Carib Scope

标签： Suriname

苏里南

  • BOG intensiveert bestrijding van chikungunya in delen van Blauwgrond

    BOG intensiveert bestrijding van chikungunya in delen van Blauwgrond

    Public health authorities in Blauwgrond are ramping up mosquito-borne disease response, launching a targeted chikungunya control initiative across residential districts of the region next week. The Bureau for Public Health (Bureau voor Openbare Gezondheidszorg, BOG) will deploy specialized spraying vehicles, commonly referred to as dengue trucks, to treat affected areas during the operation, scheduled to run from May 25 to May 29.

    Chikungunya is a viral infection transmitted almost exclusively by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the same vector that carries dengue and Zika viruses. Common symptoms of the disease include sudden high fever, severe joint pain that can persist for weeks or months, debilitating headaches, and extreme fatigue. Public health officials emphasize that vector control remains the most effective measure to slow transmission, particularly during wet seasons when standing water creates ideal breeding grounds for Aedes mosquitoes. Rainy periods amplify transmission risk, making proactive intervention critical to preventing larger outbreaks.

    All spraying operations will be conducted between 5:00 PM and 9:00 PM local time, with a pre-planned route covering different neighborhoods each day to ensure full coverage of high-risk areas. On Monday, May 25, teams will treat Surivillage 3, the Sabaku Project area, the Zusterproject district, Papayafowrustraat, Morgenstondstraat, Anton Drachtenweg, Powisistraat, Bonistraat, Tweekinderweg, Mr. R.W. Thurkowstraat, and all connecting side streets in these zones. The following day, Tuesday May 26, crews will move to the district surrounding Kleinestraat, Wolframstraat, Granietstraat, and Kristalstraat. On Thursday, May 28, operations will return to Granietstraat, Wolframstraat, and Kristalstraat, adding the districts of Johannes Vermeerstraat and Picassostraat to the schedule. The final day of spraying, Friday May 29, will cover Picassostraat, Johannes Vermeerstraat, Leo Heinemanstraat, Plutostraat, Aidastraat, and all adjacent side streets.

    To protect resident safety during the spraying operation, BOG has issued a series of clear precautionary guidelines for local communities. The agency advises residents to leave windows and doors open during spraying to ensure maximum penetration of the treatment into outdoor-adjacent spaces, while covering all human food and drinking water stored in open areas and securing caged pet birds to avoid exposure. After spraying is complete, all remaining food and drinking water intended for household pets should be discarded and replaced with fresh supplies. BOG also recommends that infants and people with pre-existing respiratory conditions stay in fully enclosed indoor spaces during spraying operations, and that all clothing left outside be brought indoors and stored away before treatment begins.

    The operation remains weather-dependent: all scheduled spraying will be canceled if heavy rain occurs, as precipitation negates the effectiveness of insecticide treatment. Residents are advised to monitor local updates for schedule changes in case of adverse weather.

  • Samenwerking en innovatie versterken duurzame landbouw

    Samenwerking en innovatie versterken duurzame landbouw

    On May 23, a hands-on training program focused on modern crop protection strategies and innovative agricultural technology wrapped up in Para District, bringing new practical skills and sustainable production insights to 31 farmers from Uitkijkpolder and surrounding areas. Designed to boost both productivity and environmental sustainability in local agricultural production, the program was jointly organized by four stakeholders: Frits Fresh Impex, RamBhai Impex, HJ-Agro N.V., and the WUSC Sustainable Agriculture in the Caribbean Project. The entire training session was hosted on the personal plot of experienced agricultural expert Frits Bechoe, located along Ds. Martin Luther Kingweg.

