Economic crisis, crime dominate CARICOM meeting

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　　"Since the financial and economic contagion² of 2008, growth in this region has been strangled. Most of our member states contend on a daily basis with a fiscal³ situation that threatens to overwhelm them," said CARICOM General Secretary Irwin Larocque.

　　"The circumstances which fashioned our approach to integration⁴ have changed, the nature of the challenges which we face has changed, our society has changed. Therefore, so must we," Larocque said at the opening session of the group's 24th Inter-sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government.

　　He blamed CARICOM's economic challenges partly on what is viewed as the adverse⁵ policies of multilateral lending institutions.

　　"The excruciating debt burden is exacerbated⁶ by the policies of the international financial institutions which disqualify many of our member states from concessionary financing because of criteria⁷ inappropriate to our circumstances," he said.

　　"Those criteria are also being considered by other international development partners and, if adopted, could render our development efforts even more challenging," Larocque warned.

　　Additionally, the CARICOM chief said rising crime rates in the region have become an obstacle to economic growth and stability.

　　"Those financial and economic burdens are intensified⁸ by the growing levels of crime in our community, in particular the rise in gun-related violence," he said.

　　Larocque announced that a meeting has been arranged with United States Attorney General Eric Holder⁹ to discuss the crime issue affecting the region with a view of forging a partnership¹⁰ to combat the problem.

　　The CARICOM's intersessional meeting is being hosted by Haiti for the first time in the 40-year history of the group.

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