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Genetic improvement in Sheep and Goat Project between Belize-Taiwan

Goat and Sheep Project

The first disbursement of funds from the budget of “Genetic improvement in Sheep and Goat project between Belize-Taiwan” for the present year 2016.

The Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) is pleased to announce that on Wednesday, May 11th , 2016 , Ambassador Benjamin Ho handed over the first disbursement of $155,628.80 US fund from the budget of “ Genetic Improvement in Sheep and Goat Project” to the Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Gaspar Vega in his capacity as Minister for Agriculture. With the fund of present year it would cover expenses related to house maintenance, materials and equipment purchase, stock  breeding, paddock seed/fertilizers/chemicals procurement and so on. The project seeks to improve and develop the genetic blood lines of both the sheep and goat livestock through natural breeding and the artificial insemination programs.
The “Genetic Improvement for Sheep and Goat Breeding Belize-Taiwan Project” was signed on December 2, 2015 by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture Hon. Gaspar Vega and the Ambassador of the Republic of China(Taiwan) H.E. Mr. Benjamin Ho. It is a three-year project with an approved total budget of approximately 1.62 Million US Dollars of which the Government of Belize will contribute 0.35 M US$ and the Taiwanese Government will finance 1.27 M US$.
The main objectives to be accomplished through the project are as follows:

  1. Improvement and development of the National Small Ruminant Center at Central Farm,
  2. Introduction of quality breeding stocks and renew breeding stock so as to improve the productivity of breeding stock.
  3. The capacity building and technical trainings of the ministry’s livestock technicians and officers, and the small ruminant producers in the country including the establishment of a traceability registry for the herd.

Sheep and goat production have tremendous growth opportunity on the national market but also on the regional export market. This project will complement other ongoing initiatives and place the industry on a firm footing for development. In particular the traceability/registry component will provide the base on which an export market could develop.

Statement by Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell on the passing of Tony Cozier

Tony Cozier
Tony Cozier

ST. GEORGE’S, GRENADA, May 11, 2016 – GIS: It is with a deep sense of sadness and nostalgia that I, and other cricket fans all over the world received the news that Tony Cozier, lifelong cricket commentator and analyst extraordinaire, has passed away.

As Prime Minister of Grenada and as Chair of the Cricket Committee under CARICOM, I extend my deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Cozier, and indeed  to the many fans around the Caribbean and the world who often look forward to his analyses.
The cricketing world has lost an icon who left an indelible mark on sports journalism by blazing a rich career trail in the footsteps of his father Jimmy, and whose oral and written commentaries span more than five decades.
As a cricketer myself, playing for Grenada and Windward Islands and in the years that followed, I was among the proud and passionate Caribbean cricket fans following West Indies exploits around the world through the voice of Cozier.
Cozier was a true Caribbean man, and an ardent supporter of West Indies Cricket. Only recently, he again lent his strong voice in the ongoing efforts to reform WI cricket.
As probably the best known cricket journalist in the Caribbean, Cozier was respected by cricket lovers all over the world and his well-informed perspective on the varying aspects of the game, will be sadly missed.

CARICOM advances relations with Sweden, Netherlands

CARICOM

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana)  

