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CARICOM forum discusses regional sustained development

Xinhua, June 24, 2015 Adjust font size:

Government leaders and senior officials from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) gathered in Antigua and Barbuda on Tuesday to discuss solutions to the challenges the region faces in pursuing sustained economic growth.

Held under the theme "CARICOM Overcoming Challenges: Pathway to Development," the one-day regional forum aims to review the progress of the community's strategic plan for 2014-2019 and clarify priorities and obstacles in CARICOM's path.

Addressing the opening ceremony, St. Kitts and Nevis' Prime Minister Timothy Harris stressed the need for sustained economic growth in the Caribbean, saying that "episodic growth is not enough to cause development."

"Development is an intergenerational reality. It requires a sufficiency of growth for a prolonged period of time to bring real people-centered development," Harris said.

"Our reality is that over the last thirty years growth has been anemic, and our region lags behind Latin America in terms of the level of secular growth. This is a challenge that we must overcome," he added.

The prime minister urged the CARICOM members to attach great importance to "creativity and innovativeness" in pursuing the region's future sustained development, and called for joint efforts among countries sharing common history and experiences.

Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne said the forum is not about talking, but about finding solutions. He emphasized that creating new jobs and ensuring a healthy population are vital to the region's future growth.

Speaking of the regional bloc's strategic plan, Antigua and Barbuda's Ambassador to CARICOM, Clarence Henry, said it was aimed at "addressing issues that have plagued real progress with the implementation of the integration project, as well as the responsiveness of the community to the realities affecting member states."

He added that they should always remember that "the strength of the community comes from the collective." Endi