KINGSTON, Jamaica - Last Thursday, the United States Congress abandoned efforts to find consensus on a way to avoid automatic budget cuts.
Although both Republicans and Democrats professed willingness to compromise and pursue a balanced and pragmatic approach, the two political parties adhered rigidly to their ideological economic fundamentalism.
Sequestration requires 5.1 per cent automatic cuts amounting to US$85 billion. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that if sequestration remains in place there would be job loss of 750,000 during the remainder of 2013.
WASHINGTON, CMC - A new World Bank study says a rise in sea levels by a meter from climate change could destroy more than 60 per cent of the Caribbean and the developing world’s coastal wetlands currently found at one meter or less elevation.
The study says this will lead to economic losses of about US$630 million annually.
The World Bank analysis considers a variety of types of coastal wetlands at risk in 76 countries and territories, using a number of databases and satellite maps.
The 24th Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM recently adopted a “Regional Crime and Security Strategy”.
The Strategy resulted from consultations among regional security officials of CARICOM Member States by the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS), as mandated by the Council of Ministers Responsible for National Security and Law Enforcement (CONSLE) at its Fifth Meeting.
(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Introduction_ The Courage And Inspiration of Haiti
Colleagues, I feel a particular joy and satisfaction this morning to extend congratulations to President Michel Joseph Martelly, the Government of Haiti, and indeed the people of Haiti for the superb arrangements for our Conference. I thank him too for his warm and generous welcome in the finest Caribbean spirit and tradition.
The overall objectives of the Workshop were to garner feedback and finalize the Study being done to establish Regional sustainable energy targets, as well as, to build awareness about the process going forward to fully establish the C-SERMS. Approximately Sixty persons were in attendance including Senior Energy Officials, members of the diplomatic corps, representatives from the public and private sectors of CARICOM Member States, regional Universities and technical experts.
Hyatt Regency
Good morning, on behalf of Prime Minister the Honourable Kamla Persad-Bissessar and the Government welcome to Trinidad and Tobago.
(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) On behalf of the Secretary-General of Caribbean Community, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the Forty-First Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development on Energy being held here in Trinidad and Tobago. The Secretary General sincerely regrets that he could not be here at this so important COTED Energy Meeting.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Stakeholders in the energy sector across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on Thursday gathered in Trinidad and Tobago for an exchange of views on the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Roadmap and Strategy (C-SERMS). The document is being used to guide the Region’s progress in the use of renewable energy and set energy efficiency targets.
(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat, under the auspices of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Implementation Unit, will from 7-8 March be convening the Second Meeting of Legislative Drafters to consider and refine draft Model Bills intended to give effect to provisions of the Caribbean Forum of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (CARIFORUM)-European Union (EU) EPA. The Meeting is to be held in Trinidad and Tobago.
(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Ministers of Energy were on Friday confident of approval of the Regional Energy Policy which has been on the table for the past ten years.
The Policy’s imminent approval by the Ministers was a reference point of the speakers at the Opening Ceremony of the Forty-First Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) on Energy held at the Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. The Policy is a key agenda item of the one-day Meeting.