News Release. No. 215/2005 Date: 8 December 2005

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1 News Release Caribbean Community Secretariat, P.O. Box 10827, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana, Tel: Fax: /0095; Website: Antigua and Barbuda The Bahamas Barbados Belize Dominica Grenada Guyana Haiti Jamaica Montserrat St. Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia St. Vincent and the Grenadines Suriname Trinidad and Tobago No. 215/2005 Date: 8 December 2005 (CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Attached is the Declaration of Bridgetown on the Occasion of the Second Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Republic of Cuba, Bridgetown, Barbados, 8 December Page 1 of 8

2 DECLARATION OF BRIDGETOWN On the Occasion of the Second Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Republic of Cuba Bridgetown, Barbados 8 December 2005 WE, the Heads of State and Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and of the Republic of Cuba (hereinafter collectively called the Parties), meeting in Bridgetown, Barbados, on 8 December 2005 on the occasion of the Second CARICOM- Cuba Summit; Recalling the Havana Declaration adopted on 8 December 2002, on the Thirtieth Anniversary of the historic establishment of diplomatic relations between the independent Member States of the Caribbean Community and the Republic of Cuba, and our decision to meet every three years thereafter at the summit level to commemorate this important date; Enjoying a shared Caribbean identity that enriches and strengthens our support for South-South cooperation and enhances opportunities for coordination and cooperation in the promotion and protection of our common values, objectives and interests in various international fora and organisations; Renewing our strong commitment to regional cooperation as one of the most effective strategies for confronting the challenges to our sustainable development and for promoting the welfare of our peoples; Celebrating the deepening of relations between the Parties and joint efforts for the development of our populations through cooperation in education, health, culture, sports, trade and other areas of mutual interest; Sharing the conviction that the human person must be at the centre of development; Underscoring the vulnerability of the region to natural disasters and external economic shocks, the incidence of HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean, Noting with deep concern the unjust and cruel economic, commercial and financial embargo against the Republic of Cuba, the prevalence of illegal drug-trafficking and the impact of these phenomena on development efforts in the region; Cognisant of the challenges faced by developing countries as we seek to participate fully and effectively in multilateral trade negotiations and to promote the establishment of a fair trading system which takes full account of our special development needs; Page 2 of 8

3 Reaffirming our commitment to achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 and highlighting sustainable development as a key element of the overarching framework of United Nations activities, as well as stressing the importance of enhancing international cooperation for development, in particular through increasing international resource flows for development, to assist developing countries in their effort to achieve internationally agreed development goals; Recognising the important role of the Parties in advancing the sustainable development agenda in their own countries, and in light of the unsatisfactory and uneven progress made by the international community in implementing global commitments adopted at major international summits and conferences in the economic and social fields; Stressing that each country has the sovereign right to determine its own development priorities and strategies and calling upon the international community to categorically reject any conditionality in the provision of development assistance; Welcoming the opportunity afforded by this Second CARICOM Cuba Summit for dialogue on strategies for Caribbean human development and on other issues of regional importance to the Parties: 1. AFFIRM our shared conviction that global and national development efforts must be people-centred and that concern for sustainable human development is at the heart of our relations and of the regional cooperation effort; 2. AGREE that poverty and social exclusion are underlying factors that hamper the well-being and development of the human person and militate against efforts to fulfill the goals of the international community in mitigating the effects of natural disasters, the fight against, inter alia, HIV/AIDS and other pandemics, cultural penetration, illiteracy, food insecurity, knowledge asymmetries, crime and violence; 3. RECOGNISE that our societies can only advance and can only grasp opportunities to improve their standard of living if they are healthy, innovative and competitive, well educated, and are characterized by social inclusion and solidarity; 4. AGREE that the well-being and progress of Caribbean peoples will be significantly enhanced through the sharing of best practices, experience and expertise between the Parties; 5. REAFFIRM our commitment to strengthening the existing regional integration institutions and mechanisms based on the principles of shared responsibility and a comprehensive and balanced approach to the challenges which confront our countries and Region; 6. ALSO REAFFIRM our commitment, as Small Island and Low-lying Coastal Developing States to the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) process and in that Page 3 of 8

4 regard to working collectively to advance the Mauritius Strategy for Implementation adopted at the International Meeting to Review the Barbados Programme of Action (BPOA) held in Mauritius in January The Programme of Action needs greater collaboration among all SIDS, especially in the exchange of experiences and information and in the development of common approaches to solving problems. The establishment of a Regional Coordinating Mechanism (RCM) for Caribbean SIDS will enhance the further implementation and operationalisaton of regional sustainable development initiatives. We reiterate the need for the RCM to be inclusive, participatory, and a collaborative network enjoying the support and reflecting the commitment of Caribbean SIDS; 7. ACKNOWLEDGE AND APPRECIATE academic, technical and vocational education as a strategic factor in the fight against poverty and are convinced of its ability to turn the tide in the race to achieve sustainable human development in the Caribbean Region. In that vein, we reaffirm the commitment to creating more opportunities in our region for education and access to knowledge; 8. EMPHASISE that the Health of the Region is the Wealth of the Region and that good health and equal access to affordable medicine, medical attention, and health services are critical to human development and hence to our economic and social objectives; 9. ACKNOWLEDGE HIV/AIDS as a continuing major threat to the future of our nations and to sustainable human development in the Caribbean Region, and pledge to redouble our collaboration in responding to this pandemic; 10. ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE the critical importance of sound environmental management in the region and commit our Governments to strengthen the protection of the environment and the sustainable use of our natural resources, especially our precious and unique shared resource, the Caribbean Sea; 11. NOTE with concern that despite our collective and individual efforts in the fight against illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances through the Caribbean and all other activities that constitute the regional and international drug problem, the threat persists. We renew our commitment to cooperate in the struggle against this scourge in accordance with the principles adopted by the UN General Assembly to guide international cooperation in this matter; 12. EXPRESS our solidarity with all those countries and communities coping with the devastation of natural disasters, and pledge to collaborate further in developing our prevention, mitigation and recovery capabilities at the national and regional levels, and in bringing best practices to bear in our joint region-wide response and rehabilitation plans and programmes; 13. EMPHASISE the importance of building resilience, particularly in vulnerable developing countries, to address the underlying risk factors identified in the Hyogo Page 4 of 8

5 Framework and the importance of promoting the integration of risk reduction associated with geological and hydrometeorological hazards in risk reduction programmes; 14. STRESS the critical importance of South-South Cooperation, particularly within the framework of the implementation of the Doha Plan of Action adopted at the Second South Summit of the G77 and China in June 2005 under the Chairmanship of Jamaica; 15. REAFFIRM our commitment to continue, within the framework of international cooperation, enhancing the areas of collaboration between the Caribbean Community and the Republic of Cuba. In that regard, we welcome the new initiatives of cooperation in the sub-region; 16. COMMEND the Republic of Cuba for its outstanding expertise in training, in healthcare, especially eye-surgery, in sports, natural disaster-preparedness and biosafety; 17. ACKNOWLEDGE the invaluable role of technical assistance extended by the Government of Cuba to the Governments of CARICOM Member States, especially in education, training, health care, sports and the cultural industries which through the quality and cost of the expertise rendered, has allowed CARICOM Member States to improve their social capital and at marginal cost; 18. REAFFIRM our commitment to implement existing agreements concluded by the Parties to improve educational, health, cultural, trade and economic cooperation, for the development of the Region and to expedite consideration of agreements in other areas of mutual interest; 19. REITERATE our firm commitment to the principles and purposes enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, to multilateralism and to the fundamental principles of international law, including respect for the sovereignty and the juridical equality of States, non-intervention and non-interference in domestic affairs, prohibition of the threat or the use of force in international relations, respect for territorial integrity, the peaceful settlement of disputes and the sovereign right of the citizens of every country to freely determine their political system and institutions, in peace, stability and justice; 20. REAFFIRM our commitment to fighting terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and issue the attached statement; 21. STRESS our recognition of the Republic of Cuba as an integral part of our vibrant and diverse Caribbean Region, and as a valuable member of the family of the Americas and the international community; 22. THEREFORE STRONGLY CONDEMN the unilateral and extraterritorial application of coercive laws and measures contrary to international law, the United Nations Charter and to the principles of free navigation and trade in the world, and URGE the Government of the United States of America to heed the overwhelming call of the members of the United Nations and to lift with immediate effect the unjust Page 5 of 8

6 economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed against the Republic of Cuba and cease the application of measures adopted as of 6 May 2004 to reinforce that policy. 23. CALL UPON the international community to acknowledge the need for a greater balance between the promotion and protection of political and civil rights on the one hand, and the economic, social and cultural rights on the other, and to give effective recognition to collective rights such as the right to development, the right of peoples to peace and self determination, as well as the right to enhanced and sustainable economic and social development; 24. WELCOME Cuba s forthcoming presidency of the Non-Aligned Movement and its efforts to achieve the revitalization of this Movement to which the countries of the Caribbean Community remain committed as an important forum for the coordination of positions on issues of priority to the developing world; 25. REITERATE the importance of international trade for the sustainable development of the Caribbean Region, and EMPHASISE the devastating impact which the recent unilateral and unprincipled EU decisions on sugar and bananas, are having on the social and economic development of our Region; 26. REAFFIRM our deep disappointment that while development issues such as Special and Differential Treatment for small vulnerable economies are at the heart of the Doha Development Work Programme, little or no progress has been achieved in these areas under the current negotiations. Our Ministers attending the Sixth WTO Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong will forge alliances with like-minded countries to ensure a balanced outcome consistent with the objectives of the Region. Unless this is achieved, our Representatives will be unable to join in any consensus at Hong Kong; 27. ACKNOWLEDGE the continuing validity of the principles proclaimed by General Assembly resolutions 3201 and 3202 (S-VI) of 1 May containing the Declaration and Programme of Action on the Establishment of a New International Economic Order - and 3281 (XXIX) of 12 December entitled Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States - which will serve to promote a just and preferential treatment to developing countries in areas such as trade, investment, technology transfer and finance; 28. RENEW our commitment to widening the scope of our production, trade and economic cooperation, and in this regard we pledge to redouble efforts to implement the CARICOM-Cuba Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement; 29. EXPRESS our deep gratitude to the Rt. Hon. Owen S. Arthur, Prime Minister, and to the Government and People of Barbados, for the warm welcome received and hospitality extended during the Second Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Caribbean Community and of the Republic of Cuba; Page 6 of 8

7 30. DECIDE to convene the Third CARICOM-Cuba Summit in Cuba on 8 December, ADOPTED at Bridgetown, Barbados on the 8 th day of December On behalf of the Government of Antigua and Barbuda On behalf of the Government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas On behalf of the Government of Barbados On behalf of the Government of Belize On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Cuba On behalf of the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica On behalf of the Government of Grenada On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Guyana On behalf of the Government of Jamaica On behalf of the Government of Saint Lucia Page 7 of 8

8 On behalf of the Government of St Kitts and Nevis On behalf of the Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Suriname On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago Page 8 of 8