CARICOM Donates $7 million for Haiti Assistance

CARICOM Donates $7 million for Haiti Assistance
NASSAU, Bahamas – The Government of the Republic of Haiti has expressed gratitude to the Caribbean Community for donating $7 million in response to that nation’s food crisis, it was revealed at the Eleventh Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) held in Antigua and Barbuda May 7-9, 2008.

The issue was among other matters discussed by CARICOM Foreign Ministers and included in the Communiqué issued following the Eleventh Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR).

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs the Hon Brent Symonette represented The Bahamas. He was accompanied by Ambassador-at-Large the His Excellency Joshua Sears.

According to CARICOM Secretary General His Excellency Edwin Carrington, the coordination of foreign policy is one of the “greatest strengths” of the Caribbean Community.

He also touched upon the challenges of a rapidly changing international and hemispheric environment and the need for the Community to “urgently respond to the redistribution of power and influence on the global stage.”

Talks during the summit focused on the environment in the face of climate change; the rising prices in food and fuel; and the Caribbean Sea Initia tive, which is aimed at having the Caribbean Sea recognized internationally as a ‘Special Area’ in the context of sustainable development, amongst other issues.

Ministers expressed particular concern regarding the impact of high fuel costs on aviation services and consequently the tourism sector, which is of “critical importance” to many of the economies of CARICOM Member States, according to the Communiqué.

As regards Haiti, Ministers welcomed the financial support provided by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) through the Haiti/CSME Project to assist the accelerated integration of Haiti in the Caribbean Community, which will be facilitated by the operations of the CARICOM Representative Office in Haiti (CHRO), according to the Communiqué.

The Representative of Haiti expressed appreciation to CARICOM for giving from the petroleum fund of $7 million in response to its food crisis.

The Communiqué also stated that Ministers welcomed the new impetus being given to promoting greater interaction between CARICOM and Canada. They drew particular attention to the preparedness of CARICOM to commence negotiations with Canada on a Trade and Development Agreement.

“This augured well for the convening of the Canada-CARICOM Summit, which is tentatively scheduled for Fall 2008,” the Communiqué said.

The Foreign Ministers also discussed the New York Conference on the Caribbean, scheduled for June 19-20, following acceptance of an invitation from Congressman Charles Rangel to visit on the occasion of the Caribbean American Heritage Month.

Regarding the EU, the COFCOR noted the “significant change” in relations between Europe and the Caribbean that will be ushered in with the signing, in June, of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).

“The COFCOR emphazised that the full implementation of the EPA was critical to the achievement of its objectives,” stated the Communiqué.

Talks also centered around issues of importance to CARICOM in the UN system, namely climate change, Security Council Reform and the Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development to review the Implementation of the Monetary Consensus, to be held in Doha in November, 2008.

The Ministers further reiterated that the issue of HIV/AIDS remains a priority for the region and view the upcoming High-Level Comprehensive Review of the Progress Achieved in realizing the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS and the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS that will be held at the UN June 10-11, as “an important opportunity” to invite donors and partners to assist in the region in this area.

men li sa pa rale fè charité sa rele solidarite humaine ;se sa nou plis beswen nan mond saa koulyè ya.trinidad ak tobago genyen lwil poukisa menm jan ak sa Presidan chavez fè ya premye Minis Trinidad la pa fè sa tou.Poukisa desinor ka kreye isin jamayik epi entrepernè karayibenn pa ka vinn an ayiti tou kreye isinn ki pou pwdwi sa ke nou panko genyen ekspertiz pou nou kreye.

Fok nou envite belize tou pou li rantre nan kominote Carayibeyen an.Chak ti peyi sa yo pa ta beswen genyen represantatyon konsilè ou diplomatik nan chak peyi si nou te kreye youn federatyon eta karayib yo tankou federatyon eta ameriken yo mwen si ke trinidad pi rich pase mississipi .sa pa vle di nou pedi endepandans nou non, men tankou pwoverb la di ya anpil men chaj pa lou.belize genyen anpil tè pouki sa li pa fè you anbochaj pou peyisan ayisyen vinn plante mayi ,soy, tout kalite manje nan belize.si nou itilize tout tè ke nou genyen nan amerik la avek efikasite e byen nou pat dwe genyen grangou kloroks nan oken peyi .