October 11, 2023, The following editorial is issued by Sandrea Maynard, Pro Vice-Chancellor Global Affairs at The University of the West Indies.
Canada and the Caribbean have been historically longstanding partners but today, many Canadians perceive the Caribbean as a destination for vacations.
Over the years, as other entities have expanded their presence in the Caribbean, Canadian development support in the region has moved from physical infrastructure development to more intangible policy assistance, often delivered through third parties such as international organisations. Consequently, Canada’s tangible visibility profile in the region has diminished. Together with strategic partners in the Caribbean, the Canadian Government has been bolstering bilateral ties to address this development and ensure that Canada and the Caribbean progress as mutually beneficial partners moving together into the future…
Over the past several years, there have been significant increases in engagement between CARICOM and Canada, including regular meetings with Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Development, and leaders met last year in The Bahamas. Prime Minister Trudeau and Prime Ministers Mottley and Holness have assumed leadership roles together on several important UN initiatives.
The next significant step is a Canada-CARICOM Summit in Ottawa from October 17-19.
The UWI Press Release
Read the complete editorial here.