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  • Afronomicslaw Symposium: Prospects for Deepening Africa-Caribbean Economic Relations – Call for Blogs (Deadline: May 14)

    Afronomicslaw Symposium: Prospects for Deepening Africa-Caribbean Economic Relations – Call for Blogs (Deadline: May 14)

    Total trade volumes between African and Caribbean countries remain small, but the potential and opportunities for enhancing trade, investment and economic cooperation between these two regions are encouraging based on shared historical and cultural ties. To this end, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has announced steps to formalize relations with the African Union (AU).Several CARICOM countries have also sought to deepen bilateral ties with individual African countries. Africa-Caribbean Economic Relations and cooperation are even more critical now as countries on both sides of the Atlantic aim to kickstart economic recovery following the devastation wrought by the COVID-19 shock. Indeed, vaccine cooperation became another form of Africa-Caribbean cooperation when the AU offered CARICOM access to some of the approved vaccines from a shipment it was receiving.

    Given the limited but promising trade and investment relationship between both regions, there is a dearth of scholarly analysis on the Africa-Caribbean economic relationship. This Symposium aims to address this gap in international economic relations scholarship through considered analytical pieces exploring aspects of this understudied relationship.

    We invite authors to submit contributions which critically analyze and examine this relationship from a variety of perspectives, including but not limited to:

    • Geo-political and economic ties (both historical and present) between these two regions; 
    • The future of trade and investment relations between both regions in light of WTO-plus mega-regional trade agreements popping up;
    • EU-ACP relations e.g. EU-EPAs and issues relating to fragmentation and dilution of negotiating positions by African and Caribbean countries;
    • The impact of COVID-19 on the vulnerability of trade and investment regimes in both regions;
    • Comparative perspectives from both regions on the role of education in the advancement of critical thought in international economic relations scholarship;
    • Comparative perspectives from both regions on the regulation of digital trade/e-commerce;
    • Africa-Caribbean collaboration in multilateral fora, e.g., WTO, ACP, Commonwealth, UNCTAD; •
    • Comparative perspectives from both regions on approaches to cooperation and regional integration; 
    • Comparative perspectives from both regions on Sustainable Development, e.g., approaches to mainstreaming regulation of renewable energy, the green and blue economy into trade and investment regimes;
    • Air Connectivity/Tourism/Travel Trade, e.g., prospects for promoting leisure and business travel between CARICOM and African countries;
    • Cultural Industries collaboration;
    • Role of the private sector in shaping future Africa-Caribbean trade and investment relations;
    • Investment relations, e.g., opportunities for Africa-Caribbean FDI, cooperation on investment rule-making reform.

    Submission Guidelines:

    Essays that are submitted as part of this symposium must be analytical and original. Authors must comply with the Afronomicslaw.org blog submission guidelines accessible here. Blogs are to be submitted to afronomicslaw@gmail.com with the title ‘African-Caribbean Relations Blog Submission’.

    Deadline for Submission of Essays:

    May 14, 2021.

    Inquiries or clarifications relating to this call should be directed to Ohio Omiunu (ohio.omiunu@dmu.ac.uk) and Alicia Nicholls (alicia.nicholls@cavehill.uwi.edu)

  • Caribbean Trade and Development News Digest – May 2-8, 2021

    Caribbean Trade and Development News Digest – May 2-8, 2021

    Welcome to the Caribbean Trade and Development News Digest for the week of May 2-8, 2021! We are pleased to bring you the major trade and development news headlines and analysis from across the Caribbean Region and the world from the past week.

    THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

    The Biden Administration has thrown its support behind a proposal by India and South Africa for a waiver from the TRIPS Agreement. See the full statement by the USTR here.

    According to the findings of a study by the London School of Economics (LSE) Centre for Economic Performance (CEP), UK companies are reporting that Brexit has affected their operations, “leading to a fall in exports to the EU for a quarter of exporters and a fall in imports from the EU for a third of importers”. Access the full report here.

