VI urges ACS to continue including Associate Members in recovery efforts
Speaking at the virtual 5th ACS International Cooperation Conference that attracted more than 80 potential donors and development partners, Special Envoy of the Premier Mr E. Benito Wheatley expressed the VI’s sincere appreciation and gratitude for the inclusion of the VI and other Associate Members of ACS in the organisation’s COVID-19 response in 2020.
Inclusion of Associate Members
According to a press release from the Government of the Virgin Islands on June 1, 2021, Mr Wheatley stressed that the cooperation should continue as the region redoubles its efforts to combat the pandemic and looks ahead toward recovery.
“The British Virgin Islands would welcome the continued inclusion of the Associate Members in ACS’ response to COVID-19 that has been generously supported by development partners. Furthermore, we wish to be included in any future initiatives for post-pandemic recovery,” Mr Wheatley said in his official statement to participants.
Marine conservation & climate change
The Special Envoy also highlighted the VI’s readiness to participate in regional cooperation on marine conservation and climate change adaptation.
Among the donors and cooperation partners that attended the meeting were the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), Japan International Cooperation Agency, Chile Agency for International Development, European Union (EU), the Bank of ALBA, Argentina, Peru, United Arab Emirates, Italy and The Republic of Korea.
The 5th ACS International Cooperation Conference took place on May 25, 2021 and was chaired by the Dominican Republic in their capacity as Chair of the Ministerial Council of the ACS under the theme, “Recalibrating Cooperation: A Key Driver for the Recovery of the Greater Caribbean.”
What is the ACS?
The [British] Virgin Islands is an Associate Member of ACS and remains active in the work of the regional organisation that is comprised of 35 countries and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean which are either located in, or bound to, the Caribbean Sea.
The purpose of the ACS is to facilitate regional consultation, cooperation and concerted action in trade, transport, sustainable tourism and natural disasters in the Greater Caribbean.
The ACS is a product of the desire of the 35 Contracting States, Countries and Territories of the Greater Caribbean to enhance cooperation within the region, an initiative aimed at building upon obvious geographic proximity and well-documented historical linkages.
As stated in the Convention Establishing the ACS, its primary purpose is to be an organization for “consultation, cooperation and concerted action” for its member countries. Its framework provides a forum for political dialogue that allows Members the opportunity to identify areas of common interest and concern that may be addressed at the regional level, and the solutions for which can be found through cooperation.
As an Associate Member, the Virgin Islands has the right to intervene in discussions and vote at meetings of the Ministerial Council and Special Committees on matters which affect them directly, falling within their constitutional competence.
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