SG Sabonge Meets With Jamaican High Commissioner


Secretary General Rodolfo Sabonge met with Jamaican High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago Arthur Williams and discussed development priorities for Jamaica and the Greater Caribbean. 

SG Sabonge paid a courtesy visit to the High Commission in St. Clair today. They discussed Jamaica’s approach to tourism and how the country has been able to cope with COVID-19. High Commissioner Williams also spoke about the evolution and modernisation of Jamaican ports and hubs. They went on to discuss pressing environmental issues, sustainable tourism, cultural exports, food production, trade expansion and development of e-commerce in the region and how the ACS could support Jamaica’s sustainable development. 

HC Williams said that when global travel normalises, that SG Sabonge has a good opportunity to present his plans to regional governments. “Leaders in the region are fully aware of the possibilities of the ACS. I think that they need to be more aware of the value of the ACS.”

SG Sabonge said that he intends to propose digital transformation and expanded capacity at the ACS to manage more resources and execute projects. “These are areas that I think we can get technical and financial cooperation. I have a vision and I propose that the Members participate and move forward.” 

At present, Jamaica is the Chair of the Special Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction and Vice-Chair of the Special Committee on Cooperation & Resource Mobilisation of the ACS.

About the ACS

The Association of Caribbean States is the organization for consultation, cooperation and concerted action in trade, transport, sustainable tourism and natural disasters in the Greater Caribbean. Its Member States are Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and Venezuela. Its Associate Members are Aruba, Curacao, (France on behalf of French Guiana, Saint Barthelemy and Saint Martin ), Guadeloupe, Martinique, Sint Maarten, (The Netherlands on behalf of Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius ), Turks and Caicos.