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Crime & Youth Unemployment in the Caribbean

Crime & Youth Unemployment in the Caribbean
Worker at Jamaica’s national stadium in Kingston. The global financial crisis contributed to high levels of unemployment in the Caribbean (photo: Ivan Alvarado/Reuters/Newscom)

Crime and violence are one of the key bottlenecks to growth in the Caribbean.

Together with a labor market that does not adapt easily to changes, high crime rates have created a vicious cycle by which young people struggling with the lack of economic opportunities turn to illegal activities and crime, further depressing growth.
Growth in the region has stalled since 2000, generating few jobs and high levels of unemployment. The 2008 global financial crisis had an especially strong effect on the unemployment rate for those between the ages of 15 and 24, which jumped on average by 5 percentage points between 2007 and 2013—from 21 percent to 26 percent. In some countries (for example, the Bahamas, Barbados, and Jamaica), youth unemployment rates are nearly three times that of those aged 30 and over.
Crime & Youth Unemployment in the Caribbean 13
Crime & Youth Unemployment in the Caribbean 14
Meanwhile, crime has risen sharply since 2004 in the region and murder rates are now among the highest in the world. More specifically, violent crime in the Caribbean is significantly higher than in any other region (with 6.8 percent of the population affected versus a world average of 4.5 percent), according to a forthcoming IMF book, Unleashing Growth and Strengthening Resilience in the Caribbean. About 40 percent of the Caribbean population identifies crime and security-related issues as the biggest problem facing their countries, even more than pov­erty or inequality.
Crime mostly affects youth
According to the 2012 UN Caribbean Human Development Report, young people are both the primary victims and perpetrators of crime in the region. Victims of violent crime are predominantly between the ages of 18 to 30 and from lower levels of income, while 80 percent of prosecuted crimes were committed by people aged 17 to 29 years.
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Studies suggest that being a victim or a perpetrator of crime can generate negative labor market outcomes, including lower wages and longer and more frequent unemployment spells because of decreased productivity and psychological costs. In a region where over 60 percent of the population is under the age of 30, this could entail long-term consequences for growth.
A vicious cycle
Weak growth reduces economic opportunities for the young, increasing their vulnerability to victimization or gang membership. These trends further hurt growth by discouraging investment through lower productivity, higher security costs and reduced competitiveness. They also divert government spending from growth-enhancing investment in health, education, and productive infra­structure, create uncertainty for businesses and investors, and cause the emigration of highly trained people (also known as brain drain).
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According to recent research by the Inter-American Development Bank, direct crime-related costs range from 3 to 5 percent of GDP in the Caribbean every year, compared to 2 percent of GDP in advanced economies. In addition, forthcoming IMF research suggests that if Caribbean countries were to lower their murder rates to those of, say Canada (for illustrative purposes), growth would be between 0.4–0.7 percentage points higher per year. Illustrative results using Caribbean victimization surveys also find that being a victim of a crime increases a respondent’s desire to emigrate by over 5 percentage points. In fact, addressing crime in Jamaica, Belize, Bahamas, and St. Kitts and Nevis would yield higher gains to growth than increasing human capital levels alone, as the latter can be lost to brain drain if crime is not addressed.
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An integrated solution
Efforts to fight crime in the Caribbean have largely concentrated on punitive rather than preventive measures. As a result, prevention is often under-resourced with the bulk of public security spending flowing to deterrence. From an economic perspective, criminals chose illegal activities because their expected payoffs (that is, profits from crime) are higher than those of legal activities. The solution must therefore lie in an integrated strategy, where payoffs to legal activities are increased (for example, by raising the expected return to education in the domestic labor market and increasing formality), and crime prevention and deterrence programs (parenting and mentoring pro­grams, urban renewal programs, and victims’ support) are given equal importance.
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Targeting at-risk youth for vocational and social programs increases the possibility that they will gain legal earnings and obtain respect through nonviolent means, while concurrently reducing youth unemployment. At the same time, improved policing and a more effective criminal justice system increase the expected cost of committing crimes, improving deterrence.
The limited public resources should be targeted towards high-crime areas and the most vulnerable. Moreover, initiatives should be subjected to rigorous evaluations, which require better data col­lection, monitoring, and sharing (for example, number of arrests, types of crime, cases that proceed to trial and conviction, prison population, and program participation), and funding support. The private sector also plays a pivotal role, including through the training for at-risk-youth, funding urban renewal programs, and directly sponsoring victimization surveys and data collection.

