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  • CARICOM DECLARATION ON REDEDICATION TO CSME IMPLEMENTATION

    Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community
    ST JOHN’S DECLARATION
    ON REDEDICATION TO CSME IMPLEMENTATION
    WE, the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), meeting virtually on 5-6 July 2021 for the Forty-Second Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM;

    Recognising that the commitments made in our 2018 ST ANN’S DECLARATION ON THE CARICOM SINGLE MARKET AND ECONOMY (CSME) to inter alia, take action at the national level to advance the regional integration agenda, have for the most part not materialised;

    Reiterating our conviction that CARICOM integration and particularly the CSME continue to be important for the growth and development of the Member States of CARICOM especially in the face of the debilitating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic which has absorbed the focus of Member States  over the past fifteen months and more;

    Conscious of the vastly different economic environment that is currently prevailing;

    DECLARE:
    We have all individually and collectively recommitted to take all action necessary to ensure timely and effective implementation of the CSME, especially in light of the challenges of the current demanding environment.

    We have agreed that achieving full implementation of the CSME would require immediate specific action by the Organs and Bodies of the Community, Cabinets and Ministries of Member States, stakeholders (particularly the private sector) and the CARICOM Secretariat.
    We have agreed to have regular inclusion of the CSME as an item on the Agenda of Cabinet meetings.

    We have also agreed to give specific and focused attention to ensuring that our governance and accountability mechanisms and structures at the national and regional levels are made sufficiently robust for effecting the required CSME implementation including a greater oversight role for our Ambassadors to CARICOM.

    We have endorsed the COTED decision to convene a special session on CSME implementation before its next regular meeting in November 2021 to agree on other specific actions proposed for immediate implementation by the various stakeholders towards ensuring full implementation of CSME provisions and to approve an overall Action Plan for CSME implementation.

    Source: CARICOM Secretariat

  • COMMUNIQUÉ ISSUED AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGULAR MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF HEADS OF GOVERNMENT OF THE CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY (CARICOM), 5-6 JULY 2021

    CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana – Wednesday, 7 July 2021)   –   The Forty-Second Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) was held virtually on 5-6 July 2021.  Chair of the Conference, the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Honourable Gaston Browne presided over the proceedings.

    Other Members of the Conference in attendance were: Prime Minister of The Bahamas, the Rt Honourable Dr. Hubert Minnis; Prime Minister of Barbados, Honourable Mia Amor Mottley, Q.C; MP;  Prime Minister of Belize, Honourable John Briceño; Prime Minister of Dominica, Honourable Roosevelt Skerrit; Prime Minister of Grenada, Dr. the Rt. Honourable Keith Mitchell; President of Guyana, His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali; Prime Minister of Jamaica, the Most Honourable Andrew Holness; Premier of Montserrat, Honourable Easton Taylor-Farrell; Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris; Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. the Honourable Ralph Gonsalves; President of Suriname, His Excellency Chandrikapersad Santokhi; and Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Dr. the Honourable Keith Rowley.

    Saint Lucia was represented by Ambassador to the Caribbean Community Her Excellency Elma-Gene Isaac.

    Associate Members in attendance were: Bermuda represented by Deputy Premier Honourable David Burt; Cayman Islands represented by Premier the Honourable G. Wayne Panton; and the Turks and Caicos Islands represented by Premier the Honourable Charles Missick. British Virgin Islands was represented by Deputy Premier, Honourable Dr. Natalio Wheatley.

    OPENING CEREMONY
    Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, immediate past Chair Dr. the Honourable Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago and Chair of Conference the Honourable Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda addressed the Opening Session.

    The speakers all addressed concerns about the on-going COVID-19 Pandemic in particular the inadequate supplies of vaccines and the risk to lives and livelihoods of not being inoculated. They also expressed solidarity with the Member States which had been affected by recent natural disasters. 

    The Heads of Government and the Secretary-General welcomed the incoming Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett who assumes office on August 15, 2021.