    China-Australia trade and diplomatic relations which have been rocky for some time now have taken another turn for the worst as China ‘indefinitely’ suspends China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue. Read more

    UNCTAD has unveiled a new portal which tracks COVID-19’s impact on trade and development. Read more here

    Several Caribbean countries are among those whose wild-caught shrimp remain eligible for entry into the US. This is according to a US Department of State Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs’ Annual Certification of Shrimp-Harvesting Nations released at the end of April. See the countries in the Federal Register here.

    The Twenty-Fourth Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) was held virtually on the 6-7 May 2021, under the Chairmanship of the Honourable Eamon Courtenay, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belize. Read more

    Afronomicslaw Symposium: Prospects for Deepening Africa-Caribbean Economic Relations – Call for Blogs (Deadline: May 14)

    Given the limited but promising trade and investment relationship between both regions, there is a dearth of scholarly analysis on the Africa-Caribbean economic relationship. This Symposium aims to address this gap in international economic relations scholarship through considered analytical pieces exploring aspects of this understudied relationship. We invite authors to submit blog contributions which critically analyze and examine this relationship from a variety of perspectives. Read the full Call for Blogs here.

    REGIONAL NEWS

    The Bahamas, US sign airspace agreement

    Nation News: The Bahamas government has signed an air navigation services agreement with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) allowing for the monitoring of the country’s airspace for ten years. Read more

    St Vincent and the Grenadines cocoa industry hard hit after eruption

    Barbados Advocate: St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ (SVG) cocoa industry has been hit hard due to the devastation caused by La Soufrière eruption. Read more

    Barbados Port Inc. looking towards future

    Barbados Advocate: This was revealed during the 60th anniversary celebration and time capsule ceremony at Cube Blue, Harbour Road, St. Michael on Tuesday. Read more

    Belize’s balance of trade narrows in first quarter: imports down, exports up

    BBN: Belize imported nearly $39 million less in goods in the first quarter of 2021 compared to 2020, and exported about $17 million more, narrowing the uneven balance of trade which has long tilted toward imports. Read more

    China becomes top market for Cuba cigars

    Reuters: Cuba’s state cigar monopoly, Habanos S.A., said on Tuesday that China had displaced Spain last year as its top market but rising demand in the Asian giant could not compensate for declines in sales elsewhere, with global revenue down 4% to $507 million. Read more

    The Impact of COVID-19 on Tourism in Cuba

    Havana Times: Tourism has been one of the sectors hardest hit by the pandemic. In 2020, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) estimated that the effects of COVID-19 on global tourism would be greater than those sparked by the 2008 financial crisis: between 100-120 million jobs at stake; billion-dollar losses in tourism exports; and a 1.5% – 2.8% drop of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to a United Nations (UN) report. Read more

    US-Cuba Relations, a Matter of Domestic Policy

    Havana Times: For decades, the Cuban and US governments have found minimal relations between the two countries in both of their interests. In 2014, Raul Castro and Barack Obama proposed to reverse this age-old strategy that has been upheld by “idealogues” from both governments, with the same determination; who support a very similar political outlook, even if they do opt for different expressions of State. Read more

    Jamaica Attracts Diverse Jobs in the Outsourcing Sector

    Business Wire: Global outsourcing powerhouse, ibex, is increasing the diversity of jobs within Jamaica’s global digital services industry through an expansion of its current workforce of two thousand employees. The company provides customer support in sectors that include retail, finance, healthcare, and telecommunications, and it now offers a broad spectrum of business services from its Jamaican service centres. Read more

    Jamaica Promotions Corporation will increase mango shipments to US

    Fresh Plaza: The Jamaica Promotions Corporation has stated that two Jamaican companies have partnered with international buyer Seasons Farm Fresh to export more mangoes to the US. JAMPRO President Diane Edwards said that there is high demand for Jamaican fresh produce and that JAMPRO is focused on meeting this demand. Read more

    Jamaica’s PM Holness says BPO industry can grow under COVID-19

    Loop Jamaica: Prime Minister Andrew Holness says the government will be doing everything in its power to protect and sustain the business process and outsourcing (BPO) industry under the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Read more

    Tourism Incubator To Be Established

    JIS: A tourism incubator is to be established to nurture new and start-up enterprises within the sector. This was disclosed by the Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, at a recent Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘Think Tank’, held at the agency’s head office in Kingston. Read more

