PARAMARIBO, Suriname– Sunday’s newly elected Prime Minister of Grenada, Dickon Mitchell, warned the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) against being viewed as a “talk” shop. It urged Caribbean leaders to do more to foster greater regional unity and socio-economic development.
Mitchell, who came to office after leading his National Democratic Congress (NDC) to victory in the June 23 general election, told the opening ceremony of the 43rd CARICOM Summit that for too long, “this Caribbean Community that we all love has been seen and viewed as a place where we talk, and talk, and talk, and then we talk some more, and to what end Mr. Chairman.
“No, Sir, this is a time, colleague, my friends, and to all the young people across the Caribbean Community- this is indeed our moment, this is your moment, where it is a Time for Action and a Time of Choosing.
“Let us, therefore, look towards the future of our region with a renewed hope and commitment as we in the coming days review our performance and chart a new way towards a transformative agenda, and make a collective and conscious decision at this season, at this Time of Choosing-to move all our people, all our citizens, our friends, our loved ones, our sons and daughters, to move all CARICOM – forward,” he told the opening ceremony.
Mitchell told the ceremony that his vision for CARICOM as it has been for Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique is one “where we must be transformed into an eco-friendly, fair, equitable, dynamic, prosperous and stable democracy, capable of sustaining a high quality of life for all our people.
“Grenada is willing, ready, and eager to do our part in transforming our beloved Caribbean Community. This region belongs to all of us. It is, and as I can put it- home,” he said, noting that the past regional leaders had in 1973 envisioned a region with the ability to transform the lives of its people by working together.
“A community that can overcome its challenges if we, without reservation, dedicate ourselves, our time and talents to moving CARICOM forward,” he said, noting that the regional grouping marks its 49th anniversary on Monday, “I believe that this is an opportune time for us to pause and reflect on the many experiences we have had while in pursuit of regional integration.
“Over the last 49 years, we have had many moments of celebration coupled with moments that required solemn reflection, still all the while envisioning the future,” Mitchell said, adding that as “we look toward the commemoration of our 50th anniversary, we need to redouble our efforts to find solutions to our challenges.
“Let us not restrict our engagements to the members of our community but let us, with purpose, follow the path of the Caribbean Sea, like wise men seeking a brightened star and engage all countries touched by its warm waters from Mexico to Venezuela, from Paramaribo to Port au Prince.
“We must also, my friends, bolster support for all our regional organizations, including the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) and Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), and where CARICOM must be at the center of enhanced cooperation for our region.”
Mitchell, 44, said with this in mind, the Caribbean must understand all too well that as a region, it is not without its share of challenges, even as he committed his country to work to find real solutions to the problems.
Mitchell said that as the region continues to grapple with the problem of transportation and travel, “the important business of addressing matters of connectivity must be a priority for our region if we are to realize the benefits of the Single Market and Economy” (CSME) that allows for the free movement of goods, skills, labor, and skills across the 15-member grouping.
“Additionally, the limitations of the flight routes within islands, there is an urgent need to examine the prohibitive cost of intra-regional air travel. Air carriers in our region must operate efficiently both in terms of cost and schedules and ultimately serve as a means to better connect our friends, families, and loved ones in the region and pursue entrepreneurial enterprise and business interests across CARICOM.”
Mitchell said that while the Caribbean, as part of the small islands developing states (SIDS), has sounded the alarm for decades on the impact of climate change, “our people, our economies, our environments have struggled to cope with the disastrous and largely unpredictable events that severely compromises our ability to grow, develop and guarantee a good quality of life and well-being for our people.
“We have been consistent about the need to hold global temperature rises to not more than 1.5 degrees. We have stepped up to climate action and played our part by demonstrating high levels of ambition.
“Our greatest challenge, however, remains that we need climate financing to meet these challenges, and as a region, we cannot do it alone. We recognize that despite our best efforts, we still fall short of the goals in Paris in 2015.”
Mitchell said that CARICOM must therefore strive to create more partnerships to support its call for greater ambition and increased investments in adaptation and building resilience.
“And because any increased efforts in adaptation are inherently linked to increase in the financing, our region must continue to advocate for more mechanisms of financial support for adaptation and mitigation efforts.”
He said on the issue of food security, improving Grenada’s food security is the number one priority for his administration.
“The lasting impacts of COVID 19 on shipping and trade and the global impact of the war in Ukraine on the cost of essential food items highlights the need for us to grow more of what we eat and use. We must take action through research to improve the genetic stock and invest more in creating germplasm plots and seedbanks to ensure that we have the requisite genetic material for sustained production.
“As a result of Grenada’s proactive response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Grenada’s agriculture sector is estimated to continue thriving, having already grown by 12.5 percent last year, with further growth of 8.4 percent projected for 2022.
“We will continue to support our farmers to ensure we have sustained growth with innovative, transformative policies and programs, to expand the production of foods that we can produce efficiently and cost-effectively. Action must be taken to reduce the feed cost for animals, along with implementing the decisions on improving logistics and shipping of agricultural products to facilitate trading among our islands.
“With sustained regional action to ensure we reduce the importation of poultry and meat products, our largest food imports, through expansion of local production are needed if we are to make a significant dent in the regional and national food import bill.”
Mitchell said the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic would continue to re-shape the region’s working environment.
“It will require agility and innovative approaches because technology became the single tool, enabling continuity in the face of widespread shutdowns. We were forced to pursue a Digital Strategy to harness and leverage information and communications technology (ICT) as an enabler and driver of economic transformation.”
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