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UNDP lauds Jamaica’s efforts on Climate Change

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#Jamaica, October 27, 2017 – Kingston – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is lauding the Government for the significant work in creating an enabling environment for climate change adaptation and mitigation in Jamaica.

Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP, Dr. Elsie Laurence-Chounoune, said the organisation recognises “the impressive leadership of the Government in pushing forward the national agenda on both development and climate change”.

She was addressing negotiators and other stakeholders during a preparatory meeting for the 23rd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 23) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in Kingston on Wednesday (October 25).   COP 23 will be held in Bonn, Germany, from November 6 to 17.

Dr. Laurence-Chounoune said that Jamaica has been a significant contributor to the Caribbean and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) negotiating team and has “boldly, clearly and relentlessly brought the peculiar issues of SIDS to the climate change negotiating table at successive COPs”.

She noted that Jamaica is strongly positioned to advocate for an effective COP 23 outcome that can support the achievement of national targets.  The UNFCCC entered into force on March 21, 1994. It has near-universal membership. To date, 197 countries have ratified the Convention.  The COP meets each year to take decisions that further the implementation of the Convention and to combat climate change.

In the meantime, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Daryl Vaz, said climate change remains at the top of the Government’s agenda.

“The reality is that we must focus on our long-term resilience in a changing climate and changing world,” he said.

Mr. Vaz noted that the Government recognizes that climate change has far-reaching implications for the future, particularly in terms of its impact on jobs, infrastructure, investments, natural and man-made resources, the economy as well as the country’s sustainable development goals.

Further highlighting the gravity of the impact of climate change, the Minister pointed to a study done by the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UN-ECLAC), which estimates that by 2050, cumulative losses due to degradation of marine ecosystems, storm damage and other factors may average as much as US$366 million per year.

Meanwhile, the Minister welcomed the consultation, which, he said, will provide an opportunity to discuss and agree on the kind of actions needed from developing countries on issues that are critical to the Caribbean and SIDS.

“The consultations also foster the exchange of ideas that will enable SIDS, like Jamaica, to strengthen their negotiating position at the COP talks in order to find the best fit for us in terms of building our resilience to the impacts of climate change,” he said.

The Bonn climate change conference is the next step for governments to implement the Paris Climate Change Agreement and accelerate the transformation to sustainable, resilient and climate-safe development.

The Paris accord, which is an agreement within the UNFCCC, deals with greenhouse gas emissions mitigationadaptation and financing, starting in the year 2020.

Jamaica became the 142nd country to ratify the Paris Agreement on March 30, 2017.  As of October 2017, 195 UNFCCC members have signed the agreement, and 169 have become party to it.

Release: JIS

 

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CARPHA Progresses to Eligibility for the First Disbursement of Pandemic Funding

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Following a landmark Public Signing Ceremony for the Pandemic Fund (PF) Technical Cooperation Agreement (“Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Prevention, Preparedness, and Response” [RG-T4387] Project) on December 14, 2023, in Trinidad, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) continues to progress towards the start of implementation.

 CARPHA fulfilled the IDB’s nine conditions prior to first disbursement, achieving full eligibility on March 15, 2024, and is now eligible for the first disbursement. This milestone achievement in just 3 months after the signing speaks to the commitment of both CARPHA, the Executing Agency, and IDB, the Implementing Entity, toward the regional PF project with the objective of supporting the reduction of the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean by building pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR) surveillance & early-warning systems (EWS), laboratory systems and workforce capacity, regionally at CARPHA and in countries.

Since the signing of the Technical Cooperation Agreement and as part of the conditions prior to first disbursement, CARPHA has achieved the following key outputs (i) the development of the PF Project Operations Manual, Multi-annual Execution Plan, Procurement Plan, Financial Plan, Procedure for CARPHA’s Financial Reporting System; (ii) vacancy announcements for two tranches of consultants with the subsequent hiring of five (Technical Coordinator, Financial Specialist, Procurement Specialist, Operations Officer and Project Operations Coordinator) and (iii) the establishment of the Project Execution Unit (PEU) and Project Execution Steering Committee (PESC). The dedicated PEU will be responsible for execution according to its planned timelines, which will be led by the Dr. Lisa Indar, the Project Director (CARPHA’s Director of Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control Division).

 CARPHA, as the lead regional public health agency and an expression of Caribbean Cooperation in Health is mandated by its Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) to support its 26 CARPHA Member States (CMS) in bolstering national systems and coordinating regional response to public health threats. The Agency works closely with regional and international agencies and uses regional mechanisms, surveillance systems, and networks for coordinating its public health response work.

In July 2023, the PF Governing Board announced that CARPHA’s regional entity proposal, entitled ‘Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Strengthened Integrated Early Warning Surveillance, Laboratory Systems and Workforce Development’ was successfully selected for the first round of financing. It was one of only 19 proposals selected from over 300 submissions and the only regional project. The three priority areas in the proposal are: (i) Comprehensive disease surveillance and EWS, (ii) Laboratory systems and (iii) Human resources and public health and community workforce capacity.

This project is expected to begin implementation in March 2024, starting off with a blended onboarding session. A Stakeholder Meeting with countries is tentatively planned for July 2024.

CARPHA remains dedicated to working together with the IDB, CARPHA Member States and the Pandemic Fund to successfully implement the regional proposal geared toward reducing the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean.

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Men who had Murdered Man, Marley Higgs’ cell phone face Court

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Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Correspondent

The prosecution intends to try two young North Caicos men, both age 21 for the offense of possession of property of a murdered man, property that was stolen and landed in their possession.

The phone belonged to Peureton ‘Marley’ Higgs, who is believed to have been an innocent gunned down at his apartment complex in the Glass Shack area in a spray of bullets on February 2 that killed another man and wounded two others, including a ten-year-old little girl.

The cell phone was described as white in colour, an iPhone, in a hard black case. 

On Monday, March 18th, JEFFVANO HANDFIELD of North Caicos pleaded not guilty to the offense, and the matter was adjourned to April 2024. He was granted bail in the matter.

A second North Caicos man was charged similarly.  

SARENO CAPELLAN aka, Kino Williams is the second individual brought before the court pertaining to the said cellphone. He appeared in court a week after JEFFVANO HANDFIELD, the date being Monday March 25th 2024.

The case for the Crown is that both men sometime in February of this year possessed the cellphone knowing or suspecting it to be stolen property.

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Supreme Court Closed for Easter

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NOTICE is hereby given that the Easter Recess shall commence on Friday 29th April, 2024 and end on Friday 5th April, 2024. During the Easter Recess Judge Selochan will be available to deal only with matters that are urgent or require prompt attention.

Court Business During the Easter Recess

A person who wishes to have a matter heard during the recess must file a certificate of urgency along with an affidavit, which must set out the reasons why the matter is urgent or requires prompt attention. The matter will not be listed during the recess unless the Judge deems it fit for urgent hearing.

Opening Hours During the Easter Holiday

The Supreme Court’s last sitting day for the first term is Thursday 28th March, 2024. The Court will officially resume sittings on Monday 8th April, 2024. The Supreme Court Offices in both Grand Turk and Providenciales will continue to operate while the Court is not sitting during the recess.

The Court Office will be closed on the following public holidays:

  • Friday 29th March, 2024 (Good Friday) CLOSED
  • Monday 1st April, 2024 (Easter Monday) CLOSED

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