I’ve written before about the new Cold War in the Caribbean between the U.S. and China. Lesser known is a similar Cold War thousands of miles away in the Pacific between, again, the U.S. and China. The reason for mentioning the Pacific is that this week something remarkable happened that caused China a major embarrassment.
China offered some Pacific islands including Fiji, Kiribati, Micronesia, Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu millions of dollars in assistance and loans and a free trade agreement. In exchange, Beijing would train their police forces, provide cybersecurity, expand political ties, conduct sensitive marine mapping and gain greater access to natural resources on land and in the water.
The contents of this “security pact” that normally are strictly confidential, became known because they were leaked. In a 9th inning effort, the Chinese President tried to convince these islands that: “China will be a good brother.”
The Chinese Foreign Minister who was present in Fiji for a virtual meeting with the region thought this was a done deal. Yet, in the end, the small Pacific Islands rejected China’s offer because of concern with “China’s brotherly love” and a plain lack of confidence in Beijing.
What happened this week is a major blow to China which assumed it could continue to overrun (small) developing nations with its wallet diplomacy. Hopefully, we can learn from our Pacific Island politicians who rejected Beijing’s imperialistic diplomacy.
Unfortunately, China’s servants in Curaçao are still trying to convince us to go into business with Beijing. Remember the CEOs of major local state companies toasting champagne with the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) representatives? Let’s not forget that those representatives are still on our island and have the ear of many a politician.
Alex Rosaria
Chennai, India
Dear Editor,
I had tabled an amendment to the budget 2021 to increase the subsidy of the Nature Foundation, which was passed by Parliament. The amendment to increase the foundation’s subsidy specifically mentioned the management of the invasive vervet monkey.
At the time the foundation had just completed the Monkey Management Project via the R4CR program and I was therefore pleased to note the signing of the continuation of a service level agreement with the Nature Foundation in which the organization “is granted the authority to manage the marine and terrestrial ecosystems of Sint Maarten and provide related services to the Ministry,”
Of concern is, however, that the budgeted subsidy for the Nature Foundation for 2022 is back to the level before the 2021 increase. It is hardly imaginable that this organization now tasked with additional responsibilities can effectively attack the many environmental challenges we face today with the resources currently allotted to it.
Oftentimes we criticize and are criticized for the lack of regulations. In the case of our environment, there is an environment law and general measures for good environmental stewardship.
What should now be established to ensure that the Nature Foundation is well-equipped is the following:
* Are the existing regulations up to date?
* Will the “Authority” be heard and respected?
* Can the plethora of issues be addressed with the funding available?
* What are St. Maarten’s environmental priorities?
I continue to advocate for the country’s development along the lines of the global Sustainable Development Goals and as such, the environment is high on the agenda.
It is also one of the areas that I am completely in favor of decentralized execution, in this case to the Nature Foundation. Government should set the parameters and delegate or mandate those in the field to execute, reporting back as is stipulated in our Environment Ordinance.
What I would take issue with is having an agency responsible on paper and government going its merry way with total disregard for advices, warnings, etc.
I have therefore asked to receive the service level agreement with Nature Foundation and for a meeting with the Nature Foundation, as I believe that with the designation of Nature Foundation as the Authority, several environmental concerns can be tackled in earnest.
In my meeting request, I have specifically asked that the committee chair invites the Nature Foundation to hear what the plans are in connection with the recently signed agreement with government and their plans “to tackle the ever increasing invasive species’ presence on the island, doing much harm to our local ecosystems and throwing us back light years in the efforts to ‘grow what we eat and eat what we grow’.”
Sarah Wescot-Williams
Member of Parliament for United Democrats
Dear Editor,
I would like to honour Lilith Rogers, known simply as “Mom” to everyone. She has had a great impact on many lives of young people for many decades in St. Maarten and in particular in Middle Region.
