Caribbean

Delegates from Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) will soon meet to analyze the progress and challenges for fulfilling the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda (SDA) in the LAC.

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) said the March 31 to April 4 event would bring together representatives of governments, the UN system, regional and international organizations, the private sector, academia, and civil society.

Peru will chair it and include a series of global, regional, and national action talks.

During the global action dialogues on April 1, leading authorities from the UN and governments, along with civil society and other relevant actors, will exchange views on the global commitments expected to arise during the fourth International Conference on Financing for Development to be held in Spain this year, the second World Summit for Social Development in Qatar in 2025 and the 30th United -Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Brazil this year.

The regional action dialogues will begin on April 2 with the presentation of the eighth report on regional progress and challenges related to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Latin American and the Caribbean, entitled, Latin America and the Caribbean in the Final Five Years of the 2030 Agenda: Steering Transformations to Accelerate Progress.

They will also discuss the progress in implementing GSD 3, Health and Wellbeing; SDG 5, Gender Equality; SDG 8, Decent Work and Economic Growth; SDG 14, Life below Water; and SDG 17, Partnership Goals.

The national action dialogues on April 4 will include two learning sessions. The first will exchange successful national experiences in accelerating the achievement of the SDGs, and the second will be used to share good practices and challenges in preparing the voluntary national reviews (VNRs) that countries present to the UN high-level political forum in New York.

The event will be preceded by a meeting of the mechanism for civil society participation and the Forum of Children, Adolescents, and Youth of Latin America and the Caribbean, which will be held on March 31.

Dominica

A High Court judge dismissed charges of incitement against three opposition figures, including former prime minister Edison James, saying that the Dominica constitution provides for “the right to a fair trial in a reasonable time.”

Justice Collin Williams dismissed the case against James, the leader of the main opposition United Workers Party (UWP), Dr. Thomson Fontaine, and his predecessor, Lennox Linton. He also noted that “the length of time between the charge and hearing was unjustified.”

The judge said that “justice delayed is justice denied, and that trials should be heard within one year for indictable matters and in the case of a preliminary inquiry, the timeline must not exceed six months as in this matter.”

“I am satisfied that the constitutional right to a fair trial within a reasonable was infringed, “Justice Williams said, adding that “the delays in this case were unjustified. “The court finds that the matter must be permanently stayed,” Justice Williams added.

The three were charged following a meeting of the UWP on Feb. 7, 2017. They were alleged to have been involved in incitement by encouraging, persuading, or instigating by words, causing persons to jeopardize their safety or endanger the public peace.

During the meeting, calls were made for the resignation of Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit. Following the public meeting, people took to the streets, confronting law enforcement officials with rocks and bottles, breaking store windows, and causing looting.

Skerrit and Rayburn Black, the Minister for National Security, described the event as an attack on the state and democracy and pointed an accusing finger at the UWP.

After the High Court hearing, James, 81, who served as prime minister from 1995 to 2000, told reporters that the charge could follow the opposition’s electoral reform calls.

James, who thanked his attorneys for working “so diligently on our behalf,” said that the matter is not over as far as he is concerned.

Guyana

The Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry Ltd. (GBTI) says it has recorded after-tax profits of GUY$4 billion in 2024, representing a 31% increase over the previous year.

“GBTI’s sustained growth is a testament to our unwavering focus on financial strength, digital transformation, and customer-centric banking solutions,” said the bank’s chairman, Robin Stoby.

He said that as Guyana’s economy expands, GBTI remains committed to empowering individuals and businesses through innovative financial services.

The GBTI recorded total assets of GUY$ 249 billion, representing 24% growth.

The financial institution said it introduced new digital banking solutions, enhancing customer experience and economic accessibility. It has also invested in artificial intelligence (AI)- driven banking, cyber-security, and mobile banking.

Stoby said digital transformation is not just a strategy but represents part of GBTT’s commitment to ensuring seamless, efficient, and secure banking for our customers.

GBTI has also indicated that as part of its long-term vision, it upholds strong corporate governance, risk management, and ethical banking practices.

The GBTI said it has reinforced its governance framework with comprehensive risk management policies, ensuring financial stability and resilience.

It added that its vision for 2025 is to solidify the bank’s position as a leader in the financial sector through continued innovation, strong governance, and sustainable banking practices.

Haiti

United Nations Humanitarian Co-ordinator in Haiti, Ulrika Johnson, says the ongoing gang violence in the CARICOM country has displaced more than a million people and said the “unprecedented crisis” in Haiti means that every number presented “is a new record.”