Gender Affairs Head: Both Sexes Matter

Gender Affairs - International Men’s Day
Minister of Social Care, Constituency Empowerment and Community Development, Steve Blackett, in a tête-à-tête with Acting Director of the Bureau of Gender Affairs, Patricia Boyce, following the launch of activities to mark International Men’s Day today. (C.Pitt/BGIS)

Acting Director of the Bureau of Gender Affairs, Patricia Boyce, believes it is time to stop the negative gender stereotyping.
Speaking today at the launch of activities to mark International Men’s Day (IMD), Mrs. Boyce cautioned that the day “should not be seen as being in competition with International Women’s Day as both sexes have a part to play in the building of our nation”.
She went on to explain that this goal could only be realised through “the principles of equity and equality”. “Our thoughts must be focused on the issues that affect each sex and not on the bashing of either sex,” she contended.
Rather, the Director suggested, International Men’s Day and International Women’s Day should be seen as opportunities to implement programmes and initiatives that “bridge the gap and empower our men and women and change the idea that all men are bad or that man’s greatest problem is a woman”.
The theme for IMD 2017 is Making a Difference for Men and Boys and it will be observed on Sunday, November 19. It will only be the second time it is observed locally.

National Conference on Girls – 2017

National Conference on Girls

Hundreds of girls to take part in National Conference Nov. 15.

Hundreds of girls are expected to participate in the second staging of the National Conference on Girls’ Education, scheduled to take place on Wednesday, November 15, at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston.
Hosted by the St. Hugh’s High School for Girls, this year’s conference will be held under the theme ‘Seeing Tomorrow: Thriving in a Cyber World’. Chair of the conference planning committee, Carol Williams, told JIS News that the first conference was held in 2014 in celebration of the school’s 115th anniversary.
She explained that this year’s theme was deliberately chosen because the school has some concerns that it wants to address regarding the issue of the mental health of adolescents in its care.
“We want to look at it in the context of the girls’ social media activities and their interaction in the whole online environment. We want to position the environment as not something that is toxic, but to help the girls understand that it is a space in which they can thrive with the right skills and with the right precaution,” she said.
The day’s event will begin with an opening ceremony at 9:00 a.m. State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, will declare the conference open.
Keynote speaker is Jamaican-born American Cybersecurity Expert, Loilette Loderick. Other presenters are Director of Child and Mental Health at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Judith Leiba; and Media Consultant, Author and Entrepreneur, Dr. Marcia Forbes.
Principal of the St. Hugh’s High School for Girls, Dr. Elaine Cunningham, said the conference will also provide an opportunity for the school community and its main stakeholders to engage in conversations on a plethora of topics, including career choices for girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) occupations; building capacity to address sexual abuse of girls; and promoting the mental health needs of girls and young women.
She noted that the conference is consistent with the school’s tradition since it was established 118 years ago.
“It continues the strong commitment to empower girls, improve their lives and expand their leadership, education and career opportunities to make them national, regional and global citizens,” she said.
During the conference, the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), will launch the State of the World Population report.
The report is the premier annual research document of the UNFPA and is highly anticipated globally as a gauge on progress of populations around the world.

Veterans COI recommendations to be implemented

Veterans ’ COI recommendation
President David Granger laying a wreath at the Cenotaph War Memorial on Main and Church Streets.

Veterans ’ COI recommendations to be implemented – President David Granger at Remembrance Ceremony.

President David Granger has pledged to work through the Guyana Defence Board, which he chairs, and with the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), the Guyana Veterans’ Legion (GVL) and civil society to ensure that the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry that was launched to investigate the living conditions of veterans, are effectively reviewed and implemented. The Head of State made these remarks today, at a Remembrance Ceremony hosted by the GVL at Coghlan House, Carifesta Avenue, where he handed over a cheque of $1M as patron of the Legion.

