A Caribbean Perspective on Aid Effectiveness

1. A Caribbean PerspectiveonAid Effectiveness

2. A Caribbean Perspectiveon Aid Effectiveness • Caribbean Community (CARICOM) consists of 15 Member States: • Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago • The CARICOM Secretariat (CCS) is the principal administrative organ with several responsibilities to assist CARICOM achieve its Objectives.

3. A Caribbean Perspectiveon Aid Effectiveness • One of the functions of the CCS is to: • Coordinate the activities of donor agencies, international, regional and national institutions for the achievement of the objectives of the Community. • Specifically on Aid Effectiveness, Member States (MS) have mandated the CCS to serve as their representative on the Working Party for Aid Effectiveness.

4. A Caribbean Perspectiveon Aid Effectiveness Among the objectives of the Community are: • Improved standards of living and work; • Accelerated, coordinated and sustained economic development and convergence; • Expansion of trade and economic relations with third States; • Enhanced functional cooperation including: (i) More efficient operation of common services and activities for the benefit of its peoples; (ii) Accelerated promotion of greater understanding among its peoples and the advancement of their social, cultural and technological development.

5. A Caribbean Perspectiveon Aid Effectiveness • Consequently, the CCS initiates and facilitates activities at a regional level ensuring that the contribution of MS is incorporated in the eventual regional decision or action; • In this process, the CCS recognises and respects the sovereignty of MS; • A significant amount of Aid is negotiated for regional policies.

6. A Caribbean Perspectiveon Aid Effectiveness • As such, the Aid Effectiveness Agenda is very relevant to the CCS and MS. • CARICOM subscribes to The Partnership Commitments on: • Ownership: coordination of aid with donors and encouraging the participation of civil society and the private sector;

7. A Caribbean Perspectiveon Aid Effectiveness • CARICOM subscribes to The Partnership Commitments on: • Developing reliable country systems which can transparently provide assurance that aid will be used for agreed purposes as well as the development of transparent performance assessment frameworks; • Harmonisation of Donors’ actions and building of more effective and inclusive partnerships with all development actors;

8. A Caribbean Perspectiveon Aid Effectiveness • CARICOM subscribes to The Partnership Commitments on: • Intensifying the focus on managing for results; • The accountability of both Donors and Partners for the achievement of development results; and • Implementation of mutual Donor/Partners assessments of progress.

9. A Caribbean Perspectiveon Aid Effectiveness Current CARICOM status: • In fulfilling the MS’ mandate to represent them at WPEFF, the CCS intends to organise a regional meeting to which all MS will be invited to develop a regional framework for action, based on these principles. • The CCS will also seek to catalyse the development of individual national frameworks. • The CCS will assist MS to leverage support from WPEPP, TT-SSC and other agencies to develop and implement individual MS frameworks.

10. A Caribbean Perspectiveon Aid Effectiveness THANK YOU!