CARICOM Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque (3rd left) joined the Premier of the Cayman Islands Hon. Alden McLaughlin (2nd right) on a tour of the CARDI (Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute) Research field on Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, Tuesday. They were accompanied by Cayman Islands Minister of Community Affairs, Youth and Sport Mr. Ossie Bodden (2nd left) and CARDI officials.
Agriculture requires investment for the sector to flourish and be sustained, and policy-makers must create the environment which is attractive to investors. Policies and programmes that facilitate ongoing development, stimulate economic growth within the Region and promote food security also have to be put in place as a priority.
By Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, Secretary-General, Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
I am pleased to provide a Caribbean Community (CARICOM) perspective for the 2016 Youth Development Index, which is an important resource for youth stakeholders across the globe.
The Regional Institution set up to provide rapid cash flow support to Member States after major natural disasters has paid almost 30 million US dollars to four countries affected by the recent passage of the destructive hurricane Matthew.
Following stops in Barbados and Guyana, the CARICOM Reparations Commission’s baton makes a stop in Antigua and Barbuda where a Reparations Relay will be held as part of National Heroes Day celebrations next Wednesday.
In order to promote the free movement of skills within the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME), the Caricom Secretariat is currently hosting a three-day workshop in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Protection on the establishment of a Labour Market Information System.
According to Caricom’s Deputy Programme Manager of the Free Movement and Labour of the CSME Unit, Dr Olivia Smith, this week’s training is just the first part of a two-part session meant for member states.
Services sector stakeholders from across the Region were Wednesday meeting in Working Groups to develop Strategies and Action Plans to carry priority areas of the sector forward over the next three years.
The public and private sector stakeholders have been in Antigua and Barbuda since Monday for a Regional Symposium on Services. Today’s Working Groups are focusing on Professional Services, Single Registration, Health and Wellness Services, Tourism Services, Financial Services, Postal Services, Culture, ICT Services and the External Environment.
The signing of a Joint Declaration on Sustainable Energy between the European Union, the European Investment Bank and CARIFORUM on reinforced co-operation in the field of sustainable energy was one of the highlights of the recently concluded EU-Caribbean Sustainable Energy Conference which was held in Barbados from 10-11 October. In addition, five renewable energy support programmes for the region totalling 54 million euros were also signed at the conference.
… there is need for us to turn the market access opportunities provided under the CSME, the OECS Economic Union and the EPA into market presence and penetration.
The challenge here is that many of our service providers are small micro enterprises that have significant internal capacity constraints.