Guyana and Venezuela to talk in St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Dec. 12, 2023
Guyanese President Irfaan Ali will meet with his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolás Maduro, on Thurday, amid heightened tensions over a territorial dispute. Ali agreed to the meeting, which will take place in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, in response to pressure from Brazil, CELAC and CARICOM, reports the Associated Press.
Venezuela had been pushing for direct bilateral talks, while Guyana argues that Venezuela’s efforts to claim a significant (and oil-rich) chunk of its national territoriy should be decided by the United Nations’ International Court of Justice.
St. Vincent’s prime minister, Ralph Gonsalves, who also holds the rotating CELAC presidency, will chair the meeting, and Brazil , which shares borders with both Venezuela and Guyana, will act as an observer.
Over the weekend, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva spoke to Maduro and called for dialogue, saying it was important to avoid unilateral measures that could escalate the situation, reports Reuters.
Most analysts agree that Maduro’s saber-rattling relates to domestic political concerns ahead of next year’s presidential election, and also hopes of cashing in on Guyana’s newfound oil wealth.
Loss and Damage at COP28
Nations at the Dubai COP28 summit adopted a long-awaited damage fund, last week. The agreement marks a significant milestone in supporting countries affected by climate extremes.
The fund, sought for over 30 years by small island states and developing nations, is set to launch next year and has already garnered pledges exceeding $680 million, with expectations for further contributions. (SBS News)
Experts praised the fund’s establishment, but stressed the need for substantial financial commitments from wealthy nations to address loss and damage effectively. (CNN)
While hailed as a crucial step forward, critics stress the need for more substantial financial commitments to support countries impacted by the climate crisis. (The Energy Mix)
The UAE and Germany pledged $100 million each, with the UK committing up to $50 million. However, the United States faced criticism for its comparatively small contribution, sparking debate on financial support for vulnerable nations.
The COP28, a critical global climate summit, convenes leaders and stakeholders to tackle pressing climate issues, but struggle lies in translating discourse into effective strategies amid escalating climate impacts and geopolitical complexities, according to NPR.
“There are legitimate fears that if the loss and damage fund does materialize, it will be insufficient. Financial assistance disbursed would be neither comparable with nor adequate to satisfy the demand for compensation – or reparations, for that matter. Moreover, it would be very likely to be framed as a matter of greater capacity, international solidarity, charity, and humanitarian relief rather than moral responsibility born out of a history of colonialism and excessive resource exploitation”, argues Patrick Toussaint in Cambridge University Press.
“Looking forward, the interaction between climate litigation and international negotiations is likely to become even more salient. As scholars have noted, the proliferation of climate lawsuits globally, coupled with escalating climatic impacts, will inevitably affect the dynamic between these dual paths to climate action”, according to Margaretha Wewerinke-Singh in Cambridge University Press.
A report by Climate Finance Files uncovers a massive gap between pledged climate funding and actual disbursements. Two-thirds of reported commitments don't match real spending or aren't genuinely climate-focused, totaling $343 billion between 2013 and 2021. Climate-vulnerable countries receive a mere fraction of the required funds, with only 6.5% of needed finance delivered in 2021. Additionally, many heavily indebted nations pay more in debt than they receive in climate finance, exacerbating their challenges. (One Data Commons)
The IMF's crucial role in addressing climate-induced loss and damage for vulnerable economies is underscored in a new policy brief, according to BU Global Development Policy Center recommendations covering surveillance enhancements, expanding lending tools for resilience, and advocating global policy coordination.
“Emphasising the cost to developing nations who bear the severest effects of climate breakdown, Parsons makes a convincing case for radical collective action and an overhaul of the legal framework on climate”, writes Sneha Biswas, book critic, for the LSE Blog on the late release Carbon Colonialism: How Rich Countries Export Climate Breakdown by Laurie Parsons.
More Climate Justice
“COP28 delivers ‘death certificate’ for island nations,” argues Dizzane Billy in Global Voices. The agreement drafted by nations at the summit “does not do enough to keep our islands above water. This truly brings into question the leadership on the presidency's part and whether SIDS voices are genuinely being heard at this year's negotiations.”
