EXPO 2012 YEOSU CELEBRATE CARICOM DAY

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has underscored the importance of its participation in, and expectations of the Exposition 2012 now underway in the Republic of Korea under the theme `The Living Ocean and Coast’.

Ambassador Irwin laRocque, Secretary-General of CARICOM, who is in Korea on an official visit, addressed CARICOM Day celebrations at the Exposition on Monday, in Yeosu, and said that the theme resonated with the small island and low-lying coastal states and territories that comprised the Community.

Ambassador LaRocque pointed out that the social and economic life of most of the countries in the region is tied to the seas and coastal plains.

“…This exposition and its related events offer an opportunity both to showcase the beauty and diversity of our Member States as well as for the participants to garner new ideas for developing and utilizing their endowments,” he said.

Six CARICOM Member States are participating in the event that began on 12 May and concludes on 12 August 2012. The Exposition has three sub-themes: Coastal Development and Preservation, New Resources Technology, and Creative Maritime Activities.

According to the Secretary-General, Expo Yeosu was unique in that it offered to share knowledge on the proper use of the ocean and coast, as well as the opportunity to learn about state-of-the-art Marine Science and technology and Marine Industries. The experience and the possibility of acquiring technology could contribute to addressing some of the marine-related problems in the Region, he added.

He also addressed the timeliness of the event which served to highlight the threats faced by CARICOM countries from climate change, sea-level rise and the devastating effects of natural and man-made disasters to the coastal environment. “It is my hope that the organiser’s intention of promoting a new level of international cooperation via the Yeosu Project as well as the proposed Yeosu Declaration to chart a post-Kyoto vision, will be fulfilled as we seek to strengthen our countries’ capacities to deal with the effects of climate change,” Ambassador LaRocque said.

He added: “We look forward to the Yeosu Project becoming an important legacy of Expo 2012, by helping our countries craft forward-looking and environment-friendly policies to preserve and make judicious use of our marine resources. This is particularly important in support of the preservation and protection of our marine ecological system which was identified as a key objective in the Caribbean Community’s Declaration on Climate Change and Development issued by CARICOM Heads of Government in July 2009, in Georgetown, Guyana”.

The Yeosu Project seeks to bridge the divide between the developed and the developing world and build their capacity for meeting the challenges of climate change and its impact on the marine environment. Speaking also at the cerremony were Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Korea, Kim Han and Commissioner of the Expo His Excellency Lee Joon Hee.

The Vice Minister said that Korea is a reminder to CARICOM of the economic development that could be attained in a short period, while the Koreans considered the Caribbean as the optimum tourism destination. He asserted that Korea plans to further develop its relations with CARICOM. The Expo Commissioner added that Korea was interested in developing a sustainable green economy and environmentally responsible tourism.

The Republic of Korea has partnered with CARICOM in the latter’s development efforts and has assisted the Community in the several areas including governance and technical cooperation.

The CARICOM Day celebrations featured cultural presentations by Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis and Suriname. The dignitaries also toured the Expo Site including the pavilion that housed the booths of the CARICOM participants and the Korean Pavilion.