Canadian trade mission visits Caribbean countries

Saturday, January 24, 2015 | 9:21 AM    

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – A trade delegation from Prince Edward Island (PEI) in Canada is visiting the Caribbean in a bid to further develop partnerships with regional entrepreneurs, and clients.

The delegation will be here from January 25-31.

The trade mission, organized with the support of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (PEI and Tourism), Innovation PEI and the High Commission of Canada to Barbados, consists of 13 companies with expertise in the areas of Agriculture, Professional Services, Information and Communication Technology, Education and Training and Renewable Energy.

The visit is also made possible through the active cooperation of the Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce and its local partner, the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

In 2011, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two Chambers was formalized with a view to fostering increased trade development and investment opportunities between Barbados and Prince Edward Island, through promotional activities, business exchanges and the sharing of best practices.

This MoU was renewed in 2013, and a second renewal is scheduled for Thursday, to serve as a further testimony to the commitment that Barbados and PEI have to strengthen this economic partnership.

The initiative has led to the forging of several partnerships across the public and private sectors, the exchange of the Chambers’ best practices and increased commerce and trade between the two jurisdictions.

Senior Trade Commissioner at the High Commission of Canada to Barbados, Marc Parisien said PEI and Barbados not only share a longstanding history of commercial ties, but also a belief in education and innovation as essential catalysts for economic growth. Commenting on this upcoming visit, stated:

“Over the past several years, Prince Edward Island has been very active in building a successful and globally competitive environment for its businesses, focussing on the well-being of its citizens.

“Working together with Barbados, one of its most important international business partners, and other Caribbean jurisdictions, the province offers to the region products, services and know how relevant to island environments, while giving access to global markets”.

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Canadian trade mission visits Caribbean countries

Guyana, Suriname among countries with World’s highest suicide rates

WASHINGTON D.C., United States, Friday September 5, 2014, CMC –Two Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries have some of the highest suicide rates in the world, according to figures released by the World Health Organization (WHO).

It said that in the Americas, the average estimated suicide rate is 7.3 per 100,000 inhabitants, which is lower than in other WHO regions and lower than the global average of 11.4 per 100,000.

“However, Guyana has the highest estimated suicide rate for 2012 in the world, and Suriname has the sixth-highest.”

The WHO said that data from the Americas show that suicide rates first peak among young people, remain at the same level for other age groups, and rise again among older men.

(Credit: WHO)

According to the WHO first global report on suicide prevention published on Thursday, more than 800,000 people around the world die from suicide every year – around one person every 40 seconds.

The WHO report titled “Preventing suicide: a global imperative” seeks to make suicide a top priority on the global public health agenda.

It has been launched a few days before World Suicide Prevention Day is observed on September 10.

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The report noted that an estimated 75 per cent of suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries.

“Unfortunately, suicide all too often fails to be prioritized as a major public health problem,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan.

“Despite an increase in research and knowledge about suicide and its prevention, the taboo and stigma surrounding suicide persist, and often people do not seek help or are left alone. And if they do seek help, many health systems and services fail to provide timely and effective help.”

The report notes that, globally, rates of suicide are highest in people aged 70 years and over. In some countries, however, the highest rates are found among the young.

The WHO noted that suicide is the second-leading cause of death in 15- to 29-year-olds globally.

In general, more men die by suicide than women. In countries of the Americas, rates range 2 to 6 times higher for men than for women.

It said pesticide poisoning is one of the most common methods of suicide, especially in low- and middle-income countries, and accounts for one-third of cases globally.

“The relatively high proportion of suicides by firearms in high-income countries is primarily driven by high-income countries in the Americas, where firearms account for 46 per cent of all suicides; in high-income countries outside the Americas, firearms account for only 4.5 per cent of suicides.

“Evidence shows that limiting access to the means of suicide can help prevent such deaths, as can a commitment by national governments to the establishment and implementation of coordinated plans of action,” the Who reported.

“The most important message is that suicide can be prevented, especially if we identify people at risk and intervene early,” said Dr. Jorge Rodriguez, chief of the Mental Health Unit at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Regional Office for the Americas.

“People who have attempted suicide are at higher risk of attempting it again, he noted, making it important for health personnel to provide follow-up of such cases, with family and community support.”

The new WHO report identifies a series of measures that can help prevent suicide, including creating national strategies for suicide prevention; restricting access to the most common means of suicide, including pesticides, firearms and certain medicines and providing medical follow-up for people who have attempted suicide.