The Proposed Regional Goal on Adaptation for the Caribbean, developed as a tool to connect the international climate change negotiations on the Global Goal on Adaptation with local, national, and regional adaptation actors in the Caribbean and vice versa, was launched at COP28. (Climate Analytics Caribbean)
Rising sea levels threaten Caribbean cities, including Kingston, Jamaica, projecting potential land loss and hindering human development by the century's end. Coastal flood vulnerability has sharply increased in the past 20 years, endangering millions globally. Immediate emission reduction and temperature control measures are imperative to prevent irreversible outcomes, as outlined in a new report. (Loop)
Latin American and Caribbean countries struggle with debt and climate crises, hindering their ability to invest in climate resilience. A UN-ECLAC paper on six vulnerable nations warns of a potential 9-12% GDP drop by 2050 due to climate change, demanding significant annual investments (5.3-10.9% of GDP). Policy suggestions include debt relief, increased financial support, and an expanded role for the IMF to navigate these challenges. (BU Global Development Policy Center)
The Caribbean Policy Development Centre (CPDC) is urging increased access to concessional grant-based climate funding to tackle the debt and climate finance challenges in the Caribbean's Small Island Developing States (SIDS). (Our Today)
Only One and the Alliance of Small Islands presents Weathering the Storm: Recovery and Rebuilding in The Bahamas, the new short film telling the story of how they managed to come together to revitalize communities and ecosystems devastated by Hurricane Dorian which left 70,000 Bahamians homeless and caused $3.4 billion in damage. Watch.
“The world has the scientific knowledge and resources to curb climate change; the damage can’t be fully reversed. but it can be halted if the industrialized countries apply the necessary political will”, Ronald Sanders, is Antigua and Barbuda’s ambassador to the US and the OAS, The Gleaner.
“Debt swaps are re-emerging as a popular financial instrument. Most importantly, they are now being considered as one instrument that could be used to bridge the so-called funding gap for climate actions”, states a new discussion document Dept for Climate Swaps: Can they be aligned with debt and climate justice? by Latindadd.
Climate change is having a profound impact on the mental health of Indigenous communities across the Caribbean. The Commonwealth Fund acknowledges that climate events causing destruction, loss, and displacement can lead to various mental health issues such as anxiety, helplessness, depression, PTSD, and suicidal thoughts. (Global Voices)
“95% of our house got destroyed and damaged but thank God there an area was left untouched. My Husband, also blind, and I stayed at our home for almost a week. There was nobody who came to look for us, to ask what were our needs to determine what could be done to assist us. We were just on our own to fend ourselves”, states one blind woman who has suffered the consequences of various hurricanes in Dominica for the IOM campaign #ClimateActionNow.
“After Hurricane David, we did not receive any sort of assistance in terms of relief or donations. Our house was destroyed. As a little boy I could safely say I was traumatized”, shares one testimony of climate disaster in Dominica for the IOM campaign #ClimateActionNow.
“Understanding the unique disadvantages that women and girls face as a result of climate change in the Caribbean, it is therefore important to center their voices in all key decisions and policies. Adapting to climate change is paramount for the region and it is extremely important that all adaptation measures use a gender-responsive lens”, explains Christine Samwaroo in an article for The Breadfruit Collective.
Economics and Finance
Cuba’s public sector — including education and health — is suffering an unprecedented brain drain as a result of “maximum pressure” U.S. sanctions, which have created massive shortages and stoked runaway inflation, combined with record-rates of emigration and a resurgent private sector, reports the Guardian.
Democratic Governance
“Haiti experts say that any change in the country's humanitarian crisis will rest on the creation of a new government through a consensus among political and civil society leaders, which could in turn help authorities regain the population's trust. Systematic abatement of gang violence will require that state institutions be trusted by their citizens and international institutions that can provide funding to rebuild security forces”, confirms a new research report by Brian Ellsworth published in CQ Research.
