CARICOM lists major issues for talks with Canadian PM

ROSEAU (CMC):

Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders are hoping to raise three main issues during their summit with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa later this month, Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said on Tuesday.

Skerrit, who is also the CARICOM chairman, told reporters that the October 17-19 meeting will discuss issues related to climate change and Haiti.

Skerrit said that on the issue of climate change, the regional leaders will look towards Canada, a member of the G7 grouping “to do more in their response to the issue of climate change and the impact of it having on the countries in the Caribbean”.

Skerrit said that the developed countries have been speaking about establishing a US$100 billion fund to assist developing countries deal with the impact of climate change, but “the new estimate really is US$2.3 trillion developing countries would require if we are to seriously address and assist us in building resilience against the impact of climate change”.

The CARICOM chairman said that regional countries are going to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 28) in Dubai on November 30 to December 12 “ to get some commitments from the Canada-CARICOM summit”.

He said another issue to be discussed at the summit has to deal with the international financial architecture, noting that CARICOM countries have already adopted the Barbados-led Bridgetown Initiative aimed at reforming the way rich countries finance poor countries in a climate crisis.

“We are in full support of what has been presented in the Bridgetown Initiative calling for a change in the way that financing is made available to developing countries. Canada sits on the G7 and really for there to be changes in the international financial institutions the G7 must be part of this.

Regarding Haiti, Prime Minister Skerrit said while the United Nations Security Council has passed a resolution with regard to sending an international multinational force to the CARICOM country to help restore peace and security, Haiti needs more than that.

“Haiti is going to need a comprehensive set of measures to help it stabilise the situation, bring law and order back into Haiti, but also going forward, an economic plan that is well financed by the international community.”