US Puts $77 Million More Into Caribbean Security By CARICOM News Jun 27, 2011 - 7:55:00 AM

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(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) United States Secretary of State Ms Hillary Clinton announced on Wednesday that her country was committing $77 million (US) to the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) in the next fiscal year.

Ms Clinton was speaking at a High Level Meeting between Foreign Ministers of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Dominican Republic and the United States in Montego Bay, Jamaica on 22 June. She added that it was important to look critically at the Initiative in order to see what was or was not working, to improve information sharing, institute formal measures to co-ordinate maritime security and to find the means for long term funding of security measures.

The US Secretary of State assured the meeting that President Barack Obama was committed to the Region. She thanked CARICOM for its role in Haiti in supporting the election process and singled out the Chief of the CARICOM/Organisation of American States Joint Electoral Observer Mission in Haiti Ambassador Colin Granderson Assistant Secretary-General Foreign and Community Relations at the CARICOM Secretariat for special praise.

Ms Clinton also praised CARICOM for expanding economic opportunity in Haiti through the three-year non-reciprocal trading agreement between Haiti and the rest of the Community which commenced last January. She said that the US would work with CARICOM to encourage private sector involvement in Haiti to help spur economic growth in the country.

Notwithstanding three critical areas for co-operation between the two sides which she identified as citizen security, energy and climate and economic development, Ms Clinton said that the US would be asking for guidance in the specific areas in which it can be helpful to the Region

Ms Clinton also announced that six Caribbean countries would receive grants under the US sponsored Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA) based on their submissions for assistance. Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica and St Vincent and the Grenadines would receive the funds to establish efficient and renewable energy projects.

Also under the ECPA, Ms Clinton said funds would be provided for the University of the West Indies (UWI) to form a partnership with universities in the US in a Caribbean Climate Change initiative to identify problems and solutions specific to the Caribbean. The project is intended to connect scientists with policy makers and to build local capacity in the area of adaptation to climate change.

The Secretary of State also announced the Caribbean IDEA Marketplace, a business competition platform being developed in partnership with public and private institutions to challenge global Caribbean diaspora business and social entrepreneurs to generate innovative projects that would stimulate employment and economic growth in the Region.