22 February 2010: The Heads of State and Government of Mexico and the Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) gathered for their first Summit in the Mexican Riviera Maya on 21 February 2010, to discuss tackling joint challenges, including climate change.
In the Final Declaration of the Summit, Heads of State and Government confirm their commitment to coping with common challenges, such as climate change, security and the international financial and economic crises, to improve the quality of life of peoples. Taking into account that the Caribbean region is often affected by natural disasters that have a negative effect on the security and well-being of citizens, they acknowledge the powerful impact that environmental degradation and climate change have on people’s standards of living and on the survival of the countries in the region.
Mexico and CARICOM Heads of State and Government also adopted a Climate Change Declaration to confirm their commitment to reinforcing cooperation to deal with climate change through joint efforts. In the Declaration, Heads of State and Government: express determination to strengthen mitigation and adaptation policies with the support of the international community; call for an increase in cooperation in the region to achieve understanding and adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change, in particular through the establishment of collaboration links between the CARICOM’s Center for Climate Change and the Government of Mexico; stress the need to continue negotiations within the UNFCCC and the Bali Action Plan; and urge all States to become constructively involved in the negotiations and to build on the results achieved in Copenhagen.
Furthermore, according to the Climate Change Declaration, Mexico and CARICOM Heads of State and Government regard the Copenhagen Agreement as a significant step towards the implementation of the Bali Action Plan and express interest in ensuring that the understanding reached over certain crucial elements will facilitate the negotiations underway at the UNFCCC. They pledge to collaborate and support Mexico to ensure the adoption of a broad, ambitious, effective agreement that will meet the challenges and needs of mankind, particularly the most vulnerable sectors, stressing the importance of ensuring that the outcomes of the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC are legally binding. [Summit Final Declaration] [Climate Change Declaration]