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标签： Dominica

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  • CDB backs Grenada’s energy transition with financing for major battery storage project

    CDB backs Grenada’s energy transition with financing for major battery storage project

    Grenada is poised to deliver critical upgrades to its national electricity network and accelerate its shift to renewable energy, backed by a landmark collaborative financing initiative led by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). The multi-million dollar investment will fund the construction of a utility-scale Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at the country’s Maurice Bishop International Airport, a project designed to address longstanding grid stability gaps and remove barriers to wider clean energy adoption.

    The financing package brings together grant and loan commitments from a coalition of global development partners, coordinated through the CDB. The bank is managing a combined $3 million in grant funding contributed by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the European Union (EU). Complementing this grant support, the Government of Canada has committed a $5.7 million concessional loan through its Supporting Resilient Green Energy (SURGE) in the Caribbean programme. The World Bank is also contributing parallel financing to deliver complementary battery storage infrastructure and targeted grid modernization works, ensuring all new assets integrate seamlessly with Grenada’s existing energy network and align with the country’s long-term upgrade roadmap.

    CDB Director of Projects L. O’Reilly Lewis highlighted the collective impact of cross-institutional partnership in advancing shared climate and development goals. “This project is a powerful example of what can be achieved when multilateral banks, national governments and international development partners align around a common vision for a cleaner, more sustainable future,” Lewis said. “We are proud to lead this collaboration, and we expect this investment to deliver lasting gains for Grenada’s energy security and climate-smart economic development.”

    The EU emphasized that the investment is a core component of its broader commitment to supporting Caribbean energy transition under the bloc’s Global Gateway infrastructure initiative. Kyle Farnum, Energy Programme Manager at the EU Delegation to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean States and the OECS, noted that reliable, accessible power is the foundation of resilient national economies. “This BESS project does more than just expand Grenada’s renewable energy footprint – it guarantees that clean power is available when consumers and businesses need it most,” Farnum explained. “It is part of a comprehensive, long-term partnership between the EU and Grenada that spans multiple clean energy technologies, all aligned with our shared climate goals.”

    For the United Kingdom, energy storage is a non-negotiable building block for creating more resilient power systems across the Caribbean’s small island developing states, which are disproportionately vulnerable to climate change and volatile global fossil fuel markets. Tom Coward, UK Development Director for the Caribbean and Executive Director at the CDB, noted that the project advances the UK’s regional ambition to build low-carbon, climate-resilient energy infrastructure. “Energy storage is the critical missing link that unlocks the full potential of variable renewable energy sources like wind and solar, while keeping grids stable and strengthening long-term energy security,” Coward said. “For small island nations like Grenada, expanding storage capacity is a vital step to cut reliance on costly imported fossil fuels, boost climate resilience, and lay the groundwork for sustainable, secure economic growth.”

    Canada reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to supporting climate adaptation and mitigation across the Caribbean through the SURGE programme. Her Excellency Brenda Wills, High Commissioner of Canada to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, said the investment reflects Canada’s focus on delivering practical, climate-smart solutions that deliver tangible benefits for regional communities. “This $5.7 million investment in BESS supports Grenada’s goals to strengthen energy resilience and advance low-carbon development, while advancing our shared regional priorities to cut emissions and reduce climate risk,” Wills said. “Through partnerships with the CDB and other global institutions, Canada is working to advance sustainable growth across the Caribbean that puts community needs first.”

    Grenada’s government has welcomed the initiative as a transformative step toward meeting the country’s climate and energy security targets. Peron Johnson, Permanent Secretary in Grenada’s Ministry of Climate Resilience, the Environment and Renewable Energy, thanked the CDB and its partner institutions for their sustained investment in the country’s clean energy future. “This BESS project is a game-changing investment that will dramatically strengthen the reliability and resilience of our electricity grid, make it easier to integrate larger volumes of renewable energy, and move us closer to our national goal of cutting dependence on imported fossil fuels,” Johnson said. “It demonstrates just how much strategic, multi-stakeholder partnerships can achieve in advancing Grenada’s climate resilience, energy security and sustainable economic development, and brings us one step closer to a cleaner, more affordable and more reliable energy future for all Grenadians.”

    Per the CDB’s project framework, Grenada Electricity Services Limited (GRENLEC) will oversee on-the-ground implementation of the BESS project through a subcontracting model designed to build local operational capacity while upgrading the country’s core energy infrastructure. The initiative is part of a broader, long-term investment programme aimed at boosting the resilience, reliability and renewable energy capacity of Grenada’s entire energy sector. It also aligns with the priorities laid out in the CDB’s 2026-2035 Strategic Plan, which identifies investment in resilient, sustainable energy systems across the Caribbean as a core institutional priority.

  • DSC graduates urged to embrace lifelong learning as world rapidly changes

    DSC graduates urged to embrace lifelong learning as world rapidly changes

    Last week, more than 300 students crossed the commencement stage at Dominica State College (DSC), marking a major milestone in their academic journeys while receiving bold guidance on what comes next from environmental lawyer and keynote speaker Annika Bellot.

    Bellot challenged the 2026 graduating class to reframe their hard-earned degrees: instead of seeing the credential as the final destination of their education, she argued it is tangible proof that they have already mastered the most critical skill for a fast-shifting modern world: the ability to learn new things.