In addition, the WHO is advocating that countries should incorporate suicide prevention as a central component in health services, identify and treat mental health and substance abuse disorders as early as possible and that there should also be responsible reporting on suicide by the news media.

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Guyana, Suriname among countries with World’s highest suicide rates

Gov"t urges cooperation of travellers from chikungunya-affected countries

The Ministry of Health is encouraging persons who have travelled to chikungunya affected countries and are experiencing symptoms on arrival in Jamaica to visit their doctor or nearest health centre immediately.

Director, Emergency, Disaster Management and Special Services, Dr. Marion Bullock DuCasse, is also urging persons to cooperate with health personnel who are working to reduce the possibility of spread and impact of the disease on the population.

“We are asking persons who feel they have symptoms of chikungunya to allow the health team to manage the situation by giving their full cooperation. As Jamaica has had no local transmission, we are trying to protect the population, including your own family members and others who may be have been exposed,” she said.

She added that chikungunya is an important public-health issue, and so it is essential that every citizen cooperates in efforts to reduce the spread of the disease. Dr. DuCasse notes that although there is no local spread so far, more and more travel is expected during the summer months and, therefore, increased risk of transmission.

“I want to urge persons who travel to chikungunya-affected countries to protect themselves as much as possible from mosquito bites. When you travel to these countries, use insect repellent containing DEET, wear clothing that covers your body as much as possible and sleep under a mosquito net if available,” she said.

Chikungunya is spread by the Aedes aegypti, which is a day- biting mosquito that will almost always be found in and around areas where people live, work and play.

Symptoms of chikungunya fever include high fever, joint pain, mainly in the hands, wrists and ankles and other joints; headache, muscle pain and a rash.

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Gov"t urges cooperation of travellers from chikungunya-affected countries

Caricom head wants greater assistance for developing countries

NEW YORK, USA (CMC) — The seventh general meeting of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), its associated institutions and the United Nations began here yesterday with Caricom Secretary General Irwin LaRocque underscoring the importance of providing aid to developing countries like those in the Caribbean to ensure their future socio-economic development.

