Ban: “CARICOM and the United Nations Are Good Partners”

By: - September 27th, 2012

Above: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (UN Photo/Mark Garten)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The United Nations is committed to dealing with the biggest issues in the Caribbean, from debt and climate change to transnational organized crime, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday.

“CARICOM and the United Nations are good partners,” he said. “I am committed to ensuring that our cooperation — both with the CARICOM Secretariat and with Member States — is more targeted and more responsive to the needs of the region.”

The Secretary-General said the region’s increasing threat of transnational organized crime was having a particularly devastating impact on women and youth.

Ban, who said he would urge the G8 and the G20 to fulfill their pledges to the region, also pointed to climate change as having a “disproportionate impact” on the Caribbean.

On that point, he praised Caribbean leadership during the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio this summer, along with the Caribbean Community’s support for Haiti, which will be assuming the CARICOM Chairmanship in January.

Ban held a separate meeting this week with leaders of CARICOM Member States, covering issues from non-communicable diseases to sustainable development.

“I attach great importance to regional cooperation among states and between regional organizations and the United Nations,” he said. “Thank you for your suppo

Markets

Haiti: World Bank Strategy to Include Focus on Cholera, Housing, Energy

Above: a tent camp in Haiti (UN Photo/Logan Abassi) By the Caribbean Journal staff The World Bank has approved a new two-year strategy for the institution in Haiti. The plan, which was endorsed by the bank’s Board of Directors, will include initiatives such as providing 1.5 million people with cholera education and prevention, repairing and […]

Markets

St Kitts and Nevis, Lithuania Establish Diplomatic Relations

Above: St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Denzil Douglas (UN Photo/JC McIlwaine) By the Caribbean Journal staff The governments of St Kitts and Nevis and Lithuania have established diplomatic ties, following the signing of an official agreement this week. The compact was signed by St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Denzil Douglas and […]

Markets

Belize PM Heads to Washington

Above: Belize Prime Minister Dean Barrow By the Caribbean Journal staff Belize Prime Minister Dean Barrow has left for Washington, DC for a series of high-level talks with multilateral institutions, his office said in a statement. Barrow, who departed Thursday, is leading a Belizean delegation for discussions with executive officials at the Inter-American Development Bank […]

S&P Affirms Montserrat Credit Rating; Outlook Remains "Stable"

 By the Caribbean Journal staff Standard & Poor’s this week affirmed Montserrat’s “BBB-/A-3” sovereign issuer credit rating, while also affirming its “BBB-” transfer and convertibility assessment. Monterrat’s outlook remains “stable,” according to the ratings firm. The rating reflected “the UK’s strong institutional and budgetary support of the island, according to credit analyst Kelli Bissett. The […]

What Would a Logistics Hub Mean for Jamaica's Economy?

 Above: the port of Kingston By the Caribbean Journal staff The development of Jamaica as a global logistics hub could mean a 17 percent bump in GDP over the next six to eight years, according to Industry Minister Anthony Hylton. The figures were baseline estimates from the Planning Institute of Jamaica, he said this week. […]

Jamaica's House Passes Bill on Foreign Company Tax Exemption

 By the Caribbean Journal staff Standard & Poor’s this week affirmed Montserrat’s “BBB-/A-3” sovereign issuer credit rating, while also affirming its “BBB-” transfer and convertibility assessment. Monterrat’s outlook remains “stable,” according to the ratings firm. The rating reflected “the UK’s strong institutional and budgetary support of the island, according to credit analyst Kelli Bissett. The […]

Cayman Islands Government Toughens Stance on Illegal Vending

Above: Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman (CJ Photo) By the Caribbean Journal staff Vendors in the Cayman Islands who set up shop in public places without a valid trade and business licence are breaking law and will be prosecuted, the government said Wednesday. As of Jan. 1, 2013, vendors who do so will be […]