St. Maarten Now Associate ACS Member
MERIDA, Mexico:--- The Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams represented Sint Maarten at the sixth Summit of the Heads of State and Governments of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) last week in the city of Merida in Mexico. Sint Maarten's Associate membership in the organization was achieved in February of this year.
The Summit, the sixth in the history of the organization, also commemorated the 20th Anniversary of the ACS. The Summit is an opportunity for discussing the problems and challenges presented by the international agenda and also serves as an opportunity to strengthen historical, economic, social and cultural ties among the peoples of the Caribbean. Over thirty countries from the Caribbean basin were in attendance as well as representatives of CARICOM, the Latin American Economic System (SELA), the Central American Integration System (SICA), and the Permanent Secretariat of the General Agreement on Central American Economic Integration (SIECA), The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO). Countries with key interests in the region were also represented including South Korea, Turkey, and Finland.
The ACS positions itself as the organization for consultation, cooperation and concerted action in the Caribbean region. Its framework provides a forum for political dialogue that allows members the opportunity to identify areas of common interest and concern and to formulate the solutions for key regional challenges. Included in membership to the organization are training, courses, and seminars to help in institution building and to strengthen capacity. The organization has five focal areas: the Preservation of the Caribbean Sea, Disaster Risk Reduction, Sustainable Tourism, Trade, and Transport. In the Prime Minister's intervention she presented a profile of St. Maarten underlining the relevance of these areas to Sint Maarten, highlighting our experience in best practices in disaster mitigation and port and harbor management. The Prime Minister also noted the relevance of this particular summit, taking note of the upcoming deadline for the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals. Outlined was our National Development Plan, as a means to address the goals in which we are lagging, among other things. The Prime Minister also highlighted our favorable geo-strategic position, the island's plans to diversify our tourism market, and our hub function. During the intervention, and throughout the summit as a whole, the many states represented expressed concern over the relatively weak transport links within the region, the lack of appreciation for Caribbean culture, art, and literature, and the increasing threat of climate change. These were points stressed by the President of Mexico Enrique Peña Nieto, the Secretary General of the ACS Ambassador Alfonso Munera, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Camillo Gonsalves. Mexico, noting its position as a key member of the region, presented four initiatives to strengthen the basin including the implementation of a geospatial infrastructure system and enhanced maritime routes. Wescot-Williams furthered called upon members of the organization to look at Sint Maarten as a regional partner in the areas of trade and tourism, as well as a strong candidate in the filling of the transport vacuum present in the region, particularly between the islands and Latin America.
Sint Maarten's global perception as an upper-middle income country was also addressed. As an autonomous country within the Kingdom, Sint Maarten is often given the development profile of the Netherlands. This alienates us from relevant discussions regarding pertinent issues in the region such as the environment, climate change, and access to funding. Consequently, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of the Small Island Developing States agenda (SIDS), particularly in the case of non-independent states.
The Prime Minister also took the opportunity to hold bilateral meetings between Sint Maarten and key partners in the region. Aided by Patrice Gumbs, Senior Policy Advisor at the Directorate of Foreign Relations, Emilia Thomas, Policy Advisor in her Cabinet, and the Kingdom Ambassador in Mexico Dolf Hogewoning; the Prime Minister met with, among others, the President of the Dominican Republic Danilo Medina, the Prime Minister of Jamaica Portia Miller-Simpson, and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Panama Francisco Alvarez de Soto, El Salvador Jaime Miranda, and Belize Wilfred Erlington. Discussed was the historical relationship between the Dominican Republic, Panama, and our island, the appointing of a Jamaican Honorary Consul, visa and consular affairs, and cooperation in technical assistance and trade. To that end a number of official visits to Sint Maarten will be undertaken to formulate areas in which we could best form a relationship with these countries.
At the close of the Summit all Heads of State and Government signed the Declaration of Merida, codifying their objectives and plans for the coming biennium. The Prime Minister had these final remarks: "As a new country within the Kingdom it is important for us to find a niche for ourselves within the Caribbean region. Moreover in an ever-changing global system, to survive and to stay relevant, Sint Maarten has to play a stronger in the region, forging the necessary relationships to achieve our socio-economic goals." She stressed the important role of the Directorate of Foreign Relations in coordinating approaches between the ministries and hopes that Sint Maarten will take full advantage of its membership in the ACS.
From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister
