Above: the Karibe Hotel in Petion-Ville

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The Association of Caribbean States concluded its fifth-ever Summit of Heads of State and Government in Haiti this weekend, releasing a joint statement called the “Petion-Ville Declaration.”

The declaration focused on a wide range of issues, from urging an end to the United States embargo on Cuba to greater promotion of sustainable development.

The ACS said hoped its joint efforts would “lead to the development of successful co-operation policies, programmes and projects aimed at creating a stronger and more united Greater Caribbean.”

Haiti hosted the summit for the first time, bringing in leaders from around the wider Caribbean, from Jamaica Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller to Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto.

The regional body, which was formed in 1994, said it would continue its focus on issues including trade,
trade, sustainable tourism, transport and disaster risk reduction.

The ACS also said it reiterated its commitment to the recently-formed CELAC, which some have seen as a competitor to the regional grouping.

Thanking Haiti for its support in hosting the summit, the ACS said it urged the international community on the fulfillment of “all avowed commitments to Haiti” in the interest of its economic and social development.

Addressing another regional problem — transportation — the grouping committed to prioritizing the issue — by land, air and sea — and stressing a more competitive maritime sector.

A little over a week after the Caribbean Sustainable Tourism Conference in Trinidad, the ACS urged the ratification of a proposal for creating the “Sustainable Tourism Zone” of the Caribbean, to promote “the incorporation of sustainable development into tourism.”