Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, April 9th, 2025 – The Minister of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sport (MECYS) has formally handed over the first out of thirteen sport facilities under her authority by signing the respective repair agreements as part of the Emergency Recovery Project I (ERP-I).

The facilities to be renovated include the Raoul Illidge Sports Complex, Jose Lake John Cooper Ball Park, Dutch Quarter Basketball Court, and others. This effort is part of a larger Trust Fund initiative to restore 12 school gyms and 13 sports facilities across the island, enhancing resilience and sustainability.

The agreements, signed by Minister of ECYS Melissa D. Gumbs and NRPB Director Claret Connor, ensure that repairs will proceed under structured oversight. The contractor appointed by the NRPB will execute the work, with quality control and adherence to timelines overseen by an engineering firm. The contractor has already taken possession of two facilities in Cole Bay and Cay Bay, marking the start of the physical work.

Minister Gumbs emphasized the significance of well-maintained sports centers in these localities: “These facilities are more than just buildings—they are community anchors where young people develop discipline, teamwork, and pride. Ensuring their full restoration is not only a matter of infrastructure but of national development. The Ministry remains steadfast in its commitment to providing safe, accessible, and high-quality spaces that support the well-being and aspirations of our athletes, students, and surrounding communities.”

NRPB Director Claret Connor noted that the project plays a critical role in Sint Maarten’s recovery and long-term resilience. “These repairs will not only extend the lifespan of the facilities but also contribute to the well-being of the community.”

The project is being implemented by the NRPB on behalf of the Government of Sint Maarten, funded by the Trust Fund, which is financed by the Government of the Netherlands and managed by the World Bank.

Photo Caption: 

1st insert: Contractors on site at the basketball court in Cay Bay

2nd insert: Fencing surrounding the basketball court in Cole Bay INSET BOTTOM:

Kingston, Jamaica, April 13, 2025 – Jamaica has partnered with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO) to host a crucial workshop on the prohibition of nuclear weapons testing and use globally, in pursuit of a safer and more peaceful world.

The two-day workshop for State signatories from Latin America and the Caribbean is being held at the office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Foreign Trade in downtown Kingston.

Speaking at the opening ceremony on Thursday (April 3), Portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, said the workshop, which is the culmination of weeks of collaborative planning, builds on a legacy of partnership, which includes a similar event held in Jamaica in 2002.

She commended the CTBTO for its steadfast commitment to global security and disarmament while highlighting its indispensable role in preventing nuclear testing.

“The significance of this workshop is even more pronounced in the current geopolitical landscape, where tensions and global instability have heightened concerns regarding nuclear security,” the Minister indicated.

She noted that the Latin American and Caribbean region has played a key role in global nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament efforts.

“In fact, the region is leading by example as the only one of six regions to have achieved universalisation of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. This means that all 33 member states of this hemisphere have signed and ratified the treaty,” the Minister pointed out.                                                                                                                                                                                                          She said this overwhelming support underscores the recognition that nuclear security is fundamental to regional and global stability and reaffirms the region’s collective commitment to global security and the CTBTO.                                                                                                                                                                                                        “The prohibition of nuclear testing is not merely a disarmament objective. It is deeply interwoven with broader regional developmental ambitions and it accords with the 2014 Declaration of Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone of peace,” Senator Johnson Smith stressed.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        The Minister outlined, further, that data and technological advancements facilitated by the CTBTO’s National Data Centres for All initiative is not limited to the monitoring of nuclear activity but can be used to the benefit of signatory states.

“The data may also be used to boast scientific research to support disaster preparedness, including tsunami early warning systems, as well as climate research and environmental monitoring, which are closely aligned with the region’s realization of the Sustainable Development Goals,” she pointed out.

Thirteen countries in the region host 43 monitoring facilities using seismic, hydroacoustic, infrasound, and radionuclide technologies, which collect data that is then made available to states through the National Data Centres.

In the case of Jamaica, the Minister noted that the collaboration with the CTBTO has not only enhanced the country’s contribution to the global framework on nuclear testing but has also significantly strengthened the nation’s technical capabilities in crucial areas, such as disaster management.

