(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Officials from the Caribbean Forum of ACP States (CARIFORUM) and the European Union (EU) gather in Georgetown, Guyana on Thursday 28 September, 2006 for an exchange of views on a range of issues. This would include a preliminary discussion on programming of resources for CARIFORUM Regional Programmes under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF).
Secretary-General of CARIFORUM, His Excellency Edwin Carrington will lead the Caribbean team which consists of the 14 independent CARICOM States and the Dominican Republic. The EU team will be led by the Director Caribbean region, Development Directorate at the European Commission, Mr Sipke Brouwer.
These discussions with respect to the 10th EDF are being conducted against the background of the successful implementation of a number of ongoing projects under previous EDF disbursements. These on-going projects, valued at more than 165 million euros, (app. US $206 million) cover areas including health, agriculture, tourism, infrastructure and education.
In health, the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC) is executing a 7.5 million euro project with the overall objective of improving national and regional medical laboratory information in CARIFORUM countries, resulting in improved patient management, disease prevention and control.
The University of Technology in Jamaica (UTECH) is the immediate beneficiary of a 2.6 million euro project aimed at strengthening tertiary level education and training primarily in key technical and vocational fields to help in providing a pool of skilled and qualified labour in the Caribbean. This entailed the provision of academic staff, scholarships for staff and students, placement of academic and administrative staff at selected European tertiary education facilities, the establishment of an Open and Distance Learning Unit as well as the strengthening and upgrading of Information Systems and Technology.
The Grenada-based Caribbean Knowledge and Learning Network (CKLN) has received €1,999, 000 in assistance to further the development of regional capacity in planning, managing and sourcing finance. This project is designed to enhance the competitiveness and productivity of the Caribbean’s labour force.
An 8 million euro project being implemented by the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) and Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM) aims at increasing competitiveness and sustainability of the Caribbean Tourism Sector. The completed project will realise a regional policy framework for sustainable tourism development; the adaptation of national tourism strategies; establishment of health, safety and sustainable tourism standards; and the strengthening of research, information technology capabilities in regional and national public and private sector institutions.
Dominica’s two airports are benefiting from an injection of €11,950,000 to assist in the upgrading of Melville Hall and Canefield Airports to improve their accessibility for both region and international air travel and give a fillip to the tourism industry in that island.
At Melville Hall Airport the upgrading and expansion of the terminal building, car park, access road and a 500 meter extension of the runway to meet demand forecast for 2010 is underway as well as the installation of night landing and navigational aids. At the end of the process that airport and Canefield are expected to conform to international safety standards. At the latter airport critical work is being undertaken to protect the coastline from erosion.
Two projects under disaster management are also being implemented under the 9th EDF. A €13,200,000 Regional Radar Warning System is being installed under the supervision of the Trinidad and Tobago based Caribbean Meteorological Organisation (CMO).
The overall objective of this project is the reduction of the vulnerability of the Caribbean region in relation to adverse weather effects (primarily floods and hurricanes).
Under this project there will be the installation and testing of four meteorological Doppler radar systems which will be transferred to local authorities; the establishment of a telecommunication system linking the new and existing radars to extend the benefits of the radar system to CARIFORUM countries and territories in the region and through the digital technology of modern weather radars, and communication systems such as the internet, radar images will be made available in real-time and in an easily understood form to the emergency managers, media, special users and the public.
The other related project is being executed by the Barbados-based Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA). This involves institutional and capacity building support for implementation of a Caribbean Disaster Management (CDM) Strategy Framework. The €3,400,000 project is expected to increase the effectiveness of CDERA and improve Regional co-ordination as well as assist in developing disaster management legislation and regulations.
It is also expected to increase the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in making CDM more effective and enhance the capacity for information sharing among CDERA states. The funds will also assist CDM will be promoted through national disaster awareness campaigns through which CDM will be promoted.
A major €45,000,000 project to aid Transborder Cooperation between Haiti and the Dominican Republic is being undertaken with €20,000,000 out of that sum coming from the Caribbean Regional Indicative Programme (CRIP). At its completion it is expected that there would be improved commercial trade, greater movement of persons and access to social and administrative services between the cities of Cap Haitien and Dajabon.
