Three Caribbean Community Institutions, Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) through which to cooperate, coordinate and combine their resources, experience and expertise in the discharge of their obligations to the Community.
The signing by the CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ), the Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA), and the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), took place on the sidelines of the First Joint Meeting of the CARICOM Secretary-General, Heads of Caribbean Community Institutions, and the CARICOM Committee of Ambassadors, at the Pegasus Hotel, Georgetown, Guyana.
The Barbados-based CROSQ has a mandate to, among other things, develop and promote the use of standards to reduce technical barriers to trade and facilitate international competitiveness and sustainable production of goods and services within the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).
CAHFSA, which is based in Suriname, helps to develop and promote the use of regional and international sanitary and phytosanitary standards, measures and guidelines, and facilitates the harmonization of technical procedures for matters such as Good Agricultural Practices (GAPS), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), quarantine systems and surveillance.
The Belize based CRFM promotes and supports the development, management and conservation of Member States’ marine and other aquatic resources, including, developing and maintaining relations with entities in the fisheries sector, supporting efforts which ensure safe, healthy working and living conditions for fishers, and promoting trade in fish and fish products.
Caribbean Community Institutions have been established to provide direct technical support to Member States in a range of areas and are critical implementing partners of the Community Strategic plan.
