Regional Briefs

Regional fight against corruption to be discussed at conference

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands (CMC):

Heads of anti-corruption agencies and state integrity commissions from Commonwealth countries across the Caribbean are meeting this week to discuss the fight against corruption.

The conference, being held under the theme 'Transforming Words into Action: Revitalising the Fight Against Corruption', will see panel discussions covering corruption in sports, modernising legislative frameworks, the investigative battle against corruption and new technologies to combat corruption.

“I believe we all have a lot to learn and share in both the development and implementation of meaningful and effective strategies for controlling corruption,” said the Rosie Myles, chairperson for Cayman's Commission for Standards in Public Life (CSPL).

The conference is sponsored by the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation, the Commonwealth Secretariat, CSPL and the Cayman Islands government.

 

 

Antigua PM urges CARICOM to address plastic pollution

ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC):

Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne has signed a ground-breaking initiative aimed at encouraging his Caribbean Community (CARICOM) neighbours to take further steps to eliminate the use of single-use plastics and end ocean pollution.

The St John’s Declaration was signed as the twin-island nation on Saturday hosted the Play it Out festival, which brought together regional and international artistes, policy leaders, innovators, and celebrity guests to raise awareness about and fight plastic pollution.

“It is now time for CARICOM action. To effectively address plastic pollution in the Caribbean Sea and to deal with the issue of plastic pollution, it must be seen and addressed as a regional problem with a regional response," Browne said at the concert.

In welcoming the St John’s Declaration, President of the UN General Assembly, María Fernanda Espinosa, who has launched a global call to action on plastic pollution, said it was not only historic but also “highly practical and can be implemented”.

 

 

St Vincent’s UN Security Council bid 'a great opportunity for Caribbean' – US

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent (CMC):

The United States Embassy in Barbados says St Vincent and the Grenadines’ bid to become a non-permanent Member of the United Nations Security Council is “a great opportunity for the Caribbean to belong to that body”.

“We would hope that St Vincent represents, again, the values of the Caribbean: its strong support for democracy not just in Venezuela, but worldwide, in its concerns about a violent and aggressive attempt to lord over oceans or territory in the South China seas and its adherence to the rule of law,” Chargé d’Affaires Joaquin Monserrate told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) on Thursday.

“So we welcome the arrival of a Caribbean brother to the Security Council,” the diplomat said.

The UN Security Council is composed of 15 members: five permanent members – China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States – and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly.

More than 60 United Nations Member States have never been members of the Security Council, and St. Vincent is making is first bid this year, after announcing a decade ago its decision to do so.

 

 

Central Bank governor concerned about depreciation in Haiti

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (CMC):

Governor of the Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH), Jean Baden Dubois, has expressed concern about the deterioration of the national economy in the wake of the depreciation of the local currency – the Gourde.

Speaking at a recent press conference, Dubois said that in April, inflation surpassed 17.7 per cent, and coupled with political unrest, he believes that these and other factors have contributed to the country’s instability.

The governor said a series of administrative and regulatory measures, direct monetary policy measures and incentives will be taken to stabilise the exchange rate on the local market.

He called on politicians to compromise to find a consensual solution to the sociopolitical crisis and to promote macroeconomic stability essential for economic growth in Haiti.