Carib Scope

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  • Antigua and Barbuda Steps Up Census Drive, Seeks 300 Workers

    Antigua and Barbuda Steps Up Census Drive, Seeks 300 Workers

    The 2025 Population and Housing Census in Antigua and Barbuda is moving into an accelerated implementation phase, with national authorities stepping up coordinated efforts to deliver a complete, timely count of the country’s population and housing stock. A core part of this acceleration drive is an open recruitment drive for 300 additional field enumerators to support the nationwide data collection effort.

    The Census Department, which oversees the national initiative, has made application simple and accessible for all interested candidates: prospective workers can apply either by scanning a QR code published on the official census recruitment flyer or by accessing the dedicated application link posted to the department’s official census platforms. For individuals seeking additional details on role requirements, compensation, or application timelines, the department has also set up a dedicated information hotline at 562-7495.

    First launched late last year under the unifying theme “Mapping the Present, Shaping the Future,” the census operation is set to intensify significantly in the coming weeks. Officials are preparing to roll out a broad national public awareness campaign, which will be scaled up to reach maximum audiences during the upcoming Carnival season, when large gatherings and community events create unique outreach opportunities.

    The multi-channel media outreach initiative is designed to clear up common public confusion, explain the core purpose of the decennial (regular national) count, outline the responsibilities of field enumerators, and inform households of what to expect when census workers visit their residences. Officials stressed that widespread public understanding is a key foundation for a complete and accurate count.

    To help residents verify legitimate census workers and avoid potential security risks, authorities have outlined clear identification protocols: all authorized enumerators will wear official census uniforms, carry a valid photo ID card issued directly by the Census Department, and present a formal letter of authorization for their work. Officials are urging all residents to verify these credentials before granting access, and to cooperate fully with enumerators once they confirm the worker’s legitimacy.

    Addressing widespread public concerns about data privacy, the Census Department has reaffirmed that all individual information collected during the census will remain strictly confidential. All personal data will be used exclusively for aggregate statistical analysis, and will not be shared with any other government agencies or third parties for regulatory, tax, or legal purposes.

    Aggregated census data plays a foundational role in evidence-based national development planning, from the expansion of primary school access and public healthcare facilities to the development of transportation infrastructure, the design of targeted employment initiatives, and the expansion of other essential public services across Antigua and Barbuda. By highlighting the tangible impact of accurate census data on daily life, authorities are working to boost participation rates across all communities.

    As the counting phase gets underway, officials are stressing that every household has a critical role to play in the success of the initiative. A full, accurate count is the only way to ensure that Antigua and Barbuda’s long-term development plans truly align with the evolving needs of its population, they said.

  • Antigua Yacht Club to host the 2026 Caribbean Sailing Association AGM & Conference

    Antigua Yacht Club to host the 2026 Caribbean Sailing Association AGM & Conference

    The Antigua Yacht Club has been officially selected as the host venue for the 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Conference of the Caribbean Sailing Association (CSA), marking a major milestone for regional sailing collaboration and tourism in the Eastern Caribbean.

    The announcement, made by CSA leadership earlier this month, highlights Antigua’s longstanding reputation as a premier sailing destination in the Caribbean. With its deep-water harbors, world-class regatta infrastructure, and decades of experience hosting international sailing events, the Antigua Yacht Club emerged as the top candidate among several competing venues across the region.

    Industry insiders note that the 2026 gathering will bring together over 150 sailing association representatives, club managers, marine industry stakeholders, and competitive sailing coaches from more than 20 Caribbean island nations. Attendees will participate in a three-day program that includes strategic planning sessions for CSA, workshops on sustainable marine tourism development, discussions on youth sailing development programs, and updates to regional racing regulations for both amateur and professional competitions.

    Local tourism officials have praised the decision, emphasizing that the event will generate significant economic benefits for Antigua’s hospitality and marine sectors. In addition to direct spending on accommodations, venue rentals, and local services, the conference will also boost the island’s global profile as a top yachting destination, attracting more leisure sailors and competitive event organizers in the years leading up to 2026.

    CSA officials added that the selection aligns with the association’s ongoing goal of expanding sailing access across the Caribbean and strengthening collaboration between member clubs. The Antigua Yacht Club’s commitment to upgrading event facilities and supporting youth sailing initiatives was cited as a key factor in the final hosting decision.

