Dr. Carla Barnett, CARICOM Secretary-General, held several bilateral talks on Monday, 27 May, on the margins of the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4) now underway in Antigua and Barbuda.
The Secretary-General met with Ms. Michelle Muschett, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The talks focused on: UNDP’s support to enhance governance and resilience in the Caribbean; citizen safety and security; Haiti; integration; regional data transformation; and UNDP support for CARICOM.
Dr. Barnett also held discussions with Mr. Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, the Chief Executive Officer of the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The discussions centred on enhancing cooperation between GEF and Caribbean SIDS across all relevant focal areas; and highlighting the coordination being undertaken in the Caribbean on biodiversity, climate change and oceans, especially the regional work plan on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Treaty. Climate financing, programmatic and integrated approaches, as well as the need for more opportunities for regional entities to serve as implementing partners, were also discussed.
SIDS4 is being held under the theme ‘Charting the course toward resilient prosperity’. The Conference is assessing the ability of SIDS to achieve sustainable development, including the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals.
Specific focus is on revitalizing SIDS’ economies, aid effectiveness and increasing climate finance in the wake of UNFCCC COP28. Delegates will also discuss human capital, health and youth, as well as address data and digital technologies.
