NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Prime Minister Philip Davis KC said yesterday that within three weeks the results of CARICOM’s efforts to aid Haiti will be seen, noting that the first step is to strengthen the Haitian National Police.
Davis, the Chair of CARICOM, spoke at a closing press conference of the 44th Regular Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government.
He said: “We at CARICOM have taken our moral obligation seriously as it relates to resolving the issues in Haiti and the first step would be to see how we can strengthen the Haitian national police to enable them to restore order and curb the criminal activities on the island. We hope to have a meeting in the shortest possible time with stakeholders in Haiti, representatives of CARICOM, and perhaps an international partner to talk about how we can strengthen the Haitian national police.”
Davis said that CARICOM is aware of the need to create a space in which peace can be obtained to enable the free movement of people and then allow for free, fair, and transparent elections.
He went on to note that the path towards obtaining peace and stability in Haiti does not include ‘boots on the ground’ but rather building up the security mechanism that is in place which is the Haitian national police.
This, he said includes providing food and ensuring that they are paid on time. Dozens of officers within the Haitian national police have been killed by suspected gangs and hundreds have resigned amid ongoing unrest in the country.
“We are not there yet about boots on the ground,” said Davis, noting that sanctions by countries such as Canada have been aimed at cutting funding to armed gangs and other organizations believed to be driving the violent uprising.
Davis acknowledged that there is a humanitarian crisis in Haiti that must be addressed.
“The challenge has been that any aid being sent to Haiti is being hijacked because the gangs are controlling entry points,” he said.
“There is an urgency to the matter so within weeks, I dare say within the next three weeks you would see the results of the effort of CARICOM.”
Davis described the CARICOM meetings this week as “robust and fruitful discussions” and expressed confidence the agenda has been advanced for Caribbean integration, the growth of our national and regional economies, and the well-being of our peoples.
Davis noted that CARICOM heads of government leaders discussed amendments to the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas to provide for the regulation of mergers and acquisitions in the CSME, based on an approved Community Policy.
“Heads of Government endorsed the decision of the COFAP to amend the Intra-CARICOM Double Taxation Agreement (ICDTA), through a Protocol on Treaty Shopping and Exchange of Information. Our expectation is that the Protocol should be ready for signature at the Regular Meeting of the Conference in July 2023,” he said.
Davis further noted that heads of government discussed the need for measures to improve the functioning of the global financial system, particularly in the context of the numerous crises adversely affecting the community and which put middle-income countries at risk for reversal of economic gain.
“These include climate change, debt, food, and water insecurity, the digital divide, health pandemics and Antimicrobial Resistance, and threats to biodiversity. We agreed to work collectively for a complete restructuring of the global financial architecture that will allow countries of the region to respond to the current and emerging existential threats.”
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