  • All Saints West Career Fair to Connect Youth With Training and Job Opportunities

    All Saints West Career Fair to Connect Youth With Training and Job Opportunities

    Young people across All Saints West are set to gain unmatched access to personalized career guidance and diverse training opportunities at a no-cost community career fair scheduled for this Sunday, July 19. Organized to address growing youth interest in clear professional development pathways, the event will operate from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the open-air parking lot directly opposite the All Saints West Branch Office in the heart of All Saints Village, offering ample space for one-on-one networking and interactive demonstrations.

    Unlike generic job events, this fair brings together a cross-border roster of experienced guest presenters hailing from Antigua and Barbuda, the United States, and Canada. This international lineup ensures attendees can connect with professionals from a wide range of industry backgrounds, gaining insights that go beyond local market perspectives. For participants, the day will include opportunities to hold direct conversations with established industry experts, get tailored advice aligned with their personal skills and interests, and map out long-term education and training plans that fit their career goals.

    The event is designed to highlight both skilled trades and white-collar professional pathways, ensuring there is relevant information for every young person regardless of their interests. Skilled technical sectors that will be featured include plumbing, electrical installation and maintenance, heavy machinery operation, barbering, cosmetology, fashion design, custom dressmaking, and construction design – all fields with consistent demand for new trained workers across the region. For those leaning toward academic professional paths, representatives will also be on hand to share details about careers in accounting, law, general medicine, and nursing. To further support attendees as they enter the job market, the fair will also include dedicated sessions and one-on-one guidance on crafting competitive résumés and building confidence for job interviews.

    Harold Lovell, the lead organizer of the fair, emphasized that the event fills a critical gap in local youth development. “This is a great mentorship opportunity for the youth in All Saints West,” Lovell noted, highlighting that the free access removes financial barriers that often prevent young people from accessing these valuable resources. Both registration for the event and general admission are completely free for all attendees, making the opportunity open to any young person looking to explore their next step. For those seeking additional details ahead of the event, organizers can be reached directly: Barbara Coates is available at 727-8617, and Collie Stevenson can be contacted at 774-6513.

  • News : Zapping…

    News : Zapping…

    As Haiti grapples with persistent political instability, gang violence, and ongoing humanitarian challenges, a series of key developments across the country have unfolded in mid-July 2026, spanning public safety, electoral preparations, healthcare support, and humanitarian relief efforts.

    The most devastating development came in the form of coordinated armed gang attacks targeting communities in the suburban areas of Kenscoff and Pétion-Ville, carried out between July 4 and July 9. According to data collected by Haitian human rights organizations and confirmed by United Nations Secretary-General spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric on July 16, the violence has claimed at least 61 lives – 14 of which are children. Most of the fatalities were recorded in the Robin neighborhood, where victims were gunned down as they attempted to flee their homes or escape along local roadways.

    This escalation of violence has also driven a sharp increase in the number of internally displaced people across Haiti’s most affected regions. In June alone, sustained attacks pushed more than 5,000 additional people from their homes in Cité Soleil, adding to growing displacement crises in Haiti’s West and Artibonite departments. In the Central department city of Hinche, humanitarian agencies have completed the relocation of 1,491 displaced people who had previously been sheltering in overcrowded, unsanitary school facilities with no privacy and inadequate basic amenities. The new transit camp, operated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), provides significantly improved living conditions for the relocated families. The initiative was funded through support from the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince and the Joint Regional Humanitarian Fund for Haiti. IOM has also received a shipment of emergency relief supplies from its regional warehouse in Panama via the global Logistics Cluster network, with enough materials to support 5,000 vulnerable families, which will be distributed by local Haitian partner organizations to ensure aid reaches the highest-need communities.

    Amid the ongoing security and humanitarian crises, Haiti’s electoral authorities have moved forward with preparations for upcoming political processes. The Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) announced an extension to the political party registration period this month, responding to formal requests from multiple political organizations across the country. Political groups now have until July 31, 2026, to submit their alliance registration documentation at the CEP’s central headquarters in Pétion-Ville, which is open to applicants weekdays and Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The deadline extension has also pushed the official registration window for pre-electoral political alliances to August 10 through 14, 2026. Separately, on July 15, CEP’s Northern Departmental Electoral Office opened new voter registration operations at the Cap-Haitien Vocational School in Cité Lescot. Eligible citizens looking to register to vote are required to present their original national identification card to complete the process, and can direct questions to two dedicated local phone lines.

