Caribbean News

UK commits to closer relations with CARICOM

Published

7 years ago

June 28, 2017

Guyana, June 28, 2017 – Georgetown – Even as the United Kingdom continues to face its fair share of challenging events, it today committed to closer relations with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

New High Commissioner of the UK to the Eastern Caribbean and CARICOM, Her Excellency Janet Douglas said on Thursday 22 June that her country wanted to infuse fresh vigour in its relations with the Region. She was at time presenting her Letter of Credence to CARICOM Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, at the CARICOM Secretariat in Georgetown, Guyana.

In the wake of the recent acts of terrorism in the UK, Ambassador LaRocque placed on record the Community’s unreserved condemnation of orchestrated attacks perpetrated against innocent civilians.

He said: “CARICOM joins its voice to that of the international community in condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Such disruptive and vicious acts underscore the need for the international community to deepen cooperation in the battle against terrorism.”
Secretary-General LaRocque also extended sincere condolences to the UK for the loss of lives and homes due to the disastrous fire at Grenfell Tower in West London in the early hours of 14 June.

According to the new UK envoy, it was indeed “a sombre and challenging time” for Britain, but hope was inspired by the message of Her Majesty the Queen on her official birthday, when she said, “Put to the test, the United Kingdom has been resolute in the face of adversity.” That spirit of resolve she said is one that was shared with CARICOM to promote common values such as respect for human rights, the rule of law, and a determination to protect the fragile environment.

Ambassador LaRocque stated his appreciation for Britain’s strategic support of issues relating to climate change. Noting that the Caribbean had been designated as the most natural disaster-prone region in the world, he said most Member States bore a heavy debt burden from rebuilding after major climatic events which were more frequent and more intense.

Against this backdrop, he said CARICOM continued to advocate for development partners to revisit their policies on graduating vulnerable countries out of access to concessionary development financing. The use of per capita income as the primary criterion for access, the Secretary-General said, was inadequate, adding that vulnerability must be factored in. He further appealed to the UK to include vulnerability of CARICOM countries in reconsidering the eligibility criteria for access to the Infrastructure Fund it has allocated to countries of the Region.

The Secretary-General also raised the issues regarding blacking-listing of CARICOM countries as non-cooperative tax jurisdictions, de-risking and the withdrawal of correspondent banking relationships by some international banks.

He urged the UK – a key player in the OECD and the EU – to communicate the positions of global financial authorities which have affirmed the financial integrity of CARICOM countries.

Ms Douglas said that the United Kingdom will continue to collaborate with its CARICOM partners to combat threats to their collective security, such as narcotic trafficking and other international organised crime.
As her country negotiated its departure from the EU, she assured that it will retain close relationships with European partners. The new envoy pledged that along with other British High Commissioners in the Region, she will work to manage the implications of Brexit for CARICOM, particularly in the areas of trade and development.

Looking forward to the April 2018 Commonwealth Summit, Ms Douglas signalled the UK’s desire to work with CARICOM to ensure its success.

“The Summit will provide a platform on which to set a new vision of a strong and effective Commonwealth. It offers the opportunity to re-energise the Commonwealth, so that it better upholds its shared democratic values and delivers greater security and prosperity to its citizens,” Ms Douglas said.

After the accreditation, Ambassador LaRocque and Ms Douglas further discussed the challenges with NCDs, security, as well as preparations for the Commonwealth Summit and the UK-Caribbean Forum in 2018.

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Caribbean News

STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS EXPECTED TO ASSIST GOV’T PLANNING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE

Published

2 days ago

April 30, 2024

Shanieka

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

Caribbean News

Haiti- ECHO humanitarian efforts

Published

3 days ago

April 29, 2024

Shanieka

Rashaed Esson

Staff writer

#Haiti#Crisis#HumanitarianEfforts#ECHO, April 23rd, 2024 – Due to the worsening Humanitarian crisis in Haiti with an increase in death toll and injured people, The European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), launched an emergency airlift of 5 flights carrying essentials which include up to 62 tons of medicine as well as emergency shelter equipment, and water and sanitation items. These were brought to Cap Haitien according to a report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), on April 19, as the international Airport in Port au prince remains closed following the gang attack last month.

Caribbean News

Dominica repeals laws criminalizing gay sex

Published

3 days ago

April 29, 2024

Shanieka

Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

#Dominica#LGBTQIA, April 24, 2034- Dominica has decided to remove colonial era laws that criminalized gay sex, joining Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, St. Kitts and Nevis and Antigua and Barbuda.

This comes almost five years after a man of the queer community, whose identity was withheld for his safety, spoke out against Dominica’s laws in 2019, saying they violated his rights.