Fifth ACS Cooperation Conference Set to Attract Four Regions to the Caribbean

Fifth ACS Cooperation Conference Set to Attract Four Regions to the Caribbean

The Fifth International Cooperation Conference of the Association of Caribbean States is set to attract potential donors in sustainable development to the Greater Caribbean from four distinct geographic regions including South America, Asia, Europe, Americas and the Caribbean on May 25th, 2021.

            This year’s Conference will place special focus on the ACS’s strategic and sustained approach to recalibrate cooperation to aid recovery from the pandemic of COVID-19 within the Greater Caribbean. As was the case last year, this Conference will be held virtually and is expected to gather key international stakeholders, donor countries, regional and international organisations to discuss cooperation priorities and strategies in the region. It will feature speakers from Observer countries and partner organisations including Federative Republic of Brazil, the European Union, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Caribbean Development Bank and the, each presenting strategies and perspectives intended to allow for closer examination of cooperation measures and resource mobilisation. The conference will also feature presentations of ACS initiatives and projects, and will facilitate discussions and interventions by all participants on opportunities for collaboration with the ACS.

This conference comes at a time when the entire Greater Caribbean is being severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the socio-economic fallout of the pandemic, directing resources toward sectors most affected by the pandemic will be critical to safeguard livelihoods and enable the recovery of the region. Only through cooperation, can a suitable recovery plan be structured and devised aligning, economic, social and environmental sustainability priorities procuring a sustainable and speedy recovery to minimise the negative impacts for the Greater Caribbean Region. The Directorate for Cooperation and Resource Mobilisation, the office which organises the Conference expects fruitful deliberations stemming from the event, as participants, key regional stakeholders propose a combination of feasible policy responses combined with new sources of financing for development to unlock the potential of a sharp recovery in the medium to long term.

Through this event, the ACS is also looking forward to working closely with multilateral institutions and other regional and international partners to explore innovative solutions and approaches to assist countries in the Greater Caribbean navigate the persisting challenges and pave the way to sustained recovery.

More at: www.cooperation.acs-aec.org