    Jamaica Gov’t eyes major expansion of special economic zones

    Jamaica Observer: The Government is holding talks with a number of prospective investors on projects that are expected to establish 400 acres of additional special economic zone (SEZ) space across the island, estimated at a value of more than US$1.3 billion. Read more

    ACS Secretary-General Pays Courtesy Call to CARICOM Secretary-General

    Washington Informer: CARICOM Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque on Friday received a courtesy call from Rodolfo Sabonge, new secretary-general of the Association of Caribbean of States (ACS). Read more

    INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    WTO chief seeks text to advance debate over COVID-19 vaccine

    AP: The World Trade Organization chief appealed to member countries on Wednesday to quickly present and negotiate over a text that could temporarily ease trade rules that protect COVID-19 vaccine technology, as a way to ramp access to doses at a time of urgent need. Read more

    Negotiations in the Framework of the WTO are a New Model of Governance for Foreign Direct Investment: Alicia Bárcena

    ECLAC: ECLAC’s Executive Secretary was one of the main speakers at a high-level roundtable on a WTO Investment Facilitation Framework for Development for Latin American economies. Read more

    China ‘indefinitely’ suspends key economic dialogue with Australia

    BBC: China has “indefinitely” suspended key economic dialogue with Australia, the latest in a growing diplomatic rift between both countries. Relations have been on the decline since Australia called for a probe into the origins of the virus and banned Huawei from building its 5G network. Read more

    Commonwealth conference postponed again

    Nation News: The London-based Commonwealth Secretariat Friday said that the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference (CHOGM-2021) that was due to take place in Rwanda on June 21, has been further postponed. Read more

    NZ-UK Free Trade Agreement negotiations to be ‘accelerated’, as Australia streaks ahead

    Stuff: New Zealand will “intensify” free trade talks with the United Kingdom, as negotiations over market access for New Zealand’s agricultural products inch forward and Australia streaks ahead with its deal. Read more

    Australia rejigs export grants scheme

    Global Trade Review: The Australian government has announced an overhaul of a grants scheme for exporters after a review found it should be streamlined. Read more

    EU trade chief says efforts to ratify China deal ‘suspended’

    Politico: The European Commission has temporarily put on hold efforts to ratify the investment agreement with China, EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis told Agence France-Presse Tuesday. Read more

    Spain urges European Commission to unblock Mercosur agreement

    Euractiv: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has urged the European Commission to do everything in its power to move forward and unfreeze progress on the Mercosur pact to send a “political signal” to China about the EU’s economic commitment to Latin America, El País has revealed. Read more

    EU turns from China to India on free trade

    EU Observer: The EU is suspending plans for a trade deal with China, while reviving those for a pact with India, in a dispute on Chinese human-rights abuses. Read more

    After 8 years, India and European Union to resume free trade pact talks

    Indian Express: Official sources in the EU also said the free trade agreement package will include an investment protection pact as well as a framework on geographical indication. Read more

    EU split on vaccine waiver idea, unlikely to take clear stance

    Reuters: European Union leaders are divided over whether to follow Washington in supporting a waiver of patent rights to COVID-19 vaccines, as many argue this would take years and not address the immediate issue of making more shots to end the pandemic. Read more

    EU negotiator Barnier spills Brexit secrets in new book

    BBC: From the moment Michel Barnier was made the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator in July 2016 he was at the heart of talks to reach a deal with the UK government. But what can we learn from his 500 pages of memoirs about the turbulent talks and what he thought of his UK counterparts? Read more

    Top U.S. oil lobby slams Mexico energy policies as undermining USMCA, discriminatory

    Reuters: The top American oil lobby is urging the U.S. government to raise concerns about Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s energy policies, which it said are undermining investor confidence and violate Mexico’s trade commitments. Read more

    Carbon emissions drop across Europe in 2020 – Eurostat

    Reuters: Carbon emissions from use of fossil fuels fell across the European Union last year, the bloc’s statistics office estimated on Friday, citing COVID-19 restrictions that shut down travel and factories across the region. Read more

