Antigua and Barbuda Foreign Affairs Minister E.P. Chet Greene say the crisis caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has laid bare the hard reality of digital inequalities in the region.
Addressing the opening of the European Union-CARIFORUM Ministerial Meeting, Greene, who is also chair of the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM), said the Caribbean region is considered one of the most affected in the world by the COVID-19 pandemic and has sparked an economic crisis across the states.
He told the meeting, which is being attended by the EU Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, that public and private sector digitalization, which was already low, impaired the region’s resilience during the pandemic.
“Some of the consequences will be long-term and will be challenging. The crisis laid bare the hard reality of digital inequalities in the region, within our various societies and between men and women,” Greene said, noting that deficiency in the Information Communication and technology (ICT) infrastructure has resulted in our digital development being relatively modest, lagging behind other regions.
“CARIFORUM, therefore, welcomes the EU’S commitment to address key priorities for digital transformation and innovation.”
Greene said food security, while a matter of global concern, is also a situation of concern to Caribbean countries given that they are among the most vulnerable to this global crisis.
“The spike in food prices will continue to push the levels of food and nutrition insecurity to new heights. The EU’s actions to address this global food security crisis by supporting the most vulnerable and most affected countries is commendable.”
Greene said a recent survey showed that food insecurity in the Caribbean is relatively high and growing.
“We are highly food import dependent. CARIFORUM thus welcomes the announcement of the Euro 19 million (One Euro=US$1.29 cent) Caribbean Regional Program on food production and resilience of food systems. I note my country is eligible.”
E.P. Chet Greene said the successor agreement to the Cotonou Partnership Agreement, with the overall objective of strengthening the political partnership to generate mutually beneficial outcomes on common and intersected areas of interest, is a manifestation of the evolving relationship. And that “it is the only negotiated and jointly agreed instrument governing our relationship of recent.
“The increased level of regionalism under the Post-Cotonou Agreement, both of political priorities and political steering of the cooperation with the EU necessitates adjustments and change in the approach to implementation.”
Greene said the European Development Fund (EDF) had been replaced by the Neighborhood, Development, and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI-Global Europe) as the source of the EU’s development finance support to the region.
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