In addition, La Rocque, who said the forum provides an excellent opportunity for discussions on issues of benefit to Caribbean people, also urged the world community to assist in the fight against crime which he said was strangling the Caribbean’s development.“Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, with the current global events, all of which demand your attention, it is heartening that our Caribbean Community’s biennial encounter is of sufficient importance to ensure your presence,” LaRocque said, noting that the 15-member grouping placed much importance on the deliberations.“These biennial meetings are not merely ritual encounters or polite engagements, but are vital working sessions in which discussions are of necessity, strategic, pragmatic, forward-looking and results-oriented.“The meetings provide an excellent opportunity for regional and international technical experts, who are well informed and well positioned, to exchange views, diagnose current cooperation and to identify concrete projects in specific priority areas which will yield results on the ground, ensuring tangible benefits to the citizens of the Caribbean Community.”LaRocque said that the meeting was taking place at a time when the world is contemplating the future beyond the global development compact represented by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).He noted that Antigua and Barbuda’s diplomat, John Ashe, was also assuming the presidency of the 68th Session of the UN General Assembly beginning next month that will be crucial in setting the stage for the launch of the post-2015 agenda.“We have a great interest in developments in relation to its elaboration, and our Community will take an active role in the deliberations with a view to ensuring that the region’s interests are adequately and effectively addressed.“We seek an integrated, comprehensive and flexible Development Agenda building on the lessons learned from the MDGs and which is responsive to the diverse development realities with which individual countries and regions are confronted.”LaRocque said that one of the critical areas in which the UN and Caricom have forged an enduring and important partnership is citizen security, which he described as “an issue of paramount concern to the Caribbean Community”.He said such are the dimensions of the scourge of crime and insecurity in the region that Caricom leaders have made security the fourth pillar of the Community.“Caricom joined the global family of nations earlier this year, under the auspices of the United Nations, to adopt a landmark agreement, the Arms Trade Treaty.“For us in the Caribbean, the stemming of the illegal trade in arms, and in particular Small Arms and Light Weapons, is of paramount importance. Such illegal trade, in which the Caribbean finds itself a vulnerable transiting point, is wreaking havoc in our small communities, terrorising neighbourhoods, claiming innocent lives, and compromising our economies by undermining our investment climate and socio-economic development efforts. “LaRocque said that Caricom fully understands that crime in the Caribbean cannot be solved by such interventions alone and must do its part to help itself and has since developed a targeted strategy to address the issue.“The 2013 Caricom Crime and Security Strategy is an important weapon in the Caribbean arsenal to fight the war against crime and I look forward to the UN’s full support in its implementation including through the long- awaited re-opening of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime in Barbados.”In his address, the region’s top public servant said that development threats come in many forms, and even as the Caribbean grapples with those posed by crime, it grapples too with the effects of a protracted global financial and economic crisis that holds many of its small developing economies in a near stranglehold.He said small economies like those of Caricom have structural and institutional characteristics which increase their vulnerability to external events and limit their capacity for adjustment.“This situation is exacerbated by onerous debt, and graduation from access to concessionary development funding based on criteria, such as GDP (gross domestic product) per capita, which do not take due account of vulnerability.“The resulting prognosis for Caricom’s economic resilience is unfavourable. Our member states are, however, firm in their commitment that the Caricom Single Market and Economy is the best means to attain sustainable development in the region.”LaRocque said that the recently held Caricom summit in Trinidad and Tobago provided an avenue for the regional leaders to discuss a framework to generate economic growth and development and in so doing recognised the need to pursue a development path which engenders inclusiveness of all stakeholders.He said that path should also lift the knowledge base, innovation capability, and entrepreneurial capacity of the region’s people to engage in competitive, higher value-added economic activities.“However, while these undertakings must be Caricom-owned and driven, they can only be realistically achieved if Caricom can examine, adapt and adjust global best practices to its needs, and benefit from the kind of international expertise and support that international organisations, such as the UN and its agencies, can offer. “He told the conference that climate change was also another matter of relevance to the region’s development, adding that as Caricom pursues its development agenda, it is obliged to factor in what for many seems like an abstract threat, “but what for us is a lived, fearsome reality”.“I refer here to the effect of climate change and the related phenomena of sea level rise, increasing oceanic temperatures, and increased and more intense weather events. The Community’s advocacy regarding the implications of these intertwined phenomena on the socio-economic and fragile physical environment of the low lying island and coastal states of Caricom is a fight for our very survival. “LaRocque said the region’s call for reliable, accessible, and sufficient climate financing, through mechanisms such as the UNFCC Green Climate Fund to allow it to build capacity to adapt and mitigate, is a critical factor in our pursuit of sustainable development.“It is essential for Caricom, in pursuit of its goals, to engage in strategic alliances and sound negotiating and lobbying strategies. It also needs to have access to credible expertise, which the UN through its relevant institutions has been pivotal in providing.“We count on that continued support as Caricom prepares to participate in the Third International Conference for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in Samoa in September next year. “He said another key area for Caricom is non-communicable diseases (NCDs) recalling that the UN High Level Meeting convened in September 2011 at the initiative of the regional grouping had focused global attention on the scourge that NCDs represents.“The assistance and expertise of PAHO/WHO (Pan-American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation) contributed greatly to the success of the initiative which culminated with the adoption of a Political Declaration on the Prevention and Control of NCDs. Continuing multi-sectoral action is required for the implementation of the Political Declaration and for the preparation of the comprehensive review in 2014.“It is our understanding that all UN Resident Coordinators, by a joint communication of UNDP and WHO, have been mandated to ensure that the UN System gives priority to supporting implementation of the Political Declaration. This is deeply appreciated.“In the Caribbean, we look forward to the coordination of the efforts of the UN System by UNDG LAC, a commitment made when it visited the Caricom Secretariat last November. In this regard, a UN inter-agency support group in the Caribbean would be useful,” LaRocque added.LAROCQUE… small economies like those of Caricom have structural and institutional characteristics that increase their vulnerability

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Caricom head wants greater assistance for developing countries

Twenty four countries to participate in CARIFESTA XI

Latest News

Thursday, July 18, 2013 | 3:32 PM

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) – Twenty four countries from across the region have confirmed their participation in the Caribbean Festival of Arts and Culture (CARIFESTA), scheduled to be held in Suriname, August 16 to 25.Chairman of the Host Country Management Committee (HCMC), Ivan Graanoogst made the disclosure at a recent press conference held at the Headquarters of Carifesta XI in Paramaribo. He said Carifesta XI will not only take place in the capital, but across all ten districts in the country. “This means that we will have to conduct a massive logistical operation which not only accommodates the Surinamese participants, but also ensures that our guests arrive on time and are provided with everything they need to perform at the designated venues,” he said.Coordinator of the Surinamese contingent for Carifesta XI, Siegmien Staphorst said Suriname will be participating in all aspects of Carifesta XI, with special attention to the visual arts starting with the opening ceremony “Welcome to Suriname”.She said dance and music from all ethnic groups in the country have been incorporated into the Surinamese productions, adding that apart from traditional, classical, martial arts and modern experimental dances, performances of next generation Surinamese dancers and choreographers will also be included in presentations by the Surinamese contingent.Jazz diva Denise Jannah, the IKO Foundation, Wycliffe Jean, the Cuban Tropicana Ballet, the Jamaican group No-Maddz, the Haitian Bacoulou Dance Company and Shaolin Monks from China, are included in the programme currently being prepared for Carifesta XI.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

