THE Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Japan reconfirmed their commitment to deepen collaboration on climate change, natural disaster preparedness, and agricultural technology during the recently held Twentieth CARICOM-Japan Consultation at the CARICOM Secretariat Headquarters in Georgetown, Guyana.

They also explored the possibility of technical co-operation in women, peace, and security; governance; citizen security; renewable energy; agriculture; food security; agribusiness, and food value chains; as well as sustainable marine resources and water resource management, in alignment with the current areas of collaboration.

The meeting, which was one of several high-level engagements commemorating CARICOM-Japan Friendship Year 2024, was co-chaired by Suriname’s Ambassador to Guyana, Her Excellency Liselle Remelda Blankendal, and His Excellency Yasushi Noguchi, Director-General, Assistant Minister (Ambassador), Latin American and Caribbean Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan.

In her opening remarks, Ambassador Blankendal stated that the meeting served to reaffirm CARICOM and Japan’s shared commitment to sustainable development while also solidifying their mutual respect.
Ambassador Blankendal recalled the historic CARICOM-Japan Summit in 2014, when the late Shinzo Abe became the first Japanese Prime Minister to visit the region, ushering in a new strategic approach to CARICOM-Japan cooperation and the first CARICOM-Japan Friendship Year.

The Surinamese Ambassador stated that CARICOM has benefitted considerably from technical cooperation with Japan in disaster management, capacity building, food security, and climate change, underpinned by Japan’s policy of recognising the vulnerability and unique conditions of Small Island and Low-Lying Coastal Developing States.

“We have long called for such approaches to become a global standard. We hope that Japan will continue to be an ally and advocate for the advancement of this position and policy solutions such as the implementation of a Multidimensional Vulnerability Index and recommendations highlighted in the Bridgetown Initiative, especially in fora where we as small states have no access and no voice,” the Ambassador stated.
She expressed the Community’s gratitude for Japan’s assistance to Member States following Hurricane Beryl and noted that the country remains one of the Region’s leading partners in disaster management and risk reduction.

Assistant Secretary-General for Foreign and Community Relations, Elizabeth Solomon, thanked Japan for being one of the first development partners to provide emergency aid following Hurricane Beryl’s devastation in the region.

“We are constantly reminded that the continued existence of our Caribbean societies is dependent not only on our ability to build climate resilience but also on the international community’s will to respond to the dangers posed to Small Island and Low-lying Developing Coastal States (SIDS) due to climate change,” Ms. Solomon stated.
She added, “It will take a concerted effort to bring about the solutions needed for the preservation of our Region, and I am assured that as a friend to the Community, Japan will surely echo the call to provide the necessary resources for adaptation and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs).”

In his remarks, Ambassador Noguchi expressed solidarity with CARICOM in the wake of the hurricane’s destructive impact and loss of life. He said that the Government of Japan had provided emergency aid to CARICOM Member States, including St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Jamaica, and was also preparing emergency assistance for Grenada.

Ambassador Noguchi emphasised the importance of CARICOM-Japan relations, stating that their co-operation in the international arena is critical in the face of global instability caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the war in the Middle East, challenges in East Asia, and a deteriorating international and regional security environment.

“We consider this a historical turning point. Japan is ready to co-operate with CARICOM to work together and to lead the international community from a divided and conflicted situation to a harmonised situation. We are aiming to ensure peace, stability, and prosperity. For this, we believe it is very important to maintain and uphold a free and open international order, based on the rule of law, and human dignity,” Ambassador Noguchi stated.

Following the Consultation, the Director-General paid a courtesy call on CARICOM Secretary-General, Dr. Carla Barnett. The Japanese delegation included the Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and Plenipotentiary Representative to CARICOM, His Excellency Yutaka Matsubara.

CARICOM-Japan Friendship Year 2024 marks the 30th anniversary of the first Japan-CARICOM Consultation in 1993, as well as the 60th anniversaries of Japan’s diplomatic relations with Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. The 8th CARICOM-Japan Foreign Ministers meeting is scheduled for December to conclude the year-long celebrations. (CARICOM Secretariat)