On June 8th the leaders of CARICOM and the Dominican Republic met with US Vice President Kamala Harris in the Bahamas for the fourth meeting of PACC 2030 (the US-Caribbean Partnership to Address Climate Crisis). The Vice President thanked the leaders of CARICOM and congratulated members of the organization on celebrating 50 years of existence.
Vice President Harris, herself of Caribbean descent, recounted the success the group has achieved in the past year. In St. Lucia, solar microgrids have been connected to schools, hospitals, and water treatment plants. In Dominica and St. Kitts, geothermal projects have been kickstarted. In Antigua and Barbuda, the workforce is being trained to work with clean energy. In the Dominican Republic, battery storage has been integrated into the energy grid. In Jamaica, further energy and communications infrastructure has been developed.
These successes build on the key objectives and methodologies established to deepen the relationships between the US and its Caribbean neighbors through strengthening infrastructure development and securing private and public funding. Together, PACC has created the financial incentive of the Caribbean Climate Investment Program to entice the private sector to partner with Caribbean nations to develop cleaner, greener technologies.
While climate change was the main topic at this gathering, the conversation touched on other issues. Gun violence is a problem that plagues the Caribbean and the States. “On the issue of security, too many people in all of our countries are dying from gun violence. I will reiterate that our administration is committed to disrupt gun trafficking. We are committed to interdict shipments of arms and ammunition and hold traffickers accountable,” Harris explained. To combat this the US Department of Justice has created a new position, the Coordinator for Caribbean Firearms Prosecutions who will co-ordinate between Caribbean nations.
Additionally, through the US law enforcement agencies, the US is supporting a Caribbean Crime Gun Intelligence Unit based out of Trinidad and Tobago to train officials in firearms investigations and bring criminals to justice. Trinidad is a common staging point for firearms trafficking out of South America and into the Caribbean and North America.
PACC is part of a continued effort by the Biden administration to deepen the relationship between the United States and the Caribbean. The meeting takes on added importance in Caribbean Heritage History Month.
