Pictured Above    - The Prime Minister of Barbados, the Right Honourable Mia Amor Mottley, Q.C; MP, who Chaired the proceedings  is seen here addressing the Press and  some of the Delegates on the final day.. ( Photo- David Crichlow  for CARIBPIX )

 Tuesday 18th February & Wednesday 19th February 2020.

        31st Intersessional Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, Barbados.          

CARICOM Chair: “We Must Take Control Of Our Destiny.”

CARICOM Chair and Barbados’ Prime Mia Minister Mia Amor Mottley have thhe attention of her St. Vincent counterpart Dr. Ralph Gonsalves at today’s opening session of the 31st Intersessional Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.

      ( Photo- David Crichlow  for CARIBPIX )

CARICOM Chair, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, has called on her fellow leaders to continue their work at unifying the region in spite of the challenges that lie ahead.

She made the call today as she delivered remarks at the opening session of the 31st Intersessional Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), which started today at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.

Ms. Mottley told her audience, which included secondary school students: “We have come from a movement across this region in the 1930s, where we face common challenges and where our people, without the benefit of political organization or labour movements, found a way to respond and to be able to signal that we were prepared to take control of our destiny.

“I say to us today that if those who had no benefit of political organization and … no benefit of labour movement could find it possible to rise to the challenge to meet those challenges, which, in some instances, were far more devastating to the average citizen than these that we speak of today, that we ought to be able to find the resolve to understand that we meet here today not because we share a common ideology, but … because we are family – we are kith and kin.”

Questioning whether the appropriate governance and funding models to ensure the sustainability of CARICOM and the prosperity of citizens were in existence, she noted that the CARICOM Secretariat was now underfunded to the tune of EC$30 million, less than it was 10 years ago, and understaffed, with 40 people less than it had 30 years ago, but yet it was being called upon to do more.

Ms. Mottley therefore, queried whether this was not the time to re-introduce the 2003 Rosehall Declaration in Jamaica, which led to Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves leading a prime ministerial sub-committee on the issue of governance, so as to ensure effective execution and seamless implementation of decisions taken by heads of government at the highest decision making body within CARICOM.

Consequently, she asked Prime Minister Gonsalves to develop a modality and working groups that could more effectively implement the decisions taken by heads of government, particularly in relation to the CARICOM Single Market and Single Economy.

“I’m equally conscious that in life we have to be able to explain to people that in this modern world where everyone expects instantaneous action that we are involved in activity that more often than not is about respect for the process, in order to attain the results that we want.

“It is against that background that we continue to labour in the vineyards of being able to create a more seamless opportunity for doing business, and moving and living and enjoying this region for our people,” she noted.

CARICOM leaders will continue their deliberations tomorrow before ratifying their decisions ahead of their Regular Conference in July.

cathy.lashley@barbados.gov.bb

 CARICOM & UAE Sign Memorandum Of Understanding

Secretary General of CARICOM, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque (right) and Assistant Minister for Culture and Public Diplomacy of the UAE, Omar Ghobash, exchange documents following the signing of a memorandum of understanding for the establishment of a Consultation and Cooperative Mechanism. (Photo - C.Pitt/BGIS)

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) has been signed between the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the establishment of a Consultation and Cooperative Mechanism.

The signing took place today on the sidelines of the 31st Inter-sessional Meeting of the Heads of Government of CARICOM at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.

The MOU will act as a framework agreement that would allow CARICOM and the UAE to build and expand on various areas of cooperation, including tourism and trade.

Secretary General of CARICOM, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque signed the agreement, stating it was a great honour that he believes could be of benefit to their relationship.

“This agreement codifies what we have long wished to do, namely to establish a mechanism to formalize our discourse for formalizing our discussions in the area of tourism, trade, and intellectual property, as well as cooperating and coming to common views in the international arena.  I think it augurs very well for the relationship between us.  I look forward to us putting it into effect for the benefit of all the citizens of your great country and our community,” Mr. LaRocque said.

Assistant Minister for Culture and Public Diplomacy of the UAE, Omar Ghobash, who signed on behalf of his country, said the UAE was pleased to have the agreement in place.

