NASSAU, Bahamas — As he appealed for countries in the region to come together to combat climate change, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis admitted the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the “humbling” realisation that The Bahamas’ interests may be more aligned with other small island developing states than some of its larger allies, The Tribune reported on March 4.
Mr Davis was proposing how countries in the region could band together and create stronger ties to fight the climate challenge at the CARICOM-SICA Summit.
Yesterday was the final day of meetings with regional heads in San Pedro, Belize.
“As a regional community, what can we do, beyond hoping that our friends will spring into action, beyond waiting for the inevitable to hit us?” the Prime Minister said. “What leadership can we provide? Colleagues as we are not the major carbon emitters or the wealthy carbon-emitting beneficiaries, there will always be limitations around what we can do. However, The Bahamas believes that it is possible to be an active and driving part of the solution. The first step is to take the first step.”
He added, “We recognise that we face a global phenomenon brought on by global causes and need an international effort. Yet when it comes to the region, we are still acting individually.
“I do not underestimate the challenges of stepping up our levels of regional cooperation, but leadership requires us to try, try and try again.
“My government still has some way to go in arguing to the Bahamian people that we must look south and north. We are grateful to our friends and allies for all that they do.
“But the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic brought into sharp and humbling focus that our self-interest may well be more fully-aligned with those who live like us: small island developing states; small economies with narrow economic bases; and small populations whose voices already resound loudly on the world stage, but not loudly enough to carry the argument.” See complete article in The Tribune at http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/mar/04/small-states-need-fight-together-brave-warns-we-sh/
