UK-Caribbean Forum agrees Action Plan
Ministers attending the Seventh Ministerial UK-Caribbean Forum have agreed an Action Plan with agreements on economic resilience; security; climate change and sustainable development.
Highlights of the Action Plan include:
Economic resilience
To establish a new strategic partnership between the countries of the Caribbean and the United Kingdom to promote prosperity and build economic resilience through the development of practical mechanisms which will enhance growth in investment, employment, production and trade opportunities to the benefit of the Caribbean and the UK;
Security
To enhance collaboration and coordination in the fight against illegal drug trafficking among the Caribbean, the UK and its Overseas Territories through regional initiatives, greater intelligence sharing, criminal justice reform and targeting the proceeds of crime and support the Caribbean to engage more effectively with the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI).
Climate change and sustainable development
To collaborate closely on climate change issues, recognising that current ‘business as usual’ trends are likely to lead to catastrophic climate change, including warming, since the pre-industrial period of 4C or more. Preventing this is an imperative we share.
In particular, to work together with urgency and vigour to close the ambition gap on emissions, to mobilise climate funding on the necessary scale and to secure agreement by 2015 on a comprehensive legally binding global framework.
Other foreign policy issues
To support the principle and the right to self-determination for all peoples, including the Falkland Islanders, recognising the historical importance of self-determination in the political development of the Caribbean, and its core status as an internationally agreed principle under the United Nations Charter.
The UK was represented at the Forum by the Foreign Secretary William Hague, Minister for the Caribbean Jeremy Browne, as well as Home Office Minister James Brokenshire and Minister of State for International Development Alan Duncan.