    The Secretary-General, speaking at his last Regular Meeting of the Conference, thanked the Heads of Government for their support during his tenure and expressed his pride at being allowed to serve the Community.

    Both Heads of Government praised the Secretary-General for his achievements during his tenure and spoke highly of his performance particularly during the difficult time which the Region has been experiencing.

    All the Statements are available at www.caricom.org.

    THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN HAITI
    Heads of Government received a report on the situation in Haiti from the Expert Group which they established at the 32nd Intersessional Meeting in February 2021 and agreed to issue the attached statement.

    NATURAL DISASTERS
    Heads of Government received an update on the situation in St Vincent and the Grenadines in the aftermath of the eruption of the La Soufrière volcano and the recent flooding in Guyana and Suriname. They also received a report from the countries affected by the recent passage of Hurricane Elsa, in particular Barbados, Jamaica, Saint Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines. 

    Heads of Government expressed their solidarity with the affected states.

    They reiterated that the need for strengthening resilience was a central theme for Member States in view of the Region’s complex multi-hazard environment. 

    Heads of Government noted that the 2021 hurricane season has already commenced with an expected eighteen named storms of which eight are forecast to become hurricanes and four major hurricanes.

    Heads of Government recognised the critical role that regional institutions have played and continue to play in the response to regional emergency events. In that regard they commended the sterling work of the Seismic Research Centre of The University of the West Indies (The UWI) in providing timely and accurate scientific advice to the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines with respect to the eruption of the La Soufrière volcano.

    Heads of Government expressed appreciation to the Region’s development partners for the financial and technical support which continues to be provided to the Regional Response Mechanism led by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) in support of Member States.

    Heads of Government agreed to lobby development partners for continued support in view of the ongoing response and the requirements for recovery going forward.

    COVID-19
    Heads of Government considered a range of issues emanating from a report by the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) on the situation with respect to the COVID-19 virus. The most critical of these was the continuing need for equitable access to vaccines as well as how to treat with the emerging COVID variants.

    They expressed their determination for the Region to achieve herd immunity of 80 per cent coverage before the end of 2021 and, to this end, agreed to redouble their efforts to acquire adequate supplies of vaccines.

    Heads of Government expressed appreciation to the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. the Honourable Keith Rowley, CARPHA, and the CARICOM Secretariat for the work undertaken to acquire vaccines.

    Heads of Government further expressed appreciation to the Governments of Third States, Regional Organisations and the community of International Development Partners (IDPs) for their financial support and donations of vaccines to the Caribbean Community.

    Heads of Government thanked the United States of America for its offer of vaccines and looked forward to a speedy conclusion to the negotiations for their delivery.

    Heads of Government agreed that equity of access to COVID-19 vaccines is still of utmost importance to CARICOM Member States and as such efforts to achieve same should be pursued with PAHO/WHO, Third States, and the Facilitation Council for the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator to address this matter.

    Heads of Government mandated the CARICOM Secretariat to continue to collaborate with CARPHA, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), regional nursing, medical and allied health professional bodies and institutions, to identify strategies and policy guidelines to address vaccine hesitancy, using an evidence-based approach.

    Heads of Government urged that employees co-operate with employers to ensure a safe working environment either through vaccination or regular testing.

    Heads of Government emphasised the importance of citizens being inoculated so that Member States could achieve herd immunity, recognising that no one is safe until everyone is safe.

    They also mandated the CARICOM Secretariat to mobilize resources to support the implementation of communication and other initiatives to address vaccine hesitancy at the regional and national levels.

    ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE
    Heads of Government recognised that Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is a silently expanding global threat with potentially devastating health, social and economic impacts for the Region.  
    Heads of Government noted that AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time making manageable infections harder to treat with existing medicines, therefore increasing the risk of disease spreads, severe illness and death.  