    Unlike traditional classroom-only agricultural training, the program integrated theoretical instruction with on-site field practice, giving farmers the chance to translate new knowledge directly into actionable skills. Agronomist Shaniza Pirbux led the first segment of the training, delivering a detailed walkthrough of the safe and responsible application of crop protection products. She emphasized several core practices that are often overlooked by small-scale local producers: accurately reading chemical labels to understand usage requirements, measuring precise dosages to avoid over-application that harms both soil and produce, using required personal protective equipment to safeguard farmers’ health, and implementing rotation strategies to prevent pests and pathogens from developing resistance to common control measures.

    Even steady rainy weather did not dampen participants’ enthusiasm for hands-on learning. After completing the indoor theoretical session, the entire group moved out into the field to observe and practice the pest and disease control methods Pirbux outlined, working through real on-farm scenarios together to deepen their understanding.

    In the second half of the training, Veldhuizen from GeoDrone Solutions introduced participants to the cutting-edge application of drone technology for precision agriculture. He explained how modern drones paired with specialized agricultural mapping software can quickly identify hidden drainage issues across large plots, map variations in soil moisture content, and pinpoint uneven crop growth that would be difficult to spot from the ground. This data-driven approach allows farmers to target water, fertilizer, and pest control interventions exactly where they are needed, cutting input costs while boosting overall crop yields. For participating smallholder farmers, exposure to this innovative technology opens up new pathways to transition to more efficient, sustainable production models that align with global and regional goals for low-impact agriculture.

  • Minstens 90 doden bij gasexplosie in Chinese kolenmijn

    Minstens 90 doden bij gasexplosie in Chinese kolenmijn

    A devastating gas explosion at the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan District, Shanxi Province, northern China, has claimed at least 90 lives, marking the deadliest mining disaster the country has seen in more than 15 years. According to state-run news outlet Xinhua, 247 workers were operating underground at the time of the blast, which occurred on Friday evening. The explosion was triggered shortly after a carbon monoxide alert was issued, with multiple reports indicating that gas concentrations at the mine had already exceeded regulated safe limits before the incident. Chinese state broadcaster CGTN confirmed that local authorities have launched a full investigation into the root causes of the disaster and have already taken the mine’s lead safety supervisor into custody. Following the tragedy, Chinese President Xi Jinping issued an urgent directive calling on local and national government bodies to draw urgent lessons from the fatal incident. He emphasized that all regions and relevant agencies must maintain constant vigilance over workplace safety standards, conduct thorough inspections to identify and address hidden hazards across high-risk industries, and enforce strict prevention measures to stop major accidents from occurring. As China’s core coal-producing region, Shanxi churned out more than 1 billion tons of coal last year, accounting for nearly one-third of the country’s total national output. China holds the title of the world’s largest coal producer and consumer, responsible for more than half of global coal consumption. While the country is also the world’s top annual emitter of greenhouse gases, it has poured billions of dollars in recent years into expanding renewable energy capacity to transition away from fossil fuels. Hundreds of rescue workers have remained on site in the days following the explosion, continuing search operations for any potential survivors. Footage and images from the disaster zone show dozens of ambulances lined up near the mine entrance as emergency operations proceed. Over the past two decades, China has made notable progress in improving coal mine safety across the country, implementing stricter regulatory frameworks and mandating upgraded safety protocols that have cut annual mining fatalities sharply. Even so, this latest tragedy makes clear that severe, life-threatening risks remain pervasive in the industry. The early arrest of the mine’s senior safety official underscores the Chinese government’s stated commitment to holding accountable parties responsible for safety failures and rooting out corruption that often allows unsafe operating practices to continue in the high-risk sector. The fatal disaster has refocused international and domestic attention on the ongoing challenge China faces in balancing rapid economic growth, worker safety, and ambitious climate policy as the world’s largest coal producer.

  • Bouwprijzen stijgen gemiddeld met 7,2 procent op jaarbasis

    Bouwprijzen stijgen gemiddeld met 7,2 procent op jaarbasis

    Preliminary data released by the Algemeen Bureau voor de Statistiek (ABS), Suriname’s central statistics agency, shows that average construction prices in the country increased by 7.2% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, following a multi-year period of extreme price volatility in the sector. Compared to the final quarter of 2025, the quarterly price increase was far more muted, hitting just 0.1%, a sign of slowing momentum in construction inflation.