    In public health progress, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has donated more than 10 new computing devices to Haiti’s Directorate of Family Health under the Ministry of Public Health, supported by the India-UN Development Partnership Fund in collaboration with the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation. The computers will be distributed to local health institutions and departmental health directorates across the country, with the core goal of strengthening institutional data management capacity to support Haiti’s national public health strategy to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B. The equipment will improve monitoring and evaluation of the initiative by enabling more robust disease surveillance across all levels of the country’s health system.

    In a separate non-crisis development, the Haitian Football Federation (FHF) recently hosted a national training workshop for FIFA Connect, FIFA’s global standardized football data management platform. More than 75 stakeholders from across Haiti’s football ecosystem attended the training in-person and via virtual videoconference, where they learned to use the platform’s core features. Most notably, FIFA Connect assigns a unique, permanent FIFA ID to every player, coach, referee, administrative official, club, and youth football academy, enabling consistent, secure, and harmonized data management for Haitian football at all levels.

  • Anti-money laundering mechanism to scrutinise non-financial businesses

    Anti-money laundering mechanism to scrutinise non-financial businesses

    GEORGETOWN, Guyana – July 16, 2026 – Guyana is moving forward with a sweeping new anti-financial crime initiative, launching the Guyana Compliance Commission (GCC) to bring high-risk non-financial industries including law firms, accounting practices, automobile dealerships, and pawnbroking businesses under enhanced regulatory scrutiny for potential money laundering activity, Attorney General Anil Nandlall announced this week.

    Speaking at the opening of the 9th Annual General Meeting for the Assets Recovery Inter-Agency Network of the Caribbean (ARIN-CARIB) on Wednesday, Nandlall explained that the targeted sectors were selected for heightened oversight because they regularly facilitate large-scale transactions that carry elevated risk of being exploited for illicit financial activity. “They do a lot of transactions that have money laundering implications,” Nandlall told local outlet Demerara Waves Online News in an interview following the announcement.

    Under the new regulatory structure, the GCC will operate as a specialized supervisory body reporting directly to Guyana’s existing Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). The government has targeted full operational activation of the commission by November 2026, ahead of the upcoming conference of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF), where Guyana is scheduled to present a progress update on its implementation of reforms outlined in the body’s fourth round of cross-national mutual evaluation.

    The path for Caribbean nations to roll out this type of expanded oversight cleared recently following a landmark ruling by the United Kingdom’s Privy Council in a Jamaican legal case. The ruling clarified that while attorney-client privilege remains protected, legal professionals’ overarching duty to uphold national anti-money laundering law takes precedence when suspicious transactions are involved. Nandlall emphasized that this ruling aligns with the new regulatory framework Guyana is implementing: “They don’t have to say what their clients tell them but once they conduct a transaction of a particular type and volume, they have to report it. That is the way the world is running.”

    Established under dedicated new legislation, the GCC has already completed its initial setup phase: a governing board led by former New Building Society director Anil Beharry has been appointed, and eight full-time staff positions have recently been approved to fill out the commission’s operational team.

    Nandlall framed the creation of the GCC as a critical milestone in reinforcing the integrity of Guyana’s financial system. “This represents a significant step forward in strengthening Guyana’s supervisory framework for designated non-financial businesses and professions. As the Commission continues to expand its operational capacity, it will play an increasingly important role in protecting the integrity of Guyana’s financial system through effective supervision, enhanced compliance monitoring and stronger engagement with reporting entities,” he said.

    Beyond the new compliance commission, Nandlall confirmed that the Guyanese government is also developing a dedicated regulatory and supervisory framework for virtual assets and virtual asset service providers, as part of ongoing legislative reforms designed to align the country’s financial rules with global anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing standards.

  • Morales Ojeda observes resuscitation efforts in celebration of July 26th

    Morales Ojeda observes resuscitation efforts in celebration of July 26th

    On the lead-up to the 73rd anniversary of the historic attacks on the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes barracks, Cuba’s top party official Roberto Morales Ojeda has wrapped up an inspection tour of Pinar del Río, the province selected to host the country’s main National Rebellion Day commemorations, where he stressed that all anniversary-linked infrastructure projects must deliver long-term, improved public services.

