OUTGOING chair of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR), Vince Henderson, made a strong appeal to Caribbean leaders to remain independent in decisions of national policy.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 28th meeting of the council for COFCOR on May 8, Henderson said several issues are driven by agendas based on who is in government in a major capital of the world.
"And we seem to be very happy to dance to their drums and seek to please them.
"But the only way we can survive as Caribbean nations, as a community, is for us to define for ourselves the things that are important to us."
Henderson said that as small states, the region needs to keep fighting for justice, equity and climate change.
"We should not change our position because we are fearful that we might offend others if we continue to make the case for justice."
He said leaders should be unrelenting and fearless in their pursuits, as changes in the global landscape present an opportunity for Caribbean nations to define their values.
"And it’s only when we have determined those very important ambitions that we can interface as a community with other states. Because sometimes we struggle with our messaging, we struggle with our approaches that we should use with partners, and we even struggle with which countries should become partners and allies and friends.
"Are we ensuring we can negotiate certain trade agreements? I am happy with some of the work COTED (Council for Trade and Economic Development) is doing. But we need to ensure that we determine for ourselves the things that define us as a community, so that when we interface with countries, we’re not scouring for ideas and seeking to appeal to people because of their own agendas."
He also expressed concerns about the progress of Caricom’s goal of reducing the region’s food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025.
"We are in 2025, and I’m not sure we have achieved 25 in our food security and agriculture."
Henderson said more needs to be done to enhance the region’s agriculture sector through the use of technology, which will help the sector adjust to the impact of climate change.
He did, however, commend the progress Saint Kitts and Nevis has made in the energy sector through geothermal projects.
In February, Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew announced the nation has secured full funding for its first geothermal energy project, which will result in the drilling of the first five geothermal wells in the country. This initiative seeks to bring the nation closer to its goals of becoming a sustainable island state, reducing its reliance on fossil fuels and lowering energy costs for citizens.
Noting the progress, Henderson encouraged other member states like Grenada, St Lucia and St Vincent to pursue the same.
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