    The ABS constructs the national Bouwprijsindex (Construction Price Index, BPI), a key metric that tracks average price changes for all goods and services used across the domestic construction industry. In Q1 2026, the index reached 1236.9 points, up slightly from 1235.6 points recorded in the fourth quarter of 2025, and a notable climb from 1154.2 points in the same quarter a year earlier.

    To compile this index, ABS analysts collect price data from approximately 50 fixed measurement points across the urban districts of Paramaribo and Wanica. The index’s basket of monitored goods and services includes 107 separate items, grouped into 16 core categories ranging from structural steel and concrete works, carpentry, masonry, and paving to labor costs.

    Breakdowns of the latest quarterly data reveal broad-based price increases across multiple sub-sectors of construction. Compared to Q1 2025, the sharpest upward moves in index readings were recorded in carpentry, masonry and concrete pouring, plumbing installations, electrical work, and drainage construction. Structural steel and concrete works also remained at historically high price levels, the data confirmed.

    Beyond the current quarter readings, the new ABS figures highlight a clear trend of gradual stabilization in construction prices after the extreme swings the sector experienced over the past three years. In 2023, annual construction inflation hit more than 50%, driven by widespread supply chain disruptions and input cost shocks. That dramatic surge was followed by an 8.3% year-on-year drop in construction prices in 2024, before a 10.7% annual increase was registered across 2025. The smaller 7.2% rise in Q1 2026 marks a further cooling from the 2025 full-year pace.

    ABS also noted a key methodological note for the index: labor cost components do not rely on separate separate price surveys, and the share of labor in overall construction costs is held constant for all calculations to maintain consistency in trend tracking. The next public release of the Construction Price Index is scheduled for July 31, 2026.

  • Finabank ziet sterke groei in kredietverlening en winst over 2025

    Finabank ziet sterke groei in kredietverlening en winst over 2025

    Against a backdrop of persistent global and regional macroeconomic headwinds, Suriname’s leading financial institution Finabank has closed out the 2025 fiscal year with stronger-than-expected financial performance, solidifying its position as one of the country’s fastest-growing domestic banks. The landmark results were officially announced during the bank’s annual General Meeting of Shareholders, where leadership confirmed double-digit growth across all core business metrics, including loan portfolio size, total profit, and aggregate assets.

    Finabank’s total loan portfolio expanded to 12.4 billion Surinamese dollars (SRD), translating to an inflation-adjusted real growth rate of 43% year-over-year. This substantial expansion allowed the bank to grow its market share in domestic lending from 27.9% to 29.5%, extending its lead over competing institutions. Total assets of the bank surged to SRD 28.5 billion, while total customer deposits and entrusted funds climbed to SRD 21.4 billion. Most notably, net profit for the full 2025 fiscal year reached SRD 482 million, marking an 84% increase compared to the prior year’s results.

    Bank leadership attributes the outstanding performance to sustained stakeholder and customer confidence, paired with the institution’s long-term strategic focus on customer-centric service offerings, widespread digital transformation, and rigorous risk management. Despite broad credit market volatility, Finabank’s non-performing loan ratio held steady at just 0.82%, far below the maximum threshold set by the Central Bank of Suriname. The bank’s solvency ratio also hit a strong 18.2%, underscoring its robust financial stability.

    Operational efficiency also saw marked improvement over the fiscal year. Finabank’s cost-income ratio fell from 53% to 43.6%, a reduction driven by strong revenue growth, disciplined cost control measures, and ongoing optimization of internal business processes.

    On the digital innovation front, 2025 brought major milestones for Finabank. The bank rolled out a phased launch of an upgraded mobile banking platform for retail customers, and made significant capital investments in modern digital payment infrastructure. It also completed system integrations to support streamlined BNets, VISA, and Mastercard payments through point-of-sale terminals, as well as connectivity to the SWIFT for Corporates platform to better serve business clients.

