The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) discussed the current socio-economic and political situation in Haiti by examining the possible "modes" of intervention.

The Caricom Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) held a special meeting last week in Miami, during which "the situation in Haiti was discussed and possible modes of intervention by Caricom to assist a Haiti-driven solution were explored."

The two-day meeting was COFCOR's first face-to-face meeting since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) in January last year, bringing together ministers who had taken office in the past eighteen months and their colleagues. It was greeted by the Consul General of Jamaica.

"The meeting was strategic in intent and provided the opportunity to define common positions and to thereby strengthen the coordination of approaches on foreign policy matters. Views were expressed on a Caricom Vision 2050 and strategic positioning of the Community in that regard."

"Threats and opportunities were outlined and discussions centred on the web of relations with international partners, Third states, as well as regional and international organisations which would help to shape a strategic foreign policy agenda for the Community," according to the Caricom press release.

The meeting's agenda also included the multi-faceted effects of COVID-19, including inequitable access to vaccines and the emerging two-tier vaccine approval system linked to international travel, as well as obstacles to access to concessional finance and other obstacles to economic recovery.

"Attention was paid to bilateral and multilateral relations within the Western Hemisphere, as well as to concerns arising from areas of political instability in the wider Caribbean region. Discussions on the Community's relations with regional and hemispheric organisations were also undertaken with a view to strengthening that interface."

IH/ iciHaiti