    In a stirring address that redefined common ideas of leadership and success, Bellot pushed back against the narrow focus on immediate employment that often shapes new graduates’ priorities. “Leadership itself is not just a title, it’s not a position, it’s not just standing on a podium or being placed on a program; leadership is the decision to live in a way that expands what other people believe is possible in this life,” she told the crowd of graduates, family, and faculty.

    She went on to urge graduates to look beyond the question of what job they can secure immediately after graduation, encouraging them to instead reflect on deeper questions: what kind of person they want to become, what spaces they need to enter to grow into that person, and what new skills, perspectives and conversations they need to pursue along the way.

    Bellot emphasized that the rapidly changing global landscape makes lifelong adaptability far more valuable than static knowledge. Industries shift, climate change reshape economies, technology redefines daily life, and artificial intelligence is already transforming the very nature of work, she noted. In this new world, she said, success will not go to those who only know how to complete a fixed set of tasks. Instead, the future will reward continuous learners: people who can adapt, think across disciplinary lines, communicate clearly, solve complex problems, and approach challenges with creative, unconventional thinking.

    Beyond professional preparedness, Bellot added that the emerging generation of Dominican nurses, teachers, entrepreneurs, public servants and community leaders must cultivate a lasting curiosity about the world around them to drive meaningful change across the island nation.

    Following Bellot’s keynote, DSC Interim President Trudy Christian reflected on the institution’s 23-year history of expanding access to education across Dominica. Though the college is still in what Christian called its “fledgling stage of adulthood,” she noted that it has already made extraordinary contributions to building human capital for every sector of the Dominican local economy.

    Unlike many specialized post-secondary institutions, DSC has structured its offerings to meet the diverse needs of Dominican learners: it currently delivers more than 30 distinct academic programs that combine technical and vocational education and training (TVET) with nursing education, teacher training, and a broad range of arts and science disciplines all under one institutional umbrella. Christian explained that beyond the annual cohort of full degree graduates, the college also boosts the employability of hundreds more community members each year through short courses and professional development training programs, all delivered by a team of roughly 140 full-time dedicated faculty and staff.

    Christian highlighted that the college’s work would not be possible without consistent investment and support from the Dominican government, private sector partners and a network of community collaborators, expressing deep gratitude for that ongoing backing. She also addressed public policymakers and institutional leaders who may grow frustrated by the slow pace of incremental progress when large long-term goals remain unmet. When policymakers ask what return they get on their investment in DSC, Christian said the impact of the institution cannot be measured in immediate, short-term gains. The work of the college is rooted in generational transformation and long-term national transformation – outcomes that will deliver lasting, meaningful glory for the entire nation, she emphasized.

    As a testament to DSC’s outsize impact on Dominican society, Christian noted that in 2026 alone, DSC alumni were selected as featured commencement speakers at nearly every secondary school graduation across the country. These invitations were extended to alumni specifically because of their proven contributions to Dominican society and their ability to inspire the next wave of young learners, Christian added, offering clear evidence that the college’s investment in students is rippling across generations.

  • Skerrit calls for broader regional approach to security at Martinique conference

    Skerrit calls for broader regional approach to security at Martinique conference

    From July 1 to 3, 2026, two landmark regional gatherings – the Antilles Regional Security Conference and the 19th Antilles-Guyane Regional Cooperation Conference (CCRAG) – convened at the Université des Antilles in Martinique, bringing together political leaders, security officials, and regional bloc representatives from across the Caribbean and beyond to address interconnected modern challenges and deepen cross-territory collaboration.

    Hosted by the Territorial Collectivity of Martinique (CTM) and overseen by France’s Ambassador-at-Large for Regional Cooperation in the Atlantic Region Arnaud Mentré, the conferences centered on a redefined vision of regional security, one that moves far beyond traditional law enforcement and countercrime frameworks. Opening the discussions, Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, a key voice for Caribbean small island states, emphasized that 21st-century security encompasses a broad spectrum of interconnected priorities that no single nation can tackle alone. “Security today must be viewed differently,” Skerrit told assembled delegates. “It extends well beyond policing and defense. It includes protecting our maritime borders, strengthening cybersecurity, securing energy and food systems, and building resilience to natural disasters. These issues are felt collectively, and our response must be fully integrated. We cannot speak about security in isolation. For countries like ours, security is inseparable from climate resilience and economic stability.” Skerrit’s call for a comprehensive, coordinated cross-regional approach resonated across the three days of talks, aligning with growing recognition among Caribbean nations of overlapping shared vulnerabilities.

    Territorial leaders used the gathering to advance both regional integration and domestic autonomy priorities. Martinique President Serge Letchimy framed regional integration as a cornerstone of the territory’s long-term economic growth, noting Martinique’s unique dual position as an outermost region of the European Union and a recent member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Letchimy called for renewed negotiations with France and the EU under the EU-ACP partnership framework to secure Martinique a stronger voice in trade negotiations between the Caribbean bloc and Europe. On the first day of the conference, Letchimy also oversaw the signing of a new agreement with the French central government to launch talks on expanding Martinique’s local legislative powers, a reform designed to increase the territory’s autonomous decision-making capacity while preserving its status within the French Republic. Echoing Letchimy’s call for deeper collaboration, he noted that shifting global supply chain realities leave Caribbean territories with no alternative but to build new partnerships: “We have no choice but to seek different supply chain pathways; we have no choice but to work with all the Caribbean countries in research and development, innovation and biodiversity.”

