United Nations Radio

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

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon made a passionate appeal this week for swifter work on a new climate treaty to fend off "widespread economic disaster" with a surge in sea-levels.
In a statement to a high-level segment of the World Climate Conference in Geneva, the secretary-general warned that "We cannot afford limited progress. We need rapid progress."

Dean Barrow

Belize says the Group of 20 is causing distress in developing countries by its decision to reactivate the harmful tax competition initiative

While the Group of 20 has agreed to increase the capacity of some international financial institutions to lend to countries in distress, it was not enough to deal 'even with part' of developing countries' requirements.
That's what Belize's Prime minister Dean Barrow told a UN conference on the financial and economic crisis. He noted too, that a part of the Group of 20 agreements had caused additional stress for some developing countries distress by the decision to reactivate the harmful tax competition initiative, publicly requiring a number of countries, including in the Caribbean conclude a dozen tax information exchange agreements.

Haitian children

More than 600,000 Haitian children to benefit from a $22 million education grant

600,000 Haitian children will benefit from a US$22 million grant for education. The Education For All Fast Track Initiative approved last week by the World Bank will increase the access of poor children to primary education, and improve equity, quality and governance in the education sector. The Education for All Catalytic Fund Project will support the Government's National Education Strategy by expanding access to primary education, and improving the performance of public primary schools, as well as strengthening the capacity, transparency, and accountability of the National Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MENFP). UN Radio's Gerry Adams reports.

Producer: Donn Bobb