Caribbean Regional Preparatory Meeting

1
Caribbean Regional Preparatory Meeting

• Synthesis of National Reports

2
Purpose of Presentation

• to build consensus on common issues and
  constraints re implementation of SIDS/POA
• to identify best practice and strategies with
  potential for replication
• to build consensus on an agenda and negotiating
  strategy for Mauritius

3
Main Conclusions

• Caribbean SIDS are highly vulnerable
  (economically, environmentally, and socially)
• Vulnerability is the result of strictures of
  smallness, openness and dependency
• Characteristics/causes of vulnerability not fully
  understood by key decision-makers
• Lack of understanding has increased
  vulnerability
• Implementation of resilience-building strategies
  delayed.

4
Main Conclusions (contd)

• Utility of SIDS/POA as a resilience-building tool
  not sufficiently recognised
• SD initiatives not consciously driven by or made
  responsive to SIDS/POA
• SIDS/POA has heavy environmental bias
• SIDS/POA needs to be broadened to take account of
  economic and social imperatives.

5
Common Challenges

• Lack of capacity most pervasive and critical
  constraint
• Capacity deficiencies made worse by absence of
  clear development plans and strategies that
• Quantifies and makes effective use of existing
  capacity
• Sets out plans to create additional capacity
• Takes a/c of regional and international
  opportunities for short-term capacity boost.

6
Capacity Challenges (contd)

• Economic planning and management
• National and regional planning
• Financial management
• Policy cycle management
• ICT management
• Negotiating (trade,environment, finance)
• Energy planning and management
• Applied research
• Resource management (natural, human, financial)

7
Trade-related challenges

• Managing accelerated globalization
• Internalizing opportunities while mitigating
  threats
• Effectively linking with global economy
• Optimizing use of existing comparative/competitive
  advantage
• Building the capacity of firms to trade
• Understanding and internalizing international
  trade rules
• Effectively influencing the formulation of
  international trade rules

8
Challenge of international competitiveness

• Firms trade, not governments!
• Governments must create the conditions for firms
  to trade including
• Removing tariff and non-tariff barriers to
  business development and trade
• Facilitating access to credit on affordable
  terms
• Fostering the growth of entrepreneurial capacity
• Facilitating the implementation of the CSME
• Facilitating active participation by the private
  sector and civil society in bilateral and
  multi-lateral trade negotiations.

9
The Challenge of Energy Management

• vulnerability deepened by unnecessarily heavy
  dependence on fossil fuels
• demand depletes foreign exchange reserves
• Volatility in energy market prices weakens
  competitiveness productive sectors
• Need for an energy policy and strategy that
  promotes
• Energy efficiency
• flexible options for generation/distribution of
  energy
• effective regulation of the energy sector
• Application of renewable energy and efficient
  technologies.

10
Building resilience to social vulnerability

• High levels of unemployment and under-employment
• Relatively high rates of poverty
• Reduced levels of labour force participation
• Changing family structures and in composition of
  the workforce
• Increasing levels of crime especially among the
  youth
• Declining participation of males in formal
  education
• Weaknesses in law enforcement
• Increase in substance abuse especially among
  youth.

11
Social vulnerability

• Expanded provision of economic and educational
  opportunities
• Improved enforcement of legislation
• Scientific research into the nature and causes of
  crime
• Expanded safety net to provide relief to exposed
  groups
• Targeted support for development of
  micro-business

12
Challenge of environmental vulnerability

• Increased vulnerability to natural and man-made
  disasters such as climate change and extreme
  weather events
• Thin freshwater lenses that are easily
  contaminated
• High susceptibility to water stress
• Fragility of eco-systems to pests, disease and
  human activities
• Limited financial, technical and administrative
  capacity to cope with CC/CV
• Extensive interface between land and sea.

13
Resilience to Environmental Vulnerability

• Integrated Development Planning techniques and
  approaches
• Development of SD indicators
• Development and validation of Vulnerability
  indices
• Development of integrated policies and strategies
  for land, water, coastal zone, marine space
• Design of disaster management strategies
• Development of waste management policies and
  strategies.

14
Challenge of Governance

• Facilitating active participation of civil
  society in decision making (Barbados Social
  Compact)
• Building the capacity of CSOs for effective
  participation in governance
• Promote accountability and transparency
• Strengthen capacity of law enforcement especially
  the judiciary
• Strengthen national coordinating mechanisms
• Develop public-private partnerships
• Sustained PEA

15
Challenge of Financial Mobilization

• Examine best practice for financing for SD e.g
  Green Fund/Environmental Levies etc.
• Promote use of international mechanisms e.g CDM,
  GEF Debt for Nature Swaps Economic Rents
• Build capacity of development agencies in project
  cycle management and programme management
• Establish debt management policies and
  programmes.
• Ensure follow-up of the Monterrey Agenda