CARIBBEAN ROUNDUP
Antigua
CARICOM heads of government met
virtually on May 5 to continue efforts to
harmonize policies on the multifaceted
impact of COVID-19.
They welcomed
a presentation from
a regional working
group, which indicated
that the pandemic was
largely contained in the region due to
the decisive action by governments to
put restrictions in place.
They said the reopening by member
states must be done with the health
consideration being the foremost criterion.
The group, including representation
from the Caribbean Public Health Agency
(CAPHA), the University of the West
Indies (UWI), and the Caribbean Disaster
Emergency Management Agency
(CDEMA), offered recommendations for
a common public health policy.
These included parameters for the
easing of restrictions in member states
that would allow for a reopening in
phases.
The recommendations also included
suggested criteria for a protocol on the
reopening of airports for intra-regional
travel. The draft policy will be resubmitted
to heads of government for final
approval.
They also endorsed the regional
COVID-19 Agri-Food Security Action
Plan to strengthen the region’s food
security in the face of the threat posed
by the pandemic. The plan was developed
by agriculture stakeholders,
including the private sector.
Barbados
Barbados made history when it won
the bid to host the 15th session of the
United Nations Conference on Trade
and Development (UNCTAD 15).
However, due to
COVID-19, it has been
postponed.
The new dates will
soon be announced.
The 15th UNCTAD quadrennial conference
was to be held in Bridgetown,
Barbados.
UNCTAD’s website stated: “The conference
was originally scheduled from
Oct. 18 to Oct. 23, 2020, but had to be
postponed due to challenges posed by
coronavirus pandemic. New dates will
be communicated later.
The quadrennial conference is
the highest decision-making body of
UNCTAD at which member states make
assessments of current trade and development
issues, discuss policy options
and formulate global policy responses.
Barbados was to host the 15th
UNCTAD quadrennial conference, while
the United Arab Emirates (UAEW) were
to host the World Investment Forum
Caribbean L 4 ife, May 15-21, 2020
Updated daily at www.caribbeanlifenews.com
Grenada’s Prime Minister Keith Mitchell seen here addressing the CARICOM Summit in Port-au-Prince, Haiti,
Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. He is now calling on Grenadians to learn from their COVID-19 experience and get used
to consuming food produced locally. Associated Press / Dieu Nalio Chery, File
and the first eCommerce Week for Asia
in Abu Dhabi. The two countries were
set to co-chair this year’s events.
Barbados and the United Arab Emirates
had made separate offers to host
the quadrennial conference but mutually
agreed to co-host the events.
Caribbean
Three Caribbean countries were last
week named in a new European Commission
list of high-risk third countries
with strategic deficiencies in their
regime regarding anti-money laundering
and countering terrorist financing.
The EU said under
the Anti-Money Laundering
Directive
(AMLD), it has revised
its list, taking into
account developments at the international
level since 2018 and that the
“new list is now better aligned with the
lists published by the FATF (Financial
Action Task Force).”
It said countries which have been
listed are — The Bahamas, Barbados,
Jamaica, along with Botswana, Cambodia,
Ghana, Mauritius, Mongolia, Myanmar,
Nicaragua, Panama and Zimbabwe.
However, Guyana is among six other
third world countries that have been
delisted.
The three CARICOM countries have
expressed disappointment at the position
adopted by the EU.
Bahamas Attorney General and Minister
of Legal Affairs, Carl Bethel said
that Nassau “regrets” the decision, adding,
“this is especially so in light of an
earlier public commitment made by the
EU Commission to engage in discussions
with potentially affected countries
prior to placing them on their
blacklist.”
Grenada
Grenada’s Prime Minister, Dr. Keith
Mitchell has made a call for Grenadians
to take the positives from the COVID-19
experience and get used to consuming
food produced locally.
Addressing a live
television program last
week, the prime minister
said the impact of
the disease has been
devastating on the Grenadian economy
with the tourism sector hardest hit, the
level of resilience shown by the Grenadian
community particularly those in
the agricultural sector has been overwhelming.
The prime minister noted that as
he travels throughout the length and
breadth of Grenada the number of
booths and stalls selling agricultural
produce has increased significantly, a
strong reminder that as a people, greater
attention is needed in the area of
agriculture.
Dr. Mitchell said that while this seemingly
new trend has taken on a new
dimension under trying times, it should
be viewed as a time of deep reflection, as
the country positions itself going forward
in the post Covid-19 era.
Grenada, like the most of its Caribbean
neighbors, is heavily dependent
on tourism, a sector as in Grenada’s
case, has accounted for upwards of 5.6
percent of the country’s labor force,
employing more than 2,000 Grenadians.
Jamaica
The government of Jamaica is establishing
protocols for Jamaicans to randomly
request tests for the coronavirus.
Health and Wellness
Minister, Dr. Christopher
Tufton, speaking
at a virtual press conference
at the ministry
last week, said with the backlog of
untested samples cleared, the ministry
can now accommodate requests.
Tufton said administrators of the
ministry are working towards having
all the guidelines in place for the
random tests to start this week, which
include screening to ensure that only
those who are required to be tested, are
given the opportunity.
He said the government and the
Ministry of Health is now expanding
the protocols to include all patients
who are admitted to the island’s hospitals.
THE NEWS FROM BACK HOME
Grenada PM: Focus on agriculture
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