    Heads of Government also recognised that the economic impact of uncontrolled AMR would be catastrophic as it places sustainable food production and safety at risk. They further noted that environmental conditions affect disease transmission and that AMR and climate change are inextricably linked and can severely impact the tourism and travel sector. 

    In response to the challenge, Heads of Government agreed to establish multi-sectoral AMR national action plans in line with the One Health approach including integrated AMR surveillance systems for the human, animal, plant and environmental sectors.

    CSME
    Heads of Government recognised that the implementation of the CSME requires the commitment of each Member State.

    They also recognised the importance of the internal mechanisms including strengthened governance and accountability structures in Member States for effective implementation.

    Heads of Government agreed that all Member States would commit to enhanced public education programmes to better inform stakeholders of the benefits of the CSME.

    Heads of Government issued a Declaration on the CSME which is attached.

    CARICOM DEVELOPMENT FUND (CDF)
    Heads of Government welcomed the appointment of Mr. Wendell Samuel of St Vincent and the Grenadines as Chair of the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF).

    TOURISM 
    Heads of Government, recognising the need to re-open economies while balancing the health and economic livelihood of Community Nationals, agreed that new protocols for health, safety, visitor management and sanitization measures were of utmost importance in encouraging the resuscitation of the sector. 

    Heads of Government received the first report on a Draft Joint Tourism Policy for CARICOM: COVID-19 Emergency Plan for the period Q3 2021 to Q4 2022 prepared by the Interim Tourism Working Group (ITWG) which they established earlier this year.

    They endorsed the recommendations of the Group with respect to building the COVID-19 Health Safety Risk Resilience and enhancing CARICOM Destination Capacity among others.
    Heads of Government agreed to consider proposals to reduce taxes on intra-regional travel for a pilot period of six months.

    Heads of Government agreed to consider the use of a Vaccination Passport for vaccinated persons travelling by air and sea, supported by a Digital Vaccination Database, possibly based on the Barbados model in the first instance.

    Heads of Government also agreed to consider proposals to create a regional travel bubble for a pilot period of six months taking account of previous lessons learnt.

    Heads of Government further agreed on the need for further consultation on the development of a harmonised Policy for cruise ships covering both vaccinated and unvaccinated persons. 

    In this regard, Heads of Government mandated the CARICOM Secretariat, in collaboration with CARPHA and other relevant regional security agencies to convene a high-level meeting with cruise lines to agree on the minimum health and safety requirement for the resumption of cruise sailing in the Caribbean.

    Heads of Government commended the work of the ITWG comprising representatives from the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), the CARICOM Secretariat, the Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission and the Governments of The Bahamas, Jamaica, and Saint Lucia.

    FOOD PRODUCTION AND FOOD SECURITY
    Heads of Government considered an update from the Lead Head of Government responsible for Agriculture; Agricultural Diversification and Food Security in the CARICOM Quasi Cabinet, His Excellency Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana on the work of the Special Ministerial Taskforce (MTF) on Food Production and Food Security established at the Thirty-Second Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government.

    Heads of Government welcomed the actions so far taken to advance the CARICOM agri-food systems agenda, including agreement by the Taskforce on terms of reference, an implementation plan, and on priority commodities for heightened investment by the regional private sector. 

    In that regard, Heads of Government welcomed the recent engagement of the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on the CARICOM Single Market and Economy with the Special Ministerial Taskforce and the CARICOM Private Sector Organisation Inc. (CPSO), and agreed that priority attention be accorded to the determination of the quantum of investment required and the attendant implementation timelines.

    Heads of Government also received an initial presentation on transport and logistics aspects and agreed that priority attention be given to proposals to incentivise private sector partnership in addressing transport and logistics requirements for implementation of the agri-food systems agenda and to inviting expressions of interest in this regard.

    SINGLE ICT SPACE – ROAMING CHARGES
    Heads of Government welcomed the Report on the outcome of the initial engagement with the two principal telecommunications providers in the Region on the issue of the elimination of roaming charges in the Region.

