ECLAC countries stress special needs caused by covid19

The non-independent territories of the Caribbean asked the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) on Monday for co-operation to promote resilient development and common responses to the covid19 pandemic.

Prime ministers and senior officials made the request during a high-level meeting on the challenges faced by the associate members of ECLAC in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The meeting was part of the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development 2021, headed by Alicia Bárcena, executive secretary of ECLAC.

Andrew Fahie, Prime Minister of the British Virgin Islands, said the meeting was "a decisive milestone that marks ECLAC's renewed commitment to its associate members and the efforts of Costa Rica as current ECLAC president to deepen inclusion and participation. in the sustainable development of Latin America and the Caribbean.”

Associate member countries drew attention to the significant economic, social and environmental vulnerabilities, high exposure to extreme weather events and climate change, and low levels of resilience experienced by the Caribbean territories.

Diane Quarless, head of ECLAC's subregional headquarters for the Caribbean, noted that associate members faced the challenge of limited financial resources and growing debt burdens due to the sudden collapse of sectors such as tourism, transportation and construction as a result of the pandemic.

Nonetheless, she stressed that the Caribbean had been at a crossroads before and could face the challenge of surviving the covid19 crisis and staying on course towards achieving the 2030 agenda.

Bárcena affirmed, “The task that we have before us is overwhelming but noble, and the return of investing in our people and in sustainable development will be much greater than the cost of not doing so. So we must remain firm in our determination to move forward better."