Caricom, US to sign five-year multi-million dollar pact to fight youth violence, HIV/AIDS

Last Updated on Friday, 20 November 2015, 22:33 by GxMedia

Guyana is among several Caribbean Community (Caricom) member nations that will benefit from a five-year agreement to fight violence among youths and HIV/AIDS, the American embassy here announced Friday.

The agreement covers US$165 million in projects to be delivered. The signing will spearhead USAID’s 2015-2019 Regional Development Cooperation Strategy that covers programming in Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, St. Kitts & Nevis, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, and Guyana.  

The US mission here said United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will sign three Development Objective Agreements (DOAGs), representing a USD$165 million contribution by the United States Government, on Tuesday, November 24,  2015 at the CARICOM Secretariat in Greater Georgetown, Guyana. 

CARICOM Secretary General, Ambassador Irwin LaRoque; U.S. Ambassador, Perry Holloway; and USAID Mission Director, Christopher Cushing, will be among the dignitaries participating in the signing ceremony which begins at 11:00 a.m.

The five-year agreement signals the United States Government’s support of regional and national objectives to reduce youth involvement in crime and violence; control HIV/AIDS; and reduce vulnerability to climate change. USAID’s total estimated contribution to mitigate youth involvement in crime and violence in target communities is $89 million; $52 million is designated to achieving epidemic control of HIV/AIDS among key populations; and a total of $31 million is directed towards reducing the risks to human and natural assets resulting from climate vulnerability.