ACTING Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Ambassador Lolita Applewhaite, has challenged the Second Forum on Donor Co-ordination and Aid Effectiveness to begin seeking ways “to leverage traditional assistance” to benefit the regional private sector.

Speaking at the opening of the forum at the CARICOM Secretariat, Ambassador Applewhaite said, “It would certainly not be beyond the remit of this forum to initiate discussion on how it may be possible to leverage traditional assistance to benefit the development of the regional private sector, including the building of competitiveness.”

The one-day forum brought together CARICOM member states, their International Development Partners (IDP) and the secretariat to discuss how to achieve more effective results from the resources provided by the IDPs.

Pointing out that CARICOM Heads of Government had emphasised the critical role of the private sector in achieving the region’s development goals, the acting secretary general noted that in the regional context, particularly important components of the private sector were the micro, small and medium enterprises both formal and informal.

Ambassador Applewhaite said this role should be accompanied by a new approach from the private sector, “towards one of total involvement and being an integral part of the partnership comprising the member states, the IDPs and the secretariat. She said that the private sector must also “take responsibility for its role and be prepared to be part of the solution to the challenges and share the risks in achieving the national and regional development goals.”

She stressed to the forum that to achieve the desired results from the resources provided, all parties must work together, with each taking responsibility and being accountable.

“Let us openly examine risks as they occur, and seek solutions together, so that there is joint ownership of the projects and programmes. Our collaboration should occur from conceptualisation to implementation; we need, together, to build the framework to achieve the results,” she added.

Further, Ambassador Applewhaite emphasised that in a world that had become increasingly harsh towards the needs of small developing countries, “together we must make sure that resources for development are delivered in accordance with our priorities and where they can have the greatest effect.”

The acting Secretary-General reminded the meeting that development was about people and creating opportunities for their sustained growth and improvement in their quality of life.