TWENTY-THIRD MEETING OF THE COUNCIL FOR FOREIGN AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS (COFCOR), VIRTUAL, 7-8 MAY 2020

COMMUNIQUÉ

The Twenty-Third Meeting of the Council for
Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) was
held virtually on the 7-8 May 2020, under the Chairmanship of His Excellency
Dr. Claude Joseph, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of the Republic of
Haiti.

The COFCOR was
attended by the Honourable E. P. Chet Greene, Minister of
Foreign Affairs,Immigration and
Trade of Antigua and Barbuda, Senator Dr. the Honourable Jerome Walcott, Minister
of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Barbados, the Honourable Wilfred P. Elrington, Minister of Foreign
Affairs of Belize, Dr. the Honourable Kenneth
Darroux, Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Business and Diaspora
Relations of Dominica, the Honourable Peter David, Minister for
Foreign Affairs of Grenada, Dr. the Honourable Karen Cummings, Minister
of Foreign Affairs of Guyana, His Excellency Dr. Claude Joseph, Minister of
Foreign Affairs and Worship of Haiti, Senator
the Honourable Kamina Johnson-Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign
Trade of Jamaica, the Honourable Mark Brantley, Minister of Foreign Affairs and
Aviation, St. Kitts and Nevis, the Honourable Sarah Flood-Beaubrun, Minister
of External Affairs, Saint Lucia,Her Excellency
Yildiz Pollack-Beigle, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Suriname and Senator the
Honourable Dennis Moses, Minister
of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs of Trinidad and Tobago.

The Bahamas was represented by His
Excellency Reuben Rahming,
Ambassador of The Bahamas to CARICOM, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines by Ms. Sandy Peters-Phillips, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Trade and Commerce.

OPENING CEREMONY

Opening Remarks were delivered by the Assistant
Secretary-General, Foreign and Community Relations, Ambassador Colin Granderson,
on behalf of the Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community, Ambassador Irwin
LaRocque, the Honourable C. Peter David, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Labour
of Grenada, outgoing Chair of the COFCOR, and His Excellency Dr. Claude Joseph,
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of the Republic of Haiti and Chair of
the COFCOR.

They highlighted various challenges facing the
Community, which have been compounded by the multi-faceted negative impact of
the COVID-19 pandemic.  They underscored
the critical role of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations as the
forum in which CARICOM Ministers of Foreign Affairs have the opportunity to jointly
reflect and deliberate on regional, hemispheric and international matters of
importance to the Community, and to agree on coordinated foreign policy
positions.  They all spoke of the
necessity to be unified as a region on matters of critical importance, in
particular in response to the global pandemic and the economic devastation that
has ensued. In this regard, they paid tribute to the regional institutions – the
Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Pan-American Health Organisation
(PAHO) – and the front-line workers fighting the pandemic.

The speeches can be accessed at www.caricom.org.

CANDIDATURES

The discussions on candidatures are an
important facet of CARICOM foreign policy coordination. The COFCOR reiterated the
importance of CARICOM’s participation in international decision and
policy-making bodies, including through the pursuit of increased CARICOM
representation in these organisations. 
In this regard, Ministers considered and endorsed a number of CARICOM
candidatures to the United Nations (UN) and other international and regional organisations.
They also deliberated on the requests from Third Countries for CARICOM’s endorsement
of their candidates to these bodies.

BILATERAL RELATIONS

The Council for Foreign and Community
Relations reviewed its relations with both its traditional and more recent partners
and discussed ways and means by which these relations could further be strengthened.   The COFCOR
also reflected on the need to engage new partners with a view to promoting an
appreciation of the Community’s interests and catalyzing new development
platforms.

Particular
attention was paid to developments, such as BREXIT and the negotiation of the successor
to the Cotonou Agreement, which are having a profound impact on the nature of
existing relationships, hence the focus on relations with the UK in its new
dispensation and the European Union (EU).

In view
of the adverse impact of COVID-19 on the conduct of international relations and
given that a global response is indispensable to confront global challenges, the
COFCOR exchanged views on the best options available to treat with the fallout
from the pandemic. They noted the continuing erosion of multilateralism as many
States have adopted a “country-first” posture in reaction to the pandemic. They
however acknowledged that initiatives had been taken to offset the lack of
global leadership and expressed appreciation for those of the UN Secretary
General, addressing the unique challenges of Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
They also lauded the EU’s efforts to mobilise financial support for global
research into the novel coronavirus through the hosting of the Coronavirus
Global Response Pledging Conference held virtually on 4 May 2020 and commended
the vital role played by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the
international fight against the pandemic.