    Morales Ojeda, who serves as a member of the Political Bureau and Secretary of Organization of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, used the tour to highlight that every project tied to the July 26 commemoration must prioritize quality and sustainable outcomes. All ongoing upgrades, he noted, are intended to elevate public access to critical services across key sectors including healthcare, education, culture, and sports.

    “We must defend the rational use of resources,” Morales Ojeda stated during the tour, adding that all completed work must be built to last for years to come.

    One of the key stops on the itinerary was the operating wing of Pepe Portilla Pediatric Hospital, where major renovation works are now entering their final phase. Speaking to construction teams and medical staff at the site, Morales Ojeda emphasized that investments in healthcare infrastructure are always a critical priority, even amid constrained resources. He praised the unwavering dedication of the province’s healthcare workforce, who continue to save lives daily despite facing significant systemic and material challenges.

    He specifically credited the health sector’s consistent strong performance in Pinar del Río as a core factor that led to the province being selected to host this year’s national main anniversary events. Currently, a wide range of rehabilitation projects are underway across the province’s healthcare facilities, including the Abel Santamaría Cuadrado General Teaching Hospital, multiple local polyclinics, community doctor’s offices, and maternity care homes. More than 50 public and private enterprises have contributed to these works, which have already earned widespread positive feedback from local residents, Morales Ojeda confirmed.

    Beyond healthcare infrastructure, the party official also visited the monument honoring the Saíz Montes de Oca brothers, a iconic provincial landmark created by sculptor Enrique Ávila that first opened to the public in 1992. The site is currently undergoing its third full restoration, and after meeting with the restoration team, Morales Ojeda called the upgraded project a meaningful gift to the province, honoring its unique historical identity.

    The tour also included two key cultural and ceremonial venues for the upcoming anniversary: the José Jacinto Milanés Theater, which is under renovation to host the official anniversary artistic gala, and the central public square that will hold the main national commemoration event. Morales Ojeda inquired into the progress of ongoing works at both sites, and pressed organizers to prioritize outstanding preparation tasks in the remaining lead-up to July 26.

    He urged all involved teams to maximize the time left before the commemoration, noting that the preparation process should leave Pinar del Río a more attractive, functional province for local residents long after the anniversary celebrations conclude.

    In closing remarks during the tour, Morales Ojeda commended the people of Pinar del Río for their resilience, proactive problem-solving approach, and coordinated organizational system that has allowed the province to advance preparations even amid the country’s current complex economic and social context.

  • Cuban President continues exchanges with Havana’s municipal Defense Councils

    Cuban President continues exchanges with Havana’s municipal Defense Councils

    On a Thursday working visit amid long-standing economic pressures from the United States, Cuban President and First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez continued his direct engagement with Havana’s activated Municipal Defense Councils, touring three districts of the capital: Old Havana, Arroyo Naranjo, and La Lisa.

    The local defense councils were first activated in early May, a response to the rapidly worsening crisis triggered by the United States’ intensified 60-plus-year economic, commercial and financial blockade, which has been compounded by a more than six-month oil embargo that has strained the island’s critical infrastructure and basic services. Accompanying Díaz-Canel on the tour was Roberto Morales Ojeda, Political Bureau member and Organizational Secretary of the Communist Party Central Committee. During the visits, the presidential delegation reviewed the status of key basic services that have faced severe disruptions in recent months, including potable water access, domestic energy generation, and municipal solid waste collection.

    This series of municipal engagements launched on June 30, and as of this latest round of visits, Díaz-Canel has now held direct exchanges with leaders and residents in nine of Havana’s 15 total municipalities. A core priority of the head of state’s outreach has been centering support for the island’s most vulnerable community members. He placed particular emphasis on upholding timely pension delivery, stressing that all administrative processes would be accelerated to ensure that Cuban retirees, who dedicated their lives to building the nation, receive their rightful benefits on schedule and without unnecessary barriers.

    Throughout his stops in the three municipalities, Díaz-Canel highlighted successful collaborative initiatives spanning both the state and non-state economic sectors that have delivered tangible improvements for local residents. He called for these proven solutions to be rapidly scaled up across other districts of the capital, with priority areas including waste management, targeted support for at-risk populations, and streamlined pension distribution.