Mom was an entrepreneur in the truest sense of the word before we even knew what that was in St. Maarten. She ran what was possibly the first established (though unofficial) daycare in St. Maarten. She minded the Wathey kids, so that’s how far reaching her services were.
As early as dawn, parents would drop their kids off by “Mom” for her to watch after them while they went off to work. Then the kids who came from school around 1:00pm would drop off at her house and wait until their parents later came from work to pick them up. It was not uncommon, however, that babies and/or children ended up uncollected by their parents, spending the night, nights, weeks or months at Mom’s house.
Though “Mom” charged peanuts for her daycare services, still to this day she is owed tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid fees. And that’s being very modest.
Most of us had our first education and higher education at Mom’s house. She was an avid reader, watched lots of interesting programmes on TV and she expected all children to excel in whatever they did.
“Mom” also was a seamstress. For decades she sewed countless school uniforms for children. Again, this was done without her collecting the dues for her work from parents.
She sewed carnival costumes, work uniforms, curtains, tablecloths and any outfit that people wanted made. Often on very short notice and hardly without full payment.
Her house is a testament to her sewing skills. Everything that is made of fabric in her house has been made by her own hands.
Lastly, “Mom” did various services: catering, ironing, cleaning services and lots of charity work at church and everywhere in the community.
And she did all this while being the caretaker of “the ol’ man” from Middle Region.
She was also the embodiment of sustainable living long before it became a rage.
“Mom” had a small plot of land at Defiance where she went at 4:00am to plant or harvest. She grew any and every provision and vegetable imaginable. In her back (and front) yard she has always had every vegetable and fruit that can be grown on the island. She raised her own chickens, goats, cows, and pigs. She always had dogs that grew so old they even outlived some people. And nothing, absolutely nothing went to waste.
Mom raised so many children but especially her daughter and her grandchildren are a testament of the education, values and wisdom she has imparted to so many.
She has always been “92” when you ask her age, but presently she is in her 80s. I do think she deserves public recognition and a medal for her outstanding influence and contribution to St. Maarten and the Middle Region community.
Let’s give her her flowers while she is still here.
Sandra Cocks
Dear Editor,
In case you haven’t noticed, there is a new Cold War in the Caribbean. This time China battles the U.S. contrary to the old Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviets. This is where the U.S. Western Hemisphere Nearshoring Act which was passed last month comes in. This legislation promotes manufacturing in Central, South America, and the Caribbean in order to reduce U.S. dependence on China.
First, we need to define nearshoring. According to Global Negotiator, nearshoring is the transfer of business processes to companies in a nearby country, whereby both parties benefit. Nearshoring is a derivative of the business term offshoring. This means that whilst the U.S. used to look to the far east for products and services, it now wants to promote these goods and services made available in our hemisphere.
There should be no doubt about the geopolitical component of this legislation: to reduce U.S. dependency on China and rekindle the historic friendship with its neighbours. Nearshoring makes business sense: closer proximity allows for cheaper and quicker transportation, less environmental burden, similar time zones which improve communication, reduction of cultural and language barriers, and better control of supply chains and quality.
Where’s the beef for Curaçao? We’re not going to be the next major automotive or aerospace industry production giants, but we can become an important technology and financial hub with the key being human capital, including Curaçao’s diaspora.
The new legislation also creates a low-interest loan program, administered by the International Development Finance Corporation to induce companies to move their factories from China to our region. Under this proposal, companies would get tax benefits such as duty-free trade with the U.S. for 15 years.
In order to benefit, we should reform our outdated economic structures, improve productivity, and have a globally competitive workforce. Most of these reforms are included in the stalled deal with the Netherlands.
We could also repeat the errors of the past and ignore the opportunities as we did during the first Cold War. The U.S.-sponsored Caribbean Basin Initiative should ring a bell.
Let’s hope this time we’ll ride the waves of change, diversify our economy while raising the standard of living, and not remain stuck in the status quo.
