Government

Barbados Will Assume ACP Chairmanship Come September

Barbados will take over the Chairmanship of the Africa, Caribbean, Pacific (ACP) Group in Geneva, from September 1, and work with other countries to build a small island developing states (SIDS) coordination mechanism to better advance SIDS’ priorities.

Barbados succeeds Samoa, which, under the leadership of Ambassador Nella Navita Levy, coordinated the group for the past year, including at the 13th World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Meeting.

The last time Barbados coordinated the group was more than a decade ago, under the leadership of former Ambassador Marion Williams.

At an ACP meeting held on July 17, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Barbados to the United Nations, the World Trade Organization and other International Organizations in Geneva, Matthew Wilson, was appointed the new ACP Group Coordinator.

Ambassador Wilson, speaking about the chairmanship, said: “Barbados is honoured to serve as ACP Coordinator for the year beginning September 1, 2024. We want to represent all members in a fair, transparent, and inclusive manner. The ACP is a powerful force in the WTO, and this must be maintained.”

As ACP Coordinator, Ambassador Wilson’s primary responsibility includes advocating and representing the interests of a wide range of developing countries with different economic profiles, differing priorities, and diverging interests.

The ACP comprises 79 developing Member States from Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific and strives to achieve the sustainable development of its members and their progressive integration into the world economy.

The Geneva chapter of the ACP is focused on work in the WTO around trade negotiations, especially on the fisheries subsidies and agriculture negotiations; WTO reform, including the dispute settlement process; environment and climate change matters; and trade facilitation and wider development issues.

The ACP serves to accelerate the political, economic, and social advancement of ACP peoples through good governance, poverty eradication, promotion of trade, sustainable development, and equitable integration into the global economy.

In addition to coordinating the ACP, Barbados, through Ambassador Wilson, has partnered with the Fiji Mission, through Ambassador Luke Daunivalu, to create a SIDS ecosystem approach that would ensure better coherence and collaboration amongst SIDS in Geneva.

There are currently 25 SIDS accredited to the United Nations Office at Geneva, in addition to Associated States. Due to their size, small budget, and limited human capital, SIDS missions often have to make strategic decisions on where to focus their limited resources.

This makes it challenging for small missions to cover a multiplicity of issues (Trade, Intellectual Property Rights, Health, Labour, Information Technology/Digital, Human Rights/Humanitarian Affairs, and the Environment); share information; and prepare possible common positions.

This SIDS ecosystem approach seeks to better harness the power of SIDS in Geneva to make a meaningful and coordinated impact. (PR/GIS)

Caption: Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Barbados to the United Nations, the World Trade Organization and other International Organizations in Geneva, Matthew Wilson, at an ACP meeting on July 17

Government

Barbados Votes To End Embargo On Cuba

Barbados joined the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in condemning the United States’ economic embargo of Cuba for the 32nd consecutive year, when the resolution entitled: “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba” was considered during a meeting held on Wednesday, October 30.

The United Nations overwhelmingly passed the resolution by a vote of 187 (in favour) to two (against), with one abstention. Only the United States and Israel voted against it.

During the delivery of the national statement, Chargé d’Affaires/Deputy Permanent Representative of Barbados to the United Nations, Kereeta Whyte, informed the UNGA that: “The sentiments we express today are not new. They reflect the deep conviction we have articulated in this Assembly over the years. Indeed, since this resolution was first introduced in the General Assembly at its 46th session, in 1991.

“The Government of Barbados once again calls for an immediate end to the embargo and urges the removal of Cuba from the US Department of State’s list of alleged state sponsors of terrorism, a designation that only exacerbates the suffering of the Cuban people.

“We believe that dialogue is the path forward. Barbados values its strong relations with both the United States and Cuba and calls on the US Government to engage in meaningful negotiations with Cuba to normalise relations. This step would not only reduce tensions but also pave the way for greater peace, cooperation, and development in our region.

“Barbados will continue to advocate for the lifting of the economic, commercial and financial blockade, which is critical for the people and Government of Cuba to achieve full prosperity.” (PR/GIS)

Government

MORE WORK NEEDED TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

As the year 2030 quickly approaches, countries, including Barbados, need to speed up their efforts to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This word comes from Minister in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Investment Senator Chad Blackman, as he addressed Friday’s Validation Workshop for the Baseline Study on the Priority Sustainable Development Goals Indicators for Barbados at the Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business, where he insisted that countries had become too lax in meeting the necessary targets for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which adopted by all UN Member States almost a decade prior.

He said, “We are virtually at the end of 2024, which now leaves us just six years to that magic number of 2030. Whilst there are a lot of goals that Barbados has achieved, the world, including Barbados, has still not met a number of them in the way that we should. And, therefore, we have six years to really redouble, or some might argue, re-triple our efforts, so as to be able to tangibly achieve these objectives. But, we can’t do it alone.
He added, “The government can’t do it on its own; the private sector can’t do it on its own; civil society can’t do it on its own; it has to be government, private sector, civil society, the man on the street…. So that the entire society moves forward in a cohesive way…to meet these targets. Therefore, it calls for an out of box approach so as to ensure that we can meet these targets. Therefore, we have to use all our creativity. We have to use nonconventional ways of trying to help us to achieve these targets.”
Blackman noted that an “out-of-the-box” will be necessary for Barbados and other countries to effectively move the needle to reach the set targets.

Government

XVI Ministerial Forum On Development Starts October 30

The Government of Barbados, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) will host the XVI Ministerial Forum on Development in Latin America and the Caribbean, as a space to discuss opportunities to build resilience against future shocks that continue to challenge development in the region.

The Forum will be held from Wednesday, October 30 to Friday,1 November at the Wyndham Grand Barbados Sam Lords Castle. The event will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner, and ECLAC Executive Secretary, José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, and is expected to have over 150 participants, including more than 20 Government delegations from the region. The full agenda is available here.

This gathering builds on the discussions initiated at the XIII Ministerial Forum in Antigua and Barbuda in 2021, which discussed disasters and social protection systems in the context of protracted crises. The XVI Ministerial Forum will discuss how the region can advance and protect social gains in the context of more frequent and intense shocks.

A Ministerial Declaration is expected to be the outcome of the Forum. The Declaration aims to be a roadmap for transformative policy action and impactful initiatives that transcend boundaries, ultimately steering the region toward a more equitable and resilient future.