“Today we look to the future and we are all concerned about the fate of young persons, who joined the defence and security forces to serve their country. The plight of veterans has not eluded the Government of Guyana, when I was in Opposition, I promised and when I took Office fulfilled what I called an obligation to investigate the conditions under which our veterans live and work and this has been done,” the Head of State said.

Speaking of the contributions and bravery of Caribbean nationals, who served in the Second World War, President Granger said that not only did some make the ultimate sacrifice but many of those who returned were highly qualified and had inculcated a strong spirit of nationalism and pride. So much so, that many of them took on leadership roles in their respective countries. Among the Caribbean volunteers and recruits that returned, one became Prime Minister of Jamaica and another, the Prime Minister of Barbados. Guyanese Royal Air Force Recruit, Cecil Henry Ethelwood Miller became Chief Justice of Kenya, while Victor Crane, another recruit, became Chancellor of the Judiciary in Guyana.

President of the GVL, Lt. Col (ret’d) George Gomes said that it is the responsibility of all to ensure that future generations are taught of the significance of observances like Remembrance Day and of the sacrifices made by those fought in World Wars I and II. He informed that there are a total of 16 surviving members, who served in the British Guiana Battalion of the South Caribbean Forces, all of whom are over 90 years old. He also noted that the GVL is a united front for all veterans including those from the British Guiana Volunteer Force and the GDF. The GVL has compiled a list with a total of 85 veterans, some of whom he described as “total shut-ins”, while others have serious ailments and disabilities.

The War Memorial
The War Memorial located at the junction of Main and Church Streets.

“We continue to be thankful to the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League and the Royal Canadian Legion for the annual grants for our World War II veterans and the surviving widows (of veterans). We, however, need much more assistance…,” he said. The GVL also receives an annual donation of from the President.

British High Commissioner, Mr. Greg Quinn said that Remembrance Day observances do not honour war or death but rather, it commemorates those who have given their lives in service of their respective countries. “Many of us here have lost friends, colleagues and family members in service and it is important that we honour their memories. They have not died in vain,” he said.

He informed the gathering that a long-overdue war memorial has been erected in Brixton, London to honour the sacrifices of servicemen from Africa and the Caribbean who served alongside British and Commonwealth Forces in the First and Second World Wars.

Similar sentiments were expressed Canadian High Commissioner, Ms. Lilian Chatterjee who said that the fact that ordinary men agreed to fight in foreign lands for foreign lands speaks to their bravery.

Today, several individuals and organisations pledged generous financial support for the GVL. These include the GDF, the different Joint Services organisations, GDF Chief of Staff, Brigadier Patrick West, Chairman of the Guyana Elections, Justice James Patterson, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Professor Ivelaw Griffith, Brigadier Edward Collins and the Central Housing and Planning Authority among others.

Prior to the GVL’s Remembrance Ceremony, President Granger attended the traditional Wreath-Laying ceremony at the Cenotaph War Memorial on Main and Church Streets. Several Government officials and the members of the Diplomatic Corps also took part in that activity. In his Remembrance Day Message, the President said that the world is forever indebted to those who sacrificed their lives in the cause of peace and freedom.

“We remember the Guyanese men and women who struggled for national Independence and who have given their lives in the service of our nation. We thank those Guyanese who continue to defend our territory and our patrimony. We are encouraged, by their example, to strengthen our resolve to preserve the Caribbean as a zone of peace and safety now and for generations to come. We rededicate ourselves to the quest for peace for the Nation and for the happiness of our people,” he said.

Remembrance Day is an international memorial day observed within the British Commonwealth since the end of World War I to remember members of the armed forces who died in the two World Wars. More recently, it has been expanded to include those who have died in conflicts after the two World Wars.

