DICKON MITCHELL, Prime Minister of Grenada and Chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), emphasized that Cuba continues to face severe economic hardships, and Haiti has an urgent humanitarian crisis.  As Cuba is on the United States list of State sponsors of terrorism and the blockade remains in place, CARICOM is deeply troubled that the Cuban people have been forced to endure this 60-year imposition, he said, calling for an end to the blockade.  Turning to Haiti, he thanked Belize and Jamaica for sending security personnel to support the Kenyan troops there and said that funding for the Multinational Security Support Mission remains critical.  He urged support for this Mission and efforts to alleviate the humanitarian crisis, especially by helping Haitian children’s access to education. For 16 million people in the Caribbean Community, resilience is “the definition of daily life”.

He said he was born in 1977 in a small hillside village in Grenada where his and most other households did not have running water or electricity.  In 1979, Grenada experienced a political revolution that brought many changes when education and tourism became a focus.  In 1983, the revolution came to a violent end because of the American intervention, and he had to collect spice in the hills and sell it to continue his studies, he recalled.  “As Prime Minister, I am determined to ensure that the resilience I learned becomes a cornerstone of Grenada’s future and the future of the wider Caribbean,” he emphasized, adding that education will empower the next generation of leaders, thinkers and dreamers, so Grenada is working to ensure that every child has access to free education up to 18.  “Digital education — and digitization more broadly — is a priority for our Government,” he said.

Recalling the devastation inflicted on his island by Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and by Hurricane Emily less than one year later, he emphasized: “We borrowed heavily, and we were thankful to be able to do so, but […] for many years after, we struggled under the weight of that debt.”  As the islands Carriacou and Petite Martinique were hit by Hurricane Beryl causing unimaginable destruction three months ago, he said this round of rebuilding will take months, if not years.  “We understand that we cannot continue to rebuild after every storm without seeking sustainable solutions,” he noted, adding that the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility was established to allow receiving financial payouts and recovering more swiftly from natural disasters.  “We also introduced a hurricane relief clause in our financial agreements, enabling us to suspend debt payments in times of crisis, giving us the resources we need to focus on recovery,” he noted, also calling on the international community to make good on its promise of mobilizing $100 billion annually to developing countries for climate action.  Stressing that CARICOM has a clear vision and plan to harness technology ranging from drones that assess storm damage to early warning systems that enhance preparedness, he spotlighted:  “We are asking for more than just financial aid. We are looking for partnerships where we can work together on climate adaptation.”  Calling the Caribbean “a living lab” on the front lines of global climatic challenge, he said, “Let us help you,” and paraphrased a famous tourism slogan:  “What happens in Grenada does not just stay in Grenada.”  He assured that the lessons they are learning can help nations facing their own climate crises, from wildfires in Canada to flooding in Europe. “Resilience is not just about surviving a storm — it is about ensuring that, together, we emerge from it stronger, more united and more understanding of each other than ever before,” he concluded.