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European Union and CARIFORUM Ministers launch new Partnerships under the Global Gateway Program

Posted: Tuesday, October 18, 2022. 9:13 pm CST.

Contributed by the Ministry of Economic Development: Honourable Louis Zabaneh, Minister of State for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology, alongside Ms. Orla Kantun Coleman, Director of International Affairs Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, represented Belize at the Joint Ministerial Meeting and Launch of the Caribbean-EU Partnerships in Barbados on October 12, 2022.

Belize’s representatives, alongside 15 other leaders from the Caribbean countries met with the European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Ms. Jutta Urpilainen, to discuss the main priorities that the European Union will dedicate to the Caribbean for the next five years. Both regions will work together through three partnerships under the Global Gateway, with a focus on 1.) Green Deal, 2.) Economic Resilience and Trade, and 3.) Governance, Security and Human Development”. Moreover, the EU and the Caribbean countries will work together to fight climate change, protect biodiversity and foster digital innovation and mobility of students and university staff.

Minister Zabaneh addressed Belize’s position on all three areas; firstly, on Green Deal. Belize, as a Small Island Developing State (SIDS) is extra vulnerable to external climate change shocks and disasters. Our Partnership for a Green Deal should assist the region in accelerating its energy transition and implementing countries’ respective Nationally Determined Contributions. As such, he emphasized the importance on us delivering on existing commitments and to ensure there is adequate treatment for both adaptation and loss of damage.
Secondly, on the topic of Economic Resilience and Trade, the Minister highlighted how fundamental it is to have partnerships to attain socio-economic and social development for the region. Progress on this front is intrinsically linked to the global financial architecture, on which we depend for supplementary financing. The Minister stressed that as our own national budgets are unable to finance our developmental goals and aspirations, the use of the Gross National Income by the international financial donors to access grants and concessionary financing is challenging and undermining our development. He noted that through the Gateway Program, the EU is introducing new opportunities for financing and hopes that the CARIFORUM states has access to these.

In his remarks on Governance, Security and Human Development, Minister Zabaneh shared that increased people-to-people contact is essential to fortify our relationships and unnecessary obstacles preventing travel between our regions only hinder this. He used the example of Belize not benefitting from the Schengen Visa Waiver and invited the EU to make a positive recommendation to our request.

Minister Zabaneh concluded his presentation highlighting that Belize is grateful to have been represented at the briefing meeting and for the maturing of the partnership with the EU. He mentioned that as we are moving towards a more sustainable and climate-conscious pathway and want to develop our economies, it is of utmost importance for each CARIFORUM country to effectively implement projects under the partnership and we look forward to moving ahead with the sustainable human development for our people and our region.

 

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