CARICOM eyes key outcomes from COP 23

COP23

Mitigating climate risks and building resilience against extreme weather events underpin key areas of focus for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) during the ongoing United Nations (UN) climate talks in Bonn, Germany.
The Twenty Third Meeting of the Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 23) is being held from 6-17 November under the presidency of Fiji.
This year’s climate talks mark the first time a member of the Alliance for Small Island States (AOSIS) has held the Presidency. It presents an important opportunity for CARICOM and the wider Small Island Developing States (SIDs) to influence the global climate change agenda.
Against the backdrop of the unprecedented climate disaster events which struck the Caribbean in September 2017, the opportunity looms large to focus the world’s attention on the peculiar vulnerabilities of Small Island and low-lying coastal countries.
For CARICOM, COP 23 offers an opportunity to advance the Paris Agreement Work Program, and to strengthen partnerships for climate action targeting financing for mitigation and adaptation.
The Community is expected to continue to advocate for the international community to honour the annual commitment of $100 billion to assist developing countries in their adaptation and mitigation efforts.  The scale of the devastation in Barbuda (Sister Isle of Antigua), Dominica, the British Virgin Islands, St. Marten,  Ragged Island in the Bahamas, the Turks and Caico Islands and well as Anguilla, will be highlighted as strong reminders of the need to upscale  efforts,  especially among SIDS, to adapt to and recover from the impact of global climate change.
CARICOM is therefore intent on pushing for countries to implement their intended Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to greenhouse gas emissions, as it continues to advocate that global temperature limit should be 1.5°C which is critical for our survival.

Mental Wellness Centre staff training

Mental Wellness Centre staff training

The need for an effective and reliable communications system is imperative in light of the recent hurricane season being one of the most devastating on record, rendering communities and islands cut off from the rest of the world.
It is with this thrust that staff of the Saint Lucia National Mental Wellness Centre via the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) conducted a training session in two-way radio communication.
Serona Leonce is the Chairperson of the Wellness Centre disaster committee. She said the workshop participants came from all sections of the facility to ensure full coverage in times of disaster.
“The purpose of the workshop is to ensure that we are prepared should there be a disaster, and to use communication devices effectively and efficiently. Staff from the catering and domestic unit, security, the inpatient unit, the Occupational Therapy Department, and administration all participated so as to ensure that we have every department equipped should there actually be an event.”
Facilitator for the workshop, Lionel Ellis, noted that during a disaster the need for communication becomes a priority, and although many people rely on cell phone technology, the two-way radio is the most reliable means of communication during and post disaster.
“As it has been proven during hurricanes Erma and Maria, what worked without a doubt is two-way radio, therefore it is important to train people in two-way radio operation at this time.”
Ellis is spearheading a recommendation to have every government facility outfitted with radio communications and backup generator power in towns and villages, to communicate timely vital information that can save lives during a disaster.
“We want to first ensure that the ministries of government understand the importance of this. Some people still feel more secure with cell phones, but we have to continue driving this through the minds of people that their dependency on systems that have the potential to fail will result in tremendous loss.”
The two-way radio communications workshop was conducted at the conference room at the Saint Lucia National Mental Wellness Centre.

Minister for Social Development Statement

Hon. Delma Thomas statement on the recent sexual abuse
Hon. Delma Thomas, Minister for Social Development, Housing & Community Development

Ministerial Statement – Hon. Delma Thomas Minister for Social Development.

Our hearts bleed once again with the nation, with the unimaginable sexual abuse and senseless killing of another of our children.
These occurrences are now too regular, and these stories are too abhorrent to fathom.
The death of little Ariel Bhola, alien to our values and who we are as a people, affects us all.
We shall not – and must not — remain numb nor silent in the face of unspeakable evil.
And while the Government is set to budget even more again for child protection in the coming period; and while stronger legislation has been drafted to take tougher stances against abusers, we are afraid that this won’t be enough until our collective consciences are shaken, and we as a people find the resolve to take back our communities.
It is not enough for us to shrug our shoulders and dismiss it as the way of the world.
Our nation must establish its own creed of virtue and righteousness that transcends religion, politics and social strata.
Even so, I am taking to cabinet this week fresh proposals for additional measures including the establishment of a child sexual abuse registry that will be part of the wave against this trend.
It is an issue that was already under discussion, and which we must fast track.
Officials and counselors from the Ministry of Social Services have been in touch with the family, as we continue to provide all the necessary support in the circumstances. Those services will continue as long as they are needed.
I have also had a conversation with family members – one of the most difficult conversations any human being could have, where words are never enough.
Minister for Health Hon. Nickolas Steele has also been instrumental in getting support services for the affected family.
As Minister for Social Services, but more importantly as a mother and daughter, I am personally moved and offended by this tragedy.
My prayers and condolence go out to the family and to the community, even while knowing that this is little comfort in these terrible times.