CARICOM Foreign Ministers have put measures in place for closer cooperation with Sweden and the Netherlands even as they seek to place issues impacting the development of Small Island Developing and Low-lying States (SIDS) in the spotlight.
The Ministers at their just concluded 19th Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR), in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, met with their counterparts from the two European Union (EU) Member States.
Aware of Netherlands’ strategic position as the current President of the European Union, COFCOR engaged the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Bert Koenders on climate change, particularly its impact on SIDS and low lying States.  While acknowledging the diplomatic success of COP21, the urgency of operationalisation of the Agreement was stressed.  The concerns of the Community over blacklisting by EU Member States, and the withdrawal of correspondent banking services, both of which had an adverse impact on CARICOM States were also presented to the Minister.
Discussions with Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom centered on issues such as climate change, renewable energy, water management, ocean security, citizen security, as well as a proposal by Sweden and the Nordic countries to conclude a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate cooperation in a range of areas.
According to the Communiqué issued at the end of the Meeting, Foreign Ministers also considered CARICOM’s relations with a number of other Third States, and regional groupings, as well as with important development partners with whom the Region enjoys long-standing ties. In acknowledging that many of these relationships were undergoing dynamic changes, they considered how best to position CARICOM to take advantage of these changing realities. They also deliberated on the Region’s priorities and challenges within key regional, hemispheric and multilateral bodies including the United Nations, the ACS and CELAC.
In relation to the United Nations,  the COFCOR recalled the active participation of the Community in the successful meetings in 2015 on Financing for Development, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and COP21, noting the significance of the outcomes or CARICOM SIDS. With regard to climate change, the Communique noted that Foreign Ministers encouraged the early ratification of the Paris Agreement as well as the need for mechanisms to ensure access to climate financing such as the Green Climate Fund.
Given the importance of the maritime environment to the sustainable development of SIDS, the Ministers discussed the Region’s response to matters relating to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ). In this regard, they called for greater representation of CARICOM Member States at the annual meeting of the International Sea Bed Authority (ISA).
The Ministers pledged the Community’s continued commitment to the work of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS). They welcomed Cuba’s appointment as Chair of the Executive Board of the ACS, and their hosting of the Seventh ACS Summit scheduled for 4 June 2016 in Cuba, and reaffirmed the importance of CARICOM’s participation at the highest level.
The Ministers also reflected on the activities that CELAC will undertake in 2016 following the Fourth CELAC Summit which took place in Ecuador in January 2016. They articulated CARICOM’s priorities within CELAC, including matters critical to Small Island Developing States and low-lying coastal States, implementation of recently concluded global pacts such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, COP21 and Financing for Development, cooperation with sub-regional integration mechanisms and with extra-regional partners.
In sombre reflection, the Ministers reiterated the Community’s solidarity with Ecuador following the devastating earthquake and aftershocks that ravaged that country in April 2016, and expressed condolences to the families of the victims.
The Ministers also recognised the International Decade for People of African Descent as an opportunity to bring awareness to the challenges facing persons of African Descent and for pursuing the case for reparation.
They also noted the observance of the Tenth Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the importance of the adoption of the Petion-Ville Declaration of 2013 by CARICOM Member States.  In this vein, they underlined the importance of implementing the proposals of the Declaration in ensuring the rights of differently-abled persons in an inclusive society for all.

Domestic Cooperation Strengthened

Allen Whylie

Belmopan. May 11, 2016.   A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed today by the Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) H.E. Ambassador A. Joy Grant and the Commissioner of Police Mr. Allen Whylie.

According to the FIU, the MOU will strengthen the cooperation that currently exists and facilitate the analysis and investigation of suspected money laundering, associated predicate offences, and the financing of terrorism and proliferation. Implementation of the MOU will increase the potential sources of information available to both the FIU and the police to fight crime and remove the profit from criminal activities. It also provides the framework for joint operations where the strengths of each party may complement the other and add value to the process.
This is the second several MOUs that are being negotiated between various stakeholders within the Government of Belize and the FIU.

Senate discusses open ship registry

Victor Philip La Corbiniere
Sen. Hon. Minister for Legal Affairs , Home Affairs and National Security and Leader of Government Business, Victor Philip La Corbiniere

An an open ship registry will enable the registration of foreign-owned ships and may provide greater opportunities for qualified Saint Lucians to work, Sen. La Corbiniere said.

A sitting of the Senate took place on Tuesday.
Among the bills down for consideration was the Shipping Ammendment Bill.
Sen. Hon. Minister for Legal Affairs , Home Affairs and National Security and Leader of Government Business, Victor Philip La Corbiniere presented the bill. He stated that the amendments would help make way for an open ship registry in Saint Lucia.
“At present the registry forms part of the Division of Maritime Affairs within the Saint Lucian Air and Sea Ports Authority, and an officer there is responsible for the registration of ships. In recent times the trend has been towards an open ship registry and this of course is to enable the registration of foreign owned ships.
“Within the Caribbean, the Bahamas, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Saint Kitts Nevis, Saint Vincent, Grenada and the Grenadines all have open ship registries.”
Sen. La Corbiniere went on to list the benefits.
“There are economic and other advantages of having open ship registries which allow for foreign ships to be registered. It also ensures that owners can choose employees from an international labour pool and in particular persons who are qualified from Saint Lucia will probably have greater opportunities to work on some of these boats.”
All bills presented within the sitting of the Senate were passed including the Burial and Cremation Bill, and ammendments to the Elections Bill and the Tourism Stimulus and Investment Bill.

Lifetime Achievement Award For Outstanding Writer

Paule Marshall
Writer Paule Marshall. (bimlitfest.org)

Renowned American writer of Barbadian parentage, Paule Marshall, will be honoured during the launch of this year’s Bim Literary Festival and Book Fair on Friday, May 13, at Ilaro Court.

