UK Human Rights Ambassador does not support reparations

UK Human Rights Ambassador, Rita French, in a statement ahead of the vote in the UN Human Rights Council on the resolution 'From rhetoric to reality: a global call for concrete action against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance' said, “We do not agree with claims made in this resolution that states are required to make reparations for the slave trade and colonialism, which caused great suffering to many but were not, at that time, violations of international law. Moreover, these claims divert focus from the pressing challenges of tackling contemporary racism and global inequality – which are global challenges affecting all regions.” 

 

The Centre for Reparation Research at The UWI will host a Symposium to mark the 50th anniversary of the publication of Walter Rodney's "How Europe Under-developed Africa" on October 12. View flyer for details.

Climate Justice

 

• Trinidad and Tobago is a country that built its modern economy around oil and gas. As the country attempts to transition into renewable energy, the question of what to do with workers trained in the petrochemical industry arises with a just transition. Climate Tracker’s journalism fellow, Ryan Bachoo reports in the T&T Guardian.

• Trinidadian journalist Tyrell Gittens joined the director of Antigua and Barbuda's National Office of Disaster Services, Sherrod James and director of CARICOM's Disaster Risk Reduction Centre Dr. Barbara Carby for a panel discussion about hurricanes, disaster preparedness and climate change on Antigua and Barbuda's Observer Radio.

  

• Saba, a small island in the Dutch Caribbean, is fighting to preserve its diverse ecosystem. Right now, “any given plant or animal on an island is 12 times as likely to go extinct as species on the mainland.” Repeating Islands discusses.

 

• The effects of Hurricane Ian in the US could disrupt the rebuilding of Abaco and Grand Bahama in The Bahamas, which was severely damaged by Hurricane Dorian in 2019. Eyewitness News reports.

 

• Climate change does not affect the whole world equally. Some places, such as Small Island Developing States, experience the climate crisis in ways that affect lives and livelihood. Sir Ronald Sanders, Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda to the United States and the Organisation of American States, discusses as Barbados Today published his opinion piece.

 

• Dr José Ramos-Horta, President of East Timor, lobbies for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, a global peace treaty that he says “could be a vehicle for the finance that we need to transition from fossil fuels.” The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

 

• The launch of Climate Analytics-Caribbean, led by Trinbagonian climate negotiator Rueanna Haynes, aims to raise the bar for the region’s pursuit of climate justice. Find out more https://lnkd.in/e7VwK3MD

 

• The Clarion Clipperton Zone, an area that has some of the clearest waters in the world, is under threat from deep-sea mining. In the season two finale of Environmentally Speaking, the risks of deep-sea mining are discussed by the CEO of the Jamaica Environment Trust, Dr. Theresa Rodriguez-Moodie, and Paige Samuels - politics and history researcher and host of Checkmate, the political podcast.

 

• The Global Mangrove Alliance released its The State of the World’s Mangrove report 2022. It has contributions from 100 writers from across the globe. It provides the very latest information on what is known about mangroves and what’s being done to support these magnificent habitats.

 

• Avinash Persaud, Barbados’ Special Envoy for Climate Finance and Emeritus Professor of Gresham College in the UK, wrote a short Manifesto for meaningful but achievable reform of international finance that will get trillions of dollars for climate financing without busting developing country finances in Just Money.

 

• The Young Reporters for the Environment students (YRE) in The Bahamas and The Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation (BREEF) were published by the UNDP in an article called, “Turning the tide, how local NGOs in Seychelles and the Bahamas are working to raise awareness and inspire action to address marine plastic pollution.” Eyewitness News reports.

 

• Will the destruction brought by Hurricane Fiona prompt more Peurto Ricans to leave the island to go live on the US mainland like Hurricane Maria did in 2017? Repeating Island discusses. 

 

• Fearing coastal erosion in Richmond, the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Conservation Fund (SVGCF), in a letter to the Physical Planning and Development Board, objected to quarry operations. SVGCF claims there is no Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) done, St Vincent Times reports. Residents and local activists called the North Leeward Heritage Preservation Front  also gathered to protest the quarrying. St Vincent Times reports. 

 

 

Fossil Fuels and Governance

 

• Melinda Janki, Guyanese international lawyer and attorney-at-law, argues that for the safety and security of the Guyanese and Caribbean people, all unsafe petroleum operations should be halted until there is full compliance with permits, national law and all other terms and conditions in Stabroek News.