Bonn Germany – CDB and EIB sign multi-million dollar deal

European Investment Bank - EIB

Bonn Germany – CDB and EIB sign multi-million dollar deal for Hurricane ravaged Caribbean.

CARICOM chairman and Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell on Monday welcomed the establishment of an emergency post-disaster reconstruction financing initiative to help the Region recover from recent hurricane events.
Dr. Mitchell, also chairman of the Caribbean Development Bank, was speaking in Germany on the new initiative between the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the CDB.
The arrangement will support investments for infrastructure reconstruction projects in the Caribbean in the wake of the recent hurricanes.
“We welcome the support from our partners in the international community, and today we particularly want to thank the European Investment Bank for the support it has provided over the years to the Caribbean Development Bank to assist its borrowing member countries in addressing the challenges of climate change,” Prime Minister Mitchell said in the EIB/CDB Event on the margins of COP23 in Bonn.
“We welcome this support and the opportunity it provides to promote sustainable development and the use of low-carbon technologies in the pursuit of the goal of climate adaptation and to improve energy efficiency and to expand the use of renewable energy”.
The new USD 24 million financing package is an addition to the USD 120 million Climate Action Framework Loan II signed in May this year, and which remains the EIB’s biggest loan to the Caribbean.
“We see the need to re-examine our sovereign debt regime in light of these natural disasters, which create additional debt burdens and more fiscal and economic trauma,” Dr. Mitchell said.
“We also see the need to re-examine our regional resilience infrastructure like our insurance facilities; risk management mechanisms; and access to innovative sources of finance”
Eligible investments under the new loan will include infrastructure reconstruction, with a focus on “building back better” and integrating climate risk and vulnerability assessments into the projects.
This will help reduce the Bank’s Borrowing Member Countries’ vulnerability to future natural disasters and worsening climate change impacts.
As well as, infrastructure financing to communities for low-carbon and climate-resilience measures such as, improved water resource management are also foreseen.
CDB President Dr. Warren Smith and EIB Vice President responsible for Climate Action, Jonathan Taylor, signed the new agreement during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 23) in Bonn, Germany.
“In response to the devastation caused by hurricanes in the region in recent weeks, the EIB and CDB rapidly agreed to commit additional resources to support reconstruction investment projects in the Caribbean,” said Taylor.
“We stand committed to developing our fruitful 40 year partnership with CDB, to support climate-resilient projects in the Caribbean and to help to adequately tackle the challenges related to climate change.”
CDB President Warren Smith said: “The 2017 hurricane season was one of the most devastating the Caribbean has ever experienced, and underscored the urgent need for investment in climate-resilient infrastructure in our region.
The signing of this agreement is another milestone in our longstanding partnership with EIB, and will facilitate CDB’s increased support for resilient reconstruction in the Caribbean.”
To date, CDB has committed all of the resources under the first Climate Action Line of Credit – USD 65.6 million – for seven projects. This co-financing is associated with total project financing of USD 191 million.
Since CDB’s Climate Resilience Strategy was approved in 2012, 58% of projects financed have included climate change adaptation and/or mitigation elements in the climate-sensitive sectors of Water, Education, Agriculture, and Physical Infrastructure such as, sea defences, drainage, and roads.

100 National Youth Parliamentarians

National Youth Parliamentarians
State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green (right), accepts a token from Ardenne High School student, Jada West, after his Motivational and Empowerment Session at the institution on November 8.

