DPI, GUYANA, Thursday, September 21, 2017
The Nordic countries have indicated they will render assistance through the United Nations to CARICOM countries devastated by recent hurricanes.
Today, Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge and other Foreign Affairs Ministers from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) engaged the Nordic countries in discussions.
The Nordic is made up of the five countries of the Nordic region which includes Denmark, Island, and Norway.
“I think they are offering about US$1M through that body (the UN) and also immediately mentioned $100,000 Swiss francs to Antigua and Barbuda”, Minister Greenidge explained.
Climate change was a feature of the discussions between the regional blocs.
“There was a wide-ranging and extensive discussion on the impact of hurricanes, what we need to do, questions of mitigation as well as of prevention”, the Minister said.
Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria have brought severe destruction to the CARICOM states they passed through. The island of Barbuda was rendered practically uninhabitable after the rage of Hurricane Irma, while Dominica was recently severely affected by Hurricane Maria.
Meanwhile, the Nordic countries sought support for their candidacy to various positions within the UN.
Denmark requested CARICOM’s support in its candidacy bid to join the Human Rights Council while Sweden thanked the Ministers for their support last year in assisting the country to join the Security Council.
By: Tiffny Rhodius