(right) Director General of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), Dr. Didacus Jules , (left) President of the Executive Council of Martinique, Alfred Marie-Jeanne
On Friday May 13, 2016 the Director General of the OECS Dr. Didacus Jules met with the President of the Executive Council of Martinique Mr. Alfred Marie-Jeanne at the offices of the Collectivité de Martinique in Fort-de-France.
The meeting was the first since the election of a new administration in Martinique following the French national elections of December 2015, and follows the long established practice of briefing engagements between the Director General and newly elected Heads of political administrations of Member States.
The meeting covered a wide range of issues including the nature and structure of the new governance arrangements in Martinique, as well as the inherent implications for a smooth transition between both administrations and systems; the priorities of the new administration both domestically and in respect of regional cooperation; the governance structure and arrangements of the OECS; and the modalities of participation by Martinique as a member of the OECS in the work of the Organisation.
The meeting also discussed the efforts by the OECS Commission to seek to make the Organisation more relevant for its non-independent and associate membership, and received the assurance of the Director General that the OECS Commission existed to serve the Member States of the Organisation, and that this mandate would be fulfilled.
Attention was also given to the necessity for continued active participation of Martinique in the Organisation, and for continuation of the active engagement between the administration and the OECS Commission. In this regard, the President confirmed the decision of his administration to maintain its resident representation at the OECS Commission via the physical presence of the Commissioner for Martinique, and agreed on the urgent necessity for the appointment of elected representatives and other officials to the various OECS organs and working groups.
The parties to the meeting considered the engagement a tremendous success, and agreed on the need for continued engagement and action in the interest of achieving concrete results.
The President and the Director General were supported by their respective delegations which included Chef de Cabinet Mme. Maguy Marie-Jeanne, OECS Commissioner for Martinique Mme. Murielle Lesales, and Head of International Relations at the OECS Commission, Anthony Severin.
Panel on inter-sectoral linkages at Oceans Economy and Trade seminar
Belize City, Tuesday, 17 May 2016 (CRFM)— Peter A. Murray, Programme Manager for Fisheries Management and Development at the Secretariat of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), represented the region at an international seminar on Oceans Economy and Trade: Sustainable Fisheries, Transport and Tourism, held in Geneva from 10- 12 May 2016.
Murray, who was one of over seventy registered participants drawn from all three sectors, presented a paper on the linkages between fisheries, tourism and transport in the Caribbean. Murray’s paper also highlighted the results of a recently completed suite of case studies on the linkages between fisheries and tourism in CRFM Member Countries.
The presentation furthermore recognised the Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy as a directional tool to encourage further development of those linkages.
The international seminar on Oceans Economy and Trade aimed to increase the understanding of the concept of oceans economy and its close link with trade. It also aimed to examine how international trade in goods and services (as mediated by internationally agreed rules, regulations and trade policies) can better support the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) exclusively dedicated to the oceans: SDG 14, and other related goals. SDG 14 commits UN Member States “to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.”
Another objective of the seminar was to underscore the strong inter-sectoral interdependencies of ocean-based sectors and related implications for strategically coordinated policies.
The oceans economy is touted as a vehicle for “greener” or more sustainable and inclusive economic paths on the marine and coastal front. Trade in marine products and services can create opportunities for economic growth, export diversification and new investments. Major trade sectors where opportunities already exist or could be expanded in the near future include sustainable fishing and aquaculture, sustainable and resilient marine transport and logistical services, and linkages with maritime and coastal tourism.
The Organization of American States (OAS) will support Guatemala in the development of a strategy of open government, with the aim of creating a more transparent public administration, with better governance, more citizen participation and greater social inclusion.
The support, which responds to a request from the President of Guatemala, Jimmy Morales, to the Secretary General of the OAS, Luis Almagro, will begin with the deployment of a mission that will meet with governmental authorities, civil society organizations and other relevant actors beginning tomorrow in Guatemala City, to gather information to give shape to the assistance.