• Dr. Vivian Williams, a New-York based lawyer from Guyana believes increasing pressure from activists and shareholders in pushing Multinational Corporations to behave ethically and consciously in ventures across the world could allow for a renegotiation of the PSA between ExxonMobil and the government of Guyana. Kaieteur News reports. 

 

• Businessman and newspaper publisher, Glenn Lall, called on the Guyanese citizenry to stand up against the PPP/C Government’s intention to approve the fifth project for ExxonMobil until the contract is amended to provide for ring-fencing, higher royalties and full liability coverage in the event of an oil spill. Kaieteur News reports.

 

• The World Bank criticised Guyana’s handling of the oil and gas sector. The country has  six lawsuits filed against the state to force it to adequately protect the environment against possible oil spill damage. This was noted as an indicator of “weak policy and highly questionable management” of the petroleum sector, Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). Kaieteur News reports.

• Environmental Lawyer, Melinda Janki believes for every barrel of oil ExxonMobil takes, Guyana gets a gallon of sewage. Kaieteur News reports, “Based on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) submitted by ExxonMobil Guyana for the Liza One operations in the Stabroek Block, the developer is allowed to dump as much as 4000 barrels of sewage each day in Guyana’s territorial waters.”

 

The Caribbean in the World

 

• Peter Sha-Li Lan, Taiwan’s ambassador to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, said Taipei should be allowed to participate in specialised agencies of the United Nations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). iWitness News reports.

 

• Lawyer Rosy Auguste Ducéna, Program Manager for the National Network for the Defence of Human Rights (RNDDH), said Haiti needs a strong democracy and a government the people can trust, but it is not possible without adequate security and public trust. She said, “The U.S. should stop propping up an illegitimate government preying upon the Haitian people and support the establishment of a representative transitional government,” in Just Security.

 

• Sir Ronald Sanders, Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda to the United States and the Organisation of American States (OAS) called the OAS broke in his column in Kaieteur News.

 

Economics, Finance and Debt

 

• Trinidadian economist based in Barbados, Marla Dukharan, slams the EU for unfair and antiquated tax reinforcements that black list Small Island Developing States. 

• Barbados has reached an agreement with the International Monetary Fund, making it among the first recipients of money from a new $45 billion resilience trust. Barbados will receive $183 million for climate-focused spending. Propublica reports. 

 

• The Antigua and Barbuda government announced an amnesty for people still struggling to deal with the financial impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The Antigua Public Utilities (APUA), will forgive the debt of residential customers who were in arrears for electricity and water before and up to December 31, 2021. St Vincent Times reports. 

Democracy

 

• Professor Andre Randli, from the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, is encouraging Guyana to adopt an electronic voting system similar to those  in Brazil in a letter to the editor in Kaieteur News. 

 

Human Rights

 

• Amnesty International is concerned that authorities in Cuba are repeating “repressive tactics used for decades” to crack down on protests after a new wave of island-wide protests happened recently.  

 

• St Vincent and the Grenadines Minister of Finance, Camillo Gonsalves, is proposing a national identification card for all citizens similar to a US social security card. He said this is necessary as the government moves to create a single window where people can do business online. iWitness News reports.

 

• SASOD Guyana commissioned a poll called: “A Study of Perceptions and Attitudes towards LGBT Persons in Guyana,” conducted by RMK Consulting Enterprise which showed there is an increase in positive attitudes towards lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Guyana over the past nine years. Village Voice reports.

 

Public Health and Governance

 

• The Caribbean Investigative Journalism Network (CIJN) issued a podcast on COVID-19, transparency and accountability in Small-Island States of Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados and Antigua & Barbuda. 

 

Peace and Citizen Security

 

• The Colombian government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) rebel group announced  they would convene peace talks after the first week of November with Cuba and Venezuela as guarantors. Latin America Daily Briefing reports.

 

• In a country ranked first as the most expensive in the whole world to live, Bermuda is facing a gang violence problem with an estimated 1,000 people out of a population of 63,900 allegedly involved in gang activity. Caribbean Loop News reports.

