CARICOM re-states position on SDGs
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) grouping of 15 countries announced Monday that it remains committed to implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), despite worries about some of the obstacles to meeting the UN mandate by 2030.
Dominica’s President Charles Savarin stated during a high-level political forum on the SDG Summit at the United Nations that CARICOM’s position on the path to achieving the SDGs has been clearly outlined in several debates and intergovernmental negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations.
“We firmly believe that greater commitment, solidarity, and transformative action are required to achieve the aforementioned targets within a reasonable time frame,” stated Savarin, speaking on behalf of the CARICOm grouping.
He stated that the summit here gives a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to radically alter the trajectory of all member states in order for them to take significant action toward its implementation.
CARICOM, according to Savarin, supports the political declaration issued by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a renewed call for all member states to recommit to this transformative process.
“The existential threats of COVID-19 over the last three years, exacerbated by the impact of climate change and war in Ukraine, call for even greater multilateral leadership; therefore, a surge in commitments from governments and other stakeholders is required to take SDG implementation to the next level.”
“To that end, decisive action must be taken to improve support for developing countries, including long-term lending at lower interest rates, debt relief, and the establishment of a robust and effective sovereign debt resolution mechanism.”
According to the Dominican president, CARICOM is therefore urging the international community to take immediate action to restructure the international financial architecture and provide an enabling environment for developing nations to effectively engage in and benefit from the global economy.
He stated that the Multivulnerability Index and the Bridgetown Initiative are two mechanisms that have gained CARICOM support and must be pursued energetically.
The vulnerability index is a measure of a population’s exposure to a hazard. Typically, the index is a composite of numerous quantitative indicators that produce a single numerical result via some method.
The Bridgetown Initiative, led by Barbados Minister Mia Mottley, aims to alter the way affluent countries finance poor countries in times of climate disaster.
Mottley points out that wealthier countries can borrow at interest rates ranging from 1% to 4%, but impoverished countries can borrow at roughly 14%.
CARICOM, according to Charles, also endorses the urge to align national budgets with the SDGs’ route.
He stated that gender equality, the empowerment of women and girls, the reduction of household poverty, access to clean water and sanitation, food and energy security, and the use of technology as a transformative instrument must be prioritized, and that no citizen should be disadvantaged.
“The 2030 Agenda is doable.” There will always be problems, but the ability to overcome the most severe challenges is not unique to humanity. “These are indeed unprecedented times, but we can be confident because we have access to a wealth of knowledge and resources to meet the demands of the times,” Savarin said at the high-level conference.
