CASTRIES – The leader of the main opposition United Workers Party (UWP), Allen Chastanet, has called on the governments of the three islands affected by the Christmas Eve weather system to seek to convene a joint donors conference in order to mobilize support for the re-development of their respective countries.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves told a news conference Monday efforts were underway to have such a meeting take place as soon as possible.
He said he had already received a letter from Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer, who is chairman of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), outlining plans for an international donors’ conference.
“There is a letter which Baldwin sent to me which I have reviewed and make one or two alterations and suggestions, but we have to prepare for a donors’ conference well, maybe in March may be in February, but we have to prepare for it well so that we can get the donors to make pledges,” he said, recalling a similar conference had taken place to help Grenada after it was battered by a recent hurricane.
“I know some of the donors came through and others did not, but at least we need to do that to lift the profile,” Gonsalves said.
Chastanet a former tourism minister here, called on Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony to take lead responsibility for the initiative that should be coordinated by the St. Lucia-based Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Secretariat.
St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Dominica were heavily affected by the low level trough that left deaths and hundreds of millions of dollars in destruction in its wake over the Christmas holidays.
Chastanet said that the damage sustained by the three islands underscored the vulnerability of the region as a whole to natural disasters which result in widespread economic and social dislocation.
“The aftermath of the disaster provided an opportunity for a collaborative effort in, not only reconstruction, but in finding solutions to the common problems that we face and in the interest of the long term sustainability of these islands.
“The three affected countries are all part of an OECS Economic Union, and even before the disaster, they faced serious social and economic challenges which have been compounded by the extensive damage to infrastructure and private property across the islands,” he added.
Chastanet said that there already exists a basis for collaboration and that regional action was needed to facilitate national survival.
“Such an initiative will also send a signal to the international community that we are serious about regional integration and are prepared to take it to the next level.
“Many in the donor community have expressed a preference for regional approaches in providing development assistance and are likely to be attracted by such a proposition.” (CMC)