- Food and nutrition, security, health, climate change, and disaster risk reduction
GEORGETOWN, Guyana – The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Spain have formalized a five-year agreement aimed at enhancing technical cooperation in critical areas such as food and nutrition security, health, climate change, and disaster risk reduction.
This strategic initiative was established during the recent IV Meeting of the Joint Commission of the Spain-CARICOM Fund at the CARICOM Secretariat in Georgetown. The meeting served to bolster the ongoing dialogue between CARICOM and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation to identify priority areas for collaboration and set actionable objectives within the framework of their Scientific and Technical Cooperation Agreement.
Elizabeth Solomon, CARICOM’s assistant secretary-general for foreign and community relations, signed the partnership agreement, with Spain represented by His Excellency Antón Leis García, director of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation.
Advancing Food Security
Solomon emphasized that the focus areas of the agreement align seamlessly with CARICOM’s objectives to enhance food security, tackle climate change impacts, and fortify health systems across the region. The Community aims to reduce its food import bill by 25 percent by 2025, enhance intra-regional trade, and develop resilient agri-food systems that create enduring opportunities for investors while ensuring comprehensive food and nutrition security for all member states.
Strengthening Health Systems
“CARICOM is dedicated to addressing health challenges and improving health systems region-wide,” stated Solomon. The strategy concentrates on preventing and managing Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), improving maternal and child health, ensuring universal access to quality healthcare, and tackling environmental health issues.
Tackling Climate Change
Solomon noted the growing urgency for CARICOM Member States, many still recovering from hurricane Beryl’s devastation. “The storms affecting our region are becoming increasingly severe and frequent. Limited access to development financing and climate funding hampers our adaptation efforts. It is imperative to collaborate with partners like Spain to equip our Community for future challenges,” she emphasized.
The AECID director underscored the necessity of collective efforts among like-minded nations to address critical issues such as development financing, climate action, and support for Haiti. “Our commitment to Haiti remains strong; we have continuously maintained our presence and contributed significantly to the ongoing international mission. We commend CARICOM’s leadership in pursuing both security and stability in Haiti and fostering political solutions,” stated Leis.