“The suffering that this is causing is immense, and I would say it is really heartbreaking to see, to witness, to listen to victims of violence,” said Johnson.

The situation continues to unfold as funding for global humanitarian operations dwindles following the United States’ recent decision to halt foreign aid disbursements.

A Kenya-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) authorized by the UN Security Council is assisting the Haitian National Police in combatting the gangs. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently proposed that the global body assume structural and logistical support funding.

It said sexual violence is “rampant,” and the UN children’s agency, UNICEF, reports “a staggering” 1,000% increase in cases involving children between 2023 and 2024. The impact on women and children is enormous.” Johnson said, noting that children comprise half of the displaced. “They are really bearing the brunt of the crisis; They’re also recruited by gangs; we’ve seen a 70% increase in one year of how they coerce children into gangs.”

Meanwhile, five million Haitians require food assistance, the number of children suffering from malnutrition and stunting has increased, and only a third of health institutions are operating. Haiti is also dealing with the impact of deportations.

Last year, 200,000 nationals were sent back to the country, and many had no home to go to. Haitians are also leaving their homeland, often at significant risk. Reports indicate that nearly 400,000 fled last year,

Despite the realities on the ground and access limitations, the humanitarian response continues, including in gang-controlled areas,

St. Kitts and Nevis

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation has ended a visit to St. Kitts and Nevis, suggesting that economic growth in the twin island is expected to be 2 % this year, as compared with 1.5 % in 2024.

It said that growth is projected at 25 % in the medium term, and inflation is expected to remain stable. Progress has been made in the transition to renewable energy, as the geothermal project is close to the drilling phase, and funding has been secured.

According to the IMF delegation, the current account deficit (CAD) widened to 15 % of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024 from 12 % in the previous year.

“The CAD remains significantly larger than pre-pandemic levels, reflecting a decline in CBI (Citizenship by Investment Programme) inflows and widening fiscal deficits. It is expected to remain around 12 % of GDP in the medium term,” the delegation said.

Under the CBI program, the St. Kitts-Nevis government grants citizenship to foreign Investors in return for substantial investments in the Federation’s socio-economic development.

The delegation noted that recent reforms to the program, reinforced by international agreements, suggest that CBI revenue will likely be structurally lower but more sustainable going forward.

“Hence, the fiscal deficit is projected to be 9 % of GDP this year, also impacted by the increase in the wage bill and the temporary value-added tax (VAT) reduction. Public debt is expected to rise to 61 % of GDP in 2025. “The overall risk of sovereign debt stress continues to be assessed as moderate. In the medium term, fiscal deficits are expected to decrease modestly due to the authorities’ efforts to control expenditures, while debt is projected to reach 68 % of GDP in 2030.”

The statement noted that bank credit growth accelerated while vulnerabilities remained.

Overall, the bank’s non-performing loans (NPLs) declined, profits rose, and capital improved somewhat. Meanwhile, credit union lending expanded, while their delinquency ratio increased.

Near-term risks are tilted to the downside, but the potential for renewable energy provides upsides over the medium term.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has defended his government’s abstention from a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) vote condemning Russia as the aggressor in the three-year-old war with Ukraine.

He said that rather than focusing on St. Vincent and the Grenadines abstention, the headline should have been that Russia and the United States had voted the same way at the UN for the first time since the fight began three years ago.

Speaking on NBC Radio, Gonsalves said there had been six such votes at the UNGA previously, four of which specifically denounced Russia as an aggressor. Kingstown voted in support of each of those four.

Those votes were held on March 3, 2022, March 24, 2022, October 2022 and February 2023.

“And in each of those, the United States of America was among the countries, which was proposing the resolutions. The war is three years old now, there’s a different context, and some negotiations are taking place,” Gonsalves said.

Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries recently assumed opposing positions on the war in Ukraine as member countries of the United Nations adopted a resolution on the third anniversary of Russia’s military invasion.

Recently, 93 countries voted in support of a nonbinding resolution condemning Russia as the aggressor in the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The European-backed resolution, which does not carry any enforcement, still passed overwhelmingly and is meant as a global vote of solidarity against Russia’s unprovoked attack on its neighbor and continued aggression.

The CARICOM countries that voted in support of the resolution are Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.

Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines joined 65 other countries in abstaining, while Haiti was among 18 countries, including the United States, that voted against the resolution.

None of the CARICOM countries that either voted against or abstained gave a reason for their position. Dominica was recorded as being absent when the vote was taken.

The US also abstained from voting on its competing resolution after the Europeans, led by France, succeeded in amending it to make clear that Russia was the aggressor.

Compiled by Devika Ragoonanan