CARICOM-Brazil Joint Commission to be operationalised – President Ali

President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has announced that the CARICOM-Brazil Joint Commission for food, energy, and climate security will be operationalised, with its first meeting slated to be held this year.
This was the update during his remarks at the special engagement between Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the Caricom Heads of Government, which was held at the Marriott Hotel, Kingston Georgetown on Wednesday.
This commission emanated from the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by CARICOM and Brazil in 2010.
“With this platform of stronger dialogue in place, we have a unique opportunity to build a stronger future together. Through regular dialogue and joint projects, we can forge a more robust and mutually beneficial partnership,” President Ali said.
He called for more frequent engagements between CARICOM and Brazil, noting that the first Brazil-CARICOM Summit was held 14 years ago.
This summit saw the signing of a Technical Cooperation Agreement that prioritised areas including trade and investment, agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture, energy, tourism, and other areas for economic cooperation.
The Commission was established at that time to supervise the implementation of this agreement.
According to President Ali, another tangible step in strengthening these ties with Brazil is long overdue.
The head of state, who also holds Chairmanship of CARICOM, highlighted several areas for enhanced collaboration between CARICOM and Brazil, which include climate adaptation and mitigation.
“As we grapple with the distinct challenges of climate change, we recognise Brazil’s leadership in renewable energy and sustainable development as an invaluable resource. Disaster Preparedness… our region is comprised of small, developing states consistently facing the threats of natural disasters, especially hurricanes. To address this, our regional agency, CDEMA, has been playing a crucial role in developing and strengthening early warning systems across the Caribbean region. We believe the expertise of Brazil can be a valuable area of cooperation,” President Ali noted.
The Guyanese leader also pointed to the regional 25 by 2025 agenda, energy security, as well as technical and vocational training.
“We are united, not only by geography, but also by our common desire to build a prosperous, peaceful and sustainable future for our people,” the head of state expressed.