    China open to trade deal either with Uruguay or with all of Mercosur, says Ambassador

    Mercopress: China’s Ambassador in Montevideo Wang Gang Wednesday underlined his country’s “open attitude” towards a trade agreement “either bilateral or en bloc” with Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay) “when Uruguay or the bloc as a whole are ready.” Read more

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  • CARICOM Council for Foreign and Community Relations holds 24th Meeting (Virtual) – 6-7 May 2021

    CARICOM Council for Foreign and Community Relations holds 24th Meeting (Virtual) – 6-7 May 2021

    (CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana)     The Twenty-Fourth Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) was held virtually on the 6-7 May 2021, under the Chairmanship of the Honourable Eamon Courtenay, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belize.

    The COFCOR was attended by Honourable E. P. Chet Greene, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Trade of Antigua and Barbuda; Senator Dr. the Honourable Jerome Walcott, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Barbados; Honourable Dr. Kenneth Darroux, Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Business and Diaspora Relations of the Commonwealth of Dominica; Honourable Oliver Joseph, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Business and CARICOM Affairs of Grenada; Honourable Hugh Todd, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Guyana; His Excellency Dr. Claude Joseph, Prime Minister a.i. and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of the Republic of Haiti; Senator the Honourable Kamina Johnson-Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica; Honourable Mark A.G. Brantley, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Aviation of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis; His Excellency Albert Ramdin, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Business and International Cooperation of the Republic of Suriname; and Senator the Honourable Dr. Amery Browne, Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

    His Excellency Reuben Rahming, Ambassador to The Bahamas to CARICOM, represented The Bahamas; Her Excellency Elma Gene Isaac, Ambassador to CARICOM to Saint Lucia, represented Saint Lucia; and His Excellency Allan Alexander, Ambassador of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to CARICOM represented St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

    OPENING CEREMONY

    Remarks were delivered by Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community, His Excellency Dr. Claude Joseph, Prime Minister a.i and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of the Republic of Haiti, outgoing Chair of the COFCOR, and the Honourable Eamon Courtenay, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Immigration of Belize, the Chair of the COFCOR.
    (The statements are available at www.caricom.org)

    COORDINATION OF FOREIGN POLICY

    CARICOM Foreign Minister re-emphasised the importance for the Region to speak with one voice through the coordination of foreign policy, and the need to find new and more effective ways to strengthen the existing coordination mechanisms while recognising the sovereign right of Member States. It was noted that there continues to be successful coordination but the increasing complexity of international issues requires that it be enhanced.  In that regard, the COFCOR agreed to increase the frequency of its meetings. This would enable Ministers to address in a timely fashion new developments and challenges facing the Community and to shape Community responses and policies.

    CANDIDATURES

    The COFCOR reiterated the importance of CARICOM’s effective participation in international fora, including through the pursuit of increased CARICOM representation in relevant organisations.  In this regard, Foreign Ministers considered and endorsed a number of CARICOM candidatures to the United Nations (UN), the Organisation of American States (OAS) and other international and regional organisations. They also deliberated on the requests from Third Countries for CARICOM’s endorsement of their candidates to multilateral bodies.


    BILATERAL RELATIONS

    The COFCOR noted the progress made in the strengthening of relations with a number of Third States and groups of states since its last Meeting.  In so doing, it reaffirmed the importance of CARICOM’s relations with its traditional partners and the need to continue to expand the Community’s outreach to other regions and so develop its relations with non-traditional partners and groupings.

    The devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and addressing its public health and economic effects, in particular the need for equitable access to vaccines and to economic recovery financing, were among the Community’s priority concerns discussed and for which assistance was sought.

    Ministers discussed relations the African Union. They reaffirmed their readiness for a CARICOM-AU Summit as soon as practicable.

    The COFCOR expressed its continued concern that the US embargo against Cuba has a significant adverse impact on the socio-economic development of Cuba and the well-being of the Cuban People.  Foreign Ministers reiterated CARICOM’s support for the termination of the long-standing US economic, financial and commercial embargo against Cuba and agreed to continue to advocate in this regard.

