United Nations Radio

Caribbean News Round-Up: a weekly 15-minute news magazine on developments at the United Nations concerning the Caribbean.

Dr. John Ashe (left)

Antigua and Barbuda has concluded its Chairmanship of the Group of 77 developing countries and China. During the hand-over ceremony to the new chairman -Sudan, Antigua and Barbuda's ambassador Dr. John Ashe said the twin-island state accepted "the enormous responsibility" aware of the challenges and obstacles that developing countries face in their struggle to advance social and economic progress and justice for their populations in a manner consistent with sustainable development.

Caribbean States explain why the Caribbean Sea is a special area in the context of sustainable development

Donville Innis

With a heavy dependence on the intrinsic value and beauty of the Caribbean for tourism revenue and a reliance on the marine life of its waters for food and trade, the 25 independent Caribbean States are very vulnerable to climate change. That view was stressed by Barbados' Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Donville Innis at a joint press conference here at UN headquarters. He said this vulnerability was not a weakness, but a cause for international support towards environmental preservation of the area. It's with this in mind, Mr. Inniss pointed out, that a resolution was proposed to declare the Caribbean region as a special area in the context of sustainable development.

The Group of 77 supports measures for the resumption of UNDP operations in North Korea

Janil Greenaway

The Group of 77 developing countries and China has reiterated the high degree of importance it places on the work of the UN Development Programme - UNDP in developing countries. The Minister-Counsellor of Antigua and Barbuda, speaking Ms. Janil Greenaway, speaking on behalf of the Group on a proposed measure for the resumption of programme operations in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea-North Korea, told the Executive Board of the UNDP/UNFPA first regular session of 2009 that UNDP's core development mandate - that of capacity-building, capacity development and support for national processes, is the lynchpin of sustainable human development needs of the people of North Korea, as it is to people all over the world.

ECLAC warns of a likely slow down in growth in the Caribbean and Latin America

Alicia Bárcena

There is ample margin in Latin America and the Caribbean to improve the effectiveness of fiscal policies in terms of stabilizing economic cycles, allocating resources and redistributing income.
That's what the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean -ECLAC Alicia Bárcena told the XXI Regional Seminar on Fiscal Policy at ECLAC headquarters in Santiago this week.

UNICEF says it needs a billion dollars to provide life-saving assistance to children and women in 36 countries, including in the Caribbean;

women and children in Haiti

UNICEF- the UN children's agency is requesting just over one billion dollars to provide children and women in 36 countries with life-saving assistance.
This includes medicine, clean water, hygiene, nutrition, temporary shelter and safe places for learning.
UNICEF chief Anne veneman says the funding request is an increase of some 17 per cent compared to last year's appeal.
She says the additional funding is primarily needed for ongoing humanitarian situations.

Producer: Donn Bobb