Foreign
Ministers were called upon to support the advocacy efforts initiated by the
Chairperson of CARICOM outlining the Community’s position vis-à-vis accessing assistance to meet the fiscal challenges
arising from the pandemic.

Appreciation
was also expressed to international development partners which have provided
support in various forms to the Community in its fight against the virus.  

With the
Seventh CARICOM-Cuba Summit scheduled to be held in Cuba in December 2020, the
COFCOR received an update on the status of relations. The COFCOR paid tribute to
the Government and People of Cuba for the provision of public health personnel
to boost the Region’s limited capacity in the face of the spread of the
Coronavirus pandemic despite the country’s own challenges aggravated by enhanced
US sanctions.  Foreign Ministers called
for an immediate and unconditional lifting of the US economic, commercial and
financial embargo against Cuba.

Foreign
Ministers made reference to the deepening of relations with Latin America and
noted the recent re-energising of ties with several Latin American countries
which had become dormant over time. They acknowledged the need for the wider
region to share experiences and best practices in response to the pandemic and
the resulting coordination meetings under the umbrella of the Organisation of
American States (OAS), the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC)
and the Association of Caribbean States (ACS). 
Foreign Ministers acknowledged the need for the Community to be more
strategic in its engagements with Latin America.

CARICOM Foreign Ministers highlighted the recent
developments in the relations between CARICOM and Africa underpinned by
reciprocal official visits of CARICOM Prime Ministers and African Presidents
which have brought the two regions closer. They expressed regret over the
postponement of the proposed CARICOM-African Union Summit in June 2020 owing to
the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Initiatives for enhancing relations between
the Community and Africa were also explored. In this regard, the
COFCOR welcomed the provision of office space for CARICOM diplomatic representation
in Nairobi by Kenya. The establishment of an Africa Group-CARICOM Caucus (AfCAR)
Collaboration Initiative at the United Nations, New York, was welcomed and endorsed.

COFCOR ENGAGEMENT WITH
THIRD STATES

In accordance with its traditions, the COFCOR engaged with the Foreign
Ministers of two third states - Norway and Canada. The engagements provided the
opportunity to exchange views on matters of mutual interest and for the COFCOR
to express appreciation for the supportive voice and cooperation assistance
provided by both states over the years. Foreign Ministers also voiced their
deep concern over the multifaceted impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. They sought
the continued advocacy of these partners in support of CARICOM’s representation
to the international financial policymaking bodies to review their eligibility
criteria which bar access to development assistance, grants and concessional
financing. These financial resources would be invaluable at this moment of deep
economic recession to fight the pandemic and underwrite recovery.

BLACKLISTING

The
COFCOR rejected the arbitrary and unilateral imposition of blacklisting by the
EU on several Member States of the Community. They expressed concern over the
constant shifting of goal posts, the continued lack of prior consultation or
notification and the unwillingness to take into account the efforts at
compliance made by CARICOM Member States. The measure was viewed as detrimental
to the economies of the affected states which are already in recession. The Community
called on the EU to take into consideration the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19
pandemic on the economic wellbeing of the small states of CARICOM in their
policy-making.

MULTILATERAL AND
HEMISPHERIC RELATIONS:

United Nations (UN)

Foreign
Ministers took note of the long-term
implications of COVID-19 for the economies of Small Island Developing and
Low-Lying States and the context in which these implications should be
addressed through important UN initiatives such as the SAMOA Pathway, Financing
for Development and the realisation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development (SDGs). They commended the attention being paid by the UN Secretary
General and UN agencies such as the Economic Commission for Latin America and
the Caribbean (ECLAC) to the issues of indebtedness and access to concessional
financing of SIDS and Middle Income Countries which have become obstacles to
the development of these countries as well as to their post-pandemic recovery,
a situation exacerbated by the economic and financial ravages of the pandemic.

Organisation of American States (OAS)

The COFCOR received an update on the issues of interest
to the Community before the OAS. 
Ministers underlined the critical importance of the development pillar
of the organisation at this point in time and stressed the need for CARICOM to
leverage its influence at the OAS by speaking with one voice.

