SINT MAARTEN/JAMAICA - Following two days of deliberation on realizing decent work under the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, the Ministers of Labour and other high-level representatives of the Ministries and Departments of Labour of the English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean1, adopted their Conclusions  for action on key themes for the Caribbean growth, development and labour rights challenges:

Elevating Decent Work to the national and regional policy level and the role of social partnership;

Non-standard forms of employment;

Harmonization of labour laws;

Regional Initiative: Latin America and the Caribbean Free of Child Labour;

Skilled Workforce for Sustainable Growth and Development;

Improving productivity and competitiveness: the role of the labour management relations and transitioning to formality;

Labour cooperation in the region.

Delegates also recognized that successful implementation would depend on policy coherence of economic and social policies aimed at sustained and inclusive growth with productive employment and decent work, which requires an integrated and coordinated approach at both the national and regional levels.

ILO Director-General, Mr Guy Ryder, delivered closing remarks, congratulating all the delegations. He said “The objectives have been realized. You have defined a clear set of priorities and we as ILO depart with a much clearer understanding of the challenges, how to address them and what your expectations are”.

He was encouraged by the assets constituents brought to the process and the “strength of the determination of Governments, Employers and Workers to come together to deal with the challenges. This is not a given in many parts of the world.”

He was committed to make sure the distinctive nature of the Caribbean constituency forms part of the ILO global community. He expressed sincere appreciation to the host country Jamaica and all participants.

Honourable Shahine Robinson, MP, Minister of Labour and Social Security of Jamaica recognized the fruitful and meaningful meeting held, examining the global and Caribbean issues related to promoting sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. She said “We must unite as a region to exploit opportunities.”

She stated it was imperative to make progress for “People, Planet and Prosperity to preserve our environment for ourselves and future generations”. She thanked the ILO Director-General for having taken time out to be here 3 days throughout and to share his vision of the Future of Work. She also lauded the work of the ILO Decent Work Team and Office for the Caribbean, led by Ms Claudia Coenjaerts.

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1 Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Sint Maarten, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turks and Caicos Islands

SINT MAARTEN/ARUBA - Last week, Prime Minister of St. Maarten, Mr. William Marlin, the Minister Plenipotentiary, Mrs. Henrietta Doran-York, the Secretary General of the Ministry of General Affairs, Mr. Hensley Plantijn, the Head of the Department of Interior and Kingdom Relations, Mr. Marc Arnold, the Head of the Department of Foreign Relations, Ms. Khalilah Peters, the Head of Economic Affairs and Finance/St. Maarten representative in Europe, Ms. Carol Voges and Policy Advisor Donor Coordination/Representative of the Regional Authorizing Officer, Ms. Olivia Lake formed the St. Maarten Delegation to the yearly Trilateral Meetings, Ministerial Conference and OCT-EU Forum held in Oranjestad Aruba from Tuesday February 21-24, 2017.

During this event, the St. Maarten delegation participated in a number of meetings on the progress of the various ongoing programmes on the territorial, regional and global level. Further, the delegation also participated in the Ministerial Conference and the OCT-EU Forum and the BEST Technical Event.

The Caribbean Sustainable Development Forum also took place in Oranjestad during this week in the side-lines of the ongoing EU Event. St. Maarten was represented by Secretary General of the Ministry of VROM, Mr. Louis Brown, Department Head VROM, Mr. Mark Williams and the Head of the Department of Interior and Kingdom Relations, Mr. Marc Arnold.

In the margins of these events, opportunities for bilateral and trilateral meetings were also presented. The Prime Minister of St. Maarten, Mr. William Marlin, the Minister Plenipotentiary, Mrs. Henrietta Doran-York and the Minister of Finance, Mr. Richard Gibson, utilized this opportunity to meet with the Minister of Interior and Kingdom Affairs Mr. Ronald Plasterk.

Further to this, the three Prime Ministers of the Caribbean Netherlands, the Honourable Prime Minister of St. Maarten, Mr. William Marlin, the Honourable Prime Minister of Aruba, Mr. Mike Eman and the Honourable Prime Minister of Curacao, Mr. Hensley Koeiman also had an opportunity to meet to discuss various topics.

The Honourable Prime Minister of St. Maarten, Mr. William Marlin, the Secretary General of the Ministry of General Affairs, Mr. Hensley Plantijn and the Head of the Department of Foreign Relations, Ms. Khalilah Peters remained in Aruba for the Kingdom Meeting on Foreign Relations with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Bert Koenders. (Cabinet of the Prime Minister)

SIMPSON BAY - The Sint Maarten Yacht Club is a hive of activity as competitors arrive for the 37th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. The racing action kicks off on March 2nd with the Gill Commodore’s Cup, a one-day windward leeward racing event, allowing sailors to practice and perfect their racing without influencing the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, which runs March 3-5.

The 2017 St. Maarten Heineken Regatta will once again feature the largest collection of yachts racing at a Caribbean regatta since the 2016 edition. Competitors will race in no less than eight CSA Monohull Classes, five CSA Multihull Classes, three Bareboat Classes, Melges 24 and the Lottery Class. The weather forecast for the regatta could be described as fresh to frightening. With strong easterly trade winds anticipated, the powerful ocean yachts, should revel in the conditions.

The Maxi and Ocean Racing Classes represent the largest and fastest ocean going yachts racing in CSA. Two Swan 100 are set to enjoy a titanic match race. Varsovie, skippered by Tomek Ulatowski and Muzuni, skippered by Miquel Huma, will be equally matched. In the Ocean Racing Class, five former round the world race boats will be fighting for class glory. On CSA rating, Lionel Pean's French Volvo 70 SFS II, is the fastest yacht. However, Volvo 70 Monster Project is a former Round St. Maarten record holder and now under new Australian ownership, skippered by Roman Guerra. Przemyslaw Tarnacki's Farr 60, Ambersail from Lithuania is the defending champion and Volvo 70 Green Dragon will be skippered by Olympic gold medallist, Poland's Mateusz Kusznierewicz. Chris Stanmore Major's Canadian Whitbread 60 Challenger has been racing thousands of miles already this season and could well feature after time correction.