    The president also expressed strong interest in the work of the Community Youth Network, a groundbreaking local program that empowers young Cubans to lead problem-solving efforts in their own neighborhoods. He received detailed briefings on the network’s diverse activities, which range from organizing recreational sports, community cultural events, and public health outreach to conducting regular check-ins with isolated elderly residents, supporting low-income vulnerable families, and engaging disconnected young people who are currently not enrolled in school or employed. The network also supports monitoring for Cuba’s Family Assistance System (SAF), the national program that delivers targeted food assistance to the country’s most food-insecure households.

    In addition to reviewing programmatic work, Díaz-Canel asked detailed questions about how local authorities are responding to resident requests and concerns. He emphasized that all community demands must be addressed with empathy and care, and underscored the ongoing importance of maintaining public order and safety across all Havana neighborhoods.

    Closing his visit, the Cuban head of state praised the high level of organization shown by municipal leaders and community members in navigating the ongoing crisis. He called on the Cuban people to maintain a hopeful, determined outlook as they confront the challenges imposed by external pressure, expressing confidence that the nation will ultimately overcome these hardships.

  • Cuba, Roberto Morales Ojeda, Pinar del Río, projects, revitalization, July 26th

    Cuba, Roberto Morales Ojeda, Pinar del Río, projects, revitalization, July 26th

    In the sun-baked agricultural municipality of Cumanayagua, Cuba’s Cienfuegos province, a 100% Cuban-owned micro, small and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) is rewriting the playbook for balanced commercial success: growing global export reach while lifting up local producers and communities.

    Aricumay State Commercial Company operates as a single-partner entity under the Arimao Citrus Company, with both operations based within close proximity in Cumanayagua. Unlike many trading firms that focus exclusively on either domestic or international markets, Aricumay has built its model on dual purpose: prioritizing cross-border sales while addressing pressing domestic needs for affordable goods and community investment.

    The company’s core business connects small-scale and independent producers across four Cuban provinces to global market opportunities. Its team actively scouts local producers based on their untapped potential, working with growers of hot peppers—its top export commodity—alongside avocados, mamey, mango, loquat, ginger, garlic, beans, root vegetables, other fresh produce, and charcoal. Today, Aricumay holds mutually beneficial partnership agreements with 45 local producers and industrial operators across the region.

    What sets Aricumay apart from other commercial operations is its integrated support system for affiliated producers. Using foreign currency earned from international sales, the company sources and distributes critical inputs that are often hard to access for local growers: modern farming technology, chemical fertilizers, organic compost, work clothing and protective footwear. Another key competitive advantage that has earned Aricumay long-term trust from producers is its consistent, fast payment structure, disbursing funds to partners in both foreign and local Cuban currency without delays.

    Currently, Aricumay’s export portfolio reaches five European markets—England, France, the Netherlands, Spain, and Portugal—alongside Canada, marking a significant milestone for a young Cuban MSME. Beyond exports, the company extends its impact deep into the local community. A portion of all foreign currency revenue is reinvested into local social programs benefiting Cumanayagua residents. Through partnerships with domestic factories, Aricumay also distributes a wide range of affordable basic goods, including toiletries, fruit pulps, jams, pasta, hams, pork and smoked products, sold at prices far below the average market rate at local points of sale and regional fairs. The company also supplies value-added fruit products like nectars, pulps and jams to public hospitals across Cienfuegos province.

    As a still-developing operation less than two years old, Aricumay has already established a reputation for operational expertise at the municipal level, and leadership has outlined aggressive plans for further expansion of its community and commercial reach. To support extended workdays that often run into the night and avoid disruptions from energy shortages, the company has already invested in solar panel systems to achieve full energy independence, demonstrating its commitment to sustainable, uninterrupted growth.

    Economic specialist Yolexis Abreus Abreus notes that Aricumay’s success is rooted in its collaborative approach, working closely with all local economic actors—both state-owned and private, from large landholders to small independent producers—across every existing production model in the region. For its leaders and workers, Aricumay is more than an export business: it is a proof of concept that local Cuban producers have the potential to compete globally, while reinvesting in the communities that make their success possible.