    Louis Mussington, President of the Collectivité of Saint Martin, echoed the call for governance structures tailored to local needs within the EU framework, and highlighted the urgency of cooperation amid rising global economic uncertainty. Saint Martin joined the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) in 2025, a step Mussington said reflected the growing importance of regional alignment. “Regional Caribbean cooperation never made as much sense as of now, given the rise of the economic insecurity sentiment in this global context,” Mussington said. “We need to be creative to imagine a multisectoral cooperation which takes into account our status.” He added that it was past time to resolve long-standing contradictions in regional governance: “It is time to go beyond paradoxes. It is time to modernize our working methods, for [the] convergence of our interests in the region supported by the reinforcement of our capacity of action.”

    Beyond security and governance, the conference also prioritized unlocking growth for the Caribbean’s creative economy. Saint Martin formally presented its long-planned proposal for a Caribbean Audiovisual and Cinema Network, to be hosted through the OECS. The initiative was first unveiled at the 49th OECS Commissioners Meeting in April 2026 and submitted to the OECS Authority for review in June 2026. OECS representatives also shared key findings from the 2025 OECS Creative Sector Survey during targeted workshops, data that will inform the development of the bloc’s new Orange Economy Strategy. The strategy aims to boost cross-regional collaboration across creative sectors, supporting joint production, improved access to financing, targeted skills development, and expanded distribution networks for Caribbean creative content. Patrick Sellin, representing the Regional Council of Guadeloupe, emphasized that meaningful regional integration cannot be mandated from above, but must be built through consistent, practical action: “Experience teaches us that regional integration cannot be decreed. It is built with consistency, confidence, and method. It relies on an affirmed political will, solid institutions, and projects useful to our populations.”

    The dedicated Antilles Regional Security Conference focused heavily on coordinated action to disrupt transnational drug trafficking and organized crime, bringing together senior officials from France, Caribbean and Latin American partner states, and major multilateral security bodies. Attendees included French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Overseas France Naïma Moutchou, and Minister Delegate to the French Minister of the Interior Jean-Didier Berger, alongside representatives from the Regional Security System (RSS), Association of Caribbean States (ACS), Organisation of American States (OAS), and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). French authorities used the conference to announce new plans to ramp up anti-drug trafficking operations across its Caribbean overseas territories and deepen operational cooperation with neighboring Caribbean nations. Officials also disclosed that nearly 52% of all drugs seized by France nationwide in 2025 – 42 tonnes of a total 81 tonnes – were intercepted in the Caribbean region, highlighting the critical role the area plays in global counter-narcotics efforts.

    By the conclusion of the conference on July 3, delegates had established new cross-border working groups focused on joint criminal investigations, judicial cooperation, and real-time intelligence sharing. The gathering closed with the formal adoption of the “Martinique Declaration,” a collective regional commitment to accelerating coordinated action against transnational criminal activity and advancing the integrated security agenda outlined by Skerrit and other regional leaders. The OECS was represented at the conferences by General Counsel Dwight Lay and Cooperation Officer Mendy Kilo.

  • Faustin hopes Newtown Youth Development initiative will inspire similar programmes across Dominica

    Faustin hopes Newtown Youth Development initiative will inspire similar programmes across Dominica

    On July 10, a landmark new initiative focused on uplifting young Dominicans officially entered its public phase: the Newtown Youth Development Program (NYDP), an ambitious non-profit movement built on decades of grassroots community work. At the official launch event, NYDP Chairman Joffre Faustin laid out the organization’s bold vision, noting that with consistent backing from community members and financial supporters, the program could set a benchmark for youth empowerment across the entire island nation.

    Faustin opened his address by emphasizing that the struggles facing Newtown’s young population are not isolated to this single community. Issues ranging from limited economic opportunity to harmful social behaviors impact neighborhoods across Dominica, he said, creating a widespread need for targeted, community-led intervention. It is this gap that NYDP aims to fill, with the long-term goal of inspiring replicated programs in every corner of the country. “It is therefore our hope that the Newtown Youth Development Program will serve as a model and an inspiration for similar initiatives across the country,” Faustin told attendees.

    To turn this vision into reality, Faustin stressed that the initiative will rely heavily on sustained partnership. Beyond one-time donations, the program needs ongoing generosity from private donors, corporate entities, and ordinary members of the public to fund its core operations and expand its reach. “We will depend greatly on the continued generosity of donors, corporate partners, and members of the public, whose financial contributions and other forms of support will be essential to our success,” he added.

    Far from being just another community organization, Faustin framed NYDP as a transformative social movement rooted in Newtown’s cultural and community identity. Its core missions include reviving the community’s historic connection to sports, shielding young people from harmful negative influences, and equipping the next generation with the tools they need to build stable, productive futures. While the official launch marked a key milestone, Faustin clarified that the bulk of the organization’s on-the-ground work is only just beginning.

