News from CARICOM:
Commentary: Not a Caribbean Man?
May 17, 2013
Tension is developing toward the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) from some quarters in Jamaica. This was exemplified by a column in the Jamaica Gleaner newspaper written by an immigration attorney, Mr Ronald Mason. I believe it is fair to summarize what Mr Mason said as follows...
CARICOM must be prepared to face shifting global priorities, says secretary general
May 15, 2013
PORT OF SPAIN Trinidad -- The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) must remain alert, proactive and responsive as it confronts the shifting priorities of the world’s dominant players, including its traditional partners, said CARICOM Secretary-General Irwin LaRocque, as he addressed the opening...
Commentary: The Caribbean: Who's your advocate?
May 15, 2013
There was a hearing on energy in Latin America and the Caribbean in Washington in early April and the Caribbean was absent. This was not because the region was not on the agenda of the members of the House Subcommittee on Foreign Relations who posed questions to panels that included senior ...
Travel and tourism statistics focus of regional workshop in Dominica
May 14, 2013
ROSEAU, Dominica -- Travel and Tourism statistics will be in focus this week in Roseau, Dominica, as Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states continue to place greater emphasis on the development and use of statistics to respond to tourism and trade information needs.
More investment called for science, technology and innovation in the Caribbean
May 8, 2013
GEORGETOWN, Guyana -- Participants in the first bi-regional dialogue (Caribbean–European Union) workshop under the EUCARINET project have called for increased investment in science, technology and innovation (STI) in the region.
Commentary: Commonwealth Caribbean governments must move swiftly
May 2, 2013
Recently, Canada's Minister of Finance James Flaherty presented the 2013 budget to the Canadian people. The budget was described as "steering the course" and working to eliminate Canada's debt deficit by 2015, which is estimated to be in the vicinity of $150 billion.
CARICOM gets help from Japan to develop environment policy
April 27, 2013
GEORGETOWN, Guyana -- A Caribbean Community (CARICOM) environmental policy and action programme is being developed with the assistance of the government of Japan. With financing from the Japan-CARICOM Friendship...
Science, technology and innovation takes centre stage at CARICOM
April 27, 2013
GEORGETOWN, Guyana -- The sustainable development of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) can be brought about only through the incorporation of research and development in all sectors of the economy and the appropriate...
Trinidad and Canada to host CARICOM public-private partnerships seminar in Port-of-Spain
April 26, 2013
OTTAWA, Canada -- Trinidad and Tobago and Canada have agreed to co-host a CARICOM public-private partnerships seminar and business-to-business meetings in Port-of-Spain later this year. This is one of the issues noted in a joint statement...
Barbados hosts public and private sector consultation on CSME
April 26, 2013
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (BGIS) -- Barbados values the deepened regional integration process and has been a committed participant in the government procurement deliberations at the regional level. This was underscored by parliamentary...
Commentary: Caribbean rum: Justifiable battle or proxy war?
April 18, 2013
A threatened World Trade Organization (WTO) filing by some vocal CARICOM countries against the United States over the US Virgin Islands’ and Puerto Rico’s use of the US Rum Cover-Over Program begs the questions: Is taking this issue to the WTO justifiable?
Trinidad and Tobago well positioned to drive regional integration movement, says minister
April 17, 2013
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad -- Trinidad and Tobago is well positioned to drive a regional integration movement said acting prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, Winston Dookeran. Dookeran made his comment while speaking to an audience at...
USVI governor discusses rum agreements with St Lucia prime minister
April 15, 2013
ST THOMAS, USVI -- US Virgin Islands Governor John de Jongh returned to the territory on Friday after holding a productive discussion on the future of the USVI’s rum industry with St Lucia’s prime minister, Dr Kenny Anthony, the night before.
Regional integration movement alive and well, says Barbados PM
April 13, 2013
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (BGIS) -- Prime minister of Barbados Freundel Stuart believes the regional integration movement is "alive and well". He expressed this view on Thursday when Grenada's prime minister, Dr Keith Mitchell, paid a courtesy call.
Commentary: CARICOM is dead!
April 10, 2013
It is time to grieve, mourn, and bravely accept the rigor mortis of the Caribbean Community’s death. The signs of our grave are in regional conferences, declarations, and summits. These are rarely backed by evidence-based deliverables. We cover up strategic blunders...
CDEMA gets new executive director
April 8, 2013
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados -- Ronald Jackson has taken over as the new executive director of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) with effect from April 3. Jackson, the former director general of the Office Disaster Preparedness...
CARIFORUM states and European Union sign joint declaration
April 6, 2013
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad -- The second meeting of the CARIFORUM-EU Parliamentary Committee took place on Wednesday in Port of Spain, Trinidad, co-chaired by Senator Vasant Bharath, minister of trade, industry and investment.
CARICOM has loyal ally in Chile, says ambassador
April 5, 2013
GEORGETOWN, Guyana -- “Chile’s commitment to work together with CARICOM countries remains a firm priority.” This assurance was given by the newly accredited Plenipotentiary Representative of Chile to the Caribbean Community, Luis Fernando Ayala.
Commentary: Supine and silent: The Caribbean in a vortex
April 5, 2013
How beneficial or not to the Caribbean is the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the 27-nation European Union (EU) as a bloc and the 15 small Caribbean members of CARIFORUM individually? Five years after the EPA became operational, this issue is...
