Prime Minister (PM) Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips has urged enhanced South-South cooperation and deeper integration between the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and Africa. Speaking at the CELAC-Africa High-Level Forum in Colombia on Thursday, PM Phillips highlighted key areas for collaboration, including climate change, food security, health systems, digital connectivity, technology and peace and security.
“Issues of the environment, climate change, food security, improved health care systems, digital connectivity and technology, and peace and security can be the pillars of our development cooperation,” he said. He stressed climate change as a priority, noting Guyana’s vulnerability as a low-lying coastal nation, and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) and the Global Biodiversity Alliance. He also called for collective efforts to achieve the 1.5 degrees Celsius target and secure financing for resilience building, adaptation and loss and damage. On food security, PM Phillips proposed joint research programmes, coordinated sharing of agricultural technology, and exchange of best practices to strengthen climate-resilient agricultural systems.
“There are lots of lessons to be learned and technology to be shared across our continents, which can support sustainable and climate-resilient agri-food systems,” he said.
He also touched on historical and cultural links between Africa and the Caribbean, highlighting the importance of reparatory justice and CARICOM’s ongoing ten-point action plan. Economic cooperation featured prominently in his address, with a focus on trade and investment. PM Phillips called for bi-regional trade agreements, targeted private sector partnerships and improved transport connectivity to boost market access and economic growth. Looking ahead, he stressed the need to institutionalise the CELAC-Africa partnership through the establishment of a Joint Commission to ensure sustained and productive engagement.
He praised Colombia, as pro tempore president of CELAC, and Burundi, as chair of the African Union, for leading the forum, describing the event as a milestone in formalising cooperation between the regions. “Let us seize this historic opportunity as leaders of countries within our regions to demonstrate our determination and resolve to forge a sustainable and equitable future for our countries,” he urged. PM Phillips reaffirmed Guyana’s commitment to the CELAC-Africa partnership and the implementation of programmes aimed at inclusive and mutually beneficial socio-economic development.
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