    Looking ahead to the coming months, the first major initiative rolling out under the NYDP banner will be the distribution of donated supplies to young residents ahead of the new school year. Overseas partners have already contributed thousands of dollars worth of sports equipment, educational materials, and health supplies, all of which will be distributed directly to young people in the community. Parallel to this distribution effort, the NYDP team will continue fundraising to cover ongoing operational costs, roll out targeted development programming, and build broad buy-in across local communities.

    Faustin stressed that the scope of work ahead is substantial, and success cannot be achieved without widespread community commitment. Parents, local families, Newtown residents, and community members from surrounding areas all have a role to play in lifting the program and the young people it serves, he noted.

    The NYDP as it exists today was formally incorporated on August 30, 2025, but its origins stretch back more than 30 years to the 1993 founding of the Newtown Juvenile Football Academy. That early grassroots sports program expanded into the Newtown After-School Football Programme in 2017, and steady growth and community demand led organizers to expand the initiative into a full-spectrum youth development organization. A formal organizational constitution was adopted in December 2025, enshrining the group’s core mission: “the transformation of young lives through holistic development.”

    Faustin outlined the key social challenges the NYDP was created to address: drug and alcohol abuse, persistently high youth unemployment, rising rates of teenage pregnancy, growing school dropout numbers, increases in community crime and violence, and the steady decline of organized youth sports participation in Newtown. All these issues intersect to limit opportunity for young residents, and the NYDP aims to tackle them through a coordinated, holistic approach.

    Despite its formal launch only happening this month, the organization has already made significant progress on building its infrastructure. It has seated a fully functional executive committee and multiple specialized subcommittees, completed official non-profit registration, finalized governing bylaws, implemented strict financial accountability protocols, and arranged first aid certification training for active members. Most notably, it has already processed and taken delivery of more than $16,000 worth of donated sports, education, and health supplies from international partner organizations.

    Looking to the coming years, the NYDP has laid out an ambitious roadmap of projects. Key priorities include converting the former Roseau Boys’ School campus into a dedicated multi-purpose community center, upgrading underfunded local sporting facilities, securing scholarship funds and overseas training opportunities for high-potential young people, expanding structured mentorship and spiritual guidance programs, and partnering with faith-based and civic groups to deliver character development initiatives for youth of all ages.

    In his address, Faustin also took time to recognize the many individuals and organizations that made the launch possible. Longtime supporter Vivian Rene was singled out for praise, with more than 30 years of continuous support dating back to the original Newtown Juvenile Football Academy. The Roy Mason family was also recognized for their instrumental support that helped turn the small after-school football program into the full-scale NYDP initiative. Additional thanks went to the Dominica Lotteries Commission, AC Shillingford & Co. Ltd., and the dozens of other sponsors and donors whose financial backing made the official launch event possible.

    Speaking directly to the young people in attendance at the launch, Faustin issued a heartfelt call to action, urging youth to embrace the opportunities the program provides. “There are people—both here at home and abroad—who care deeply about you and are making sacrifices to ensure you can become better individuals,” he said. “Be appreciative of what is being done for you, take full advantage of the opportunities provided, and remain strong in the face of obstacles.”

    Faustin closed his address by calling for full community unity around the NYDP mission. “Let us commit ourselves to this cause. Let us work hand in hand. And let us ensure that when history looks back on this moment, it will say: This was the day Newtown began to rise again,” he said.

  • Antigua and Barbuda to table resolution on U.S. migrant transfer proposal as OECS seeks to coordinate regional response

    Antigua and Barbuda to table resolution on U.S. migrant transfer proposal as OECS seeks to coordinate regional response

    In a landmark move for governmental transparency, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda is set to present a landmark resolution to its House of Representatives on Wednesday, laying out binding guiding principles for any future negotiations surrounding the potential transfer of third-country nationals deported from the United States. This policy framework is crafted to balance ongoing diplomatic dialogue with the protection of the island nation’s core interests: its sovereign authority, domestic national security, standing legal obligations, limited administrative capacity, and critical national financial resources.

    In what administration officials frame as an unprecedented break from standard closed-door diplomatic negotiations, the government will also make public both the full original proposal submitted by the United States and Antigua and Barbuda’s formal official response to the plan. Government spokespersons confirmed to local outlet Antigua.news that this move makes Antigua and Barbuda the first nation involved in these regional discussions to release the full, unredacted documents to the public. Officials also used the announcement to clarify a key point: no binding bilateral agreement has been signed, and no final arrangement for transfers has been reached between the two governments.

    Prime Minister Gaston Browne emphasized that issues carrying such weighty legal, humanitarian, financial, and national security implications demand open debate and formal oversight from the nation’s elected parliament. “This Government believes that matters of such legal, humanitarian, financial and security importance must be handled openly and with respect for Parliament,” Browne stated in his official remarks. “By bringing the full proposal from the United States, and our response, before the House of Representatives, Antigua and Barbuda is demonstrating transparency and accountability, while maintaining our longstanding friendship and cooperation with the Government and people of the United States.”