The mission will be headed by the Secretary for Hemispheric Affairs of the OAS, James Lambert, who was the Ambassador of Canada to Guatemala from 2002 to 2005. Ambassador Lambert will be accompanied by the Director of the Department for Effective Public Management, María Fernanda Trigo.
During the visit the forum “Tools for the Construction of an Open Government”, co-organized by the OAS, will be held, in which President Morales is expected to participate. The agenda of the event is availablehere(Spanish).
Minister of Planning and Development, the Honourable Camille Robinson-Regis. (Photo Courtesy the Trinidad Express)
May 16, 2016: Working to ensure the survival of micro, small and medium enterprises in the Caribbean is paramount to the survival of the manufacturing sector in Trinidad and Tobago.
Planning and Development Minister Camille Robinson-Regis will lead a panel discussion on “Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development: Towards a New Frontier” which will be held during the Annual Meeting of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) on Wednesday, May 18th, 2016 from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Some of the presenters on this panel include Dr Justin Ram, Director of Economics, Caribbean Development Bank; Dr Arnold McIntyre, Deputy Division Chief, Caribbean Division I, Western Hemisphere Department, International Monetary Fund; Mr. Daniel Arthurton; Adviser, Eastern Caribbean Securities Regulatory Commission (ECSRC), Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB).
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) Development in the Caribbean: Towards a New Frontier is focused on four areas: (a) strengths; weaknesses; opportunities; and risks facing MSMEs, and the strategic implications over the next decade; (b) the “doing business” constraints, including access to finance; (c) robustness of current policy, regulatory and institutional frameworks for MSME development and recommendations for improvement; and (d) opportunities for innovation; enhanced competitiveness; and export expansion. This is intended to provide practical policy and other recommendations for MSME expansion and development in the region.
The purpose of a thematic study on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the Caribbean is two-fold:
1. To assess the status of the MSME sector based on a review of the sector in eight Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) borrowing member countries (BMCs); and
2. To highlight critical MSME development challenges and propose a structured approach to addressing those challenges.
The Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (MSME) sector in the Caribbean is a substantial contributor to economic and social development. It is estimated that the sector constitutes between 70 and 85% of business enterprises and contributes between 60 and 70% of the Gross Domestic Product. The sector accounts for approximately 50% of employment and is a major contributor to poverty production. Female entrepreneurs are estimated at between 30 and 50%. The sector contributes to social stability and citizen security through the provision of opportunities to many who would otherwise be marginalised economically and socially.
Given the size and importance of the MSME sector, its major contributions to the Region’s economic and social development, the persistence of financial, skills and other constraints, and the inadequate attention paid to the sector it is important to focus discussion on sector needs so that these can be more effectively addressed by governments and other stakeholders. The expected benefits are improved policies, a strengthened institutional environment in support of the sector, better growth performance, increased employment and reduced poverty. This is important to Trinidad and Tobago since CARICOM is a major market for our goods and services and ensuring the strength of the region’s markets augurs well for continued trade and even for possible expansion into the global market.
The Honourable the Chief Justice, Mr. Justice Ivor Archie O.R.T.T. (Photo courtesy guardian.co.tt)
May 16, 2016: The Honourable the Chief Justice, Mr. Justice Ivor Archie O.R.T.T, travelled out of the jurisdiction on May 15 at the invitation of the International Association for Court Administration (IACA) to attend their 11th Conference at the World Trade Centre, Hague, Netherlands from May 18th to May 20th, 2016.
The Honourable Chief Justice will share a platform among sixty one distinguished featured speakers from around the world and will deliver an address entitled “Promoting JusticeAdministration” on the last day of the conference, Friday May 20th, 2016. A diverse representation of participants in the field of law and the justice sector from countries such as the United States, Europe, Africa, United Kingdom, Canada, Dubai, Lebanon, Brazil, Europe and Latin America will benefit from the common ground in their respective legal systems and learn from the comparative experience of their colleagues in the respective member jurisdictions.