    Heads of Government endorsed the Governance Framework and the composition of the Negotiation Team led by Mr. Selby Wilson of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) and also endorsed the projected timelines and action proposed in relation to the negotiations. 

    TAX TRANSPARENCY, BLACKLISTING AND DE-RISKING
    Heads of Government stressed that the blacklisting and de-risking phenomena remain as serious threats to the economic security of CARICOM Member States.

    Heads of Government acknowledged the excessive economic pressure exerted on CARICOM States by the European Union through the continuous inclusion of several Member States on blacklists with respect to non-cooperative tax jurisdictions and High Risk Third Countries with Strategic Anti-Money Laundering / Countering Financing of Terrorism (AML/ CFT) Deficiencies.

    Heads of Government considered issues concerning the recently announced decision by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for a minimum global corporate tax rate and agreed to meet in special session before the end of July to discuss this matter.

    Heads of Government welcomed the efforts of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) to facilitate a more transparent, inclusive and mutually beneficial relationship through dialogue and consultation within the framework of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement which links members of the OACPS to the EU.

    Heads of Government while recognising that the US Anti-Money Laundering Law (AMLA) 2020, enacted on 1 January 2021, presents a more structured risk-based approach to the conduct of correspondent banking relations, noted that it can potentially worsen the regulatory landscape for CARICOM banks.

    Heads of Government further agreed to continue efforts to strengthen their AML-CFT frameworks and will pursue a more effective engagement with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)/Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) and other standard setting bodies towards this end.

    ENGAGEMENT WITH PRIVATE SECTOR, LABOUR AND CIVIL SOCIETY
    Heads of Government engaged with representatives of the CARICOM Private Sector Organisation and the Caribbean Policy Development Centre (CPDC) on behalf of civil society.

    Heads of Government noted the presentations of the two organisations and the issues raised in their statements including the impact of and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Heads of Government urged them as leaders in civil society to assist in the drive for the Region’s citizens to be inoculated against the COVID-19 virus for the Community to achieve herd immunity.

    CRIME AND SECURITY
    Heads of Government received a confidential security brief from the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS). They expressed concern at the new challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

    REVIVAL OF REGIONAL AIR TRANSPORT POST-COVID
    Heads of Government noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has devastated the tourism sector and regional air transport. 

    They mandated the Secretariat to compile a list of fees and taxes which are applicable at the Region’s airports and agreed to the convening of a Special Meeting of the Conference during the week of 12 July 2021 for urgent discussions on the matter of travel taxes. 

    Heads of Government also agreed to request the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) to provide technical support for this effort.

    BORDER ISSUES

    Belize-Guatemala Relations
    Heads of Government received an update on the progress of Guatemala’s Territorial, Insular and Maritime Claim (Guatemala/Belize) at the International Court of Justice.

    They expressed concern that the undertaking by both countries and the Organization of American States (OAS) to engage in the design and development of a mechanism of co-operation for the Sarstoon River remains outstanding and urged both countries and the OAS to reinvigorate their efforts to this end.

    Heads of Government also urged Belize, Guatemala and the OAS to continue implementing fully the existing Confidence Building Measures. They expressed support for the crucial role of the OAS in the process aimed at resolving the dispute, arising from Guatemala’s claims on Belize; and further called on the international community to continue supporting the OAS Office in the Adjacency Zone.

    Heads of Government reaffirmed their unwavering support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of Belize.

    Guyana-Venezuela Relations
    Heads of Government received an update on the most recent developments in the controversy between the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. 

    They noted that Guyana had begun to prepare its Memorial for submission on 8 March 2022 in accordance with the schedule set by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to hear the case on the merits of Guyana’s application concerning the validity of the Arbitral Award of 1899 and the related question of the definitive settlement of the land boundary between the two countries.