    The resolution itself is structured to lay out clear, non-negotiable safeguards that will govern any future discussions, while preserving the executive branch’s authority to approve or reject any individual transfer request on a case-by-case basis. Key guiding principles outlined in the draft include a ban on automatic or open-ended transfer programs, no predetermined quota of individuals to be accepted, and a requirement for explicit prior government approval for every single proposed transfer.

    The proposed framework also adds that all comprehensive legal, operational, financial, and administrative arrangements must be finalized and agreed in formal writing before any transfer can move forward. The government has outlined a list of mandatory pre-transfer provisions that must be satisfied, including reliable identity verification, valid travel documentation, guaranteed accommodation, full funding for all related costs, clear defined legal status for individuals, rigorous security screenings, access to required support services, and formal agreements covering responsibility for any onward movement or return of individuals if needed.

    The negotiation process is not limited to Antigua and Barbuda, and has emerged as a coordinated regional issue for members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). During a OECS Heads of Government meeting held in January, regional leaders confirmed that the United States had approached five member states — Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia and St. Kitts and Nevis — with a proposal to accept third-country nationals removed from U.S. territory. Leaders also noted that a small number of countries had already signed non-legally binding memoranda of understanding to enable further exploratory talks with U.S. officials.

    Rather than pursuing separate, individual negotiations with Washington, the OECS member states agreed to form a unified, broad-based high-level negotiating team made up of representatives from all participating member states to conduct technical discussions with the U.S. side. The regional bloc noted that this collective approach ensures all participating nations can implement consistent common standards and protective safeguards, while collectively addressing shared legal, security, financial, and humanitarian concerns across the region.

    Other participating nations have already begun outlining their own national safeguards for any potential arrangement. Earlier this year, the government of Dominica released a public statement clarifying that any existing understanding with Washington is non-binding, and reserves full discretion for the Dominica government to accept or reject any individual transfer proposal. Dominica’s framework also requires extensive screening for every proposed individual, and mandates that the United States retain full responsibility for all funding, transportation, documentation, and other operational requirements before any transfer can proceed. Like Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda has previously emphasized that its own non-binding preliminary understanding with the U.S. has not been put into effect, and no arrangements have been finalized to receive third-country nationals. Antiguan officials have repeatedly stressed that any future transfers would require rigorous vetting, and the nation will not accept any individual with a criminal background.

    Discussions around the proposal have also advanced to the broader Caribbean Community (CARICOM) level. During a recent CARICOM Heads of Government meeting held in Saint Lucia just last week, regional leaders acknowledged shared concerns over the limited administrative and infrastructural capacity of small island developing states to manage the transit of third-country nationals. Leaders stressed that any future arrangements must not compromise the national security of participating states, nor divert scarce public resources away from domestic programs that serve local citizens. They also clarified a key point of context: the proposed memoranda are intended to facilitate the transit of eligible individuals onward to their home countries, rather than enabling permanent resettlement of these individuals in Caribbean participating states.

    While the Browne administration has repeatedly reaffirmed Antigua and Barbuda’s long-standing close friendship and diplomatic cooperation with the United States, it has consistently maintained that the government holds a constitutional duty to prioritize and protect the interests of its own citizens. Administration officials noted that Wednesday’s parliamentary debate and resolution are designed to embed democratic oversight, full transparency, and formal parliamentary approval into all future policy decisions on this issue, while protecting the nation’s institutions, limited public resources, and domestic social stability.

  • Seniors must be protected from financial exploitation and abuse, DCOA official says

    Seniors must be protected from financial exploitation and abuse, DCOA official says

    As populations across the globe grapple with shifting demographic landscapes, the question of how to honor and protect aging populations has moved to the forefront of public discourse in Dominica. In a recent panel discussion hosted by the Dominica Council on Ageing (DCOA) at the Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU) headquarters, stakeholders gathered to unpack the legal frameworks and social responsibilities that surround the welfare of the island nation’s older adults.

    Following the dialogue, Cecil Shillingford, Chairman of DCOA’s Education and Health Committee, outlined a clear, urgent call to action: the country’s seniors must be shielded from systemic neglect, interpersonal abuse, and predatory financial scams, so that they may spend their final years with the dignity they have earned.

    Shillingford emphasized that generations of older Dominicans laid the foundation for the modern, thriving society the nation enjoys today. Decades of hard work, community building, and sacrifice from today’s seniors transformed Dominica into the better place it is for current and future generations, he argued. Now, as advancing age limits their ability to fend for themselves, every segment of society — from immediate family members to the broader public — has a moral obligation to step up and ensure their twilight years are marked by comfort, joy, and good health.

    At the core of Shillingford’s message is the need for proactive protection against exploitation. He warned that bad actors regularly target vulnerable older adults, seeking to steal their life savings and precious personal possessions through deceptive schemes. Beyond financial fraud, he highlighted the urgent need to shield seniors from all forms of harm, including physical violence, emotional manipulation, and psychological abuse, as well as harmful neglect by caregivers and family.

    Beyond protection from harm, Shillingford stressed that robust legal safeguards are non-negotiable to uphold the fundamental rights and independence of older adults. These legal protections must do more than just penalize abuse; they need to guarantee unfettered access to quality healthcare, ensure access to critical social services, and preserve two core rights that all people deserve regardless of age: the right to personal privacy, and the right to self-determination when making choices about their own lives and care.

