Kamalesh Sharma was received by Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves and Foreign Minister Camillo Gonsalves.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma visited St Vincent and the Grenadines last week where he met Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves and Foreign Minister Camillo Gonsalves.
They thanked him for the valuable support from the Commonwealth following the severe damage caused by recent storms in the country, and the significant financial resources mobilised to assist with disaster management and rebuilding of infrastructure.
The Prime Minister, who currently holds the chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), discussed with the Secretary-General the work of the Commonwealth in supporting member states to build economic resilience. Vulnerabilities arise from limited options for diversification, remoteness and susceptibility to natural disasters.
The Commonwealth has a special focus on helping small island developing states to recover from these external shocks and to advocate for global policies that take into account the special concerns of small states.
Commonwealth assistance to St Vincent and the Grenadines on maritime boundaries and ocean governance policy are helping to boost sustainable exploitation of marine resources.
Secretary-General Sharma assured the government and people of St Vincent and the Grenadines of Commonwealth support in their efforts to build strong information and communications technology (ICT).
Prime Minister Gonsalves explained that ICT is a focus for human resources growth and that health and education are priorities for his government. He expressed keen interest in Commonwealth ICT initiatives including the Commonwealth Plan for Broadband Inclusion, and strong support for Common Health and Common Knowledge - the Commonwealth’s global ‘hubs’ for health and education.
The Commonwealth Secretariat will co-host the Third Global Biennial Conference on Small States which takes place in Saint Lucia from 26 to 27 March 2014.
