ASSISTANT Secretary-General, Human and Social Development, Dr Edward Greene said, last Thursday, that, at the Copenhagen meeting in Denmark, CARICOM is aiming to achieve principles relating to adaptation and looking at a forests based solution to combat climate change.

Speaking at the end of year press conference in the Secretariat Headquarters, Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, he pointed out that climate change has been put under the Directorate of Human and Social Development but it really belongs to the entire community.

“We have been articulating, within the CARICOM system, through the collaboration of our Heads of Government and the Ministers responsible for Environment and Foreign Ministers, for a 1.5 limit to greenhouse gas emissions,” he stated.

Greene said that does not, necessarily, accord with the point of views of the developing world, which would like to keep it at two.

“But, in fact, the negotiations in Copenhagen would be between two and 1.5 per cent.

“And what we are saying is that we are really moving towards a process where, as a consolidation of the region’s position, we are holding fast to the results of scientific studies which show that, unless we have the 1.5 as our landmark, then we will be serious trouble, in terms of other things that accrue – flooding, warming of the seas, destruction of the fish species and the coral reefs and so on, with implications for our tourists and other industries,” he warned.

Greene said: “In the context of what we are aiming at, we are aiming to ensure that, at Copenhagen, we can achieve principles related to adaptation, which will deal with our issues relating to disaster management and mitigation.

“We also are articulating for greater investments in research and diffusion of technology to help us combat the emissions problem, which is mitigation and we are going for 1.5 notwithstanding the challenge.

“We are dealing with the forests based solutions to mitigation, which includes the low carbon development being promoted by Guyana and supported by Suriname and Belize and, it seems, in alliance with Brazil.”

Alluding to some programmes, he said, over this year, several challenging and exciting developments in the area of human and social development occurred.

“These have all, not necessarily, commenced this year and, indeed, one illustration of a continuum of work is fully illustrated in a joint Council for Human and Social Development which was held in June in Jamaica, jointly between health, education and social development,” Greene stated.

He said that demonstrated the fact that the CARICOM system is, indeed, delivering in many areas, for example, the establishment of accreditation mechanisms to facilitate the free movement, as well as establish conditions and standards, that are common, across the region, to judge qualifications for job options in Member States.

Models
Greene said the Caribbean vocational qualifications comprise one of those very unique initiatives, as well, as the establishment of models throughout the region for family life education which revamp the way in which education and health converge with issues relating to youths.

According to him, the crime prevention programme was also introduced.

“I mention these to say that they were not initiatives that started this year but that they generated the kind of research, policy research, which, when discussed at the COHSOD (CARICOM Council for Human and Social Development) demonstrated that the regional integration process really has a good potential, in so far as Member States are collaborating on models of human and social development to deliver some programmes,” he explained.

Greene cited the issue of male underperformance and said important areas that the Community needs to take cognisance of include the Commission on Youth Development which was established by Heads of Government in 2007 and on which intensive research was accelerated in 2009.

He said more than 7,000 youths were involved in various sessions that resulted in a draft report which has been the subject of discussion throughout the region over the last two months, culminating Thursday in Haiti.

“This commission’s report, I think, would be very significant for understanding the perceptions and the realities of youths in this region,” Greene maintained.

“We look forward to the presentation of that report and the engagement of the youths and the Heads of Government at the Summit on Youth Development in Suriname the last week of January 2010,” he said.

Greene acknowledged the support for the youth commission programme from the Spanish Fund, as well as the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme).

“We also have what I will call multi-sectoral programmes although most of them are anchored in health. They are multi-sectoral, in so far as they affect other aspects of our work, including youth, culture, education and our economic development,” he outlined.

Touching on the HIV/AIDS programme, Greene congratulated PANCAP (Pan Caribbean Partnership for AIDS) for excelling in the coordination and said the interventions generated are regional connected with national which are very good examples of functional cooperation.

“And cooperation that not only deals with CARICOM Member States but also non-CARICOM Member States…and, indeed, forming a network that is really viable and has delivered and contributed greatly to the accelerated approach to HIV/AIDS,” he confirmed.

Greene said, this year for example, the highlight is on implementing a Caribbean regional strategic framework with impact on Member States, but focusing on universal access to prevention, care and treatment which has attracted a lot of donor support.

“It demonstrates the faith that the international community and donor partners place in a network such as PANCAP, which is making a very valiant attempt to coordinate the regional effort in what is really very important,” he observed.

Greene also underscored the very important role played by CARICOM in the mitigation of non-communicable diseases.

He said this follows the Port of Spain Declaration of 2007 and, since then, through a coordinating group, many countries have introduced programmes like healthy school meals, taxes on tobacco and healthy parks.

“As a result of the coordinated programme of CARICOM on the fight against non-communicable diseases, a number of activities are occurring that would improve the health and wellness of the region,” Greene reported.

Other members giving updates on different areas included Ambassador Colin Granderson, Assistant Secretary-General, Foreign and Community Relations; Ambassador Irwin La Rocque, Assistant Secretary-General, Trade and Economic Integration and Deputy Secretary-General, Ambassador Lolita Applewhaite.