Alex Rosaria
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Dear Editor,
The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report explains plainly that the window is rapidly closing for governments to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. To reach this goal, we must all work together and drastically reduce carbon emissions. While the Caribbean produces a minute amount of global emissions, the region is also an incubator for sustainable solutions. From agro-tourism to renewable energy and micro-mobility, countries and territories around the Caribbean are showcasing the future of low-carbon development.
Leading by example
The Caribbean can be the first global Climate-Smart Zone. Our communities already have all the knowledge, innovation and drive needed to take the region to new heights. This is highlighted best by the fact that two of the five 2021 Earthshot Prize winners were from the Caribbean! However, while the region has most of the tools at its disposal to become a sustainable development powerhouse, our potential is only limited by the amount of collaboration we engage in both domestically and internationally.
At the UN climate conference in Glasgow, COP26, last year, it was clear that there needed to be more cross-sectoral partnerships between governments, financial institutions, entrepreneurs, and academia. As Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley expressed at the time, “Many hands make light work. Today we need the correct mix of voices and ambition.” While many were underwhelmed by the results of the conference, one thing that emerged was clear, the Caribbean should not wait for international public governance to act on climate issues.
However, the private sector displayed an appetite for collaboration. Throughout COP26, private investors and financiers showed that they were ready to get more involved in climate finance and were capable of mobilizing funds and spurring action at a faster rate to help support public policies. This development saw the Caribbean once again in a position to showcase best practice, and highlight how effective private finance can meet resilience and mitigation goals.
Caribbean excellence
The Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator (CCSA) has supported many collaborative initiatives between private financiers and the public sector, such as our resilience scorecard or the region’s 30x30 target. In each case, the Caribbean’s knowledge and leadership is on full display. The scorecard creates opportunities for governments and communities to identify gaps in resilience and adaptation, enabling them to create an efficient development plan that can be funded by private finance. Another example, the Caribbean 30x30 target is part of a larger global push to protect 30 per cent of the Earth’s land and oceans by 2030, and has the ability to future-proof the region’s economy.
In order for programs like these to work, however, collaboration is key – the more stakeholders engage, the stronger the action, and the better the benefits. Grenadian Minister Simon Stiell and Jamaican Minister, Senator Matthew Samuda explain in an op. ed. on the 30x30, “Our collective voice is still much too subdued. To have a real impact, 30x30 requires everyone in our region to do their part. We gain more through one Caribbean battle cry. We’ve already shown the world our willingness to transition from small island nations to sustainable and resilient large ocean states.”
Concerted climate action
In a recent publication in Nature, researchers pointed to the Global South as the “unsung heroes” of climate action. “The Global North should recognize Global South countries for the strides they have taken, particularly given that the Global North’s historic and current emissions form the bulk of atmospheric GHG concentrations. Despite these challenges, Global South nations are mobilizing innovative solutions to cut emissions across all sectors,” the authors opine, “New financial instruments are being developed across the Global South to stimulate further green innovation.” The world needs to hear our voices more clearly.
It is for this reason that the CCSA has been engaged in events around the world to highlight our communities’ innovations and foster and develop collaboration opportunities with global stakeholders. We have been involved regionally in efforts to build the Caribbean’s resilience and adaptation capacity, as well as overseas to secure new funding opportunities. Recently, the region was well represented in Dubai at the Caribbean Investment Forum (CIF) and Global Business Forum (GBF), where investors were interested in learning more about the sustainable solutions being developed on our shores.
Setting the tone
From Aruba to Jamaica and St Kitts and Nevis, the entire Caribbean region is working towards creating a better future for its communities. The latest IPCC report highlights the need for more collaboration on a global scale to meet climate goals, and the Caribbean has been a shining example of stakeholder engagement and inter-sectoral partnerships – and we can improve! While we may not produce many emissions, we are certainly feeling the effects of them, but that is only emboldening our resolve to find workable sustainable solutions capable of being emulated by the global community.
Racquel Moses