Her son, Evan Marshall, will receive the Writers’ Ink’s Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of his mother, from Prime Minister Freundel Stuart during the ceremony.
Ms. Marshall’s first novel, Brown Girl, Brownstones, published in 1959, celebrates her visits to Barbados as a child, and a dramatised excerpt of the book will be performed on Thursday, May 12, at the National Library Service.
Described as one of America’s finest contemporary black writers, the outstanding writer has an impressive body of prize-winning work, including Soul Clap Hands and Sing (1961), Reena (1962), Some Get Wasted (1964), To Da-Duh: In Memorandum (1967), The Chosen Place, the Timeless People (1969), Praisesong for the Widow (1983), and Daughters (1991).
Early in her career, Ms. Marshall wrote poetry, but later returned to prose. In 2010, the 87-year-old won a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards. This is an American literary award dedicated to honouring written works that make important contributions to the understanding of racism and the appreciation of the rich diversity of human culture.

Industrial Production Provisional Index – Feb. 2016

Graph

The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) increased by 8.4 per cent in February 2016, when compared with the previous month.
According to data produced by the Barbados Statistical Service, the increase in the index was due to increases in Mining and Quarrying by 41.7 per cent and Manufacturing by 14.9 per cent.
Meanwhile, a decrease was recorded for Electricity, Gas and Water by 3.9 per cent.
The IIP for February recorded a decrease of 0.2 per cent, when compared with the previous year. A decrease was reflected in the index for Manufacturing by 3.0 per cent. Meanwhile, increases were recorded for Mining and Quarrying by 25.1 per cent and Electricity, Gas and Water by 2.3 per cent.
Output for the Mining and Quarrying Sector increased by 25.1 per cent when compared with the previous year, due to an increase in the index for Stone Quarrying by 39.3 per cent. A decrease was recorded for Mining by 18.2 per cent.
Production in the Electricity, Gas and Water Sector increased by 2.3 per cent when compared with the previous year, due to increases in the generation of Electricity by 4.9 per cent; and Natural Gas by 5.4 per cent. However, a decrease was recorded in the index for the consumption of Water by 7.7 per cent.
Year-on-year output for the Manufacturing Sector for February declined by 3.0 per cent, due to decreases recorded in the indices for Food by 13.0 per cent; Wearing Apparel by 77.3 per cent; Furniture by 4.6 per cent; and Other Manufacturing by 3.1 per cent.
Meanwhile, increases were recorded in the indices for Beverages and Tobacco by 5.1 per cent; Chemicals by 11.5 per cent; Non-metallic Minerals by 2.7 per cent and Electronic Components by 2.1 per cent.

Policy To Help Barbadians Realise Their Dreams

Esther Byer Suckoo
Minister of Labour, Senator Dr. Esther Byer Suckoo. (FP)

“Every Barbadian has the right to an education and to a job that makes them feel fulfilled.”

This assertion came from Minister of Labour, Senator Dr. Esther Byer Suckoo, as she delivered welcome remarks at the first of two breakfast meetings, to discuss the draft National Human Resource Development (NHRD) Policy.
Speaking at the Radisson Aquatica Resort under the theme: Unleashing Barbadian Aspirations Through Building A Globally Competitive Workforce, Senator Byer Suckoo emphasised the importance of cultivating a national environment where citizens felt a “sense of satisfaction that they are doing what they were meant to do”.
“The role of Government, employers and of our social partners including our unions; is to be able to create that environment for such opportunities, so that every Barbadian if they want, can reach for it,” she stated.
The draft NHRD policy is expected to aid in achieving this mandate, by focusing on a framework of five strategic pillars geared towards the improvement of employability and productivity.
In a brief overview, Human Resource Development Specialist for the Barbados HRD Project Unit, Orville Lynch, identified the five pillars as: creating an enabling environment for human resource development through institutional strengthening and capacity building; developing a framework of internationally recognised qualifications; establishing demand-driven professional development and training services; rationalising knowledge management systems and improving information access; and enhancing the nation’s innovation and entrepreneurship capacity.
The meeting culminated with an open-floor discussion, which engaged a cadre of representatives from the public, private and Information Communications and Technology sectors. Discussions will continue next Wednesday, May 18, at the Radisson Aquatica Resort at 8:00 a.m.

SKN officials hold key positions within UNESCO governing bodies

SKN and UNESCO
(left to right) Ambassador David Doyle, Permanent Representative and Chairman of the Commonwealth Group at UNESCO; Hon Shawn Richards, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education; and Mr. Antonio Maynard, Secretary-General of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Commission for UNESCO.

(NATCOM) – Basseterre, 11th May, 2016:The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis’ diligence at the UN specialized agency, UNESCO, seems to be paying off with the installment of two of its representatives as holders of key positions.