Commentary: PM Gonsalves repents: 'CARICOM on pause'
April 3, 2013
As a good Catholic, Prime Minister Dr Hon. Ralph Gonsalves was moved to repentance in a February 9, 2012, letter to Ambassador Irwin La Rocque, secretary general of CARICOM and his fellow presidents and prime ministers of the region, in which he stated...
Commentary: CARICOM governments must apply greater diligence to Middle Eastern overtures
March 30, 2013
To many of our Caribbean Commonwealth governments, the success of diplomatic relations is often equated with quantity rather quality. Unfortunately, the foreign ministries in many of these nations continue to hope and pray that, by opening up arms to certain...
Commentary: Export-led growth: Who will lead? Part 2
March 29, 2013
Despite all the promises of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU), the countries of the Caribbean have not benefitted from increased exports to EU markets or from increased investment from the EU. The 15 Caribbean countries...
CARICOM participates in final UN conference on arms trade treaty
March 28, 2013
NEW YORK, USA -- “CARICOM governments have from the very beginning of the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty process called for a treaty to establish commonly agreed international standards to regulate the trade in conventional weapons...
Region's fisheries sector to gain cost savings from information and knowledge sharing
March 27, 2013
KINGSTOWN, St Vincent -- Under a Euro 30 million project funded by the European Union (EU) for projects to improve sustainable and equitable management of fisheries and aquaculture in Africa Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states, fisheries officials...
Caribbean Investment Facility to provide support to region
March 25, 2013
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (BGIS) -- Improvements in the infrastructure of priority sectors such as transport, information and communication technologies and social services are on the horizon, with the launch of the Caribbean Investment Facility.
Letter: Simmonds should tell two sides of the story when writing to CARICOM
March 25, 2013
I am no supporter of the PNP and I could never be but this one is embarrassing in the least and I must say in the strongest terms possible that what Minister Simmonds, of the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), did by writing to the...
Britain's overseas territories minister writes to CARICOM concerning Turks and Caicos
March 23, 2013
LONDON, England -- The war of words between Britain and the Turks and Caicos Islands premier, Dr Rufus Ewing, continued on Friday with the public release of a letter from Britain’s overseas territories minister, Mark Simmonds, to Caribbean Community...
CARICOM businesses urged to invest in Haiti
March 23, 2013
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (GINA) – The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) can play a major role in Haiti and vice versa, Haitian president and current CARICOM chairman Michel Martelly told the media, noting that his country needs investments to develop.
CARICOM eager to conclude robust arms trade treaty
March 21, 2013
NEW YORK, USA – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states will be pressing for a successful conclusion to the final negotiation session of the United Nations diplomatic conference on an arms trade treaty, which began at UN Headquarters...
CARIFORUM agriculture gets 8.6 million euro boost
March 19, 2013
GEORGETOWN, Guyana -- Secretary-general of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Irwin LaRocque has welcomed an 8.6 million euro programme to boost the region’s agriculture sector. In his capacity as secretary-general of the Caribbean Forum of..
Britain slams Turks and Caicos premier's CARICOM speech
March 14, 2013
LONDON, England -- In a strongly worded letter on Tuesday, Britain’s Foreign Secretary William Hague described Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) Premier Dr Rufus Ewing’s speech last month to Caribbean Community (CARICOM) heads of government...
Morocco intensifies Caribbean diplomacy
March 13, 2013
RABAT, Morocco -- The Kingdom of Morocco, which has been affected very little by the Arab Spring, wants to expand ties with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and last week appointed two ambassadors to the region.
Commentary: After the CARICOM saga in Haiti, what next for the region?
March 11, 2013
Well, another regional gimmick made up of CARICOM leaders has concluded in Port-au-Prince after Martelly displayed his ignorance and insensitivity about the challenges facing his corrupt nation and the disempowered Haitian people.
CARICOM workshop in Trinidad focuses on sustainable energy roadmap and strategy
March 2, 2013
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad -- Stakeholders in the energy sector across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on Thursday gathered in Trinidad and Tobago for an exchange of views on the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Roadmap and Strategy.
CARICOM ministers get down to energy business in Trinidad
March 1, 2013
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad -- Energy in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) comes under focus this week as portfolio ministers meet in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, for a special meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development.
CARICOM supports preservation of Guyana's sovereignty and territorial integrity
February 28, 2013
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (GINA) -- The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has praised the efforts of the governments of Guyana and Venezuela on the strides made towards good relations over the past years despite Venezuela’s contention that...
Ministerial sub-committee on flyingfish calls stakeholders to action
February 28, 2013
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad -- Fisheries ministers, who met last Friday in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, to review urgent governance and management issues challenging the seven Caribbean countries that currently harvest the Eastern Caribbean...
Consultation to formulate small-scale fisheries governance for the Caribbean
February 26, 2013
GEORGETOWN, Guyana -- Across the Caribbean, the fisheries sector employs over 182,000 persons, directly or indirectly. Whereas commercial fisheries play a key role in helping to secure foreign exchange earnings in the region, small-scale fisheries...
Commentary: When Haiti hosts CARICOM!
February 23, 2013
I was still in Cap Haitien on 18th February, nursing a cold and recuperating from the debauchery of the national carnival. Important business was taking place in Port-au Prince, Haiti was coming out if its hideout. It was receiving on 18th and 19th February 2013 for the first...
Commentary: CARICOM and its groundhog meetings
February 22, 2013
I read with a mixture of dismay and bemusement about the goings on in Haiti this week at the Twenty-Fourth Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government. This Conference is the de facto central government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