    The panel discussion comes as part of broader efforts by DCOA to raise public awareness about elder rights, and push for stronger policy and social support systems that meet the growing needs of Dominica’s aging population.

  • OP-ED: Guyana’s candidate for top UN post receives backing of Caribbean leaders

    OP-ED: Guyana’s candidate for top UN post receives backing of Caribbean leaders

    Leaders of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have closed ranks behind Guyana’s nominee Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett for the 10th United Nations Secretary-General position, but internal divisions within the regional bloc have cast uncertainty over a unified regional front for the high-profile global role, as small Caribbean nations brace for outsized geopolitical impacts from the race’s outcome.

    The endorsement came at CARICOM’s 51st regular heads of government summit, where regional leaders formally backed Rodrigues-Birkett’s candidacy in an official communiqué. Nominated by Guyana on June 15, 2026, her selection as the bloc’s consensus candidate marks a major diplomatic win for the South American Caribbean nation.

    Rodrigues-Birkett’s three-part policy vision, which she laid out to attending leaders at the summit, won widespread support across the bloc. Her agenda is anchored in upholding the core principles laid out in the UN Charter, reforming the body’s institutional structures to boost agility, accountability and effectiveness amid a rapidly shifting global order, and uniting member states around renewed multilateral collaboration to deliver more consistent progress across the UN’s three core pillars: peace and security, human rights, and sustainable development.

    Despite the formal bloc-wide endorsement, the path to a unified CARICOM position is not fully resolved. Another CARICOM member state, Antigua and Barbuda, has already nominated its own candidate for the role: H.E. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, an Ecuadorian former diplomat who entered the race on May 11, 2026.

    Shortly after the summit concluded, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne reaffirmed his government’s continued support for Espinosa Garcés, noting that CARICOM now has two highly qualified candidates in the running for the top UN job. This stance directly contradicts the formal summit communiqué’s call for unified regional backing, exposing lingering splits within the 14-member bloc over the selection process. The divide comes even though CARICOM’s founding Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas requires member states to coordinate their foreign policy positions on global issues.

    As the race for the UN’s top role enters its final phase with multiple candidates competing, the stakes could not be higher for CARICOM’s small island and coastal states. The current Secretary-General António Guterres’ second and final five-year term will expire in December 2026, with his successor set to take office in January 2027. The incoming leader will inherit a UN mid-way through comprehensive reform, operating amid unprecedented geopolitical tension that has strained the post-WWII international order.

    Guterres has recently warned that the existing 80-year-old rules-based global system is being displaced by a ‘law of the jungle’, a shift that small states like CARICOM’s members are uniquely vulnerable to. Caribbean nations are disproportionately exposed to risks stemming from the erosion of multilateralism and international law, leaving their sovereign influence and future stability uncertain in the current geopolitical climate.

    Against this backdrop, CARICOM member states universally recognize that the outcome of the Secretary-General race will shape nearly every core priority of their foreign policy, as the next UN chief will play a defining role in efforts to reset and strengthen the global body. This analysis, written by Nand C. Bardouille, Ph.D., manager of The Diplomatic Academy of the Caribbean at The University of the West Indies St. Augustine Campus in Trinidad and Tobago, reflects solely the author’s own views.

  • COMMENTARY: A New Narrative for Agriculture – An Essential Debate in the 21st Century

    COMMENTARY: A New Narrative for Agriculture – An Essential Debate in the 21st Century

    For generations, the prevailing conversation around economic progress across Latin America has centered on a long-held assumption: meaningful development requires industrialization, rapid urbanization, and a departure from natural resource-based economies. In this outdated framework, agriculture was dismissed as a low-value traditional sector—merely a source of cheap raw materials and affordable food, capable of supporting growth but never leading deep, systemic economic transformation. Today, that long-standing perspective is being completely upended by sweeping global shifts.

    The global agri-food system is undergoing a fundamental structural restructuring, reshaping everything from how food is cultivated and energy is generated to how natural resources are managed and innovation is scaled. In this new global landscape, agriculture is no longer a stagnant primary sector; it has evolved into a strategic, knowledge-based platform anchored in cutting-edge science and technology. This paradigm shift carries unique weight for Latin America and the Caribbean: the region stands on the cusp of a once-in-a-generation economic opportunity, but unlocking it requires abandoning outdated mindsets and redefining agriculture’s role in national development strategies.

    Global demand trends leave no room for doubt: the world’s population is on track to approach 10 billion by 2050, and rapid expansion of the urban middle class across Asia and Africa is driving soaring demand for higher-protein food, specialized agricultural products, and diverse supply chains. Joint estimates from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) project that global food demand will rise by roughly 50% by mid-century. Unlike the agricultural expansions of the past, however, this growth must happen against a backdrop of intensifying constraints: per capita arable land availability is steadily declining, freshwater resources face unprecedented pressure, and climate change is increasing the frequency of extreme weather events that disrupt production and create market uncertainty.