    Heads of Government reiterated their full support for the ongoing judicial process that is intended to bring a peaceful and definitive end to the long-standing controversy between the two countries and urged Venezuela to participate in the process.

    Heads of Government reaffirmed their firm and unwavering support for the maintenance and preservation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana.

    UPDATE ON COMMISSION OF INQUIRY IN THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
    Heads of Government reiterated support for the Government and People of the British Virgin Islands and agreed to issue the attached statement.

    INSTRUMENTS FOR ADOPTION AND SIGNATURE
    Recalling the decision taken at its Eighteenth Special Meeting to amend the definition of CARICOM national in Article 32(5) (ii) of the Revised Treaty to make it clear that paragraph 5(ii) applied to Montserrat only, Heads of Government adopted the Protocol to amend Article 32 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas establishing the Caribbean Community including the CARICOM Single Market and Economy.

    Antigua and Barbuda and Montserrat signed the Protocol.

    CARIBBEAN REGIONAL POST-COTONOU DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION PROGRAMMING
    Heads of Government endorsed the priorities for Caribbean Regional Post-Cotonou Programming, identified by the Council of Ministers of CARIFORUM.

    Heads of Government agreed to expand the priorities to include Transportation and Health.

    Heads of Government also agreed that CARIFORUM internal consultations and dialogue between CARIFORUM and the European Union (EU) on a Caribbean Multi-Annual Programme, Post-Cotonou, should be intensified.

    Heads of Government further agreed that CARIFORUM should negotiate for continued access to bilateral grant resources through national Multi-Annual Indicative Programme, based on vulnerability, for those CARIFORUM States being denied access to bilateral grant resources.

    SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE COMMONWEALTH
    Heads of Government noted the current situation regarding the renewal of the Right Honourable Patricia Scotland, Q.C., for a second term as Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.

    Heads of Government also noted that the Secretary-General has been viewed as a champion of developing countries and of the interests of small states during her tenure.

    Heads of Government expressed their broad support for the renewal of the term of office of the Secretary-General.

    SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY
    Heads of Government expressed their deep appreciation to the outgoing Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque. They lauded his commitment and his hard work to advance the regional agenda despite the challenging circumstances during his tenure. They expressed the hope that his knowledge and experience would continue to be available to the Community and they wished him well in his future endeavours.

    Heads of Government welcomed the imminent succession to the post by Dr. Carla Barnett on August 15 and looked forward to working with her in continuing the quest for the sustainable development of the Community.

    DATE OF THE 33RD INTER-SESSIONAL MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE
    The 33rd Intersessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government is proposed to be held in Belize on 23-24 February 2022.

    Source: CARICOM Secretariat

  • Caribbean Trade and Development News Digest – June 20 – 26, 2021

    Caribbean Trade and Development News Digest – June 20 – 26, 2021

    Welcome to the Caribbean Trade and Development News Digest for the week of June 20-26, 2021! We are pleased to bring you the major trade and development news headlines and analysis from across the Caribbean Region and the world from the past week.

    THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

    According to the World Trade Organization (WTO), first quarter 2021 global merchandise trade “continued to bounce back from its collapse earlier in the pandemic, but the pace of recovery has diverged strongly across countries and regions.” Read more here.

    In its latest World Investment Report (2021) released this week, UNCTAD revealed that “foreign direct investment flows plunged globally by 35% in 2020 to $1 trillion, with fall heavily skewed towards developed economies, where FDI fell by 58%. UNCTAD predicts a recovery in 2021, but uncertainty remains. Read the full report here.

    The UK and CPTPP nations will formally commence negotiations for the UK’s accession to that trading bloc. Read more here.

    The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) held its June meetings this week. Among the outcome documents, Barbados, Jamaica, and Cayman Islands remain on its list of jurisdictions subject to increased monitoring (the FATF greylist) and Haiti was added. This and other outcome documents from the June meetings may be accessed here.

