Roseau, Dominica, 15 February, 2018— In keeping with its mandate to support the government’s effort to build back better, following the devastating effects of category 5 Hurricane Maria, the UNDP Dominica Project office capitalised on the large audience at the 2018 Carnival Monday parade as team members promoted Dominica’s building standards with an aptly themed float.
February 15, 2018, ST.
The biggest natural disaster to ever hit the Caribbean island of Dominica is now likely to provide guidelines for reducing the risk globally of disaster from hurricanes.
Scientists led by disaster expert Dr. Richard Teeuw, of the University of Portsmouth, are surveying the damage to Dominica’s landscape, infrastructure and communities following the destruction caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017.
The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, welcomes the decision of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Gutteres, to refer the long-standing border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Even though the Unity Labour Party (ULP) administration is exploring its options in the production of marijuana for medicinal purposes, it is not currently prepared to legalize ‘weed’ for recreational purposes.
“Unregulated consumption of recreational marijuana poses a number of risks and challenges that we do not currently have the data on which to make informed decisions, or the capacity to manage effectively,” Minister of Finance Camillo Gonsalves told Parliament on Monday, during the delivery of the 2018 budget address.
A bill to decriminalise up to 15 grammes of cannabis for personal use was passed in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
The Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) bill had its first reading in the House in December, but was subsequently sent to a select committee to allow for more public consultations.
That engagement was held on January 23 with recommendations calling for the proposed decriminalised amount to be raised from 10 grammes to as much as two ounces as it is in Jamaica.
The health of the Caribbean people can be at risk if medicines are not safe, effective and of good quality. Medicines safety and monitoring systems are often limited in the Region, and there has been a call for regional pooling of resources, sharing of information, and coordination of activities, that can lead to stronger systems.
Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, tabled a copy of the Report of the Commission to Review Jamaica’s Relations within the CARICOM and CARIFORUM Frameworks in the House of Representatives, today (February 6).
The Commission was charged with evaluating the effects of Jamaica’s membership in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on the country’s economic growth and development, with particular reference to trade in goods and services, investment, international competitiveness and job creation.