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India – CARICOM Summit

Last updated on November 21st, 2024 Posted on November 21, 2024 by NEXT IAS Current Affairs Team  30

Syllabus: GS2/IR

Context

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed seven key pillars to strengthen ties between India and ‘CARICOM’ (Caribbean Community).

About

  • The PM joined the Caribbean partner countries for the second India-CARICOM Summit in Guyana.
  • PM visit to Guyana is the first visit by an Indian head of State in more than 50 years.
  • He held talks with the Caribbean partner countries, focusing on areas such as trade, technology, and tourism, among others.

7 Key Pillars

The seven pillars listed by PM Modi also form the acronym C-A-R-I-C-O-M.

  • Capacity Building: Announced 1,000 information technology scholarships and proposed expanding the technology centre India is establishing in Belize to CARICOM members.
  • Agriculture and Food Security: India can share its advancements in agricultural technology, such as deploying drones, and promote millet cultivation to enhance nutrition.
  • Renewable Energy and Climate Change: Invited CARICOM nations to join initiatives such as International Solar Alliance, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, Mission Life for Sustainable Lifestyles, and the Global Biofuel Alliance.
  • Innovation and Technology: India’s technological advancements, such as the “Stack” infrastructure and the Universal Payment Interface (UPI) for digital payments, can be extended to CARICOM countries.
  • Cricket and Culture: Proposed using cricket as a tool for women’s empowerment by offering 11 scholarships to each CARICOM nation for women’s cricket coaching.
  • Ocean Economy: India can assist in developing untapped marine resources, enhancing regional connectivity, and supporting security initiatives.
  • Medicine and Healthcare: Offers affordable solutions through its Janaushadi scheme.

CARICOM 

  • Established: It was formed in 1973 with the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas.
    • It is the oldest surviving integration movement in the developing world. 
    • The Treaty was later revised in 2002 to allow for the eventual establishment of a single market and a single economy.
  • Members: Caricom is a grouping of 21 countries including 15 member states and six associate members.
    • From the Bahamas in the north to Suriname and Guyana in South America, CARICOM comprises states that are considered developing countries.
  • Demography: It is home to approximately sixteen million citizens, 60 percent of whom are under the age of 30.
    • They belong to the main ethnic groups of Indigenous Peoples, Africans, Indians, Europeans, Chinese, Portuguese and Javanese.
  • Objectives Of CARICOM: The four pillars of CARICOM are economic integration, foreign policy coordination, human and social development, and security. 
  • Caribbean Community: The Caribbean economic development spans from a political union which led to the establishment of the West Indies Federation (1958), to a more structured engagements of the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) (1965), and a more sustained measure of regional integration through a Caribbean Community (1973).
  • Summits: CARICOM and the Prime Minister last met in 2019 on the margins of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
    • India proposed to hold the 3rd Summit in India.

Why is CARICOM Important To India’s Global South Objective?

  • Enhancing Ties with Developing Nations: For India, building stronger ties with CARICOM aligns with its broader strategic objective of enhancing partnerships with developing countries. 
  • Additional Global Platform for India: The Caribbean nations, many of which are also Commonwealth members, provide India with additional platforms for cooperation in international forums, particularly on issues of mutual interest such as trade, climate change, and disaster management.
  • Common Concerns: India and CARICOM have common concerns about the effects of climate change.
    • Rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and environmental degradation pose existential threats to many Caribbean nations, making climate action a priority in their foreign policy agendas.
  • Indian Diaspora: The Indian diaspora in CARICOM countries plays a pivotal role in maintaining people-to-people ties between the two regions.
Global South
– The Global South refers to various countries around the world that are sometimes described as ‘developing’, ‘less developed’ or ‘underdeveloped’.
1. It includes countries in Asia, Africa and South America.  
2. Many of these countries are in the Southern Hemisphere, largely in Africa, Asia and Latin America. 
3. They are poorer, have higher levels of income inequality and suffer lower life expectancy and harsher living conditions.
– Global North refers loosely to countries like the US, Canada, Europe, Russia, Australia and New Zealand.

Conclusion

  • As CARICOM nations look beyond their traditional alliances with North America and Europe, India emerges as a valuable partner for their pursuit of economic diversity and sustainable development.
  • India is engaging with CARICOM for enhancing its relationship with developing countries along with becoming the voice of Global South.
    • Throughout its G20 presidency, India emphasized the concerns of the Global South in discussions to find solutions to the most pressing issues in the maritime domain.
  • India acknowledges that countries need collective solutions to their common problems, especially since they remain economically interdependent. 

Source: TH

 
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