Minister of Foreign Affairs et al, the Right Honourable Dr. Denzil Douglas attended the Seventeenth Special Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) in Nassau, The Commonwealth of the Bahamas on Wednesday, 15th February, 2023.
This important Organ, COFCOR of the Caribbean Community is capitalizing on the Forty-Fourth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of CARICOM to engage with several State and non-State actors including the Republic of Korea, the United States of America, the European Delegation, Spain, the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Azerbaijan to fuel the Region’s own efforts to recover and build resilience in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
This forum offered the opportunity to the Region’s top diplomats to realize one of COFCOR’s main objectives to coordinate foreign policy. In addition to receiving reports from the Chairs and co-Chairs of subcommittees emanating from the Ninth Summit of the Americas, Foreign Ministers received reports on preparation for upcoming global events and provided input on multiple multilateral initiatives to advance the development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Discussions centered on key priorities for the CARICOM inter alia, food security, climate action and financing for development. The Ministers reiterated the call for the transformation of the international financial architecture to create greater access to development funds and for a Multi-dimensional Index that accurately reflects the realities of SIDS.
Minister Douglas supported his regional counterparts in advocating for enhanced assistance in being able to move renewable energy projects to a “bankable” stage.