ACS Secretary General Highlights Strategic Vision for the Future of the Greater Caribbean on CNC3
In an interview on CNC3 TV's morning show The Morning Brew, Secretary General of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), H.E. Rodolfo Sabonge, shared his insights on the future of the ACS and the Greater Caribbean, marking a pivotal moment in the ACS’s ongoing 30th-anniversary celebrations.
During the interview, Secretary General Sabonge reflected on the origins of the ACS, tracing its roots to CARICOM’s influential Time for Action report. He emphasized the importance of regional cooperation, stating, "The concept of the Greater Caribbean was born out of that report that was commissioned by CARICOM: Time for Action. It said, we really need to reach out to our neighbours. And the neighbours are everybody who is in the Greater Caribbean. And that includes all of Central America, the G3, which are Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela."
Looking to the future, Secretary General Sabonge also highlighted the ACS's efforts to adapt to the evolving global landscape through strategic planning. “One of the things that we're doing right now is a project to develop a new strategic plan for the ACS. Not for the next 30 years, but the next 10. And basically what we want to do is take a look at the new realities of the world. The world is very different now from what it was 30 years ago. And it's going to be completely different and unrecognizable 30 years from now.”
In addition, the Secretary General underscored the significant economic impact of the ACS being headquartered in Trinidad and Tobago. He stated that the most beneficial part of the ACS being headquartered in Trinidad and Tobago is that all the membership and donors' contributions end up in the local economy.
The interview offered a glimpse into the plans of the ACS as it prepares for the next decade, ensuring the organization remains relevant in an ever-changing world while fostering regional integration and cooperation across the Greater Caribbean.
The Association of Caribbean States is the organization for consultation, cooperation and concerted action in trade, transport, sustainable tourism and natural disasters in the Greater Caribbean. Its Member States are Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and Venezuela. Its Associate Members are Aruba, Curacao, (France on behalf of French Guiana, Saint Barthelemy and Saint Martin ), Guadeloupe, Martinique, Sint Maarten, (The Netherlands on behalf of Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius ), Turks and Caicos.