Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has called on member states of the Community of Latin America and the Caribbean States (CELAC), to become more self-reliant as a regional bloc.
Addressing the 9th Summit of CELAC on Wednesday April 9, Dr. Gonsalves said there are some existing proposals which must be implemented in the face of issues such as pandemics and climate change.
The Prime Minister reiterated the call previously for a Medicinal authority to provide an imprimatur for pharmaceutical products.
“I think we need to advance on that specific one, as climate change…. worsens and deepens… we are gonna have more pandemics like Covid and we know that during that time, we were not able to have our own pharmaceutical products given the requisite imprimatur, we had to rely on that in Britain…in United States, even before it reached the World Health Organisation, I think this is something that is very important,” Dr. Gonsalves stressed.
The Prime Minister also called for member states utilize their vast human resource capital in addressing issues and building research capabilities.
“We have to find a better way to tap into the genius of our people, that genius possesses hidden resources, these resources which are not utilized or ill-utilised, …. we have as far as practical and feasible to be more self-reliant,”
The Prime Minister noted that previously there was a call for the establishment of a CELAC wide scientific research institute. “I think we need to provide a further exploration of this to give it real meaning, “Dr. Gonsalves suggested.
Dr. Gonsalves also reiterated a call by (Mexico and Argentina) and supported by St. Vincent and the Grenadines at a previous summit, for the establishment of a Fund within the Caribbean and Latin America to address natural disasters from which vulnerable countries can have access.
“For us to do these things…we have to agree…we must have at least a minimum permanent secretariat to be able to get work done and there will be a sense of continuity, these are practical things we can do” Dr. Gonsalves said.
