CARICOM, Spain sign €400K health cooperation deal to tackle regional challenges

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) recently inked a new cooperation agreement with the Government of Spain to the tune of €400,000 to address new and existing health challenges within the region.
The agreement was signed on Wednesday by the Secretary-General of CARICOM, Dr Carla Barnett, and the Ambassador of Spain to CARICOM, Her Excellency María Cristina Pérez Gutiérrez, during the 10th Meeting of the Joint Technical Committee (JTC) of the CARICOM–Spain Joint Fund for Scientific and Technical Cooperation.
In her opening remarks, co-chair of the meeting, Assistant Secretary-General, Foreign and Community Relations Directorate, Elizabeth Solomon underscored the value of the CARICOM-Spain partnership, noting “the CARICOM-Spain Joint Fund continues to play an important role in advancing regional priorities through cooperation that has evolved into a results-orientated programme of support that is both practical and responsive, delivering tangible benefits to the people of the Caribbean Community.”

Pérez Gutiérrez, who also chaired the session, reaffirmed Spain’s commitment to CARICOM, stating, “Spain values its partnership with CARICOM and remains committed to supporting initiatives that strengthen resilience, sustainability and regional cooperation.”
The committee considered two new regional project proposals with a combined value of US$700,000. The first proposal targets the “Greening Caribbean Ports Programme (GCPP): Advancing Sustainable Maritime Infrastructure in Caribbean Small Island Developing States” and is expected to be implemented by the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE) and the Port Management Association of the Caribbean (PMAC).
The second proposal, titled “Strengthening the Caribbean Emergency Response Capabilities through the Next Level Regional Response Mechanism (RRM)”, is expected to be implemented by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA).
Both sides reaffirmed the CARICOM–Spain Joint Fund as a key instrument for supporting priority regional initiatives and strengthening technical cooperation between CARICOM and Spain.