    MULTILATERAL AND HEMISPHERIC RELATIONS

    United Nations (UN)

    The COFCOR noted the developments regarding pursuit of the Financing for Development (FfD) agenda and the challenges associated with expanding public health expenditures while applying fiscal containment measures in line with the economic downturn arising from the COVID-19 Pandemic.  Foreign Ministers commended the Honourable Prime Minister of Jamaica who joined with the Prime Minister of Canada and the UN Secretary-General to launch an initiative that has resulted in a menu of over 250 policy options to address Financing for Development in the Era of COVID-19 and beyond. 

    The COFCOR agreed on the need for global solutions to the various challenges facing Small Island and Low-Lying Coastal Developing States, particularly in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The COFCOR also agreed that  the Community should continue to prioritise the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway in a robust manner, including the launch of a strong COVID-19 economic recovery related appeal to the international community and,,  in particular  the G20, asking for the expansion and extension of the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI). The COFCOR encouraged the consideration of innovative debt relief measures such as debt swaps, debt buybacks, and State Contingent Debt Instruments to ease the economic fallout of the pandemic.
     They also agreed to continue to advocate against –

    1. the designation of CARICOM Member States as high-risk territories thereby resulting in the ongoing loss of correspondent banking relationships (CBRs); and
    1. the unilateral actions to blacklist some Member States as non-cooperative tax jurisdictions.

    The COFCOR welcomed the convening of a Food Systems Summit as part of the Decade of Action to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) being hosted by the UN Secretary-General in October 2021 and encouraged the highest level of participation from Member States.

    The COFCOR agreed to continue to advance a common regional position, at the fourth and final Inter-Governmental Conference for the development of an Internationally Legally Binding Instrument on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity Beyond Areas of National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) scheduled for 16-27 August 2021.

    Organisation of American States (OAS)

    The COFCOR received an update on the issues of strategic importance to the Caribbean Community before the Organisation of American States (OAS). Foreign Ministers welcomed the CARICOM Framework Strategy entitled Vulnerability to Resilience put in place by the OAS Secretary-General with the assistance of the CARICOM Caucus. Ministers expressed concern over the limited resources allocated to areas identified as priority to CARICOM and agreed that every effort should be made to ensure that adequate resources are allotted to these areas. Foreign Ministers agreed to raise this matter at the Fifty-First OAS General Assembly, scheduled to be hosted this year by Guatemala. They also reiterated their commitment to the work of the hemispheric body. The COFCOR commended the work of the CARICOM Caucus in Washington D.C.



    Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC)
    The COFCOR reviewed a synopsis of the 2021 Work Programme of the CELAC PPT Mexico and commended the PPT Mexico and CELAC for advancing priorities related to recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic on the health and economic fronts.

    Association of Caribbean States (ACS)
    The Council welcomed the assumption to office of His Excellency Rodolfo Sabonge as the new Secretary-General of the ACS and agreed that CARICOM Member States should continue to act strategically within the Association.
    Foreign Ministers commended the coordination efforts in the Greater Caribbean in response to the pandemic.

    CLIMATE CHANGE

    The COFCOR agreed that COP26 should be the COP of Ambitious Action and that it must result in greater speed in scaling up climate finance flows to SIDS via the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) finance mechanisms, the Green Climate Fund and the Adaptation Fund. Foreign Ministers also reiterated their support to the Government of Antigua and Barbuda as Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).

    In preparation for COP26, the COFCOR emphasised the need for Member States to engage in wide-ranging consultation with stakeholders at the national and regional levels.

    BORDER ISSUES

    Belize-Guatemala Dispute

    The COFCOR received an update on developments between Belize and Guatemala, including in respect of the case, arising from Guatemala’s territorial, insular and maritime claim, that is now before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for final and definitive resolution, in accordance with the Special Agreement to Submit Guatemala’s Claim to the ICJ.

    The COFCOR urged Belize, Guatemala and the OAS to respect and implement fully the Confidence Building Measures as agreed under their Framework Agreement of 2005, pending a resolution of the case before the ICJ. They further urged both countries and the OAS to reinvigorate their efforts to engage in the design and development of a mechanism of cooperation for the Sarstoon River, which remains outstanding.