    The core challenge facing global agriculture today is no longer simply increasing output—it is producing more food and goods while using fewer resources and dramatically shrinking the sector’s environmental footprint. The good news is that 21st-century agriculture has access to transformative tools that were unimaginable even 30 years ago. Breakthroughs ranging from biotechnology and gene editing to precision agriculture, artificial intelligence, remote sensing, robotics, and big data analytics are completely rewiring traditional production systems. The iconic image of a farmer making decisions based solely on generations of accumulated experience is being replaced by a new model: every step of production is now optimized with satellite imagery, predictive climate models, digital management platforms, and AI-powered tools that cut waste and boost yields.

    In this new era, agricultural competitiveness no longer hinges on how much unutilized natural resources a region holds. Instead, success depends increasingly on a region’s ability to generate, adapt, and deploy cutting-edge knowledge to solve modern challenges. By that measure, Latin America is uniquely positioned to lead this global transition. The region holds a large share of the world’s remaining arable land and freshwater reserves, and has already established itself as one of the globe’s top net food exporters. Over the past few decades, it has also made major strides in agricultural technological advancement.

    Countries including Brazil and Argentina have paced some of the world’s fastest agricultural productivity growth in recent decades. Brazil turned the once-inhospitable Cerrado savanna into a productive agricultural heartland through targeted applied research and adaptation of technology to tropical growing conditions. Argentina led the global expansion of no-till farming, and has achieved some of the world’s highest adoption rates for biotechnology and precision agriculture tools. These gains were no accident: they grew out of long-term sustained investment in agricultural research, strong public institutions dedicated to knowledge generation, and deep collaborative partnerships between the public and private sectors.

    Even with these technological advances, a troubling paradox remains. While modern agriculture grows increasingly technologically sophisticated, much of the public and political discourse in Latin America still frames the sector through 20th-century lenses. Agriculture is still too often portrayed exclusively as an extractive, low-complexity activity that conflicts with environmental protection. This gap between reality and public perception carries tangible costs: it blocks consensus-building around strategic policy, discourages long-term investment in the sector, and prevents policymakers from designing frameworks aligned with 21st-century challenges. Crucially, the debate does not need to be framed as a choice between agricultural production and environmental sustainability. Precisely because agriculture depends on healthy natural resources to thrive, the sector has strong inherent incentives to protect ecosystems and improve resource management.

    Adoption of new digital and biotechnological tools already allows producers to cut input use, boost water use efficiency, and reduce post-harvest production losses. Practices such as no-till farming and regenerative agricultural systems also increase carbon sequestration in soils, helping mitigate climate change while improving soil health.

    This shift naturally leads to the rise of the bioeconomy, a transformative concept that is redefining agriculture’s role in the global economy. The bioeconomy leverages biological resources, modern science, and cutting-edge technology to produce far more than food: it delivers renewable energy, sustainable biomaterials, bioplastics, specialized biomolecules, and a wide range of low-carbon industrial products. In short, it aims to gradually replace fossil fuel-based materials and production processes with renewable, biologically based alternatives.

    For Latin America, this transition unlocks extraordinary economic and social opportunities. Unlike knowledge-intensive manufacturing and tech industries that tend to cluster in large urban centers, most bioeconomic activities rely on biomass distributed across rural and regional territories. This creates new pathways for investment, job creation, and value addition in peripheral and intermediate regions that have long been left behind by urban-centric development models. As such, the bioeconomy can become a powerful tool for balanced territorial development, helping narrow regional economic disparities and create new opportunities for historically marginalized rural communities.

    But unlocking this potential requires far more than leveraging the region’s natural advantages. It demands modern, forward-thinking public policies, large-scale sustained investment in agricultural science and technology, clear and adaptive regulatory frameworks, and a shared cross-sector strategic vision for the sector’s future.

    Ultimately, the biggest challenge facing Latin America today is not just expanding agricultural production—it is changing how the region thinks about agriculture. It requires building a new national and regional narrative that recognizes 21st-century agriculture is far more than just a source of export revenue, and aligning policy and investment actions with that new reality. Historic economic opportunities do not come along often, and the global transformation of agri-food systems represents exactly that for Latin America. The question is no longer whether the region has the natural and human resources to play a leading global strategic role. The real question is whether it can build the conceptual, political, and institutional vision needed to fully harness this once-in-a-generation potential.

  • CARICOM delegation heads to London for key reparations discussions

    CARICOM delegation heads to London for key reparations discussions

    After more than a decade of relentless advocacy that has steadily shifted global and public opinion, the CARICOM Reparations Commission (CRC) is bringing its campaign for reparatory justice for the transatlantic slave trade directly to the United Kingdom this week, with a four-day diplomatic and outreach mission running from July 13 to 16.

    Organized in partnership with the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London’s School of Advanced Study, the trip is designed to do more than just restate the Caribbean region’s longstanding demands. According to a public statement released by the Institute of the Black World (IBW), a key supporting organization for the mission, the delegation will focus on deepening existing strategic partnerships, expanding public awareness of the harms of chattel slavery, and mobilizing broader civil society engagement behind the reparations agenda.