 

Human Mobility 

 

• With more than 115,000 Venezuelan migrants flocking to the Dominican Republic to earn money for a better life, the Dominican Republic introduced the historic Special Stay Agreements which allows Venezuelan migrants to become registered voters with regular status. Read more from IOM UN Migration: The Storyteller. 

• New York Governor Kathy Hochul launched the Institute for Immigration Integration Research & Policy to help Caribbean and other immigrants transition to community life, and further their education and workforce.The Governor said on arrival, immigrants often struggle to learn English, help their children to assimilate in school, find safe and affordable housing, secure jobs with a liveable wage, secure transportation to commute and access available service. The Jamaica Gleaner reports.

 

Decolonisation

 

• King Charles III hosted St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, following his announcement that SVG will have a referendum to determine if the country will become a republic. The Daily Mail reports. 

Opportunities

 

• Are you interested in contributing to achieving global food security? Innovation Training and Adaptation in Coastal Areas (ITACA) Solutions, an expert technical services provider in the areas of climate adaptation, climate resilience, climate finance and project development, is seeking experts in: sustainable agriculture, agroforestry, fisheries and aquaculture, food trade, sustainable value chains, insurance, and other related fields. Register here.

 

• The AOSIS Fellowship Programme is a unique opportunity for young professionals from Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) countries to get hands-on training and experience on issues of law, policy, and science, and to build enduring capacity in AOSIS member governments to engage in international processes. For one year, fellows will work at their UN Permanent Mission in New York, receive comprehensive training on climate change, oceans, environmental protection, and sustainable development issues, and gain real-world negotiation experience working with their national delegations and AOSIS at related UN conferences. The candidate must be a national of an AOSIS country and between 25 to 32 years old at the beginning of the fellowship. Deadline November 18.

 

Events

 

• The Institute of Commonwealth Studies from the School of Advanced Study, University of London hosts a seminar on the Challenges to Commonwealth ‘Green Transitions’ : the case of Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago. Speakers include Roger Hosein from the University of the West Indies, St Augustine; Thomas Singh from the University of Georgetown; Arthur Deakin from the Americas Market Intelligence; Janette Bulkan from the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies, University of British Columbia; and Sue Onslow from the Institute of Commonwealth Studies. The event is on 19 October, at 6:00PM - 7:30PM BST London Time via Zoom. Register here.

• The Case for Climate Justice: Commonwealth Small Island States at COP27 is an event series that will elevate the voices and stories of those most affected by climate change. Dates October 18th, 25th and November 1. For more information, click here. 

• The third annual Global Extraction Film Festival (GEFF) will take place on October 26-30. It will be streamed for free online, globally. Curated by Jamaican activist, director, author and artist, Esther Figueroa, the festival has six film programs with more than 250 films from over 50 countries. GEFF2022 trailer: GEFF2022 website and social media. 

• Trinidadian-Canadian artist Kvita Mongroo has her first solo exhibition of paper collage and mixed media artwork themed, “We swore…that we would never leave the island…” at  Soft  Box Gallery in St Clair, Trinidad. The exhibition opened on October 1 and continues to the 15. Trinidad and Tobago Newsday reports.

News of climate and political action around the Caribbean

 Climate Justice

 

• Newsweek reports, “The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved nearly $13 billion in 2020 to help rebuild Puerto Rico's power grid after 2017's Hurricane Maria devastated the island, but the island's electricity system still remained vulnerable as Hurricane Fiona struck last week.” While money was allocated to rebuild the power grid, much of the funds were spent on emergencies. 

 

• Homes with solar panels in Puerto Rico were the only ones with power at one point in time after hurricane Fiona caused power outages throughout the country. However, solar power is expensive for individuals. Advocates are now pushing for an electricity grid that provides solar power to communities. Mass News and Canary Media report.

 

• Tyrell Gittens interviewed Dr Adelle Thomas from The Bahamas, climate change adaptation and loss and damage specialist with Climate Analytics-Caribbean, on loss and damage in Small Island Developing States on Climate Tracker’s Instagram.

 

• Download this discussion paper called “The Loss and Damage Finance Facility, Why and How” by Climate Action Network (CAN) International and partners.

 

• Karen McDonald Gayle, CEO of the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF), discusses the decisions made at the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Portugal in June 2022, and the collaborative efforts expected to come out of the conference. The Jamaica Gleaner reports.

