SANTA MARTA, Colombia - Guyana has called for enhanced security cooperation, urgent climate financing, and stronger multilateral mechanisms as representatives from Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries met with European Union (EU) officials as part of the IV Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) -EU Summit here.
Prime Minister Mark Phillips addressing EU-Caribbean Leaders meetingGuyana’s Prime Minister Mark Phillips told the EU-Caribbean Leaders meeting, convened by the President of the European Council, António Costa, and the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, that his country is committed to maintaining the region as a Zone of Peace, while emphasising that the region share a collective interest in addressing existing and emerging security threats.
He said these include threats to sovereignty and territorial integrity, issues of transnational crime, cybersecurity, and risks associated with inequality and irregular migration.
”Just yesterday, our country buried a six-year-old girl, Soraya Bourne, innocent victim of what we believe to be a terrorist bombing at a gas station in our nation’s capital linked to migrants. It could have been much worse! But this is one too many. Guyana is now on a new level of alert to prevent a recurrence,” Phillip told the meeting that brought together leaders of Caribbean CELAC countries to exchange views on matters of critical importance to both regions and the world at large.
He said that combating these threats requires cooperation and collaboration at multiple levels and across several fronts, which include information and intelligence sharing, capacity building, joint research, and norm-setting.
Phillips said also that the world is now much more integrated and interconnected, demanding enhanced coordinated responses.
“The UN Charter and international law provide an essential safeguard and we must continue to advocate for and insist on this… but today’s increasingly complex environment demands a more effective multilateralism, through strengthened international cooperation and enhanced governance supported by more agile and responsive mechanisms.”
The Guyana prime minister said this becomes increasingly pervasive due to the misuse of artificial intelligence and threats posed by disinformation and misinformation.
On the issue of climate change, Prime Minister Phillips said that Hurricane Melissa has provided a stark illustration of the existential threat facing the region, emphasising that the need for critical support in enabling adaptation, addressing loss and damage, and building resilience cannot be overstated.
He reiterated that climate response is inextricably linked to the availability and accessibility of financing at scale, and to the treatment of debt caused or compounded by climate disasters.
“The global financial system must become nimbler in mobilising short-term equity for crisis response and long-term funding for sustainable development, as proposed in the Bridgetown Initiative.”
He also urged greater political support for the application of the multidimensional vulnerability index, noting that it directly affects access to concessional financing for climate-affected states.
In his address, Prime Minister Phillips acknowledged the long history of collaboration between the EU and the Caribbean, including through facilities such as the EU-CARIFORUM Economic Partnership Agreement and expressed Guyana’s appreciation for the cooperation both bilaterally and through regional and global frameworks, including the Global Gateway initiative.
Suriname also pledged support for deepening the CELAC-EU partnership, with the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Cooperation (BIS), Melvin Bouva, noting the importance of regular dialogue on shared challenges such as climate, security, and peace. He said both regions should also take further action to promote trade relations, including the movement of people and goods.
Bouva said that the two-day summit which ended on Monday, represented an important opportunity to strengthen long-term cooperation between the two regions, based on shared interests and economic, social, and cultural ties.
Bouva also expressed concern about the rising tensions in the Caribbean and spoke out clearly against any form of military presence from outside the region that could threaten stability.
He said that as a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Suriname has called for peaceful coexistence, regional cooperation, and adherence to the principle of non-interference.
He said Paramaribo remains committed to maintaining peace and security in the region, in accordance with the UN Charter.
“In the lead-up to the celebration of 50 years of independence on November 25th, Suriname is focusing on sustainable growth, strengthening both bilateral and multilateral relations, and deploying economic and climate diplomacy.
“Our country, as one of the most forested countries in the world, with over 90 per cent forest cover, absorbs more carbon than it emits,” Bouva said, indicating also that countries with high emissions must take responsibility by compensating countries like Suriname for their contributions to forest conservation. Access to climate finance was also emphasized at this forum.
