New Year is typically a time of reflection and, although many resolutions inevitably fall by the wayside, January is a good month to take stock, identify problem areas and commit to positive progress. The Caribbean has plenty of challenges ahead and island stakeholders would do well to ponder the way forward. When it comes to making regional New Year Resolutions, STAR Businessweek has some suggestions:
1. TACKLE DIVISIONS WITHIN CARICOM
Integration and collaboration is a fine goal for 2020, but CARICOM has not always delivered on this front. To truly harness the region’s collective power, divisions within the group have to be effectively addressed.
Going forward, the hot button issues will likely centre around implementation of the CSME, in particular its contentious free movement provisions. Late in 2019 the community turned to the Caribbean Court of Justice to determine whether members have the right to opt out of clauses on free travel and free movement around the region, as seen in the Eastern Caribbean with Antigua and St. Kitts and Nevis. The court’s final word on this will have implications for the entire Caribbean as other states closely eye this evolving issue.
2. INCREASE RESILIENCY EFFORTS
No-one in the Caribbean needs to be reminded of their vulnerability. Whether it’s external economic shocks or natural disasters, the islands are often hit on all fronts by events beyond their control. This makes resilience a top priority this year and every year.
In terms of building a hurricane-proof region, governments have a number of actionable items including strengthening their domestic emergency infrastructure, investing in better building codes and enforcement of those standards, and working more closely with regional agencies such as the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency and the Caribbean Public Health Agency.
A policy of more affordable disaster insurance would also help islands become more resilient in their recovery efforts. According to CARICOM Secretary-General Irwin LaRocque, there is a 66 per cent protection gap between the economic costs of damage and insured losses – in comparison to the 55 per cent shortfall seen in developed countries.
3. COMBAT CRIME
Rising crime levels are affecting every part of life in the Caribbean, from health and education to the economy and investment. No island is exempt and the scale of the problem is delivering significant reputational damage, thereby dampening tourism and foreign investment.
While there is no single best approach to crime, focusing on the region’s young people plays a vital role. Empowering Caribbean youth, economically and socially, will require more regional investment in education, technology, entrepreneurship and public health.
And because crime on one island affects the entire Caribbean, intra-regional co-operation on crime strategies and policies is a must. Pockets of success, such as the recent drop in violent crime and gang activity in St. Kitts and Nevis, can be a useful lesson for other small nations.
4. RAMP UP DIVERSIFICATION
Tourism will continue to be the main driver of the Caribbean’s economy, but a varied approach to investment and development will help the region fortify its finances over the long term. Too often, potentially profitable industries are left to wane (the beleaguered sugar sector) or simply under-appreciated (the untapped fashion industry).
5. ADDRESS UNEASY RELATIONSHIPS WITH CRUISE GIANTS
Cruise companies are both friend and foe to the Caribbean. While they generate a huge portion of overall tourism revenue and invest heavily in facilities, they also snap up land for private island destinations, carry a heavy environmental footprint and have been accused of sidelining local operators in favour of on-ship services.
2020 should be the year that the Caribbean pushes back, demanding more stringent waste restrictions, securing more advantageous development deals and taking a hard look at the gap between what cruise giants promise and what they deliver.
6. HALT CLIMBING YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT
There has been progress in the area of soaring youth unemployment (which is an issue for every Caribbean island) but this momentum must carry through into 2020. In Saint Lucia 44.3 per cent of youths aged between 15 and 24 are out of work, according to data from the World Bank.
To tackle the problem, the Caribbean Development Bank is focusing on entrepreneurship, helping young people get the tools to create their own opportunities. CARICOM is taking a holistic approach, addressing societal causes and working to reduce crime and violence among young people. Education is also a factor, both in terms of improving access to education and improving standards.
7. REGIONAL COLLABORATION
Regional co-operation and integration has never been more important as economic and geopolitical threats scale up in 2020. Better integration isn’t just simply a matter of diplomacy but pragmatic solutions to problems that have kept the Caribbean divided for decades, such as intra-regional transportation and trade.
Another issue in connectivity is the lingering debate over roaming charges. There are positive signs that this will be resolved in 2020 with CARICOM ICT members approaching telecommunications providers in late 2019 to discuss removing roaming rates throughout its 15 member states.
8. EXAMINE PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES
The Caribbean Public Health Agency does an impressive job in view of its limited resources but the bulk of the responsibility to protect public health lies with individual states, especially since climate challenges and the Caribbean’s aging population will only exacerbate public health issues.
With disturbingly high rates of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and obesity, the onus should be placed on educational programmes and a holistic lifestyle approach. Creating a safe infrastructure is also a priority as outbreaks of Chikungunya, Zika and other mosquito-borne diseases increase in frequency and severity. Over-crowding, inadequate sanitation and ineffective public education campaigns can turn a contained outbreak into a widespread crisis.
9. STRENGTHEN THE CARIBBEAN VOICE
With the Caribbean is vulnerable to the whims of international players, the region must have a loud voice on the global stage with strong representation at the United Nations, the World Economic Forum, the Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings and other high-level summits.
As Prime Minister Chastanet said in his address to the UN Assembly at the end of 2019, “I would like to be able to boast of a United Nations where small nations such as mine receive a fair hearing and genuine empathy, when appropriate. To some, that may seem like a high ideal but I submit that it is the minimum owed to States like Saint Lucia.”
10. END GENDER INEQUALITY
The Caribbean has come a long way since the islands won their fight for independence. However it is still lagging behind more developed nations in the area of gender equality. Women in the region are at risk – from violence, lack of economic opportunities and limited access to education.
Gender-based violence is a particular concern. According to UN Women, three of the top ten recorded rape rates in the world occur in the Caribbean and around 35 per cent of women in the region live in fear of being sexually assaulted or killed. A fifth of Jamaican women report being sexually abused before reaching the age of 18; and in Guyana, one in every two women experiences violence at the hands of their partner. Heading into 2020, one of the most important New Year’s resolutions for the Caribbean has to be creating a safer region for its women.
