change, and the exogenous shocks that fall upon us by global and international action–the war in Ukraine, for example,” he revealed.
“…And that initiative is seeking to sort of reshape the institutions and financial institutions like the World Bank and the IMF, to ensure that our governments can be given the fiscal space, as it were to ensure that we can provide development assistance to our people, we can embark on strong social programs, while we build resilience against the impact of climate change with those international institutions coming to a better understanding of all realities,” Dr Henderson added.
He added that initiatives like this would ensure that Dominica achieves its aim of increasing climate resilience and that the rest of the Caribbean can embark on a programme similar to it with the help of said institutions. By reforming them so that debt forgiveness is possible, it will lessen the load of some financial responsibilities that are imposed on the country.
“So we tie that to the Bridgetown initiative to ensure that we can get money to reduce our financial burden. And I’m sure Dr. McIntyre, Minister of Finance will be happy to hear that so that we can look at debt restructuring, and we can get the kind of space that we need because we have invested so much rebuilding after we’ve been impacted by a major climate event,” he stated.
The heads of government at the meeting also made a very firm decision regarding their stances to guarantee that the issues regarding Venezuela and Cuba were addressed and once more urged the US to lift its unilateral sanctions against the Republic of Cuba, which they deemed to be “unjust.”:
Somebody please tell Dr. Convince the one and only Insp. Gabriel St.Jean affectionately called “Butcher”, “The Bull” and “Old Daddy” by his former colleagues is now retired from the CDPF so them toy senior police officers they have “playing” soldier will be wiped out in Haiti if sent. Remember when the said Old Daddy lead a team of Top-Notch Dca SSU boys to Haiti and came back with all? Mr. Wayne James was part of that squad so ask him.
So if Dr. Convince wants to send the SSU to Haiti to face those bad boys day-kar-laying the country he better find Butcher and bring him back on contract so he can lead that dangerous effort. If memory serves me right, the UN brought him back to Haiti to help at one point. Adding to that, he served dutifully in the Grenada Invasion and at home in the jungles of Jacko flats/ Bells when terrorists hiding behind the rasta movement threatened our democracy. So Dr. Convince here you go.
What a brave, bold and helpful statement. Dominica and other CARICOM leaders are still concerned about the situation in Haiti. When a hurricane or natural disaster hits a member of CARICOM the residents of that island suffer from day one and as such help starts pouring in to various bodies within the country to mitigate the suffering. These regional leaders are the same ones who beat their chests about “territorial integrity ” and other empty phrases yet care more about their highfalutin pronouncements than about the citizens of Haiti. So why the he’ll did some members send in their armed police to get involved in election matters in Dominica, even firing live rounds of ammunition and tear gas among sleeping Salisbury people? Where was the territorial integrity then. Now it’s quite a while since Haiti has been a mess politically and economically and these pigeons have no workable solution to resolve the problems. Empty barrels do make a lot of noise.
Here we go again the lazy,lying UWP Jacka just posted.He did well in obtaining his Juris DOCTOR degree in law.These overeducated people post so much BS,they think all Dominicans are aholes.I am asking myself which one is the degree,I guess Vince has a degree in JURIS and not DOCTOR.
@Linclown, man stay in your lane especially when it comes to intellectual matters. He who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a fool, shun him!.
If the violence in Haiti can be curtailed to a minimum, many of the member states of CARICOM would be in the same position socially and economically.
Haiti suffers from rising inflation; huge unemployment; high indebtedness; widespread poverty; hyper-partisan politics; bad governance. How can this set of desperately disorganised group (CARICOM) bring order to fellow member state in peril? Darkness cannot drive out darkness only light can do that.
I would advise Vince not to use the the address of Dr. as it looks cheap and pretentious. Yes, he did well in obtaining his Juris Doctor degree in law, equivalent to an LLB or BA, or BSc. but not a Ph.D.
Donna Hrinak, ex Ambassador of the U.S.A. to among others Venezuela and Brazil and subsequently President of Boeing for S.America and the Caribbean as well as Sr. V.P. of the Royal Caribbean group, the wold’s second largest cruise operator, has the same J.D. degree as Vince ( her’s from Norte Dame law school) but never addresses herself as Dr.
Of course, you are free to call yourself anything you want Vince but please, stop embarrassing us and yourself.
Sadly, the real Doctors like Dr. Dangleben and Dr. Thompson Fontain really dont give a damn if you address them by their given name only.
Those like Con-Vince and Molly the Boo-week’s husband Dr. Dr. Dr. Long-poo-poo
want to catch a fit if you don’t put the Dr. before their name. Eheh lahteer(?) bien ay-clawayy.