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CARIFORUM pays tribute to former head of regional negotiating machinery

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – The Director-General of the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM) Directorate in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat, Ivan Ogando Lora, has paid tribute to the former director-general of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM), Ambassador Henry S. Gill, who died after a prolong illness in Trinidad and Tobago. “It is fair to say that the CARIFORUM-EU EPA will loom large with respect to the late Ambassador Gill’s legacy,” Ogando said of Gill, who died last week Thursday.

A serious food crisis is brewing in Haiti – here’s how to stop it

As well as exporting cash crops such as coffee, cocoa, mangos, breadfruit and potatoes, Haitians rely on 40% of the food produced in the country for local consumption. With this in mind, it's easy to see why last year's dramatic weather patterns and global economic meltdown produced aftershocks as significant and devastating as those of the 2010 earthquake. In 2012, there were five events – separate, but intrinsically linked – that Haiti did not handle well, in my opinion.

Antigua seeking budgetary support from World Bank

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Antigua and Barbuda says it is seeking a development policy loan from the World Bank based on a comprehensive debt framework. A government statement gave no indication as to the size of the loan, but said that it is a “budget support instrument similar to the policy” at the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).

Opposition Leader wants less focus on his health

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Opposition Leader Owen Arthur wants his detractors to look at the policies of his Barbados Labour Party (BLP) ahead of Thursday’s general election rather than focus their attention on his health.
Arthur, who turns 64 on October 17, is seeking to regain the government that he lost when the BLP was trounced 2010 by the Democratic Labour Party (DLP).
Now as he campaigns for that poll, he is wishing that people would stop making his health an issue.

Opinion poll predicts victory for opposition part

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – The main opposition Barbados Labour Party (BLP) is likely to win as many as 20 seats in Thursday’s general election, according to the latest opinion poll published here on Tuesday.
The poll by the Caribbean Development Research Services Inc (CADRES), shows that the BLP, lead by former prime minister Owen Arthur could win between 17 and 20 of the 30 seats to be contested in the general election.

Grenadians voting for new government

ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – Grenadians were voting Tuesday to elect a new government after a six week campaign in which both the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the main opposition New National party (NNP) told voters they were best suited to deal with the socio-economic problems of the Spice Isle.
Long lines formed outside some of the 239 polling stations scattered across the island that opened at 6.00 am (local time) and will close 11 hours later. There are 45 candidates contesting the elections.

CARICOM maintains independence in external negotiations

GEORGETOWN—The 15-nation Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will be funding all future negotiations itself, according to Guyana’s Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett. She recently informed the 65-seat National Assembly, current negotiations between CARICOM and Canada for a Trade and Development Agreement are being funded by the region.
Rodrigues-Birkett’s statement came in the form of a written response to a series of questions by opposition front-bencher Carl Greenidge, who was previously a senior negotiator with Caricom’s Office of Trade Negotiations (OTN).

EDITORIAL: Awaiting CARICOM decisions after Haiti meeting

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - With at least one third of the Caribbean Community’s 15 Heads of Government absent from the current two-day Inter-Sessional Meeting in Haiti, it would be a welcome surprise if any new initiative of significance on the way forward for the regional economic integration movement is included in the communiqué to be released this evening.
Prior to yesterday’s start of this first Heads of Government meeting in Haiti, with President Michel Martelly presiding, it was disclosed by the CARICOM Secretariat that crime and security would top the agenda.

PM Spencer attends CARICOM meeting in Haiti

ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer has joined other Caricom leaders at the 24th Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, February 18-19.
During the deliberations, Prime Minister Spencer will take the opportunity to brief his colleagues over the recent authorisation from the World Trade Organisation Dispute Settlement Body.

Caribbean leaders ask U.S. to help with arms control

PORT-AU-PRINCE -- The arms control debate arrived in Haiti on Monday as members of a regional trade bloc sought the United States’ help in ensuring that an international treaty aimed at regulating the $70 billion global arms trade includes a provision for small arms.
The issue was among several vexing crime and security concerns raised during a closed-door discussion with U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, who attended a summit of the 15-member Caribbean Community, known as Caricom, before flying to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands Monday afternoon.

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