 

• Jamaican marine scientist, climate professional and activist, Dani Nembhard spoke with former Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding on #TheBridge99FM Jamaica Live.  This show also featured Senator Sophia Frazer-Binns, Shadow Minister on climate change, Professor Anthony Clayton, The Alcan Professor of Caribbean Sustainable Development at the University of the West Indies, and Dr Patricia Green, architect and conservationist.

• German economic historian and activist, Matthias Schmelzer discusses on Twitter how colonialism and climate change vulnerability are related.

Environment

 

• The Government of Grenada in collaboration with CANARI is conducting its first National Ecosystem Assessment (NEA). The NEA is a country-wide exploration that combines science and local knowledge to create effective policies to promote biodiversity and ecosystem services. Grenada is one of twelve countries doing ecosystem assessments with UNEP-WCMC’s National Ecosystem Assessment Initiative and is under the umbrella of UNDP’s Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Network. UN Environment Programme reports.

 

Disaster Preparedness 

 

• If you are vegan, stocking your hurricane supplies may be challenging. Forbes prepared a list of items to purchase for a nutritious plant-based diet during a disaster. 

 

Oil and Gas

 

• President of the Transparency Institute of Guyana Inc (TIGI) Fredericks Collins and Godfrey Whyte, a citizen of Guyana, took the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to the High Court to enforce the liability clause in the permits issued to ExxonMobil Guyana for its offshore oil operations. Stabroek News reports that the litigants took the EPA to the court to ensure, “That the company takes full financial responsibility in case of harm, loss and damage to the environment. ExxonMobil’s local affiliate, Esso, has agreed in the permit to provide insurance and an unlimited parent company indemnity to cover all environmental loss and damage that might result from a well blowout, oil spill or other failures in the Liza 1 Development Project in Guyana’s Stabroek Block. Kaieteur News reported that Collins said, “I can’t even drive my car without insurance. So it is incomprehensible that the government would allow Esso to operate without any form of insurance/guarantee from its parent company.”

 

• The Environmental Permit for the Liza Phase One Project explicitly states that Stabroek Block operator, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) along with its partners, Hess Guyana Exploration Limited and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited must provide evidence that they, as well as their parent companies, would cover all costs associated with the clean-up of an oil spill offshore. Collins and Whyte approached the court because there was not any evidence that the companies are in compliance with the insurance provisions, Kaieteur News reports. 

 

• While Guyana’s PPP/C government has been praised by stakeholders for its Local Content Legislation. New York-based attorney-at-law, Dr. Vivian Williams, notes that local content is not just merely about retaining a large chunk of the economic pie from petroleum production but could be used as a mechanism to ensure “lopsided distribution of wealth” to politically connected persons and groups, Kaieteur News reports. Williams also believes the Guyanese government is making an economic mistake by not renegotiating the 2016 deal that was signed with ExxonMobil affiliate, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited. Kaieteur News reports.

 

• International Lawyer, Melinda Janki does not believe politicians should negotiate contracts on behalf of Guyana, but should stick to instituting the correct legislative framework to manage the country’s respective sectors. Kaieteur News reports.

• This opinion piece by the pen-named analyst, Peeping Tom questions why the people in Guyana are not protesting over the government allegedly being short-changed by the Production Sharing Agreement. Kaieteur News reports.

 

Food Security

 

• One fruitful benefit of the pandemic is that many Jamaicans had both the time and the need to turn to backyard farming to supplement their groceries. Forbes reports.

 

The Economy, Finance and Debt

 

• Barbados’ Prime Minister, Mia Mottley at the United Nations General Assembly lobbied for a restructuring of the Bretton Woods institutions to be updated to see to the equitable needs of all countries, adapt to modern-day problems and include financing from multinational corporations that benefit from the institutions. Caribbean Magazine Plus reports.

 

• Barbados is the first country to reach a staff-level agreement to access the IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability Trust (RST), which aims to provide affordable, long-term financing to help build resilience against climate change. Read more from the IMF here.

 

• Axios gives a comprehensive and simple explanation of Barbados’ landmark debt conversion agreement.

• Faced with the financial fallout from the cost of living, debt and climate crises, Barbados’ government unveiled the Bridgetown Agenda, which is a guide for urgent and decisive transformation of the international financial system. Barbados’ Government Information Services explains. 

