A major step toward regional cooperation and mutual development has been taken with the U.S. Virgin Islands’ official acceptance of the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) request to engage in functional cooperation.
An announcement from Government House states that the agreement, which is still in its early phases, lays the foundation for the territory to engage closely with the regional organization on several fronts.
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To determine the rules, guidelines, and practices that will govern this new collaboration, the Office of the Governor is now setting up meetings. The goal of functional cooperation with CARICOM is to promote collaborative efforts in certain areas of shared interest, with an emphasis on useful projects and activities that will have an immediate positive impact. These initiatives are meant to help the Caribbean area overcome obstacles and realize common objectives.
In line with CARICOM’s goals, the territory has identified a number of important areas of interest, such as the growth of a blue economy, investments in vital economic sectors like technology, agriculture, and tourism, facilitation of intraregional trade, mitigation of climate change, improvement of employment opportunities in the region, disaster recovery, and addressing issues related to crime, poverty, and emerging public health.
Government House said that this project is being led by Teri Helenese, the director of State-Federal Relations and Washington Representative for the Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands, on behalf of Governor Albert Bryan, Jr.’s office. The administration said that Mr. Bryan’s participation is essential to fostering regional collaboration and addressing shared difficulties since he is the highest elected official representing the United States in the English-speaking Caribbean.
The U.S. Virgin Islands, according to Gov’t House, is prepared to support and profit from the community’s shared goals and is dedicated to forging a strong collaboration with CARICOM.