    IFC Review’s Big Debate on “Is the G7 tax initiative another form of economic colonialism”?

    I’m delighted to have been one of the contributors to IFC Review’s Big Debate on “Is the G7 tax initiative another form of economic colonialism?” Read the varying reflections of myself and others on this topic here.

    REGIONAL NEWS

    Local content requirements not restrictive to CARICOM investment

    South Florida Caribbean News: The requirements for certain levels of local content involvement in investment and development projects in Guyana should not in any way negatively impact investment by businesses from CARICOM member states which want to do business with its South American sister CARICOM member state. Read more

    Grenada’s Prime Minister spearheads CARICOM engagement with Telecoms Providers on removal of Roaming Charges

    CARICOM: Grenada’s Prime Minister, Dr. the Right Honourable Keith Mitchell is spearheading a CARICOM initiative to eliminate roaming charges for Caribbean nationals traveling within the region. Read more

    Haiti, Other CARICOM Member States on Allocation Plan for Second Tranche of Vaccines From US

    CARICOM: Haiti, and other CARICOM Member States are among countries that will receive vaccines from the 55 million doses that the United States will share through the COVAX Facility. The doses are the remainder of the 80 million that President Joe Biden had pledged to allocate by the end of June. Earlier in the month, the US had indicated its allocation plan for the first 25 million doses to be shared globally. Read more

    CDB president wants Caribbean institutions to advance regional development agenda

    Jamaica Observer: President of the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Dr Gene Leon, has proposed the formation of a regional action group, combining the strengths and capacity of key regional institutions to drive the Caribbean’s economic and social development agenda. Read more

    Cement shortage in Grenada

    Nation News: Grenada is seeking permission from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) to be allowed to import cement from outside of the region because the main supplier in Trinidad and Tobago is not exporting product because of reduced business activities linked to containing and controlling the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the neighbouring CARICOM country. Read more

    Approximately 500 head of cattle to be exported from Belize to Mexico next week

    BBN: Next week Belizean cattle farmers will be exporting approximately 500 head of cattle to Mexico as formal cattle exports to the neighboring countries continue and as the government negotiates a partial-scope agreement with Mexico. Read more

    National strategy for commodities, especially sugar, recommended

    Demerara Waves: An International Labour Organisation (ILO)-supported study on the impact of the closure of four of Guyana’s sugar estates has recommended the crafting of a strategy to withstand market volatility of commodities and gear up the sugar industry to invest in ethanol production. Read more

    Barbados making a case for keeping corporate tax rate amid global move

    Barbados Today: Barbados is mounting a case against the introduction of a global minimum corporate tax rate that would see the island having to almost triple its current rate and lose its status as a low-tax jurisdiction. Read more

    Senator Adams: Choose to respond positively

    Barbados Advocate: One Barbados government senator believes Barbados can still profit from the international business sector regardless of the stipulations being imposed by the European Union and other international organisations. Read more

    Association of Jamaicans in China Continues to Provide Support

    JIS: Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, says the Association of Jamaicans in China will continue to be leveraged as an outreach mechanism, which complements the Diplomatic Mission, to serve nationals residing in the Asian country. Read more

    Honorary Investment Advisor appointed for Toronto, Canada

    JIS: JAMPRO and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (MFAFT) have officially appointed Mr. Jerrold Johnson to be Jamaica’s Honorary Investment Advisor (HIA) for Toronto, Canada. Johnson will work to promote Jamaican investment opportunities in Toronto and will facilitate business connections to attract investment to Jamaica. Read more

    Gov’t Provides Greater Safeguards For Brand Jamaica

    JIS: The Government is providing greater safeguards for brand Jamaica on the international marketplace through passage of amendments to the Trade Marks Act in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (June 1). Read more

    Global Jamaica Diaspora Councils Operationalised

    JIS: The Global Jamaica Diaspora Council and the Global Jamaica Diaspora Youth Council have been operationalised following the establishment of working groups and the preparation of a programme to guide their work. Read more

    INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    WTO to hold key meeting of trade ministers on July 15 over fisheries subsidies

    Business Today: The aim is to conclude the negotiations soon and after that, a text is finalised so that an agreement on fisheries can be reached in the forthcoming ministerial meet of WTO in December in Geneva. Read more

    UK begins talks to join Asia-Pacific CPTPP trade treaty

    The Guardian: The UK is beginning negotiations to join a free trade alliance with Asia-Pacific countries, a key part of its attempts to pivot trade away from Europe after Brexit. Read more

    Brexit: Irish fishing fleet stages protest over EU-UK trade deal

    BBC: People working in the Irish fishing industry are protesting at Dublin Port over the impact of the Brexit deal. Read more

    What’s behind China’s anti-dumping complaint against Australia at the World Trade Organization?

    ABC (Australia): On Thursday, China’s government suddenly announced it would raise a dispute at the World Trade Organization (WTO) against Australian anti-dumping duties on three of its exports. Read more

    Building business engagement ahead of the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference

    ICC: ICC joined business leaders and World Trade Organization (WTO) Ambassadors to discuss and exchange ideas on ensuring the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Read more

    WTO head says South Africa, Senegal, Rwanda and Nigeria considered as vaccine production hubs

    Reuters: Africa is working with the European Union and other partners to help create regional vaccine manufacturing hubs in South Africa, Senegal and Rwanda, with Nigeria under consideration, World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said. Read more

    Global minimum tax faces ‘long and rocky path’ to implementation after G20 endorsement

    SCMP: A new global minimum corporate tax could take up to five years to come into effect if endorsed by the Group of 20 (G20), with countries such as India likely to be beneficiaries, tax consultants say. Read more

    Taiwan, U.S. to hold long-stalled trade talks next week

    Reuters: Taiwan and the United States will hold trade talks next week, the de facto U.S. embassy in Taipei said on Friday, resuming long-stalled discussions as Washington seeks to deepen its support for the Chinese-claimed island. Read more

    Scotch whisky tariffs suspended in UK-US trade deal

    BBC: The Scotch whisky industry has welcomed the suspension of US tariffs on its products after the UK and US resolved a long-running trade row over subsidies given to Airbus and Boeing. Read more

    U.S. trade nominee urges ‘robust monitoring’ of aircraft subsidy truce with EU

    Reuters: The United States must carry out “robust monitoring” of its five-year truce with the European Union in a 17-year battle over aircraft subsidies, Jayme White, President Joe Biden’s nominee to serve as deputy U.S. Trade Representative, said on Thursday. Read more

    U.S. trade boss Tai: We will not incentivize firms to move jobs overseas

    Reuters: The Biden administration said on Monday it was working closely with the United Autoworkers union in pressing Mexico to probe alleged labor rights violations at a General Motors Co (GM.N) plant in that country, and vowed to fight for a worker-focused trade policy. Read more

    China slams‘bandit-like’ US over trade restrictions on Xinjiang firms

    SCMP: China on Friday hit out at a “bandit-like” US government after Washington banned imports of solar panel materials from a Chinese company and placed trade restrictions on four others for alleged use of forced labour in Xinjiang. Read more

    Economy Minister says Brazil has “major problem” with Argentina in MERCOSUR negotiations

    The Rio Times: The Minister also complained that international criticism of Brazil, supposedly for environmental issues, is really motivated by protectionism. Read more

    Chemical industry calls for current MERCOSUR rules to be respected in TEC revision

    The Rio Times: The joint document expresses concerns of domestic chemical firms in Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay, which fear competition from abroad if tariffs are reduced. Read more

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  • SDG Index 2021: How did Caribbean countries perform?

    SDG Index 2021: How did Caribbean countries perform?

