P.M. John Briceño Urges Association of Caribbean States to Remain Viable Amidst Global Challenges
Prime Minister John Briceño urged heads of governments attending the Ninth Summit of the Association of Caribbean States to remain relevant and viable amidst global challenges. He also called for a refocus on the organization’s roots, which is the sustainable development of the Caribbean Sea. At the event in Antigua, Guatemala, P.M. Briceño said that the COVID-19 pandemic battered economies in terms of production losses and significant increase in debt burden and that these challenges are made worse by conflict in Europe. But he said that we should not lose sight of the fact that even before these more recent global events, the structural challenges hampering development already existed. The P.M. said, “In terms of economics, the consequences of the conflict in Eastern Europe have been felt around the world with the rising cost of wheat, fertilizers and oil; meaning that regardless of political views, the cost of living for our people has gone up, along with rising food insecurity. In consideration of these factors, national governments are hard-pressed to meet domestic demands and, if we are to be fully honest, even more so to meet multilateral demands with our limited resources. This has been amply aired in the extended and candid debate over the last two days on the perilous state of finances of the A.C.S. Secretariat. The A.C.S. has been in existence for almost thirty years. The delegations deliberated on themes such as strengthening and developing collective capacities of the Greater Caribbean, promoting the sustainable development of the Caribbean Sea, post-COVID-19 recovery, and revitalizing and strengthening the A.C.S. The summit concluded with the adoption of the Declaration of Antigua. The Prime Minister also held bilateral meetings with President of Guatemala, Doctor Alejandro Giammattei, as well as with leaders of the delegations of A.C.S. observer nations, who were present to discuss other matters of mutual interest.