    The COFCOR recognises and supports the OAS’ crucial role in the process aimed at resolving the dispute, arising from Guatemala’s claims on Belize, and called on the international community to continue supporting the OAS Office in the Adjacency Zone.

    The COFCOR reaffirmed its unwavering support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of Belize.

    Guyana-Venezuela Controversy

    Foreign Ministers received an update on the most recent developments in the controversy between the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. They noted that Guyana had begun to prepare its Memorial for submission on 8 March 2022 in accordance with the schedule set by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to hear the case on the merits of Guyana’s application concerning the validity of the Arbitral Award of 1899 and the related question of the definitive settlement of the land boundary between the two countries.

    Foreign Ministers reiterated the expression by CARICOM Heads of Government of the Community’s full support for the ongoing judicial process that is intended to bring a peaceful and definitive end to the long-standing controversy between the two countries and urged Venezuela to participate in the process.

    Foreign Ministers remained very concerned about the threatening posture of Venezuela and reaffirmed their consistent support for the maintenance and preservation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana.

    ADVANCNG REGIONAL PRIORITIES: CARICOM AGRI-FOOD AGENDA

    The COFCOR affirmed the strategy adopted at the Thirty-Second Inter-sessional Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government (February 2021) for the advancement of the CARICOM Agri-Food Systems Agenda with priority attention to regional food and nutrition security. Ministers agreed to include the Agenda among the priority issues for engagement with relevant partners and in international fora, including the UN Food Systems Summit and the Summit of the Americas.


    UNCTAD XV

    The COFCOR received a report from Barbados on preparations for UNCTAD XV and noted that the Conference, which was scheduled to be held in Barbados in 2020, will now be held virtually on 3 October 2021.

    Foreign Ministers commended Barbados for its continuing efforts to convene this important Conference and affirmed their commitment to work collectively with Barbados in ensuring that CARICOM SIDS specific issues are reflected in the outcome of UNCTAD XV.

  • Closer Africa-Caribbean Relations: A COVID ‘legacy good’?

    Closer Africa-Caribbean Relations: A COVID ‘legacy good’?

    Alicia Nicholls

    Without doubt, if one considers the significant loss of life, human suffering and economic hardship inflicted by the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) since December 2019, the negatives far outweigh the positives. But as the saying goes, when ‘life gives you lemons, make lemonade’. For those unfamiliar with this phrase, it is an entreaty to make some good out of a less than ideal situation, no matter how bad it is. In this article, I argue that deeper south-south cooperation, and in particular closer Africa-Caribbean cooperation, appears to be one potential COVID-19 ‘legacy good’.

    First, let me state from the outset that bilateral and regional initiatives towards deepening Africa-Caribbean ties predate COVID-19. For instance, the African Union (AU) has for some time now recognized the African diaspora (including that in the Caribbean) as its sixth region. In 2019, the leaders of two African countries, Ghana and Kenya, respectively, made separate high-level visits to the region. Jamaica has its Africa-Caribbean Institute of Jamaica. An AU-CARICOM forum was planned for July 2020 but had to be unfortunately postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. CARICOM also announced the creation of a joint embassy to be housed in Nairobi, Kenya. Moreover, African and Caribbean countries participate and cooperate in various multilateral and other fora, such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), the United Nations (UN), Organisation of Africa, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), the Commonwealth of Nations, as examples.

    However, it could be argued that the exigencies of the COVID-19 crisis have intensified the need for deeper Africa-Caribbean collaboration on areas of mutual interest in multilateral fora and at the regional and bilateral levels. As many western countries turned inward to focus on bringing the crisis under control in their countries, Caribbean countries were forced to turn to newer non-traditional partners for assistance in accessing vaccines. For instance, to use another South-South example, India’s generous donation of vaccines to Barbados and Dominica were critical to the start of Barbados’ vaccine programme which to date has vaccinated over 70,000 Barbadians, or nearly a third of the population. As such, it is heartbreaking to watch what is happening in India at the moment as it undergoes a deadly second-wave. I continue to keep our Indian brothers and sisters in my prayers.

