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Hammond expresses continued support from United Kingdom to Caribbean region

While on island last week to participate in the Ninth United Kingdom (UK) – Caribbean Forum held at the Grand Lucayan Resort, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the UK, the Rt. Hon. Philip Hammond expressed the UK’s continued commitment to the development of the Caribbean region. 

 

During the opening ceremony of the biennial forum which was held on Friday, Hammond informed those in attendance a few of the tangible forms of the UK’s commitment as well as upcoming commitments which he intended on elaborating on during the two day forum. 

 

“We are giving 30 million pounds to aid in capacity building to support private sector development and public sector finances and a further 38 million pounds towards boosting resilience to health facilities against natural disasters and other challenges. However, UK’s support is not limited to providing money. 

 

“We will also exchange views on how to build on our work together to battle the surges of corruption, serious and organized crime, money laundering and drug trafficking and to build a more efficient judicial response to all of these issues. 

 

“This collaboration has already yielded concrete results, millions of pounds worth of drugs have been seized, criminals that prey on the vulnerable have been imprisoned, and the UK remains committed to providing additional support in the coming years, in particular, to focus on ensuring an appropriate asset recovery legislations are in place so that we can make sure, collectively, that crime never pays,” acknowledged Hammond. 

 

“We are conscious that UK support needs to evolve as the needs of the Caribbean change. It is with that thought in mind that I am pleased to announce three new areas of UK investment today.  The perennial challenge of mosquito born diseases, which presented itself anew in the form of Zika virus; the UK will establish a project team of UK public health experts to work the Caribbean public health aids.  We are exploring with the Pan American Health Organization and other international partners, how we can support their efforts and help to identify other areas, which may need support in the future. 

 

“Secondly, parts of the Caribbean have been suffering from an increasing presence of sargassum seaweed. The UK supported a conference on this issue in the British Virgin Islands in March of this year with representatives from the organization of east Caribbean states. We will work with partners to help to deliver the recommendations for the possible commercial implications that have the prospect of turning this blunt into an opportunity,” informed the Secretary of State. 

 

Additionally, he informed that the economies of the Caribbean can benefit greatly from the development of the blue economy, which according to http://www.coastgap.facecoast.eu, is a marine based economic development that leads to improved human well-being and social equity, while at the same time reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. 

 

Hammond expressed, “Thirdly, the UK will support this initiative with the launch of a 5.6 million pound project, a program to help sustain all blue growth in Commonwealth small island developing states.” 

 

According to the European Commission’s website (http://www.ec.eurpoa.eu) on maritime affairs, Blue Growth is referred to as the long-term strategy to support sustainable growth in the marine and maritime sectors as a whole. 

 

“These are just examples of UK’s ongoing commitment to the Caribbean. The UK government wants to continue working with the region to help build a prosperous, integrated, secure and peaceful Caribbean. This is a region of huge potential, both to develop and play on common international roles. 

 

“We want to support you in doing both. The Caribbean’s and the UK’s roles on the global stage, will be an important theme in our discussions. I would like to thank Prime Minister Christie again for his role, and I wish you all an enjoyable evening and a productive and successful forum,” concluded Hammond. 

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