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(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana)     Climate Change and its effects engaged the attention of the new Kittitian Ambassador to CARICOM and the Secretary-General during an accreditation ceremony on Tuesday at the headquarters of the CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Guyana.

In presenting his credentials to the Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, Ambassador Lionel Sydney Osborne of St. Kitts and Nevis noted that “as a Region prone to natural disasters, we have a sacred contract with our citizens to bombard the international community, in appreciating the debilitating effects” that natural disasters have caused on many occasions as well as the effects climate change has on small vulnerable island states, such as ours.” He added that we must continue to insist on a “coordinated and meaningful response” from the global community.

Secretary-General LaRocque, in agreeing with the sentiments, referred to the recent devastation caused by Tropical Storm Erika in Dominica and the Christmas 2013 floods in Saint Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. He added that the outcome of the 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) (COP21) in Paris, France later this year was of critical importance to the Community.

Ambassador LaRocque told the Kittitian Ambassador that he would be joining the Community’s newest Body, the Committee of Ambassadors which comprises all the Ambassadors to CARICOM from its Member States.

“You will therefore be one of the change drivers as we seek to re-position the Community in keeping with the Strategic Plan for the period 2015-2019,” the Secretary-General added.

The Secretary-General said that in the context of the Region’s reform efforts issues such as the Post 2015 Development Agenda on the international stage take on added significance. As it created a “platform for co-operation with global partners” in achieving our objective of increased economic, social, environmental and technological resilience.