Community of Latin American and Caribbean
States (CELAC)

The COFCOR commended the re-energising of CELAC
since the assumption of the Presidency Pro Tempore (PPT) for 2020 by Mexico and
expressed satisfaction with the CELAC technical meetings of experts on the
COVID-19 pandemic and the convening of the Ministerial Meeting with China.
Ministers renewed their commitment to the activities of this integration
process which has helped to build bridges between the Region and Latin America.

Association of Caribbean States (ACS)

CARICOM Foreign Ministers commended
the coordination activities taking place within the ambit of the ACS, in
particular the revival of inter-Secretariat meetings, and the coordination
meetings addressing COVID-19. They also noted the coming changes of leadership
at the organisation which brings together the countries of the Greater
Caribbean, another important link to Central and Latin America.

The COFCOR agreed that the Community
should continue to highlight the importance of the Caribbean Sea Initiative and
the Caribbean Sea Commission and stressed the need for continued engagement and
active participation in the work of the ACS.

The COFCOR expressed its appreciation
to Dr June Soomer for the invaluable work she has done during her tenure as
Secretary-General which ends in July of this year.

Commonwealth

Ministers regretted the
understandable postponement of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)
which was due to be held in Rwanda in June 2020. The Community was looking
forward to addressing issues of interest and concern with their Commonwealth
counterparts. This forum has always been viewed as a valuable opportunity for
exchanging views with members of the G7 and G20 which play an influential role in
shaping global economic and financial affairs. This would have been opportune,
given the present need for the support required by CARICOM states whose
economies have been decimated by the pandemic. This forum is also of significance
because of the importance it has ascribed traditionally to the situation of
small states.

BORDER
ISSUES

Belize
- Guatemala Dispute

The
COFCOR received an update on the recent developments between Belize and
Guatemala. The COFCOR welcomed the submission of the case arising from
Guatemala’s claim to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for final and
definitive resolution, in accordance with the Special Agreement to Submit
Guatemala’s Claim to the ICJ. They further noted that the ICJ had extended the
time-limits for the filing of the initial pleadings.

Pending
a resolution of the case before the ICJ, the COFCOR urged Belize, Guatemala and
the OAS to respect and implement fully the Confidence Building Measures as
agreed under their Framework Agreement of 2005. 
They further called on both countries and the OAS to redouble their
efforts to engage in the design and development of a mechanism of cooperation
for the Sarstoon River, which remains outstanding.

The
COFCOR reiterated its support for the crucial role of the OAS in the process
aimed at resolving the dispute, arising from Guatemala’s claims on Belize, and
called on the international community to continue supporting the OAS Office in
the Adjacency Zone.

The
COFCOR reaffirmed its unwavering support for the sovereignty, territorial
integrity and security of Belize.

Guyana-Venezuela
Controversy

CARICOM
Foreign Ministers received an update on the most recent developments between
the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Ministers noted that Guyana was to have
presented its case in oral pleadings scheduled for the week of 23 March 2020 as
to why the ICJ was properly vested with jurisdiction by the United Nations
Secretary-General under the Geneva Agreement 1966 for a final resolution to the
controversy between Guyana and Venezuela. Ministers further noted that the oral
pleadings had to be postponed by the Court due to the global pandemic caused by
COVID -19.

Ministers reiterated the Community’s full
support for the judicial process that is intended to bring a peaceful and
definitive end to the long-standing controversy between the two countries. They
further reiterated their firm and unswerving support for the maintenance and
preservation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana.

FINDING
COMMONALITY ON SENSITIVE SOCIAL ISSUES

Foreign
Ministers underscored the importance of maintaining a coordinated position in
multilateral fora on sensitive social issues which have become quite
contentious during discussions at the UN.  They agreed on the importance of determining CARICOM’s
core positions on these issues.

STRENGTHENING CARICOM
ELECTION OBSERVATION

The COFCOR recognised the importance
of CARICOM Election Observation Missions (CEOMS) in promoting and maintaining
the Community’s democratic values. They noted the challenges that currently
exist in assembling missions and examined ways in which the process could be improved.
The COFCOR agreed that the Declaration of Principles for International Election
Observation and the Code of Conduct for International Election Observers should
be adopted.

SYMBOL OF
CARICOM

The COFCOR considered and agreed, in
principle, to a proposal for the CARICOM Standard, the symbol of the Caribbean
Community, to be displayed along with the national flag at all the Diplomatic and
Consular Offices of CARICOM Member States.

*****

11 May
2020