Senator Hylton Urges Further Advancement of Issues Affecting Developing Countries

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Anthony Hylton has said that for many developing countries, including those in the Caribbean, economic growth and development remained at the forefront of national goals and aspirations.
However, he said notwithstanding the best of efforts, the achievement of growth and development had proved challenging as the phenomenon of modern globalization had “generated unbalanced outcomes, both between and within countries – wealth is being created, but too many countries and people are not sharing in its benefits. Accordingly, the gap between rich and poor, the developed and the developing countries, continues to widen”.
Senator Hylton was addressing the 13th Summit of the Group of Fifteen (G-15) on September 14 in Havana, Cuba. The Foreign Ministers of member states of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) met for two days prior to the start of the 14th Summit of the Movement.
“Over the last 17 years, while we have focused our attention on development, the eradication of poverty, unemployment, globalization, information and communication technology; the environment; energy and development, we recognize that the Group cannot significantly advance on these issues without the requisite political will on our part,” the Foreign Affairs Minister said.
He said that if the Group was serious about reactivating and revitalizing itself and becoming more relevant, “we have to channel our efforts towards fast-tracking the projects that are already in the pipeline and also look towards making proposals on future projects that will advance and support South-South Cooperation. Through this channel of cooperation, we will, indeed, become even more cohesive as a Group, more relevant to the people that we represent and better placed to attract new membership”.
He also acknowledged the work of the Panel of External Consultants on the Examination of the Challenges facing the Group of 15 and Evaluation of its Projects for South-South Cooperation, noting that, “in this context, Jamaica fully supports the recommendations submitted by the Personal Representatives”.
Senator Hylton used the opportunity to pay special tribute to the Venezuelan Government for its role in the area of South/South Cooperation, particularly in the energy sector, following on the G-15 Meeting in Caracas in 2004.
Stating that the PetroCaribe arrangement represented a tangible contribution to the integration process in the region, he said, “the benefits accrued have also had significant impact on the economic and social development of the Caribbean.
The additional proposals emanating from the Caracas Meeting concerning the establishment of the University of the South, the South bank, and the television network of the South is welcomed by Jamaica”.
Within the context of the theme of the Summit ‘Rural and Agricultural Development and the Management of Water Resources’ focus was placed on the topic of water resources as an avenue for the development of rural areas; and the promotion of agriculture in the pursuit of sustainable economic and social development.
The G-15 was established in1989 and is currently chaired by Algeria, which will be succeeded by the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Group acts as a catalyst for greater South/ South cooperation, especially in the areas of investment, trade and technology. It is concerned with the development, economic growth and prosperity among developing countries in the South and seeks to assist developing countries in their effort to pursue a more productive North/ South dialogue.