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US identifies priority areas to help Caribbean economies grow

WASHINGTON, United States (CMC) – United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, has identified what he regarded as three priority areas in which the Obama administration would like the economies of Latin America and the Caribbean to grow and thrive.

Addressing the Council of the Americas’ 46th Annual Washington Conference of the Americas/US-Caribbean-Central American Energy Summit Reception Tuesday night, Kerry said these areas are trade, supporting entrepreneurs and innovators, and promoting accountability and transparency in government institutions.

OECS to focus on geothermal energy at St. Kitts and Nevis forum

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)Commission are partnering with the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis to jointly host a Regional Geothermal Forum under the theme: ‘Opportunities and Synergies for Collaboration’.

The three day forum will be held in Basseterre from May 10-12 2016.

Several CARICOM Heads and Ministers of Government are in Washington for the US-Caribbean-Central American Energy Summit hosted by US Vice-President Joe Biden.

The May 3 and 4 Summit will build on the work of the Caribbean Energy Security Summit that the Vice President hosted in January 2015, and launch the results of the energy task force for the Caribbean and Central America announced by President Obama during his meeting with CARICOM Heads of Government in Jamaica last April.

Region’s commitment to freedom of expression and access to information is outlined in the Charter of Civil Society

Today is World Press Freedom Day (WPFD). This day is celebrated across the globe every 3 May, representing an opportunity to advance the fundamental principles of press freedom and to pay solemn tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

Suriname and St Vincent and the Grenadines human rights records to be reviewed

GENEVA, Switzerland -- The human rights records of both Suriname and St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) were due to be examined by the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group for the second time on Monday.

Suriname and SVG are two of the 14 states to be reviewed by the UPR Working Group during its upcoming session taking place from 2 to 13 May. Suriname’s first review took place on May 2, 2011, and SVG’s first UPR took place on May 10, 2011.

The documents on which the reviews are based are:

Building Caribbean resources to ensure safe seafood and protect and grow fisheries exports

Caribbean countries have a living bank of marine resources from which they collectively cash out hundreds of millions of dollars a year to support emerging national economies by providing good jobs, food and foreign exchange, among other benefits.

However, in order to remain active and competitive in the global marketplace, countries have had to find ways to surmount the challenges posed by stringent international standards called sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures, for food safety and for protection against diseases carried animals and plants.

Black Sigatoka tolerant bananas harvested in Dominica

The Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, has successfully harvested in Dominica types of banana and plantain, which are tolerant to the Black Sigatoka disease.

CARDI Research Assistant, Gregory Linton, noted that the crops—referred to as ‘FHIA’— unlike the local Cavendish, do not allow Black Sigatoka to progress past its second stage of development.

The first harvest of FHIA bananas in Dominica, dubbed by the numbers one, three , 18, and 23 were publicly sampled here on Friday.

UN Envoy Briefs CARICOM’S Lead Prime Minister On HIV/AIDS

By Valencia Grant – CNS Contributor

NEW YORK, Apr 25 2016 – The United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean Dr. Edward Greene has briefed Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris on a number of upcoming events that will be crucial in procuring resources for one of the region’s most pressing health challenges.

Prime Minister Harris serves as CARICOM’s Lead Head on Human Resources, Health and HIV/AIDS.

CARICOM bloc signs and 5 member states ratify historic Paris Agreement on Climate Change

Fourteen CARICOM nations, with only the exclusion of Montserrat, a British overseas territory, have joined 160 countries and the European Union in signing the historic Paris Agreement on Friday, April 22, according to a listing of the signing ceremony published by the United Nations.

The participation of 175 signatories far exceeded the historical record for first-day signatures to an international agreement, a UN report said.

9th UK-Caribbean forum opens in Grand Bahama

Freeport, Bahamas – Prime Minister Perry Christie is expected to officially open the 9th United Kingdom-Caribbean Forum in Grand Bahama tonight signaling what is expected to be two days of exhaustive talks on hot topics such as education, migration, energy, security and foreign policies.

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