    Beyond operational and financial gains, Finabank secured two major industry certifications in 2025: ISO/IEC 27001 information security certification and Top Employer accreditation, recognizing its strong workplace standards. Regional credit rating agency CariCRIS also reaffirmed the bank’s strong A+/A credit rating, and the institution finalized a $15 million lending facility in partnership with IDB Invest to support future growth.

    Looking ahead to the 2026–2028 period, Finabank has unveiled a new corporate strategy centered on accelerating digital transformation, driving sustainable inclusive growth, and strengthening organizational capacity. The bank is positioning itself to meet the expected rise in financing demand across the Surinamese economy, particularly driven by rapid development in the country’s offshore oil and gas sector. At the same time, leadership emphasized that Finabank remains fully prepared to navigate ongoing macroeconomic risks and elevated market volatility that will likely persist through the current period of economic transition.

  • Bolivia: ‘Humanitaire corridors’ om blokkades te passeren te midden van protesten

    Bolivia: ‘Humanitaire corridors’ om blokkades te passeren te midden van protesten

    Weeks of escalating political and social unrest across Bolivia have prompted the national government to announce a targeted intervention: starting Saturday, security forces will open dedicated humanitarian corridors in the department of La Paz to restore the flow of desperately needed essential goods through road networks blockaded by mass protests. The announcement, made publicly by administration officials on Friday, comes after a grassroots protest movement that began with small-scale strikes in early May ballooned into a nationwide uprising, drawing participation from labor unions, mining workers, transport employees, and rural communities.

    Protesters have coalesced around two core demands: rolling back President Rodrigo Paz’s controversial austerity agenda designed to stabilize public finances, and taking urgent action to address skyrocketing living costs that have eroded household purchasing power across the country. For many demonstrators, anger over economic hardship has grown into calls for the president to step down entirely. The ongoing instability has already drawn international concern, with the United States flagging worries about regional security in the Andean nation.

    In a press briefing confirming the new initiative, Bolivia’s Interior Minister Marco Antonio Oviedo emphasized that the operation to open the corridors would proceed peacefully, with no plans to suppress peaceful demonstrations. The primary focus of the effort is the critical transport link connecting the city of Oruro to La Paz, Bolivia’s administrative capital, which has been blocked for days amid the unrest. Once opened, the corridor will allow shipments of food, medication, medical oxygen, and other basic supplies to reach communities facing shortages, per the government’s plan.

    Oviedo added that two neutral third parties—the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Bolivian Catholic Church—will participate in overseeing and implementing the corridor initiative, a move designed to build trust and ensure the process adheres to humanitarian principles.

    The current crisis has its roots in widespread public anger over harsh economic austerity measures implemented by the Paz administration to shore up Bolivia’s public finances. Those policies have driven sharp increases in consumer prices, pushing thousands of low- and middle-income families into worsening financial hardship and eroding living standards for much of the population. As protests expanded, demonstrators turned to widespread road and transport blockades, which quickly disrupted supply chains and cut off access to basic goods for communities across large swathes of the country, creating a secondary humanitarian emergency.

    Government officials framed the launch of humanitarian corridors as a balanced approach: a measure to ease the acute humanitarian pressure on vulnerable populations without cracking down on the public’s right to peaceful protest. The initiative is also intended to de-escalate rising tensions and limit the severe economic damage that the prolonged blockades have inflicted on the Bolivian economy. Despite the government’s conciliatory move, protests show no signs of abating, with organizers already scheduling new mass demonstrations in multiple regions of the country in the coming days.

  • Hoefdraad haalt hard uit naar OM en spreekt van politieke vervolging

    Hoefdraad haalt hard uit naar OM en spreekt van politieke vervolging

    A high-stakes political and legal dispute has unfolded in Suriname, as former Finance Minister Gillmore Hoefdraad has launched a blistering attack on the country’s Public Prosecution Service (OM), the Prosecutor General and segments of the judiciary, alleging systemic political manipulation of the justice system.