On the fringes of the 199th Executive Board held at UNESCO in Paris mid-April, the Federation’s Ambassador and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, Dr. David P. Doyle, was confirmed as Chairman of the UNESCO Commonwealth Group, whilst Secretary General of the National Commission, Mr. Antonio Maynard, was elected Deputy Chairman of the UNESCO Finance and Administrative Commission (FA).
Both positions carry incredible scope for the advancement of critical issues pertaining to the advancement of the Federation’s UNESCO’s priority areas. St. Kitts and Nevis is active on the ground at UNESCO, via its permanent presence under Ambassador Doyle, and frequent interventions on the Executive Board by Mr. Maynard. The Federation interfaces with senior UNESCO Secretariat experts to secure technical capacity-building input and financing, which will include this year a UNESCO review of the Federation’s youth policy.
Stated Ambassador Doyle: “our election to the chairmanship of the Commonwealth Group at UNESCO comes at an auspicious time as UNESCO and the Commonwealth renew a memorandum of understanding, originally signed in 1980, to update and strength and cooperation between the two Organizations, especially in the fields of education, youth empowerment, and promoting intercultural dialogue”.
During the 199th Executive Board, he welcomed The Right Honourable Patricia Scotland, QC, and Commonwealth Secretary-General, to UNESCO on 15th April.
SKN’s Chairmanship of the Commonwealth group is especially significant because it coincides with UNESCO and the Commonwealth’s renewal of a memorandum of understanding, originally signed in 1980, to update and strengthen cooperation between the two Organizations, especially in the fields of education, youth empowerment, and promoting intercultural dialogue”.
Noted St. Kitts-Nevis’ National Commission Secretary-General, Mr. Maynard: “Our elevation to chairing the Commonwealth Group is part of our goal to seek ways of both contributing to UNESCO policy and securing influence. St. Kitts-Nevis was instrumental in creating and chairing, the SIDS Committee of Representatives to UNESCO between 2008 and 2015.
The Commonwealth Group at UNESCO consists of 54 Member States who meet regularly to discuss matters of common interest and issues touching on Commonwealth Countries, and share best practices on UNESCO fields of competences. Among other issues, the members strive to work on the objectives set by the Commonwealth Secretariat, a dedicated body based in London (UK), representing the former territories of the United Kingdom.
Mr. Maynard, Deputy Chairman of the UNESCO Finance and Administrative Commission (FA) reported that the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) action plan and implementation strategy, was approved.  Among topics incorporated of specific interest to the Federation were the relevance for young disaffected men of the TVET strategy, vulnerabilities linked to freshwater resources and urgent action needed to react to climate change by strengthening science education and policy, transfer of marine technology linked to coastal adaptation and mitigation, and early-warning systems.
Other key issues raised were the funding constraints to be taken account of in dealing with vulnerability based on size, small populations, limited resources and remoteness from the international markets, as well as the damaging effects of climate change.
St Kitts and Nevis clearly depends on the outcome of such discussions in terms of multilateral and bilateral-level funding policy in contributing to funding the UNESCO SIDS action plan. St. Kitts-Nevis stressed the point that funding decisions needed to  “take account of the fact that many SIDS already live on the front line of pockets of poverty, high unemployment, pollution, natural disasters and degradation of coastlines, tropical forests and coral reefs”.
(Press release courtesy of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Commission For UNESCO)

PM says hallmark of government is accountability

The Honourable Prime Minister, Dr. Roosevelt Skerrit, has characterised his Government’s management strategy of the island’s financial resources as transparent while debunking opposing claims.

He made the statement specifically referencing the European Union’s fiscal support to Dominica.
The Honourable Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to the European Union at an EU-funded contract signing ceremony last week.
The Dominica leader stated that the European Union values the financial prudence and good management of Dominica.
PM says hallmark of government is accountability 1He posited, “They do their independent audits and at no time have they cited any infraction on Government’s part with respect to any agreement which we have signed with the European Union. We can account for every single euro- to the cent- which they have given us.
“That is the hallmark of this administration: prudent, responsible, accountable and transparent with the management of not just our own local resources but also those given to us by foreign countries.”
The Honourable Prime Minister acknowledged that despite its challenges, the European Union remains a steadfast supporter and one of Dominica’s major benefactors with regards to the deployment of assistance.
“They [deserve] the highest commendation and expression for gratitude from all of us because I’m sure that these monies could be spent in Guadeloupe, Martinique, Nouvelle-Calédonie or Greece but they remain committed in the face of adversity. We, in Dominica, must appreciate that.
“Dominica has an extraordinarily strong relationship with the European Union,” he added.
Dominica has had a formal relationship with the European Union formally known as the European Economic Community, since 1979.
It was their entry into the European Economic Community by Britain in 1973 which offered Dominica and other Commonwealth countries in Africa, Caribbean and the Pacific the possibility of negotiating their future relations with the EU.
The overall aim of EU cooperation is to improve the quality of life of the populations in the beneficiary countries through targeted and sustainable programmes.
In 2014 the EU delegation to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, disbursed just over €80m in development cooperation aid to 10 countries in the region.

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