“We are really looking forward to taking our relationship with Caribbean states to the next level.  I know that my leadership has a great deal of interest in the region and there are already a number of different projects that have taken place.  This will help speed up the pace with which we can develop more relationships,” Mr. Ghobash said.

shamkoe.pile@barbados.gov.bb

New Fixed Single CARICOM Roaming Rate Coming

     Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, ( pictured above ) announces plans to establish a fixed roaming rate within the region on Day 1 of the 31st Intersessional CARICOM Meeting.Roaming Rate Coming.  ( Photo- David Crichlow  for CARIBPIX )

Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley has announced that a new fixed single CARICOM roaming rate will be introduced sometime this year.

Ms. Mottley, who is the current chair of CARICOM, made this disclosure today as she addressed the 31st Intersessional Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community, at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.

Ms. Mottley said regional communication that was affordable and accessible was an absolute priority.  She noted that this was necessary as the digital economy could play a new and powerful role in the development of our economies.

“Our teams have been working with operators in the telecommunication sector across the region.  Indeed … Keith Mitchell, who is the lead Prime Minister in this area, has along with the CSME team, worked with the operators to shortly announce a modest fixed single CARICOM roaming rate for all CARICOM nationals, to cover the cost of data for popular social media platforms, including those that offer messaging and calls.

“The rate will include an amount for local and regional voice calls and over time, this CARICOM rate will include more services.  This is what it means to be family taking decisions ….  Once we have reached agreement on the rate of service level, the operators will make the necessary technological changes, and we have full expectation that the new fixed single CARICOM rate can go live in … 2020,” she stated.

She noted that at last year’s regular meeting in Castries, the Heads agreed that the roaming rates within this region were punitive, and some people were bankrupted when they went from country to country.  

She added that this new roaming rate was necessary as regional governments continued to create a more seamless opportunity for doing business and moving and living in this region.

During her wide-ranging address, Ms. Mottley said it was imperative that Caribbean people be safe from cyberbullying, disinformation, graphically violent language and images, hate speech, as well as discriminatory, racial and xenophobic speech.

Prime Minister of Grenada Keith Mitchell and

Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley of Barbados poses for a picture.  

( Photo- David Crichlow  for CARIBPIX )

“Prime Minister Mitchell’s team shall be working with all of the other organizations within the region and the international community to ensure that we keep abreast of these developments,” she assured.

She stressed that there was a need to resolve the issue of transport, and described it as a work in progress.  She said LIAT had a new board and its renewed mandate was to ensure that regional affordable transportation was made available to Caribbean people.

“To run a country without transport is to condemn that country.  Similarly, to run a community without affordable transport is to condemn that community ….  We look forward, however, not just to being able to resolve matters of air transport, but we also want to move aggressively towards the resolution of the maritime transport issues,” she stated.

The Prime Minister said the private sector would present on the production integration plans later in the day.  However, she noted that there was a need to have the logistics of the movement of goods and people in place, if there was to be success with respect to expanding the economic pie of the region through the private sector’s continued investment.

Ms. Mottley also spoke about the CARICOM Development Fund, stating that with the best will in the world, it could not be sustained purely from the contributions of the more developed countries.

She expressed hope that today’s meeting would reflect on the best way to ensure that the CARICOM Development Fund was capable of better accessing funds regionally and internationally, to ensure that those affected or disadvantaged could benefit by having access to concessional funding.

The CARICOM Chair reiterated that there was over $US50 billion in savings within this community, but a way had not been found to unlock those savings to finance development.

sharon.austingill-moore@barbados.gov.bb

   Bahamian Prime Minister Thanks Barbadian Students

Prime Minister of the Bahamas, Hubert Minnis, personally thanked students and schools who contributed to the Barbados “Bahamas Relief Fund” at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre today.

(Photo  by C.Pitt/BGIS)

The leadership demonstrated by Amber Hinkson and Naomi Cambridge in raising funds for the Hurricane Dorian Relief in 2019 was recognized today by Prime Minister of The Bahamas, Hubert Minnis.

Prime Minister Minnis personally thanked the 17-year-olds, as well as the head boys and girls of secondary schools in Barbados for everything they did to assist the hurricane ravaged islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama in the Bahamas last year.

He praised the students during the 31st Inter-sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community, which is being held in Barbados at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, from February 18 to 19.