    Hoefdraad was scheduled to appear Friday before the National Assembly committee tasked with vetting public officials, which is currently reviewing the OM’s fresh request to formally indict him on corruption-related charges. Instead of appearing in person, the former minister submitted a 59-page written statement to the committee through his defense attorneys, Murwin Dubois and Milton Castelen, who did answer legislative questions related to the legal technicalities of the case.

    In the extensive filing, Hoefdraad said he has completely lost confidence in the ability of Suriname’s justice system to deliver an objective hearing. He argues that both the OM and parts of the judiciary have been tainted by political interference, backing his claim with reference to prior legal proceedings against him and public criticism of judicial operations from civil society leaders, fellow attorneys and former government officials.

    At the core of his accusation is the claim that the OM has turned legal processes into a political weapon. He frames the ongoing action against him as “lawfare” — the deliberate weaponization of the judicial system, where criminal investigations are deployed to eliminate political opposition. If this practice continues unchecked, he warns, public trust in Suriname’s rule of law will suffer irreversible, severe damage.

    A key pillar of Hoefdraad’s argument centers on the prior INTERPOL Red Notice issued against him. He confirmed that INTERPOL ultimately revoked the red notice after concluding the case was politically motivated, adding that a subsequent attempt to reissue an international alert against him was also rejected by the global police body. He points to these international decisions as clear evidence that global law enforcement bodies harbor serious doubts about the independence and impartiality of the prosecution against him.

    Hoefdraad also leveled harsh criticism at the Prosecutor General and Suriname’s Justice Intervention Team, arguing that the entities hold an outsized concentration of power with insufficient oversight mechanisms or transparency. He goes so far as to claim that the OM functions in practice as “a state within a state.” He further supports his critique by citing public criticism of the prosecution apparatus previously made by former Justice Minister Jennifer van Dijk-Silos and prominent attorney Raoul Lobo, among others.

    The former minister also called into question the 2020 parliamentary vote that approved his prosecution, noting that the OM resubmitted a request that had already been rejected, with no new evidence or changed circumstances to justify the new filing. He argues this move violates fundamental legal principles including legal certainty and the ban on double jeopardy. He also notes that he was not personally questioned by the legislature in 2020, a step he says is required by Surinamese law.

    On the substance of the allegations against him, Hoefdraad defended policy decisions he made during his tenure as finance minister, which came amid a severe national financial crisis. He explained that difficult, sometimes unorthodox policy choices were necessary to keep the Surinamese government operational at the time. He added that financial arrangements involving the Surinaamse Postspaarbank (SPSB) and state funds were developed within the context of a national emergency, with full knowledge of multiple state institutions. What were legitimate crisis-era policy decisions, he argues, are now wrongfully being criminalized.

    For its part, the OM has pushed back against Hoefdraad’s claims, asserting that its criminal investigation has uncovered sufficient evidence to justify prosecution over alleged irregularities in the management of state funds and SPSB assets. The prosecution alleges that public money was diverted outside of regular budgetary and oversight structures, with potential offenses including fraud, abuse of power and circumvention of financial regulatory checks.

    The ball now sits with the National Assembly committee, which will ultimately decide whether to approve the Prosecutor General’s request and clear the way for Hoefdraad’s further prosecution.

  • Nurmohamed stelt tijdens hoorzitting dat procedures correct zijn gevolgd

    Nurmohamed stelt tijdens hoorzitting dat procedures correct zijn gevolgd

    A closed-door parliamentary hearing for former Surinamese Public Works Minister Riad Nurmohamed concluded this Friday, with the ex-official pushing back against prosecution demands over alleged irregularities in a low-income housing development project. Appearing alongside his lawyer Benito Pick before the special parliamentary committee tasked with reviewing cases against current and former political office holders, Nurmohamed has repeatedly asserted that every step of the Pan American Real Estate housing initiative followed all legally required procedures.

