Caribbean News
Caribbean Development Bank and Caribbean Broadcasting Union inks agreement.
Rashaed Esson
Staff Writer
August 18, 2023 – The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has signed an agreement with the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) for the improvement of the work of regional broadcasters and journalists. It will last for an initial period of one year according to CDB.
This comes following CDB’s ardour to partner with CBU to provide training, in efforts to upskill reporters, editors and content creators to use digital channels more effectively for presenting development and financial data in engaging ways. This was pointed out by Dr. Hyginus “Gene’ Leon, CDB President,
Leon also highlighted that they at CDB, are confident “in the work of regional media and want to promote a stronger role for development communications.”
He continued to say that “Over the past eight months, the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF), a financial instrument of
the bank, has focused on increasing its visibility in the Caribbean as well as developing a knowledge management and communications strategy to guide a sustainable approach to information sharing.”
Additionally, he informed that as a part of the goal, the BNTF has collabed with the CBU to sponsor a category of its annual media awards focusing on BNTF strategic areas, such as gender, poverty alleviation, education, health and climate change, which would be run across multiple platforms such as print, television, radio, and digital.
The award extends to members in over 20 countries, an approximate reach of 4.8 million people.
Furthermore, Leon says the sponsorship will be revealed at the 2023 media awards “and will culminate at the 2024 media awards ceremony.”
He maintained that the award is anticipated to up media coverage and “visibility on BNTF in all nine participating countries.”
As BNTF is heavily fixated on video production, as part of its visibility goal, the CDB president says “In addition to sharing these videos on YouTube, social media, and traditional media, BNTF will share these videos with the CBU so that they can be made freely available to CBU’s membership for broadcast. This broadens the scope of dissemination and visibility of the BNTF as well as increases awareness of the social justice and development agenda.”
Furthermore, he stated that CDB has other plans in the making, saying they they are working to develop “other knowledge products for the CBU to disseminate on its share portal — at no charge to members of CBU — to engage our audiences in conversations on development and the future of this region. ”
KINGSTON, April 29 (JIS):
Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, says the outcome of discussions arising from the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) will assist in guiding the Government’s planning for climate change.
This, he points out, is important for climate mitigation as well as building Jamaica’s resilience.
“We look forward to the discussions that will, no doubt, take place. We look forward to the basis of planning for the Government to streamline its investments to ensure you have the tools that you need to better advise us, that the WRA (Water Resources Authority) has the tools to digitise its monitoring network, and that all of the agencies that touch our planning mechanisms have the tools. But we need to know what we are facing, and we’re guided by your expertise,” Minister Samuda said.
He was addressing the opening ceremony for the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in New Kingston on Monday (April 29).
Senator Samuda said given the fact that the climate has changed and continues to do so, investments in and collaborations on building Jamaica’s predictive and scientific capacity must be prioritised.
“Ultimately, we need to be able to assess our current climatic realities if we are to better plan, if we’re to insist and ensure that our infrastructure meets the needs that we need it to. I’m very happy that this event is happening… because this is a critical issue.
“Jamaica, last year, faced its worst and most severe drought… and this year, we’re already seeing the impacts of not quite as severe a drought but, certainly, a drought with severe impacts, especially in the western part of the country,” he said.
Principal Director, Meteorological Service of Jamaica, Evan Thompson, explained that the forum aims to, among other things, establish a collaboration platform for climate services providers and users to understand risks and opportunities of past, present and future climate developments, as well as improve inter-agency coordination of policies, plans and programmes.
Among the other presenters were Ambassador, European Union to Jamaica, Her Excellency Marianne Van Steen; Chief Scientist/Climatologist, Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, Adrian Trotman; and Head, Regional Climate Prediction Services, World Meteorological Organization, Wilfran Moufouma-Okia.
The Meteorological Service of Jamaica hosted the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) in partnership with the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology and the World Meteorological Organization.
The National Stakeholder Consultation is a governance mechanism that guides how different sectors or actors work together to create products that contribute to adaptation and resilience-building. It seeks to create a road map for the development and implementation of climate services to inform decision-making.
NCF-1 aims to bridge the gap between climate providers and users. It increases the use of science-based information in decision-making and operations with the aim of generating and delivering co-produced and co-designed products and services.
CONTACT: CHRIS PATTERSON
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