    Leading the high-profile delegation is CRC Chair Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, joined by a cohort of senior regional and global reparations leaders. The group includes Dorbrene O’Marde, head of the Antigua and Barbuda Reparations Support Commission and CRC Vice Chair; Eric Phillips, another CRC Vice Chair who leads the Guyana Reparations Committee; Professor Verene Shepherd, who also holds a vice chair role on the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination; Barbados’ Ambassador to CARICOM David Comissiong; and Dr. Ron Daniels, convener of the U.S.-based National African Reparations Commission.

    The UK mission comes at a pivotal moment for the global reparations movement, marked by a string of historic breakthroughs that have pushed the issue from a marginalized demand to a core global human rights conversation. Since the CRC was founded 12 years ago, the body has led a sustained regional campaign of advocacy and public education that has kept demands for reparatory justice anchored on the international policy agenda.

    Momentum has accelerated sharply in recent years. In 2024, at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held in Apia, Samoa, CARICOM secured a landmark agreement: Commonwealth leaders formally acknowledged that the time has come for open, truthful and respectful dialogue to build a more equitable future that addresses the legacy of slavery. This marked the first time the bloc had explicitly backed such a conversation, representing a major diplomatic win for the Caribbean campaign.

    Public opinion in the UK, one of the key former colonial powers that profited from the transatlantic slave trade, is also shifting toward supporting redress. IBW cited a 2025 national poll conducted by The Repair Campaign, which surveyed 2,000 UK adults. The data showed 63% of respondents now back a formal government apology to Caribbean nations and the descendants of enslaved Africans, a four percentage point increase from 2024 polling. Support for financial compensation also rose by four points over the same period, reaching 40% of UK adults.

    Global institutional progress has also moved rapidly this year. In March 2026, the United Nations General Assembly passed a groundbreaking resolution led by Ghana that formally categorized the transatlantic trafficking of enslaved Africans and the system of chattel slavery as the gravest crime against humanity in modern history. That resolution set the stage for a high-level global consultative conference on reparations held in Accra, Ghana this past June, where government representatives, international organization officials, legal scholars and civil society leaders gathered to draft a shared framework for advancing reparatory action. The conference was widely described as a historic turning point for Africans and people of African descent worldwide.

    Just weeks before the UK mission, CARICOM’s own regional leaders reinforced their commitment to the cause. Earlier this month, CARICOM heads of government formally approved an updated version of the bloc’s core policy document, the CARICOM Ten Point Plan for Reparatory Justice: A Manifesto for the Coming Enlightenment. The revised framework frames reparations as an urgent global human rights imperative, and leaders backed a suite of new initiatives to advance the regional agenda.

    The CRC’s UK visit is intended to build on this wave of progress, cementing cross-border alliances and ensuring Caribbean demands for redress for the harms of slavery remain a top priority in global political and civil society discourse.

  • ECCB records second-highest profit in its history, says Governor Antoine

    ECCB records second-highest profit in its history, says Governor Antoine

    The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) has closed out its most recent financial year with one of the strongest performances in its institutional history, delivering a profit of EC$121.6 million that marks the second-highest annual gain the central bank has ever recorded. While the figure represents a slight pullback from the all-time record of EC$126.1 million posted in the previous financial year, ECCB Governor Timothy Antoine has emphasized that the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union’s core financial foundations remain solid, even as households and businesses across the bloc continue to grapple with persistent cost-of-living challenges.

    Antoine shared the results during the recent ECCB Monetary Council meeting hosted in Dominica, where he addressed the three most pressing concerns on the minds of residents across the currency union: the strength of the Eastern Caribbean (EC) dollar, the security of personal savings, and the trajectory of rising living costs.

    When responding directly to public concerns, Antoine offered clear reassurance on the first two issues. “Our EC dollar remains exceptionally strong,” he stated, noting that the currency is backed by foreign reserves covering 97.61% of its value — far exceeding the 60% statutory minimum requirement mandated for the union. Total foreign reserves across the bloc have now climbed to $5.9 billion, providing robust, ongoing support for the currency.

    “A strong currency requires a strong central bank. I am therefore pleased to report that the central bank is financially strong,” Antoine added, confirming that personal savings held across the region’s financial system are fully secure. He also noted that the regional banking sector maintains strong capital and liquidity buffers that keep the system stable and resilient, though he acknowledged that customer service across the industry requires significant improvement to meet public expectations.

    On the question of easing cost-of-living pressures, Antoine offered a more mixed assessment. Inflation across the currency union has moderated in recent months, bringing some relief to household budgets, but he acknowledged that many families and small businesses still continue to feel the strain of elevated prices. Even with this ongoing pressure, he stressed that the long-term structural strength of the currency union remains unshaken.

    Looking forward, the ECCB projects steady regional economic growth of approximately 2.8% for both this year and next, with the tourism and construction sectors continuing to act as the primary engines of expansion across the bloc. The central bank also reported that private sector credit grew by 5.8% last year, driven by a 10.1% jump in business lending and a 3.3% rise in household credit. This growth indicates that more local businesses and residents are gaining access to financing needed to fund investments, expand operations, and create new jobs across the region.

    In a final disclosure, Antoine confirmed that credit card debt across the currency union rose by 1.7% to reach EC$328.8 million, a small uptick that comes even as overall inflation has slowed in recent months. This modest increase signals that some households are still relying on consumer credit to cover everyday expenses amid lingering cost pressures.