    The hearing was convened to examine a request from the Surinamese prosecutor general, who has formally asked to put Nurmohamed on trial over claims of procedural misconduct tied to the affordable housing project. In his testimony before the committee, the former minister detailed that all standard oversight bodies and regulatory mechanisms were involved throughout the project’s planning and implementation phases. He confirmed that his own ministry maintained the required system of checks and balances, and that all relevant government institutions including the Ministry of Finance, the Vice President’s Cabinet, and the President’s Cabinet were kept fully informed of every procedural step taken.

    Nurmoahmed also told the committee he is surprised by the prosecutor general’s request to indict him, noting he has already provided voluntary testimony to the Public Prosecution Service at least five times in previous investigations, none of which listed him as an official suspect. He further dismissed the prosecution’s claim that he collaborated with unknown unregulated actors in the project, emphasizing that all activities were carried out through official channels and approved by relevant government bodies.

    Committee chair Rabin Parmessar, when reached for comment by local outlet Starnieuws, confirmed that the hearing proceeded in an orderly manner. He explained that the committee intentionally avoided wading into substantive debates over the former minister’s guilt or innocence, noting that the body’s role is not to act as a court but only to evaluate the merits of the prosecutor general’s request. Due to the closed nature of the proceeding, Parmessar declined to share further detailed information on the content of testimony.

    Once all related hearings are completed, the special committee will draft a formal advisory opinion for the internal meeting of the National Assembly. After the review process concludes, the National Assembly will hold a public vote to decide whether to approve the prosecutor general’s request and open the way for formal criminal prosecution of Nurmohamed.

  • Dodental bendegewel Honduras stijgt tot minstens 25

    Dodental bendegewel Honduras stijgt tot minstens 25

    On a single deadly day that ranks among the bloodiest in Honduras in recent years, two separate coordinated attacks have killed at least 25 people, including six law enforcement officers, shattering fragile hopes that new government policies could curb the country’s long-running crisis of organized gang violence.

    The deadliest assault unfolded on a palm oil plantation in Trujillo, a city in northern Honduras, where 19 people were shot dead. A leader of one local armed faction claimed the victims were all affiliated with a rival group that controls the commercial plantation, but local media reports indicate the attackers opened fire indiscriminately on on-site workers. The oldest victim was identified as a 61-year-old laborer, and graphic photos from the attack scene show lifeless bodies scattered across the plantation grounds, many still wearing their work boots.

    Hundreds of kilometers away, in the western municipality of Omoa near the Honduras-Guatemala border, six police officers carrying out an anti-gang operation were ambushed and killed by heavily armed gunmen. In the immediate aftermath of both attacks, national law enforcement announced a swift intervention in the affected regions, vowing to track down all responsible parties, protect vulnerable local communities, and deliver justice to the families of the victims.

    Honduras has struggled with endemic gang-related violence for decades. Starting in 2022, a national state of emergency was imposed across most of the country to combat criminal groups, but the measure was lifted in January following the inauguration of right-wing president Nasry “Tito” Asfura, an ally of former U.S. President Donald Trump who has campaigned on an aggressive hardline security agenda for the region. Since taking office, Asfura’s administration has passed new legislation allowing authorities to classify gangs and drug trafficking organizations as terrorist groups, and launched a specialized new unit dedicated to dismantling organized criminal networks.

    The Trujillo attack took place in the Aguan River Valley, a region that has been plagued by inter-faction violence for decades, as competing armed groups fight for control over territory used for both illegal narcotics trafficking and commercial palm oil production. National police chief Carlos Rojas explained that armed gangs have seized and illegally operated large-scale palm oil plantations in the area, using revenue from the crop to fund weapons purchases and expand their criminal operations.

