Volume 7 - Issue 3 March 2020 The Hummingbird CARIBBEAN FIRST COVID-19 ZERO HOUR: OUR REGION IN THE FACE OF THE PANDEMIC Voluntary National REVIEWS CARIBBEAN COUNTRIES RENEW COMMITMENT TO 2030 AGENDA AT ECLAC WORKSHOP Climate Change AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE CARIBBEAN ECLAC CARIBBEAN Contents About us 4 Zero Hour: Our Region in the Face of the Pandemic Issued on a monthly basis, The Hummingbird offers strategic insights into the latest projects, 8 Caribbean countries renew publications, technical assistance missions and research carried out by ECLAC Caribbean. In commitment to 2030 Agenda addition to these, sneak previews are provided at ECLAC workshop on of the most salient upcoming events, alongside voluntary national reviews enriching follow-ups to previously covered issues. With a view to featuring a variety of facets of Caribbean life and lifestyle, The Hummingbird 12 COVID-19: Caribbean Update also zooms in on cultural activities and landmark occurrences through an eye-opening regional 16 British Heritage specialists round-up. describe Nevis’ heritage sites as remarkable EDITORIAL TEAM Editor: Alexander Voccia 18 Jamaica government to Copy Editor: Denise Balgobin establish Goat Islands wildlife Publication Design: Blaine Marcano sanctuary Please see our contact details on the back cover of 22 Uncovering underwater this magazine cultural heritage in Caribbean SIDS 24 State of Affairs 2|The Hummingbird International Days 1 March Zero Discrimination Day Posted Mar 25 Citizen of Trinidad and Tobago? Please take a moment to fill out the 3 March Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Awareness Survey: World Wildlife Day https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TTSDGSurvey 8 March International Women's Day 21 March International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination Posted Mar 10 #ECLACCaribbean came out with @UNFPACaribbean and @UN_TandT to celebrate #InternationalWomensDay! Upcoming Meetings 2 - 27 March Human Rights Committee, 128th Posted Mar 2 In 2020, seven young people, selected from every global region will be session - Geneva named 'UN Young Champions of the Earth.' Don’t miss the 10th April 2020 deadline! https://www.unenvironment.org/youngchampions/ 17 March International Civil Service Commission, 19th Session - New York The Hummingbird |3 "Everything seems to be one gigantic mistake. Zero Hour: Our Region in the We console ourselves by saying that everything has Face of the Pandemic happened as it should not by Alicia Bárcena Ibarra* have happened. But it is we who are mistaken, not history. We must learn to t is true that history recounts dramatic. To find worse growth look reality in the face; if the devastating impact of levels than that recorded in the necessary, we must invent past pandemics, but none region in the last seven years, one new words and new ideas Iof them occurred in such a must look back as far as seven for these new realities that populated world (with more than decades. are challenging us. Thinking 7.7 billion people) or in such an is the first obligation of the interconnected one, and with a Just a few months ago, and after intelligentsia, and in certain planet that is ailing environmentally. ending 2019 with poor regional cases it is the only one." This is the biggest human and growth of just 0.1%, ECLAC health crisis we have ever faced. estimated that 2020 would witness Octavio Paz That assertion must serve as our a modest rebound and the growth The Labyrinth of Solitude guiding principle if we are to rate would reach 1.3% of GDP. approach it effectively. It has, Today, a conservative estimate – of course, profound economic based on data that is still stabilizing implications, but the center of – indicates that Latin America and attention, the focus of public policy the Caribbean will record negative decisions, must be on safeguarding growth of -1.8% this year, with a one of the most valuable global probable downward bias. public goods in existence: people’s health and well-being. The effects of this crisis on our main trading partners portend With this in mind, it is fitting to a decline in the value of our COVID-19 will affect the mention that Latin America and region’s exports that could reach a supply and demand side of the Caribbean will be impacted magnitude of -10.7%. This scenario the economy through the through five main external avenues: involves a significant increase interruption of production a decline in the economic activity in unemployment as well as a chains and the loss of of our principal trading partners, substantial increase in labour market income and profitability due especially China; a fall in prices for informality. to higher unemployment and our commodities; the interruption greater difficulties to pay of global and regional value chains; The consequent effects of negative debt service obligations. the steep decline in demand for growth and higher unemployment tourism services, which