The Honourable Chief Justice will be accompanied by Ms. Michelle Austin, Court Executive Administrator and is expected to return to the jurisdiction on Sunday May 22nd, 2016. The Honourable Mr. Justice Allan Mendonça will perform the functions of Chief Justice in the Chief Justice’s absence.
The International Association for Court Administration (IACA) is a global association of professionals collectively engaged in promoting the effective administration of justice. IACA’s mission is to promote professional court administration and management in emerging democracies and other countries pursuing the rule of law; to sponsor international conferences, forums and education and training programs on court administration and management; and to serve as a resource for judges, court administrators and managers, and other government officials in search of ways in which to evaluate and improve court and justice systems.
IACA’s leaders have crafted an association that provides a variety of resource materials and educational programs, and fosters collegiality and forums for the international exchange of experiences and best practices. IACA also complements and reinforces efforts by government and non-government organizations to foster justice sector capacity building and judicial reform in an effort to promote effective court management in the international arena.
The theme of the 2016 conference is entitled “Promoting Regional and Global Approaches to Judicial Administration” and will reflect the issues surrounding the evolution of justice administration in the international courts. This year’s conference presentations includes topics on: Comparative (pre-trial) efficiency processes for criminal cases on a regional and global level; Comparative benefits of general and special jurisdiction courts; Best practices on implementing electronic case files and documentfiling; Promoting justice administration; General versus Specialist Courts: The Commercial Court of the Future and the dispute resolutions courts; Justice and effectiveness in the protection of theenvironment are among some of the extensive high level dialogue and robust discussions to be held over current trends in the legal profession and other contemporary topics.
Belmopan. May 16, 2016. The Government of Belize announces that talks between Belize and Guatemala over a cooperation mechanism for the Sarstoon River, will take place on Saturday, May 21st 2016.
The talks are to be held in Istanbul, Turkey where Belize Foreign Minister Hon. Wilfred Elrington will travel following his attendance at the Taipei inauguration ceremonies for the new President of Taiwan. For the talks, Minister Elrington will head a delegation that will include Ambassador H.E. Alexis Rosado. The Opposition People’s United Party has been invited to name a representative to join the Belize delegation. Guatemala’s delegation is expected to be led by its Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlos Raul Morales.
The commitment of both Guatemala and Belize to find a way forward regarding the Sarstoon, was given to the Organization of American States (OAS) at the meeting convened between the two sides in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, May 4, 2016 by OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro. The cooperation mechanism envisaged by that commitment is to eliminate the military tension at the Sarstoon created by the maintenance of the respective positions of Belize and Guatemala regarding rights over the river. Secretary General Almagro has declared, and both sides have agreed, that notwithstanding those positions which neither side will relinquish, a mechanism must be found to guarantee peaceful use, stability, and navigational security at the Sarstoon River. It is therefore expected that if the Istanbul talks do not produce any immediate final agreement, the OAS will host follow up meetings in Washington D.C.
At the media conference were (from left) the Hon. Faris Al Rawi, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, the Hon. Stuart Young, Minister in the Office of the Attorney General and Office of the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley, the Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Senator Dennis Moses and Minister of Finance, the Hon. Colm Imbert.
May 16. 2016: Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley hosted a media conference in the VIP Lounge of the Piarco International Airport upon his return from his official overseas trip on Saturday 14th May 2016.
At the conference, the Prime Minister provided a recap of the twelve (12) day trip.
Prime Minister Rowley recalled the Washington leg of the trip where the Trinidad and Tobago delegation participated in the US-Caribbean-Central American Energy Security. At the summit matters of energy security for the Caribbean as well as regional security were on the agenda.
Prime Minister Rowley noted that the United States has begun exporting cargos of LNG, thus effectively making them competitors with Trinidad and Tobago on this level. Jamaica also announced the completion of a LNG plant and that plans to construct another plant are already in motion. Also discussed was access to the US market for Caribbean products. Prime Minister Rowley indicated that these meetings and several others were quite profitable.