  • Veiligheid en resultaten centraal bij terugblik op één jaar regering-Simons

    Veiligheid en resultaten centraal bij terugblik op één jaar regering-Simons

    One year after Suriname’s current administration took office, parliamentary factions gathered this Thursday to assess the government’s first 12 months in power, delivering a spectrum of assessments ranging from cautious optimism to sharp criticism of unfulfilled campaign pledges. The debate, opened with an address to the National Assembly by Vice President Gregory Rusland, laid bare competing narratives about the government’s progress on core national priorities.

    Leading the ruling coalition’s assessment, NDP (National Democratic Party) faction leader Rabin Parmessar argued the current government inherited a nation grappling with cascading challenges across nearly every policy sector. In its first year, Parmessar said, the administration has prioritized stabilizing public finances and restructuring national debt, achievements he credited with restoring calm and social cohesion after years of tension. He noted that ethnic polarization, a long-running divisive force in Suriname’s politics, has diminished over the past year, and called for cross-party collaboration to advance the nation’s development. “There is no room for rigid divides between opposition and coalition here, because this work is about unlocking the vast natural wealth that belongs to all of Suriname,” Parmessar told the assembly.

    The largest opposition party, VHP (Vereenigde Hindoestaanse Partij), pushed back against the coalition’s positive framing. VHP representative Dew Sharman argued that while the current government inherited a more financially stable foundation thanks to the previous administration’s debt restructuring efforts, ordinary Surinamese citizens have yet to see tangible improvements in their daily lives. Sharman claimed that rates of violent crime and poverty have risen over the past year, leaving most households stuck in ongoing economic uncertainty. He added that the government’s signature campaign promise of “Kenki a Systeem” (Change the System) and its pledge to build a new culture of governance have so far failed to materialize in any visible way.

    NPS (Nationale Partij Suriname) faction leader Jerrel Pawiroredjo echoed the opposition’s concerns, framing the first year of government as a moment for reflection rather than celebration. Pawiroredjo voiced deep alarm over the rapid growth of violent organized crime, particularly in Suriname’s interior regions, saying a growing share of the public now believes the state is losing its authority in large swathes of the country. He pointed to illegal gold mining, drug trafficking, heavily armed criminal gangs, and what he called a broken immigration policy as key failures, and called on the administration to deliver a clear, actionable plan to reverse these dangerous trends.

    Other coalition-aligned parties offered more measured assessments. ABOP (Algemene Bevrijdings- en Ontwikkelingspartij) representative Edgar Sampie gave the government a “slight passing grade,” noting that while the administration has not yet delivered on all its goals, it has laid the critical groundwork for future progress. He urged coalition partners to continue protecting internal unity and collaborative decision-making. A20 faction leader Steven Reyme similarly called the first year “a good start,” pointing to restored financial stability, the launch of a national housing construction program, and accelerated processing of land title documents as early wins. Even so, Reyme shared concerns about insecurity in the interior, persistent underfunding of education and healthcare, a continuing brain drain of skilled Surinamese professionals, and the stalled implementation of long-planned decentralization reforms.

    BEP (Broederschap en Eenheid in de Politiek) faction leader Ronny Asabina argued the administration has not yet earned congratulations, noting that the cost of living remains unsustainably high for most Surinamese families, and economic conditions remain far too tight for working households. Even so, Asabina expressed hope that the government would deliver on its campaign promises in the coming years, so that the public can eventually benefit from the administration’s policy changes.

    Addressing the assembly in closing, Vice President Gregory Rusland acknowledged that one year is a short period to deliver sweeping change, but emphasized it has set a critical direction for Suriname’s long-term development. Rusland acknowledged the government inherited years of accumulated backlogs, unsustainable financial obligations, and long-standing administrative bottlenecks when it took office, rather than starting from a blank slate. Instead of avoiding these long-running problems, he said, the administration chose to take responsibility and address them head-on.

    Rusland framed the coalition’s greatest achievement not as any single infrastructure project or policy change, but as the successful establishment of a collaborative, collective governing culture. He noted that while the Council of Ministers holds vigorous, open debates on policy disagreements, all final decisions are made collectively by the coalition, avoiding the gridlock and partisan infighting that plagued previous administrations. Beyond governance reform, Rusland highlighted progress across a wide range of sectors: expanded social safety nets, investments in education and healthcare, renewed economic growth, improved diplomatic relations, new climate policy frameworks, and preliminary preparations for the development of Suriname’s emerging oil and gas sector. He also pointed to the launch of the national housing program as a key milestone that will deliver tangible benefits to working families in coming years.

