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

Call For Global Community To Invest In Healthcare Infrastructure

The Government of Barbados is calling on the global community to support investments in healthcare infrastructure for all countries in order to address the current population trends and tackle emerging healthcare challenges as they arise.

Former Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Investment, Patrick McCaskie, expressed this view recently during his presentation at the 58th Session of the United Nations Commission on Population and Development, held at UN Headquarters in New York, from April 7 to 11.

Mr. McCaskie led the Barbados delegation at the annual session, which was held under the theme Ensuring Health Life and Promoting Well-Being for All Ages.

The aim of the session was to review and assess the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development at the national, regional, and international levels and its contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The senior government official highlighted the progress made at the national level in ensuring universal coverage and access to quality preventative and curative care and services, including the adoption of a consistent childhood immunisation and vaccination programme and declines recorded in adolescent fertility rate, which fell from 33.5 per cent in 2017 to 26.29 per cent in 2020.

Mr. McCaskie stressed the need for national and global partnerships, stating that they were necessary to “strengthen the healthcare infrastructure through investment modalities that give recognition to the unique vulnerabilities and fiscal constraints of small island states”.

“Emphasis should be placed on the development of conducive financing mechanisms, in accordance with the Bridgetown Initiative,” he added.

During the event, the significance of demographic intelligence to informing evidence-based health policies, strengthening health systems, and promoting sustainable development was discussed during a forum on Demographic Intelligence for Health Equity: Harnessing Data for Inclusive Policies and Universal Coverage.

Participants were exposed to the potential insights and policy developments based on increased data access, with examples taken from Panama and Indonesia.

In his remarks, Permanent Representative of Barbados to the United Nations, Ambassador François Jackman, advised that expanded access to up-to-date and quality information on the size, structure, and composition of the population, future projections through enhanced demographic intelligence would guide the work of policy to transform healthcare policy formulation and wider national development planning processes.

Ambassador Jackman further underscored the urgent need to pursue global and regional partnerships, including maximising opportunities for triangular and south-south cooperation, in order to transform our systems and support the implementation of the SDGs.

The Programme of Action, which was adopted at the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, Egypt in 1994, aims to address many of the fundamental population, health, education, and development challenges facing the entire human community. (PR/GIS)

Government

Mental Health Workers: Champions Of Change Across Communities

Employees of the Psychiatric Hospital have been urged to see themselves as champions of change across Barbados, to lessen the stigma of mental illness.

This message was conveyed by Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Davidson Ishmael, at the 2025 Employee Rewards and Recognition Ceremony of the Psychiatric Hospital, last Saturday, at Mahogany Ridge, Plum Tree Road, St. James.

Held under the theme Excellence in Healthcare Delivery, the event saw the Minister lauding staff, for “a tremendous job” and encouraging them to continue working to uplift their brothers and sisters, as they daily handle acute cases of mental health.

Mr. Ishmael, who stressed that many people needed an uplifting hand, given the several mental health challenges faced by society, suggested a comforting word or hug, could help bring such persons back from the precipice.

He praised the hospital’s anti-stigma campaign and emphasised it needed to be embraced to break down the mental blockades which lend to persons taking a stand-off approach to mental illness.

The Minister stated: “I want us, as champions of mental health in our country, to see ourselves as bigger than the Psychiatric Hospital and see yourselves as part of the messengers that have to go out there on a daily basis, within your various conversations, …wherever people are….

“Take a moment to encourage those who are around you to take better care of their mental health, so we can avoid, and we can pull back some of this discrimination, some of these unfortunate incidents that we are seeing in our country because we really have to do better in this country, and it begins with all of us.”

He also reminded staff that excellence in mental health required not only clinical knowledge and technical skill, but profound empathy, patience, resilience, and an unwavering belief in human dignity. And Mr. Ishmael stressed it was for this reason several of them were being honoured for consistently demonstrating this belief, not only through words but through action.

“You remind us that compassion is not just a value. It is practice. You are the reason that hope reaches the hopeless, and healing touches the broken,” he stated.

Several staffers received long service awards for having spent 10 to 40 years at the Black Rock, St. Michael institution. Social worker, Cecilia Ramsay received the 40-year award while Senior Nursing Officer, Alfred Alleyne was bestowed the 35-year award. Both were presented by Minister Ishmael.

Three people received the Hospital Director’s Award – Infection Control Officer, Selvin Greenidge; Deputy Principal Nursing Officer, Michelle Moore; and Department Aide, Rodney Stuart. The hospital also recognised its retirees and presented the “Friends of Psychiatric Hospital Award” to four persons – Peter ‘Peter Ram” Wiggins, Geoffrey “Biggie Irie” Cordle, Nikita Herbert, and Faith Callender – for their voluntary service to the institution and championing mental health initiatives. (PR/GIS)

Caption: Senior Nursing Officer at the Psychiatric Hospital, Alfred Alleyne (right), is presented with the 35-year award by Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Davidson Ishmael at the hospital’s awards ceremony last Saturday.

Government

EDMUND HINKSON RESIGNS

Speaker of the House of Assembly The Hon Arthur Holder shortly after the sitting began today read a letter of resignation submitted by the Hon. Edmund Hinkson representative for St. James North.

The letter stated ‘In accordance with Section 45 (1) b of the Constitution of Barbados, I hereby give notice that I shall resign from the Parliament of Barbados a the Member for the Constituency of St. James North effective Friday April 25th, April, 2025 at 10am.