Additionally, the Prime Minister met with the head of the Carlyle group of companies, an investment conglomerate. As a result of that meeting, it was agreed that their technical team will evaluate Trinidad and Tobago as a place for investment.
Prime Minister Rowley also met with the President and senior executives of the International Development Bank (IDB) where he expressed that Trinidad and Tobago will accept funding for major infrastructural projects such as the highway from Valencia to Toco and the improvement of port facilities in Tobago. The IDB also encouraged cooperation between Trinidad and Tobago and Ghana and stated that they would be willing to fund such endeavours.
In New York, the Prime Minister delivered the feature address at the Medgar Evers College Inaugural International Education Awards Presentation Ceremony. During his visit to the college, an education pipeline to the Caribbean was discussed. This would facilitate student and staff interchange so that parties involved can benefit from each other’s strengths. At present, the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) is already exploring such a programme and the proposal will be extended to the University of the West Indies (UWI).
Later on in London, the delegation met with executives of BP where the focus was on Trinidad and Tobago’s reserves of natural gas. Follow up discussions on this matter will continue in the upcoming weeks.
Prime Minister Rowley also noted that the delegation was well received in Ghana where further discussions on foreign relations and energy were held leading to the signing of MOUs.
During this time, two (2) delegations from Nigeria visited the Trinidad and Tobago delegation. They presented proposals which centred on cooperation in key industries, namely energy as well as skill training and education. Prime Minister Rowley highlighted that Trinidad and Tobago must look beyond our borders for additional economic opportunities.
Prime Minister Rowley also recalled the Anti-corruption Summit hosted by the Prime Minister of Great Britain David Cameron. At this summit, one of the main objectives was to establish international cooperation to treat with and eliminate corruption so as to ensure that there are no safe havens around the world.
Prime Minster Rowley once again emphasised that we cannot accept corruption as a way of life as it deprives citizens from benefiting from national resources.
Prime Minister Rowley also held extensive discussions with members of the British Cabinet Office as well as the National Crime Agency on matters of national security during this final leg of the overseas trip.
(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) “For him it was a labour of love and it is a legacy the Region would do well to catalogue” stated CARICOM Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin in his condolence message, on behalf of the Caribbean Community, on the passing of iconic cricket journalist Tony Cozier.
Cozier, 75 died last Wednesday in his home country Barbados.
The CARICOM SG recalled Cozier’s more than 50 years of chronicling West Indies cricket, with pen and voice, leaving a body of work behind which he said represents a running commentary and history of the game in the Region.
Cozier’s was a good innings well played, he said. “The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) mourns the passing of one of its most treasured sons, the iconic cricket journalist, Mr Tony Cozier. For more than fifty years with pen and voice, Mr Cozier chronicled West Indies cricket nationally, regionally and internationally. For many years his was the only West Indian voice on the airways from across the seas following the exploits of the cricket team.
While he represented his country at field hockey as a goal keeper, he was an avid club cricketer and it was his passion for the game of cricket that infused his writings and his commentary. A West Indian to the core, Mr Cozier spoke often of his secondary school days in Trinidad and Tobago as a period which solidified his regionalism.
The body of work on cricket left behind by Mr Cozier represents a running commentary and a history of the game in the Region for more than fifty years. For him it was a labour of love and it is a legacy the Region would do well to catalogue.
The Community expresses its condolences to his wife and children and to the Government and people of Barbados. His was a good innings well played.”
According to the WHO estimate released on April 21, 2014, a total of 774 lives were claimed in the SARS outbreak in 2003.
Far beyond the nations where it claimed the most victims, SARS traumatized the world with vast economic disruptions, deeply impacting international trade and travel that year and in the nervous months that followed.
Yet such threats are far from over: emerging infectious diseases such as Ebola and MERS have followed. These are the threats we understand a little about – yet what we really have to fear are the threats we cannot name. Even as global health experts gather, new and unmapped outbreaks can spread rapidly across the globe. More rapidly than ever, arguably, as air travel statistics show that more people are flying, with more of the world than ever within a day’s travel.