Amber Hinkson of The Lodge School raised approximately BDS$3,500, when she organized a concert and donation drive at her school, while Naomi Cambridge of Queen’s College led sensitization appeals during morning assembly and collected over BDS$1,600 at the school.

Prime Minister Minnis said he was so impressed with the leadership, camaraderie and support shown by the students that he indicated it was his intention to ensure that Amber and Naomi’s efforts would be recognized throughout his island nation, especially within the schools of Abaco and Grand Bahama.

He recalled: “We all know September 1 of last year the Bahamas was impacted by Hurricane Dorian with winds as high as 250 miles per hour and sea surge in excess of 20 feet.

Two islands were totally devastated – Abaco and Abaco Cays, and Grand Bahama.  Many students were dislodged; schools were destroyed; homes were destroyed; and businesses were destroyed.”

He noted many students lost their belongings, including their uniforms, shoes, and books.  He said the students were forced to move to New Providence and neighbouring islands to pursue their studies, and advance their education.

Bahamas Prime Minister, Hubert Minnis praised the students during the opening session of the 31st Inter-sessional CARICOM Meeting today while CARICOM Chair and Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley looks on. (C.Pitt/BGIS)

The Bahamian Prime Minister stressed that the Barbadian students had recognized the importance and significance of education, and expressed gratitude for their contribution.

“The students would have gotten together and accumulated large sums of monies that they had sent back to Bahamas to assist the Bahamian students in obtaining their school supplies and clothes and to assist their parents were necessary.  These students have demonstrated complete leadership and support for our students in the Bahamas and it is essential to me as I return home to inform not only the Bahamian nation, but all the schools in the Bahamas, especially those students from Abaco and Grand Bahama, that the students in Barbados had come together as one to demonstrate true leadership, true support, true camaraderie, true family, and they have come on board for us with all the resources that they could accumulate to assist our students in getting back together and I want to say to those students that we appreciate you all.

“Our chairman (Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley) spoke eloquently on the importance of leadership and family and that was clearly demonstrated ….

“Be assured that their names (Amber Hinkson and Naomi Cambridge) will be rang throughout Bahamas and all the schools throughout Bahamas to show what students can do to support each other,” Prime Minister Minnis said.

Prime Minister Mottley applauded Prime Minister Minnis for thanking the students personally. She noted that such positive engagements with public officials could have a profound impact on the young minds and recalled that was the case for her when she had a similar encounter with a former President of the Caribbean Development Bank, William Demas, at 15 years old.

“I want to thank the Prime Minister of Bahamas for wanting to be able to thank these students personally.  I know the impact that it had on me; I can only pray that encounter this morning will leave an indelible mark on your mind and that one day instead of you watching us, we will be watching you at this table,” she said.

In an interview with the Barbados Government Information Service, Naomi said she gave speeches during morning assembly to inform students about the destruction caused by the Category 5 hurricane.  

She also highlighted the purpose of the cause, then she and friends collected monetary donations during lunch and before students gathered daily for devotion.

“When we saw all of the devastation with Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas, we couldn’t just sit idly by and not do anything.  It just felt wrong.  We know that the Bahamas is so close to us and they are like family to us in the whole CARICOM region, so we decided it would be best to try and see if we could do anything to help.  We honestly didn’t think it would get this much publicity.  We wanted to raise any money that we could in school and help as much as we could.

“It was extremely nerve-racking, but I am honoured to have met both prime ministers.  I didn’t expect to meet any of them and they are really inspiring people.  I was very, very grateful to experience that,” Naomi said.

Amber said she asked popular artistes in Barbados to volunteer their performance services at a fundraising concert she organized at The Lodge School.  That initiative helped to create awareness among the students, who also made financial donations to the cause.

“I put myself and Barbados in their position, where that could have been us.  It was a devastating thing that occurred, which also brought awareness to the students,” she said, adding that the highlight for her was hearing first form students say what happened to the Bahamas could have just as easily happened to Barbados.

Students from the Frederick Smith Secondary School said they too felt grateful and privileged to be recognized.  Their school conducted a clothing drive and collected monetary donations.

“Barbados is very lucky because we haven’t been hit by a large scale hurricane like the Bahamas, Dominica and Haiti, so we have to be thankful for that, but it also goes to show that where we are lucky, we should be able to give, support and help others,” Angenique Quintin said.

shamkoe.pile@barbados.gov.bb

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