    Turning back to Africa, CARICOM was also granted access to the Africa Medical Supplies Platform, a procurement system for medical supplies. Jamaica became the first CARICOM Member State to receive vaccine supplies under that mechanism. In a COVID-19 environment, improved vaccine access for developing countries has been a unifying theme for Africa and Caribbean countries’ multilateral cooperation, including at the sub-regional level. Both regions have condemned vaccine nationalism, particularly the hoarding of vaccines and imposition of export controls on needed medical supplies by some developed countries.

    Another laudable recent development in Africa-Caribbean cooperation is the formation of the Africa-CARICOM Group (AfCAR), a geopolitical grouping of sixty-eight African and Caribbean countries in the UN in March this year. Their first act was to issue a joint statement in the UN General Assembly in commemoration of  the ‘International Day of Remembrance of Victims of Slavery and Transatlantic Slave Trade’.

    There are many other areas in which Africa-Caribbean cooperation already exist, such as climate change, debt relief, financing for development and repatriations for the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, for example. There has been some  high-level cooperation involving Caribbean, African and Pacific countries on raising awareness on the de-risking issue, manifested most acutely by the withdrawal or restriction by large Western banks of correspondent banking services to banks in developing countries. African and Caribbean countries are among the most affected by this practice which has implications for trade, investment attraction and financial inclusion. The upcoming UNCTAD XV Quadriennial Conference due to be hosted virtually and chaired by Barbados in October this year presents another opportunity for our regions to collaborate on placing these and other issues on the global trade and development agenda.

    Additionally, as tourism-dependent Caribbean economies hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic seek to step up diversification efforts, African countries are among those targeted for greater economic engagement. Barbados has announced the creation of embassies in Ghana and Kenya (part of the CARICOM joint effort), while Jamaica will establish diplomatic relations with Liberia and Togo. Both Barbados and Jamaica have indicated the deployment of enhanced economic diplomacy as part of their Post-COVID-19 recovery strategies. There are also promising areas for further regional and bilateral collaboration, such as agri-business and sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, the cultural industries, education and digital payments systems.

    Naturally, for this momentum of closer Africa-Caribbean ties to be sustained, it must transcend the political level and trickle down to greater business-to-business and people-to-people engagement. Banking relationships would also need to improve to faciliate greater trade between the two regions. Current political discussions on improving air and sea connectivity would help to bolster the still meagre tourism, trade and investment ties between the two regions. Africa-Caribbean goods trade volumes remain small, with CARICOM countries enjoying a trade surplus with the continent on a whole.

    At the bilateral level, December 2020 saw an inaugural direct flight between Montego Bay (Jamaica) and Lagos (Nigeria), in hopes of commencing a regularly scheduled and most overdue direct link between the African continent and the English-speaking Caribbean. The potential for strong Africa-Caribbean tourism exists as an increasing number of Afro-Caribbean persons are interested in tracing their genealogy, discovering their African roots and learning about the ‘Motherland’. Encouragingly, the region’s top tertiary institution, The University of the West Indies (UWI) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the University of Ghana. This raises the possibility of enhanced student and faculty exchanges, other educational collaboration and meaningful academic research between our two regions.

    As I conclude, I concur with the sage words of Dr. Len Ishmael who noted in her 2019 study ‘Under-invested: The Caribbean-African Relationship‘:

    “The future of Caribbean-African relations is one ripe with potential and promise, but it requires
    the investments of time, attention and political will to transform the relationship into one fit for
    purpose and suitable for these modern times.”

    It would also be remiss of me if in concluding I fail to lament the dearth of scholarship on Africa-Caribbean relations. As such, Afronomics Law will be hosting a scholarly Blog Symposium examining the “Prospects for deepening Africa-Caribbean Economic Relations”. The deadline for submission of blog contributions is May 14. Learn more about the symposium and how to submit a blog piece here.

    Alicia Nicholls, B.Sc., M.Sc., LL.B. is a trade and development consultant with a keen interest in sustainable development, international law and trade. All views herein expressed are her personal views and should not be attributed to any institution with which she may from time to time be affiliated. You can read more of her commentaries and follow her on Twitter @LicyLaw.