primarily translate into an increase in poverty affects the Caribbean; an increase and extreme poverty. If the base in risk aversion and the worsening data is confirmed, then in 2020 the of global financial conditions and number of poor people would rise capital outflows from the region, from 186 million currently to 220 with consequent devaluation of our million, and the Latin American -1.8% currencies. and Caribbean citizens who live in conditions of extreme poverty The onslaught of COVID-19 came would rise from 67.5 million to 90.8 at a bad time. Worldwide, 2019 million. ECLAC estimates a recorded the worst economic contraction of -1.8% in Gross performance of the past decade This crisis finds us with fragmented Domestic Product (GDP) (2.5% growth in GDP). In the case of health care systems and without across Latin America and the Latin America and the Caribbean, universal coverage, where more Caribbean (LAC) this performance was even more than 47% of the population *Executive Secretary of ECLAC 4|The Hummingbird currently has no access to social When we speak of massive fiscal security. A crisis that is particularly stimulus, we are also talking about vicious for the 58 million people financing the social protection over 65 years of age in our region. systems that care for the most 10% vulnerable sectors. We are The challenge is enormous, and talking about rolling out non- it demands that we renew our contributory programs such as ECLAC estimates a rise toolbox. Each country will have to direct cash transfers, financing in unemployment by 10% creatively explore and expand the for unemployment insurance, and across LAC. framework of its possible responses, benefits for the underemployed and acknowledging that there are self-employed. no known formulas, while also recognizing that there are some imperative steps to be taken. ...continued on next page In the current situation, it cannot 200 be overlooked that a massive million fiscal stimulus is needed to bolster health services and protect income and jobs, among the numerous ECLAC estimates a that the challenges at hand. The provision of number of poor in LAC rising essential goods (medication, food, from 185 million to 220 energy) cannot be disrupted today, million people. and universal access to testing for COVID-19 must be guaranteed along with medical care for all those who need it. Providing our health care systems with the necessary funds is an unavoidable imperative. 90 million ECLAC estimates a that the quantity of people living in extreme poverty in LAC could increase from 67.4 million to 90 million. -10.7% ECLAC estimates a that the value of LAC’s exports to China could drop by as much as 10.7% The Hummingbird |5 Zero Hour: Our Region in the Face of the Pandemic (continued) ECLAC is estimating that Likewise, central banks have to This new health crisis has exposed COVID-19 will affect LAC ensure liquidity so the production the fragility of globalization and through five channels: apparatus can guarantee its the development model on which continued functioning. These it was based. The breaking of 1. Decline in economic activity of main trade partners efforts must translate into support supply chains, the decline in global 2. Drop in commodity prices for companies with zero-interest growth, and the performance of 3. Interruption of global value loans for paying wages. In addition, financial markets have exposed chains companies and households must be the global vulnerability of our 4. Lower demand for tourism services aided by the postponement of loan, economies. In light of the evidence 5. Intensification of risk aversion mortgage and rent payments. Many of this crisis, the global community and the worsening of global interventions will be needed to will have to face the fact that financial conditions ensure that the chain of payments globalization did not work as is not interrupted. Development promised and it must be reformed. banks should play a significant role in this. The decoupling of financial markets and the real economy’s And, certainly, multilateral financing flows must be contained and bodies will have to consider new regulated. International trade is -10.7% policies on low-interest loans and not an inevitable driver of long- offer relief and deferments on term growth without policies for current debt servicing to create diversifying and transforming fiscal space. production. Inequalities, between ECLAC estimates a that in countries and within them 2020, the value of LAC’s It is also urgent that unilateral aggravate the fragility of the global exports is expected to fall sanctions and blockades, imposed system and must be rolled back. between 4.6% and 10.7%, in the world and in our region, be mainly due to lower prices. lifted, because they hamper entire This pandemic has the potential populations’ access to goods and to transform the geopolitics of services that are indispensable globalization, but it is also an for fighting this health challenge.