Reparations and Decolonisation
Barbados' Prime Minister, Mia Mottley, emphasized the pressing need for reparations from nations involved in slavery, stating that these nations owe her country $4.9 trillion. Speaking in London, she commended King Charles's acknowledgment of slavery's enduring impact and stressed that while reparations discussions would be complex and prolonged, they were crucial. (The Guardian)
“Recognizing and dismantling global inequality requires a profound acknowledgment of its historical roots, particularly the enduring impacts of slavery and racism. This journey towards a more equitable future involves implementing policies to address historical injustices and fostering a universal commitment to justice, equality, and human dignity”, argues Trinidadian journalist Kenneth Mohammed in The Guardian.
A group of African nations and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) are advancing in a collaborative effort to reclaim stolen artifacts from former colonizers. For instance, the Pokomo people of Kenya are intensifying demands for the return of the Ngadji, a culturally significant tribal drum held in the British Museum. (Amsterdam News)
A new paper by the UK International Development which gathered views from across the Caribbean on what the UK’s international development priorities should be going forward places a significant focus on leveraging innovation, particularly the potential of AI, addressing conflicts, empowering women and girls, enhancing climate resilience, and upholding shared values through collaborative partnerships.
Human Rights
Caribbean Vulnerable Communities launched the first episode of the new Coalition Corner Podcast on World AIDS Day 2023 in which they explore the importance of Civil Society Organisations across the Caribbean in the regional HIV response. Watch.
Migration
At least 5.3 million new internal displacements in the Caribbean were caused by disasters between 2012 and 2022, according to the IOM UN Migration Office. Also, in 2017, hurricanes Irma, Harvey, and Maria caused 3 million new displacements across 16 countries in the Caribbean and USA.
The IOM UN Migration Office report concluded that very few States from the CARICOM had created a national policy for planning or implementation of planned relocation, and no country had fully integrated planned relocation into national planning, development, or disaster risk reduction policies or strategies.
“Concerningly, sudden-onset, and slow-onset environmental hazards and processes show the potential to generate immense levels of internal and international displacement and migration within the region in the coming decades, underscoring the need for comprehensive interagency and multi-sectoral disaster risk reduction and response mechanisms and climate change adaptation strategies at the national, subregional and regional levels in the Caribbean”, concludes the IOM UN Migration report.
Culture
Cuba's vibrant art scene, historically acclaimed for artists like Wilfredo Lam and Carmen Herrera, struggles with the undervaluation of contemporary talents. Economic and political complexities impede growth, even as young Cuban artists drive creative efforts, like Carlos Garaicoa’s Artista X Artista (Repeating Islands)
Events
December 13th, the conference Caribbean Land Rights and Disaster Capitalism: Learning from the People organized by Stronger Caribbean Together & Dr. Patricia Northover will take place via Zoom. Register.
May 1st to 3rd, 25th annual SALISES conference Translating Thought into Action: Towards Decolonial Equity and Justice in the Caribbean organized by will take place in Kingston, Jamaica at the University of West Indies Regional Headquarters. The deadline to submit individual papers, panel proposals, and roundtable discussions, among others is January 8th, 2024. More information.
15th December, the third episode of Engaging Migrants Conversations on Migration in the Caribbean organized by the IOM UN Migration and ABS will be held via Zoom. Register.
Opportunities
Applications for The International Climate Protection Fellowship are now open. The project spans 12 to 24 months in Germany and aims to facilitate groundbreaking projects in climate change mitigation, adaptation strategies, ecosystem preservation, biodiversity, and sustainable use of seas and oceans. Additionally, sustainability themes related to natural resources, resource-efficient consumption, and urban development are welcomed. Apply.
The UNDP, responsible for the implementation of the GEF Funded Global Biodiversity Framework Early Action Support project in 69 countries, is looking for a National Project Associate based in Saint Kitts and Nevis who is expected to support technical, administrative (including logistical arrangements), and monitoring actions relating to project implementation, execution, and reporting. Apply.