Zika virus emerged in South America late last year, and has since swept across every continent, challenging disease control efforts worldwide. The World Health Organization in 2014 estimated that vector-borne diseases account for 17% of the global burden of all infectious diseases, killing up to 750,000 people each year. Dengue, the fastest-growing vector-borne disease, is endemic in more than 100 countries – with four out of ten people worldwide potentially at risk. Last year, Taiwan confirmed a total of 43,419 indigenous cases, which was one of the most severe dengue outbreaks since 1987. Since Zika virus is transmitted by the same mosquito species that transmits dengue virus, Taiwan also faces increased risk of a Zika virus outbreaks.
Because we know infectious diseases do not respect boundaries, Taiwan has fulfilled its International Health Regulations responsibilities since 2009, when we were officially included in the implementation framework. We have established an IHR Contact Point with WHO to enable regional and global responses to public health threats. We assessed and improved our surveillance and response capacities to meet the Annex 1B IHR core requirements in a timely manner. Taiwan closely monitors international trends to optimally promote and enhance health security. In response to Ebola in West Africa, we provided 100,000 sets of Personal Protective Equipment and donated US$1 million to international Ebola aid efforts in 2014. Since then, we organized four training workshops for Asia-Pacific and Southeast Asian health and laboratory workers to improve regional capacity to detect and respond to Ebola, MERS, dengue and Zika virus. Participants from 14 countries exchanged experiences and formed regional networks to address such public health threats.
Taiwan has expanded mosquito-related preparedness and response with four strategies: health system planning, prevention of Zika virus importation, border quarantine, and vector control measures. Yet better vector control, effective vaccines, and proper clinical management are still needed.
Our people also face pandemic and seasonal influenza threats. Previous outbreaks have demonstrated that seasonal influenza virus strains can pose major challenges to our health systems. Because the highest hospitalization rates are among senior citizens, we encourage annual seasonal influenza vaccination to achieve herd immunity.
As we continue to improve our influenza-related planning, we retain a global vision and work hard to maintain the widest possible international health networks. To bring together nations to promote global health security, prevent disease outbreaks, detect threats early and respond rapidly, the United States launched the Global Health Security Agenda with WHO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). Its goals include consistent and widely supported standards like IHR, including the Performance of Veterinary Services Pathway and other health security frameworks. By adopting these frameworks, Taiwan promotes human medicine and veterinary collaborations and constructs a unified system for infectious disease control.
Nothing less than this multilateral and multi-sectoral approach is needed to fight infectious diseases. While we still hope for better alignment with the international community, we are reorganizing at home to pursue best policies and practices. We are establishing a national research institute for vector-borne diseases in southern Taiwan to integrate resources and assist local governments with prevention.
It is no news to this expert audience that a crisis anywhere easily and soon can become a problem everywhere. Global health demands that all populations have optimal capabilities to respond to such threats.
Taiwan will continue to pursue bilateral, multilateral and research cooperation. We can be relied on to assist our Asia-Pacific and Southeast Asian neighbors as they enhance their own response capacities. And for the reasons I have discussed, we will actively participate in international arenas.
Such participation ensures that global health security will never again have deadly blind spots due to blocked communication and a lack of transparency.
Belmopan. May 16th, 2016. The Ministry of Health confirms the first Zika case documented in Belize.
The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has returned the results of samples sent to their laboratory from a heightened surveillance being carried out across the country. Of the samples sent to CARPHA thus far, one positive result was received last week.
An immediate investigation was launched and several actions were simultaneously initiated to minimize and contain a potential outbreak. The investigation continues, and the Zika Plan is being followed in light of this case which is from Belize City. The patient is a Belizean national.
The Ministry will continue to be actively engaged with the community to minimize impact and we continue to ask the community to do everything possible to assist the Ministry and our partners to reduce mosquito breeding sites such as discarding buckets, old tires and other containers that may hold water.
The Ministry of Health will share more on this case and other relevant information once we have completed the investigation. The heightened surveillance continues across the country.