    Photo credit: The United Nations

    Alicia Nicholls

    The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been a significant setback for countries’ achievement of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their 169 targets. This was one of the main takeaways from the virtual launch of the Sustainable Development Report 2021: The Decade of Action for the Sustainable Development Goals on June 14.

    Released annually, the Sustainable Development Report is a key resource for tracking countries’ progress towards achievement of the SDGs which are part of the 2030 Agenda for Development agreed to by UN Member States, including those in the Caribbean, in 2015. The goals are ambitious, balancing all three elements of sustainable development: economic, social and environmental. Countries agree to achieve these goals by 2030 and this decade has been declared the ‘Decade of Action’ for the SDGs.

    A country’s rank on the SDG Index is determined by its overall score. This overall score measures a country’s total progress towards achieving all 17 SDGs, with a score of 100 being a perfect score, that is, complete achievement of all 17 SDGs. The score can be interpreted as a percentage of SDG achievement. The report also contains dashboards showing countries’ trends on the individual goals, subject to data availability.

    Top performers globally

    This year’s report ranked 165 countries. Overall, member states of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) are nearer to achieving the targets than any other country group, according to the Report. Finland tops the SDG Index 2021 with an overall score of 85.90, followed by Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Belgium to round out the top 5 performing countries. However, no country in the world has a perfect score nor is on track for achieving all the goals by 2030.

    Bangladesh has registered the most progress towards SDG achievement, followed by Afghanistan and Cote d’Ivoire. Indeed, East  and South Asia was revealed to be the region which has progressed the most on the SDGs. Brazil, Venezuela and Tuvalu were the countries which registered the most marked declines.

    Caribbean countries’ performance

    Many SIDS, including from the Caribbean, are not ranked on the SDG Index due to insufficient data. For those Caribbean countries ranked, Cuba was the highest with a rank of 49 followed by the Dominican Republic (67). Among countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Jamaica is the highest ranked at 81 out of 165 countries and a score of 69, a modest improvement from its score of 68.7 on the 2020 index.

    Jamaica is followed in rank by Barbados (83), Suriname (91), Belize (104), Trinidad & Tobago (108), Guyana (128) and Haiti (150). Jamaica and Barbados were the only two CARICOM countries to see an improvement in their overall score compared to 2020 levels. Suriname, Belize, Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana and Haiti saw declines in their overall scores towards SDG progress.

    Country profiles are however included even for those countries which are unable to be ranked on the index due to data shortages.

    Some key take-aways from the report

    The authors described 2020 as a ‘major setback for sustainable development’. For the first time since the SDG Index has been published, there has been a global decline in goal achievement driven in great part by an increase in extreme poverty and unemployment largely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The report noted that there remains a gap between countries’ SDG commitments and implementation/mainstreaming. This must be addressed if the goals are to be achieved by 2030. The Report called for strong multilateral action to make the ‘Decade for Action’ count.  The authors further pointed to the need for a significant increase in fiscal space, global tax reform and expanded financing by multilateral development banks and debt relief to restore SDG progress in developing countries.

    The Report also contained a 2021 International Spillover Index which demonstrated how rich countries can generate negative socioeconomic and environmental spillovers undermining poorer countries’ ability to mobilise the financial resources needed to achieve the SDGs. Indeed, it highlighted how unsustainable trade and supply chains and tax havens and profit shifting in many rich countries undermine other countries’ ability to mobilize needed financial resources to achieve the SDGs.

    The report was prepared by teams of independent experts at the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and the Bertelsmann Stiftung and was authored by Jeffrey Sachs, Christian Kroll, Guillaume Lafortune, Grayson Fuller and Finn Woelm.

    The full SDG Report 2021 may be accessed here.

    Alicia Nicholls, B.Sc., M.Sc., LL.B. is a trade and development consultant with a keen interest in sustainable development, international law and trade. All views herein expressed are her personal views and should not be attributed to any institution with which she may from time to time be affiliated. You can read more of her commentaries and follow her on Twitter @LicyLaw.