7 July 2010: The 31st Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) was held in Montego Bay, Jamaica, from 4-7 July 2010, to discuss, among other things, climate change issues.
In an opening address delivered on 4 July, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon congratulated the region for its leadership and advocacy leading up to, and during, the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference in December 2009, noting that the Caribbean community had conveyed an important message to the world as to the urgent and growing threat of climate change. He expressed hope that more financial support will be given to the region in its bid to increase mitigation and adaptation measures by the 16th session of the Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC (COP 16) in Cancun, Mexico, at the end of 2010.
According to the final Communiqué, Heads of Government agree to expedite the regional programme in preparation for COP 16. Recognizing that the Copenhagen Accord was disappointing, they agree that CARICOM negotiators must adhere to the principles of the Liliendaal Declaration on Climate Change and Development of 2009, and to the Alliance of Small Island Developing States (AOSIS) Heads Declaration of September 2009. They point specifically to the stabilization of the global temperature increase at 1.5oC and efforts to achieve a legally binding agreement on issues related to mitigation, adaptation, research and finance.
Heads of Government express appreciation to Grenada for its role as Chair of AOSIS and agreed to collaborate with the Alliance in advancing the region’s interest in the climate change negotiations. They further agree to convene a joint meeting of the CARICOM Council for Trade and Economic Development and Council for Human and Social Development in Saint Lucia in early September 2010 to consolidate the regional position on climate change for COP 16. [The Communiqué] [Summit Website] [UN Press Release]