Caricom leaders, who met in an emergency session via teleconferencing on Wednesday, have agreed to pool resources when seeking international aid and supplies to combat the COVID-19 Pandemic.

At the same time, they called for the “lifting of sanctions on Cuba and Venezuela on humanitarian grounds as all countries must be part of the global effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic,” a statement from the Caricom Secretariat revealed.

And the 15 Heads of Government were “of the view that it was regrettable that resources for the World Health Organisation were being threatened at a time when all must join in leading the fight against the pandemic,” in obvious reference to the decision by US President Donald Trump to withhold funding from the WHO.

The photo above is from Yontalay Bowe of the Bahamas Information Service (BIS) taken just before the meeting started in the Office of the prime minister of Bahamas, Hubert Minnis.

Proposals for common health policy for Caricom were discussed but did not move forward since the issues must first be discussed by Ministers of Health across the region.

There are proposals “for joint procurement, – including pharmaceuticals and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and sourcing of additional medical personnel. The joint procurement would assist in addressing supply constraints being experienced,” Caricom said.

Caricom leaders also promised to consider a proposal “for a protocol on re-opening borders which all Member States would adhere to at the same time when such a decision is taken”.

They agreed “on a collective approach to the International Financial Institutions to meet the financial fiscal challenges arising from the crisis. They urged that the criterion of GDP per capita  should not be the sole consideration in assessing the needs of the Community and that an understanding of each country’s vulnerability is a far better measurement to determine need.”

The Leaders received presentations from the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), the University of the West Indies (UWI), the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and Archbishop Jason Gordon.

Dr Joy St John, Executive Director of CARPHA, indicated that the Region had done fairly well in its response to the pandemic which was a direct result of the early implementation of measures which helped to contain the virus. She recommended a co-ordinated approach as the Region prepares for the next phase of the virus.

The CDB presented the economic implications for the Community of the pandemic and ideas for stimulating economic activity in going forward.

The UWI researchers included projections for the future of the virus in the Region in their presentation while Archbishop Gordon spoke to the social impact of the COVID-19 as well as ideas to alleviate those challenges.

Issues related to Food Security would be considered in the context of the CARICOM COVID-19 Agri-Food Risk Management Framework which has been circulated to the Member States following a meeting of Ministers of Agriculture last month. This would address in particular the production and supply of food products.

The transportation of people and goods by air and sea inter-regionally would also come under scrutiny with particular reference to the operations of the regional air carriers which have been adversely affected by the measures adopted to contain the virus.