    Local small-scale farmers have long accused multinational agribusiness firms of colluding with criminal gangs to seize land, preventing indigenous and local communities from reclaiming their legally held property rights. Since the conflict over land in the valley began, more than 150 people have been killed or disappeared, with environmental and land rights activists consistently targeted as high-priority victims. Honduras is currently ranked one of the most dangerous countries in the world for environmental defenders; just earlier this month, multiple individuals including a local mayor were arrested over an alleged plot to assassinate a prominent high-profile environmental activist in the country.

  • CARICOM-landen roepen op tot gezamenlijke koers in veranderende wereldorde

    CARICOM-landen roepen op tot gezamenlijke koers in veranderende wereldorde

    The 29th plenary meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR), the key diplomatic body of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), wrapped up its two-day session in Suriname on Thursday, closing with a unanimous, urgent call for deepened cross-regional integration and coordinated collective action.

    Outgoing host and incoming COFCOR chair Melvin Bouva, Suriname’s foreign affairs minister, framed Caribbean regional unity not as an optional policy priority, but as an existential strategic imperative in the face of a rapidly evolving global geopolitical order. During the closing press briefing, Bouva emphasized that CARICOM member states must align their positions and act collectively if the bloc hopes to retain its international relevance and influence. “If we fail to stand together, we risk being pushed to the margins of the emerging global system,” he warned.

    Suriname welcomed delegations of foreign ministers and senior representatives from across CARICOM’s 15 member states for the conference, where discussions centered on three core pillars: strengthening internal regional cooperation, expanding strategic international partnerships, and addressing pressing global challenges that disproportionately impact small Caribbean nations. Bouva confirmed that talks with prospective and existing international partners yielded productive outcomes that are poised to deliver tangible benefits to the entire Caribbean region.

    Among the key partnership advances discussed was the development of a joint cooperation mechanism between CARICOM and Saudi Arabia, alongside plans to deepen existing strategic ties with the United Kingdom. Bouva also highlighted Austria’s formal offer to host and facilitate a dedicated CARICOM liaison office in Vienna, a facility designed to strengthen the bloc’s collective presence and voice in multilateral forums based in the Austrian capital. Discussions also advanced toward a potential comprehensive cooperation agreement with the United Arab Emirates, which Bouva said would dramatically expand CARICOM producers’ market access to fast-growing economies across the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

    Separate talks with Japan focused on technical collaboration in high-priority areas for the Caribbean: climate disaster risk management, mitigation of harmful sargassum blooms that disrupt coastal economies, and support for regional industrial diversification. Throughout these discussions, delegates reaffirmed the unique structural vulnerability of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and emphasized that sustained international support remains critical to their resilience. Conversations with Singapore, meanwhile, centered on shared challenges and opportunities for small states globally, with delegates agreeing that collective, coordinated action is the most effective path to strengthening small nations’ bargaining power in international negotiations.

    Beyond new international partnerships, the conference centered key multilateral governance issues, including ongoing reform processes at the United Nations. COFCOR delegates issued a formal warning that efforts to centralize UN operations through regional hubs must not come at the cost of weakening in-country technical expertise or reducing institutional focus on region-critical priorities such as climate adaptation, disaster preparedness and emergency response.

    The ongoing political and humanitarian crisis in Haiti also retained its spot as a top priority for the bloc. CARICOM reaffirmed its unwavering support for Haitian-led political solutions to restore lasting peace and stability to the country, while calling attention to the urgent unmet need for additional international humanitarian assistance to address the country’s worsening humanitarian catastrophe.

    The bloc also expressed formal solidarity with member states Belize and Guyana amid their ongoing border disputes, confirming that CARICOM will continue to advocate actively for the security, sovereignty and territorial integrity of both nations. Finally, delegates held preliminary discussions on the future expansion of the Caribbean Community, reviewing applications for membership from Bermuda, which is seeking full membership, and French Guiana, which has applied for associate member status. No final votes on the applications were held during this session.