100 Young Persons to be Appointed National Youth Parliamentarians.

Approximately 100 youth from across the island will be officially appointed as National Youth Parliamentarians on Monday, November 27, during an Investiture Ceremony at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston.
This announcement was made by State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, on November 8 at Ardenne High School in Kingston, following his Motivational and Empowerment Session at the institution.
He said this Investiture Ceremony is in keeping with the Ministry’s Youth Month activities during November.
In an interview with JIS News, Mr. Green said that unlike previous years, the format of National Youth Parliament 2017 will take a different form over a one-year period.
“We’re back with the Youth Parliament this year. We restarted it last year. We’re making a number of changes this year. These changes would have come on the basis of feedback that we have got from our young people. We actually have young people who are in charge of the programme, so they have met with me and told me what they want to do,” Mr. Green said.
“The big change is that our youth parliamentarians will go through a one-year training period, where they will be given proper research techniques. They will be able to really delve into what the Government is doing, so that when they make their presentations and make their suggestions, [these] are really things that may be happening or a critique of what may be happening. They’ll actually present in Parliament next year, so that is one of the big changes,” he added.
Traditionally, the focus of National Youth Parliament of Jamaica (NYPJ) was intensive training in parliamentary procedure for youth to participate in the annual mock sitting held at Gordon House.
Mr. Green also told JIS News that the NYPJ has been restructured to enable youth parliamentarians to have a more sustained engagement beyond training and a sitting of the Parliament, while building their capacities for research, policy analysis and project management.
The structure for the Youth Parliament will now include the Investiture Ceremony, where the participants will be officially inducted and receive an instrument of office.
Throughout the year, the youth parliamentarians will receive training in the areas of public speaking, parliamentary procedure, policy paper writing and policy review, project management and speech writing.
Along with the Youth Advisory Council of Jamaica, they will develop work plans to focus on youth development projects in their communities and parishes, while preparing for the sitting of the Youth Parliament in November 2018.
The National Youth Parliament was initially implemented in 2003 as a Youth Month activity of the National Centre for Youth Development (NCYD). After a brief hiatus, the Youth Parliament was revamped in 2016 and has undergone further restructuring to ensure that the selected parliamentarians are better able to carry out their mandate.
 

Climate Reality: Confronting Sea Level Rise

Sea level rise

As large ocean states, maritime matters are at the forefront of climate change discussions in the OECS and have been linked to every Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) given the significant role it plays in the daily lives of residents.

“Legal Issues Related to Sea Level Rise” was the focus of a recent consultation held on Thursday, 9 November 2017 by The Commonwealth Secretariat at a side event of the COP23 currently being held in Bonn, Germany.

Mrs. Norma Cherry-Fevrier, Programme Officer in the Social & Environmental Development Division of the OECS Commission, provided an update on the Maritime Boundaries in the Caribbean and the implementation of the Eastern Caribbean Regional Ocean Policy (ECROP).The ECROP outlines the policy and goal for Maritime Boundary Delimitation (MBD) in the OECS sub-region and its implementation is linked to the achievement of SDG 14.
The ECROP also lists the following priority actions:

  • Priority 1: Maritime Boundary Delimitation
  • Action 1.1 – Negotiate, agree and delimit maritime boundaries with third party (non-OECS) States
  • Action 1.2 – Negotiate, agree and delimit maritime boundaries between OECS Member States

Since 1981, 8 boundary delimitations of OECS Member States have been concluded.  It is worth noting that the ECROP has accelerated boundary delimitation given that 5 of the 8 concluded have occurred since its establishment.
The complex, and often legal, implications of changes in Maritime Boundary Delimitations due to sea level rise were also discussed at the side event.
Mrs. Cherry-Fevrier reiterated the significance of sea level rise for the region in light of recent findings.

“Findings of the U.S. Global Change Research Program show that global average sea levels are expected to continue to rise by at least several inches in the next 15 years and by 1–4 feet by 2100 — and that a rise of as much as 8 feet by 2100 cannot be ruled out.”
“The dominant cause for this increase is human activities, especially green house gasses, that have led to the warmest period in modern civilization.”

For OECS Member States, sea level rise will:

  • Cause baselines to recede/disappear;
  • Reduce marine space and natural capital;
  • Compromise growth and development;
  • Increase vulnerability; and
  • Pose an existential threat. 
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