From Caribbean360

CARICOM Secretary General Irwin La Rocque accepts the Letters of Introduction from United Kingdom Ambassador Victoria Dean.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana,– Britain says it will help the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) deal with global issues that affect their economies.

Newly accredited British Ambassador to CARICOM, Victoria Dean, Wednesday pledged to play the role of advocate for the region in the pursuit of its objectives as she presented her credentials to CARICOM Secretary General Irwin La Rocque.

The United Kingdom diplomat said her country would play the role of conduit for CARICOM’s views on the global stage and support member states in their relations with third states in respect of trade.

She recognised that despite being vulnerable to external shocks and climate change, CARICOM were resilient, adaptable and creative.

“The current economic situation in some CARICOM members highlights that challenging environment we all find ourselves in. And it also highlights the vulnerability. Exogenous shocks come hard and fast in this region.

“The peoples of the Caribbean are resilient and adaptable, and have to be. Climate change is perhaps the most serious and alarming of these challenges, and will require that resilience and adaptability to come to the fore, along with creativity, investment and forward planning,” she said.

She promised to use her period of duty to work with CARICOM in ensuring that climate change is kept at the top of the agenda, and to ensure that support from the UK was delivered.

She said that London would continue to support the reform process in the Community in “practical and very tangible” ways.

“I am an avid believer in the importance of regional cooperation and integration, and the many often unseen and unexplained benefits it can bring to countries and citizens.

“That said, it means I also know how complex and tricky the development and integration experience can be; these bodies take time and care to build; and the UK firmly believes there is a growing role for CARICOM to play and wants to work with you to help foster that,” she stated.

In his address, La Rocque said CARICOM’s relationship with the United Kingdom is a historically important, strong and strategic one that is always evolving.

He said that UK-CARICOM relations are as diverse as they are deep, spanning from diplomatic and commercial to social and cultural ties, strengthened by a vibrant and active Caribbean diaspora in the United Kingdom.

“These ties are further bolstered by the UK-Caribbean Forum which provides an important opportunity for identifying, discussing and agreeing upon the priorities for our co-operation bilaterally, regionally and multilaterally.

“CARICOM looks forward to yet another productive exchange in June on such issues of mutual importance as security, climate change, the Post-2015 Development Agenda, sustainable trade and economic growth.”

La Rocque said the torrential rains that impacted St Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia and Dominica over the last Christmas season “is an only too familiar and sobering reminder of our vulnerabilities”.

He said the swift response by London to assist the countries in distress is highly appreciated and is further testimony to the strength of our relationship.

“The devastation wrought by that unusual weather event was a stark reminder that climate change and its related natural disasters with consequential environmental and economic damage are a reality for us. It is also a reality for you given your experience with the flooding of the Rivers Thames and Severn earlier this year.

“When such experience is put in the context of climate change, it hits close to home and close to heart and becomes everyone’s business,” La Rocque said, noting that the United Kingdom has clearly recognised the vital nature of this issue globally and to the region.

La Rocque said CARICOM was still adversely affected by the global financial and economic crisis and the decision “ of many development partners of ‘graduating’ middle income countries from access to concessionary aid…is based primarily on the flawed assumption that GDP (gross domestic product) per capita is an appropriate measure of development.

“The EU has followed this trend by introducing differentiation in its new development policy.  I am hopeful that, given the United Kingdom’s standing in the EU and its ties to the region, it will be a leader in advocating on the Community’s behalf in the Councils of the EU as well as in other fora, with respect to how that policy is applied given the vulnerability of our member states”.

The CARICOM Secretary General said the region was also placing “great importance on the issue of reparations for Caribbean Slavery and Native Genocide

“Our Heads of Government last week reiterated their desire to engage with your Government and other European nations in substantive exchange on the matter in the context of development and in the spirit of the mutually respectful and amicable relations which we enjoy.

“I am convinced that the UK-CARICOM relationship is strong and mature enough to meet the challenge of finding reasonable solutions to these issues and any others that may emerge.  We have done so in the past and I have no doubt that we will so do in the future,”La Rocque added.

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