 

 

The Caribbean in the World

 

• Various world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly spoke passionately about many different issues affecting the Caribbean, climate change being among one of the most pressing issues. The Editorial of Caribbean Magazine Plus noted their emphasis on the need for the USA to engage with Venezuela and Cuba.

 

• Dominica’s President, Charles Angelo Savarin, made a case for removing sanctions against Venezuela and lifting trade blockades to Cuba before the 77th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations. He also addressed the crisis in Haiti, Caribbean Magazine Plus reports.

 

• St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves spoke about issues involving Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Taiwan during his address at the United Nations General Assembly’s 77th Session. Asberth News Network reports.

• The Atlantic Council breaks down the discussions and commitments on US-Caribbean relations held between US Vice President Kamala Harris and  Suriname’s President Chan Santokhi, Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley, Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali, Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Keith Rowley, and Dominican Republic’s President Luis Abinader in Washington. 

  

Migration

 

• The Dominican Republic is building a 13-foot wall along the Haitian border to keep out migrants who are desperately fleeing the country due to the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Bloomberg reports. InSight Crime discusses the political, criminological and sociological factors of the wall.    

LGBTIQ+ rights

 

• A constitutional challenge against laws that criminalise same-sex intimacy in Dominica was heard on September 27 at the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, which acts as the High Court of Justice of Dominica. The hearing comes months after the same court decriminalised same-sex intimacy in neighbouring St. Kitts & Nevis and Antigua & Barbuda. Erasing 76 Crimes reports.

 

• Cuba held a successful referendum on September 25 for a government-backed “family law” code that would allow same-sex couples to marry and adopt, as well as outlining the rights of children and grandparents. The code will also allow surrogate pregnancies, broader rights for grandparents in regard to grandchildren, protection of the elderly and measures against gender violence. The Washington Post reports.

 

Decolonisation

 

• In an historic move, St Lucia has decided to make the Caribbean Court of Justice its final court of appeal and move away from the Privy Council. Nation News and Caricom Today report.

 

• Louis E.A. Moyston, PhD, in a letter to the editor in the Jamaica Gleaner, calls for a revision in the philosophy that guides the education system in Jamaica in order for it to be more decolonised. 

 

• This Jamaica Gleaner editorial discusses the need for teachers to start considering English as a second language and Patois as Jamaican students’ first language. It highlighted that a large number of Jamaican students are illiterate in English and quite a few fail their exams because English is not their primary language. 

Opportunities

 

• The Commonwealth Foundation is offering grants in the range of £15,000-£30,000 per year for projects addressing three core themes: health, freedom of expression and environment and climate change. The deadline for applications is 1pm GMT on 1 November. Apply here 

• Amnesty International for the Caribbean is looking for a Caribbean Campaigner. Are you concerned about the human rights crisis in Haiti; killings by the police in Jamaica, silencing of dissent in Cuba, and the rights of refugees in Trinidad? Do you have the skills and passion to do something about it? Do you speak Haitian Creole, and/ or Spanish and English? Amnesty International is looking for a strategic thinker, able to work with a broad range of civil society to effect change in a diverse and complex region. Deadline, October 21.

 

Events

 

• If you’re in London on October 23, you can book tickets to see  the world premiere of Walter Rodney: ‘What They Don’t Want you to Know.’ This is a documentary exploring the life of the Guyanese historian and civil rights campaigner. There will be a Q&A session with Dr Patricia Rodney, CEO of The Walter Rodney Foundation, Gina Nadira Miller, activist, politician and businesswoman, Lavinya Stennett, founder of Black Curriculum, and Arlen and Daniyal Harris-Vajda, the directors. The discussion will be chaired by broadcaster, novelist, poet and academic, David Dabydeen.

 

• The Regional Week of Climate Action began on October 1. This week, people around the Caribbean will come together to demand leaders take urgent action to protect lives against climate change. Activities include hiking and planting in Trinidad and Tobago, a two-day workshop in Haiti, and a mangrove tour in Cuba. To join a planned event, register here on the web

• Saint Lucia's National Designated Authority to the Green Climate Fund will share experiences on developing national climate finance tracking systems on Tuesday, October 11, from 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM (AST).  Register here.