Business View Caribbean | April 2021

12 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN APRIL 2021 (PPT) of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), expresses its concern over the lack of delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to the region’s Small Island Developing States (SIDS). While expressing its support for the COVAX mechanism, it calls for the Wider Caribbean to receive these vaccines as quickly and equitably as possible. This Pro Tempore Presidency endorses the statement of the meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of the G20 countries, held on February 26th, 2021, which reaffirms the support to the most vulnerable countries, especially those facing an unsustainable debt burden. Therefore, a call is made to the COVAX mechanism to expedite the delivery of vaccine doses to the countries of the region, particularly to those participating in the Advanced Market Commitment modality, a financial mechanism within the COVAX initiative that allows the poorest countries in the world to have access to the vaccine against COVID-19 through donations. It is essential to strengthen technical assistance to the least favored countries and facilitate the affordability of financial instruments so that they can access vaccines against COVID-19 as quickly as possible. Likewise, multilateral initiatives must be implemented to enable these countries, including SIDS, to cope with the current situation and achieve rapid economic recovery. We are convinced that the pandemic caused by COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of maintaining a strong, united and supportive region, where no country is excluded from universal, fair, equitable and timely access to medicines, vaccines and medical supplies. Therefore, Mexico joins the call made by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to hold a Global Summit, within the framework of the World Health Organization, to address the urgency of having equitable access to this vaccine. We are convinced that the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of maintaining a strong, united and caring Latin American and Caribbean region