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Twenty four countries to participate in CARIFESTA XI

Twenty four countries to participate in CARIFESTA XI

News

Thursday, July 18, 2013 | 3:32 PM

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) – Twenty four countries from across the region have confirmed their participation in the Caribbean Festival of Arts and Culture (CARIFESTA), scheduled to be held in Suriname, August 16 to 25.Chairman of the Host Country Management Committee (HCMC), Ivan Graanoogst made the disclosure at a recent press conference held at the Headquarters of Carifesta XI in Paramaribo. He said Carifesta XI will not only take place in the capital, but across all ten districts in the country. “This means that we will have to conduct a massive logistical operation which not only accommodates the Surinamese participants, but also ensures that our guests arrive on time and are provided with everything they need to perform at the designated venues,” he said.Coordinator of the Surinamese contingent for Carifesta XI, Siegmien Staphorst said Suriname will be participating in all aspects of Carifesta XI, with special attention to the visual arts starting with the opening ceremony “Welcome to Suriname”.She said dance and music from all ethnic groups in the country have been incorporated into the Surinamese productions, adding that apart from traditional, classical, martial arts and modern experimental dances, performances of next generation Surinamese dancers and choreographers will also be included in presentations by the Surinamese contingent.Jazz diva Denise Jannah, the IKO Foundation, Wycliffe Jean, the Cuban Tropicana Ballet, the Jamaican group No-Maddz, the Haitian Bacoulou Dance Company and Shaolin Monks from China, are included in the programme currently being prepared for Carifesta XI.

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Twenty four countries to participate in CARIFESTA XI

FDI to developing countries declined in 2012

JAMAICA and other developing countries absorbed more than half of the world’s foreign direct investments (FDI) — a total of US$703 billion — last year.

But, although the FDI flows to those nations were the second highest recorded, the figure actually reflects a decline by four per cent, according the 2013 World Investment Report. Overall global FDI inflows fell by 18 per cent to US$1.35 trillion last year.Consequently, recovery to more vigorous investment levels will take longer than expected, mainly due to global economic fragility and policy uncertainty, said United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in its report on investment trends.UNCTAD forecast FDI in 2013 to remain close to the 2012 level, with the upper range of US$1.45 trillion, as macroeconomic canditions improve and investore regain confidence in the medium term.Based on the weak global economy, there is therefore a clear indication that investors are looking for policy stability when seeking locations for setting up their businesses overseas, said Milton Samuda, chairman of Jampro.“There is a strong relationship between the number of external companies or transnational corporations (TNCs) operating in a country and the opportunities that country has for developing linkages with global value chains,” Samuda said Wednesday at the launch of the report at Jampro’s offices in New Kingston.Policies that attract TNCs to make developing countries, such as Jamaica, more integrated in their value chains can be considered.According to the report, TNCs are forecast to convert their record levels of cash holdings into new investments.“FDI flows may then climb to US$1.6 trillion in 2014 and US$1.8 trillion in 2015,” said UNCTAD.Jamaica’s FDI performance last year increased by 66 per cent over the prior year.The improvement was likely due to investments in major growth industries such as the business process outsourcing and tourism sectors, namely by Sutherland Global, Hinduja and Memories White Sand.Other FDI flows facilitated by the Jampro include a 100,000 square feet facililty by Vista Print in Montego Bay as well as an upgrade and expansion undertaken by telecommunications company, Columbus Communications (which operates in Jamaica as Flow).Inflows to the Caribbean and Latin America as well as Asia remained at historically high levels. Nevertheless, their growth momentum weakened, said UNCTAD.Meanwhile, foreign investments are growing in the weaker economies — least developed countries and those that are developing.“Despite these positives for the developing world, we must remain vigilant in shaping and attracting the type of investments that will always augur best for our country’s development,” Samuda said.(From left) Milton Samuda, chairman of Jampro, shares a moment with Anthony Hylton, minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, and David Martin, general manager of JP Tropical Foods, Jamaica Producers Group at Wednesday’s launch of the World Investment Report at Jampro’s office in New Kingston. (PHOTO: JOSEPH WELLINGTON)

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FDI to developing countries declined in 2012