    At the same time, Rusland openly acknowledged areas where improvement is needed: administrative procedures remain too slow, major projects need accelerated timelines, and collaboration between the executive branch and the National Assembly must be strengthened. For these reasons, he said, the first year of government is not an endpoint, but a solid foundation that the administration will build on over its remaining term. “We have not come as far as we would have liked in just 12 months, but we have proven that collaboration, national stability and responsible governance are possible for Suriname,” the vice president stressed.

  • Preparatory steps for the implementation of the new Haiti’s penal code and criminal procedure

    Preparatory steps for the implementation of the new Haiti’s penal code and criminal procedure

    On July 17, 2026, Haiti’s Ministry of Justice and Public Security kicked off a series of preparatory initiatives to roll out the country’s long-awaited new Penal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure, which are set to take legal effect on January 1, 2027. The official launch event, held under the unifying theme “Criminal Reform: A Collective Commitment to a New, Humane Justice System and a More Just Society”, drew a diverse cross-section of attendees, including senior government officials, core judicial system stakeholders, international technical and financial partners, law students, academic representatives from the State University of Haiti, and leaders of local civil society organizations.

    In his opening address, Justice and Public Security Minister Patrick Pélissier delivered a comprehensive progress update on the multiyear criminal legislation overhaul effort. He formally announced the rollout of a targeted train-the-trainer program designed to upskill all levels of judicial personnel across the country, framing the initiative as a non-negotiable foundation for the reform’s successful implementation. Minister Pélissier stressed that modernizing Haiti’s outdated legal framework is a critical prerequisite to boosting the justice system’s overall effectiveness, allowing it to meaningfully address the long-unmet expectations of the Haitian public.

    Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, who was represented at the conference by his Chief of Staff, underscored the transformative national significance of the new legal codes. He framed the adoption of the reforms as an assertion of Haitian sovereignty, designed to equip the nation with a judicial system that is aligned with 21st-century standards of efficiency and modernity. “This reform will contribute to consolidating the rule of law, strengthening institutions, and modernizing the judicial system,” the Prime Minister’s statement noted.

    Sabine Boucher, who chairs the Technical Coordination Committee tasked with developing the implementation training program, brought clarity to the cross-sector challenges the reform faces. She emphasized that the overhaul cannot be led exclusively by legal experts, calling for active mobilization of every stakeholder in the justice ecosystem and civil society — including judges, practicing attorneys, law enforcement officers, legal educators, and the next generation of legal professionals. Boucher argued that the quality of a nation’s legal codes cannot be established permanently through a single piece of legislation; instead, they evolve through critical application and informed adjustments, as law is a living structure continuously shaped by real-world practice and reasoned analysis. She closed by reiterating the urgent need to replace Haiti’s current criminal legislation, which dates back nearly 200 years, and adapt the national legal framework to meet the modern legal, social, and institutional needs of the country.

    Patrick Pierre-Louis, president of the Port-au-Prince Bar Association, highlighted the dual priorities of comprehensive judicial personnel training and maintaining transparency and credibility throughout the implementation process at the conference. He shared his optimistic expectation that the initiative would deliver tangible, transformative benefits for all of Haitian society.

    Speaking on behalf of the Embassy of Canada in Haiti, Jacob Gateau, Head of Mission and Political Advisor, reaffirmed Canada’s longstanding commitment to supporting Haitian authorities as they advance this rule of law-strengthening reform. Philippe Lamarche, representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Haiti, also welcomed the launch of preparatory activities, reiterating UNDP’s commitment to supporting the national reform commission and all local stakeholders involved in implementation. The initiative, he noted, is fully aligned with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16, which sets a global target for building inclusive, peaceful societies and strong rule of law institutions.

    As the launch makes clear, the January 1, 2027 entry into force of the new penal and criminal procedure codes marks a historic milestone for Haiti’s judicial system. The reform represents the Haitian government’s formal commitment to building a modern legal framework that delivers justice that is more effective, more humane, and centered on the needs of ordinary citizens.