The boss of the United Nations António Guterres is up against the “vulnerability” of the Caribbean in the face of climate change, also pleading for financing mechanisms for indebted developing countries.
“Small islands and low-lying coastal states in the Caribbean are particularly vulnerable to what is arguably the most important challenge facing the world today: the climate crisis,” Guterres said as he opened the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of State and Government summit in Paramaribo, Suriname, which runs through Tuesday, July 5.
“The Caribbean is at the forefront of the global climate emergency,” he said, calling for urgent action to reduce CO2 emissions and the creation of “solutions” because “we have no time to lose.
In social networks, on Twitter, he noted that Suriname was “one of the few countries to be negative” in CO2 emissions “and a leader in the protection of biodiversity. An example for the population, for prosperity and for our planet”.
On the subject of debt, which has swelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequences of the conflict in Ukraine, Mr. Guterres considered it necessary to “provide immediate relief for developing countries whose debt is coming due”. According to him, this must be done through a reform of the financial system to ensure “access to financing” to developing countries and renegotiation of these sovereign debts.
Mr. Guterres arrived Saturday, July 2 in Paramaribo, where he met with the President of Suriname Chandrikapersad Santokhi.
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