CARICOM gravely concerned over effect of Iraqi war on region’s economy
Plugs UN’s central role
Stabroek News
April 16, 2003
The Caribbean Community says it is gravely concerned over the consequences of the conflict in Iraq on the region’s economy, citing the likelihood of further setbacks on the tourism industry and the volatility of energy prices affecting economic planning.
“The Community recognizes that the conflict will entail political and economic consequences which have broader, long-term implications for international peace and security,” a statement from the CARICOM Secretariat in Georgetown said on Monday.
And in this uncertain and dynamic international environment, Heads of Government will continue to monitor this situation and to consult among themselves. In that light, they have mandated their foreign ministers to consider any developments on the matter at the forthcoming Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR), the release said.
CARICOM also contends that as a grouping of small states and an integral part of the international community, it must continue to rely heavily on the United Nations, the primacy of international law, and adherence to international obligations for the protection of its sovereignty, territorial integrity and the furtherance of its interests.
Therefore, the Community says, in the “post-war environment in Iraq, the United Nations must play a central role in the provision of humanitarian assistance and in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of that country’s political, institutional and physical structures.”
Noting that in this process the interests and will of the Iraqi people must be paramount, CARICOM declared: “Indeed, durable peace and stability in the aftermath of this conflict can only be ensured by a just, equitable and collective approach in which the United Nations must play a central role.”
In CARICOM’s view, the need for the United Nations and the authority of the Security Council has never been greater than it is today. “In an increasingly inter-dependent world, all nations now must cooperate and collaborate in a wide diversity of areas. Global governance will only succeed if it is based on multilateralism.”
The Community further argued that the interests of all mankind rest on a world where peace and harmony prevail. The world community, in accordance with the UN Charter, must be united to heal rifts wherever they loom and resolve conflict wherever they threaten, however protracted and difficult it may be to find a solution, the release underlined.
And looking at the effects of the Iraqi conflict on the Region’s economy, CARICOM noted that the tourism industry which has not fully recovered from the aftermath of 9/11 could suffer further setbacks.
The release pointed out that the “already parlous financial situation of the Regional airlines has been exacerbated, (and) the volatility of energy prices has injected unpredictability into economic planning.”
A larger proportion of already scarce resources, the Community posited, will have to be allocated to addressing heightened security concerns. And these will all have negative implications for the socio-economic development of the Region and the quality of life for the people of the Community.
CARICOM also expressed regrets at the resulting loss of life on all sides in the Iraqi war, the release added.