Assistant Secretary-General for Foreign and Community Relations at CARICOM, Elizabeth Solomon, in her remarks said the imperative for the prohibition of nuclear weapons testing, use, and proliferation has never been more pressing.

“The politically fraught climate-changing landscape that we are called on to navigate and the escalation of conflicts directly or indirectly involving states in possession of nuclear weapons, have amplified concerns regarding the potential use of these weapons,” she pointed out.

The CARICOM Assistant Secretary-General said that the CTBTO workshop is timely and necessary given the urgency of enhancing countries’ awareness of nuclear weapons and the applicable legal regime.

She noted that CARICOM continues to do everything in its power to maintain the region as a zone of peace.

“CARICOM takes a strong stance against the transhipment of nuclear waste through the Caribbean Sea because of the possible negative effects of a nuclear accident on the delicate land and sea ecosystems of the Caribbean and the potential devastating effects this could have on the economies of our member states,” she outlined.

Contact: Donique Weston

Release: JIS

Kingston, Jamaica – The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining has reiterated its commitment to the agricultural sector, with the allocation of $1.2 billion to the Production and Productivity Programme, to provide direct support to farmers.

Portfolio Minister, Hon. Floyd Green, made the disclosure at the launch of the ‘Thank A Farmer’ campaign, which is designed to increase the public’s appreciation and support of local farmers.

The campaign was launched on Thursday (April 3), at the Craighton Estate Great House in Irish Town, St. Andrew, to mark the beginning of Farmers’ Month.

Minister Green pointed out that the nation’s farmers are particularly deserving of support, following the many devastating situations the sector endured in 2024.

He highlighted that last year began with a drought, and when farmers were expecting rain, Hurricane Beryl ravaged sections of southern Jamaica. This was followed by Tropical Storm Rafael in November and incessant rain.

However, to describe the resilience of the farmers, the Minister invoked lyrics from Prince Buster’s ‘Hard Man Fe Dead’.

“So, 2024 was a very difficult year for our farmers. But despite that, our farmers went out, planted, bounced back, and we are doing well. As I always say, ‘You lick him down, you pick him up, him bounce right back, what a hard man fi dead’. That is the spirit of the Jamaican farmer,” Mr. Green declared.

To further bolster the resilient agricultural sector, the Minister said through the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (JACRA), at least 10,000 new coffee seedlings will be distributed in the coming months, so coffee farmers can expand their yields and replace ageing crops.

In addition to coffee, Minister Green said focus will be placed on various crops, including Irish potato, ginger, cassava, dasheen and lime. This will be accomplished through the Production and Productivity Programme.

The Minister added that farmers will also be assisted with implementing proper land management practices to reduce flooding and land erosion for those who farm on hillsides.

For drought preparation plans, Minister Green announced: “We have a programme for farmers that if [there is] a group of you and you identify an area in your community that would be good for us to establish a pond, [or] a catchment area, we will come and establish the pond for you, free of cost. Because what we want is to ensure that when the rains come, we capture the rains… [and] when the drought comes, we have the water that we can use.”

He added that money will be allocated to provide pond liners, water tanks and drips to ensure that water is being used efficiently.

Minister Green went on to announce assistance for farmers, including the provision of handheld tractors, the removal of general consumption tax (GCT) from seedlings, and the continued work of the Ministry to rehabilitate farm roads.

“The reality is that as much tools as we may want to give you, as much seedlings as we may want to give you, if you can’t reach your farm, it makes no sense. So, we have ramped up our support for the Farm Road Rehabilitation Programme,” Mr. Green said.

“Last year, we were able to do about 51 farm roads that were major rehabilitation. In addition, 30 farm roads [received] minor rehabilitation and in the coffee belt… we did about eight roads. We’re going to do another eight this year,” he added.

The Minister pointed out that the road rehabilitation works of the additional eight roads will focus on parts of St. Andrew, Portland, and St. Thomas.

Contact: Vanessa James

Release : JIS