The forecast big breeze and ocean swell should provide a perfect cocktail for the displacement yachts racing in CSA 1. Ross Applebey's Oyster 48, Scarlet Oyster will be going for a hat trick, having won class for the previous two years. Jamie Walker's American Swan 56 Azura is on paper the fastest yacht in CSA 1 and Jack Desmond's American Swan 48 Affinity is a proven winner. Bruno Cardile's Italian Soto 50 Fortunata will feature America's Cup and multiple world champion Tommaso Chieffi, as tactician.

In CSA 2, fast planning yachts will enjoy a wild ride for the regatta. Bernie Evan-Wong's RP37 Taz will be flying high after the Antiguan team won their class in last month's RORC Caribbean 600. Sir Richard Matthews British Humphreys 42 Oystercatcher XX1 has a well set, top class crew, including Match Race World Champion Andy Green, and there is sure to be a fantastic Melges 32 dust-up between Sergio Sagramoso's Puerto Rican Lazy Dog and St. Maarten's Ian Hope-Ross racing Kick 'em Jenny 2. CSA 3 contains seven well-matched yachts, with many teams highly experienced at the regatta. However, the standout match will be between the 2016 Most Worthy Performer, American J/122 El Ocaso, and St. Maarten's Ben Jelic racing his J/120 J-aguar.

In CSA 4, Sir Bobby Velasquez racing L'Esperance and Sir Robbie Ferron's J/39 Micron 99 Ossenfeffer, will resume their gentleman's duel. The two skippers from St. Maarten have been racing each other since before the crew on Garth Steyn's Kidz At Sea 1 were born. CSA 5 looks to be a fantastic battle with well sailed boats right through the class. From St. Barths two J/109s will be equally matched; Dave Cullen's Pocket Rocket and Sophie Olivaud's all girls team on Albacor IV. Peter Lewis' Bajan J/105 Whistler will undoubtedly be in the mix. Raymond Magras returns with his Dufour 34 Speedy Nemo, the team from St. Barth was runner up in class last year.

In CSA 6, the second yacht crewed by the Kidz at Sea Foundation, Moon dance, are all pupils from the Milton Peters College (MPC), Sundial School and Charlotte Brookson Academy. In the Melges 24 Class, Fritz Bus will defend his class win last year on Island Water World, last year's runner up, Andrea Scarabelli's Gill Race Team will be looking to go one better.

The Offshore multihull class features three Gunboats; Stephen Cucchiaro's Flow, Phil Lotz's Arethusa and Fredrik Moe's Momentum. Mixing it up will be two custom flyers, Robert Janecki's HH66 R-Six and Greg Slyngstad Beiker 53, Fujin. In all 27 multihulls have entered the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta.

In the Bareboat Classes, winners returning from last year include last year's overall winners, Mike Cannon and Neil Harvey's KHS&S Contractors. Andrey Novikov's Russian Federation team TREM-sailing, Luka Rodion's Ukranian team Kiev Racing Yacht Club. In the Lottery Class, Hank Schmitt's American Swan 48 Avocation, which has been participating for 12 years, will be looking to go one better than runner up last year.

For the full entry list and more go to: www.heinekenregatta.com.

INTERNATIONAL, 28 February 2017 – Delivering her first address as the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed underlined that Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are essential for a safe and secure future that brings prosperity, opportunity and human rights for all.

“Around the world, success in achieving the SDGs will ease global anxieties, provide a better life for women and men and build a firm foundation for stability and peace in all societies, everywhere,” said Ms. Mohammed at the opening of the 2017 UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) segment on Operational Activities for Development.

Ms. Mohammed, earlier today, was administered the oath of office by Secretary-General António Guterres at a ceremony at the UN Headquarters in New York.

“Success will require a bolder approach to financing and partnerships. Nothing will be achieved without engaging all actors,” she added, urging all countries to rethink systems, approaches, redefine traditional planning, delivery and monitoring.

She also said that the UN too needed to be “fit for purpose” to help its Member States implement 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

“We must innovate, and revamp our approach to partnership and financing, with a focus on the long haul. We must empower youth to participate in and shape the political and economic lives of their countries and communities; to be the agents of peace and development,” she noted.

Further in her remarks, the deputy UN chief also highlighted that despite much progress, Africa continued to remain vulnerable, and therefore needs to be a UN priority.

Opening of the 2017 Economic and Social Council segment on Operational Activities for Development. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Noting that efforts should be stepped to support the least developed, landlocked and small island developing states to reduce vulnerability and build resilience, she added that “It is critical that, across the world, we focus on those furthest behind first. Because in all regions, the rising tide of optimism and empowerment, has not yet reached everyone.”

She also underlined the need to address growing inequalities around the globe as well as combat gender discrimination which continues to limit the opportunities and potential of women and girls in all countries.

Looking ahead, Ms. Mohammed said that focus would be based on broadly three principles: strengthening impartial leadership of the UN development system for coherence and integration at all levels; addressing the trust deficit to entail accountability and transparency at all levels; and being responsive to national priorities.

“Solutions from the past will not, alone, meet the challenges of the future,” she underlined.

The UN Deputy Secretary-General also spoke of the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review (QCPR) process that established a sequenced approach to the review of the UN development system as well as on the empowerment of Resident Coordinators and implementation of standard operating procedures for UN Country Teams.

Noting that the world has a unique, once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver a better future for all humanity, she stressed: “The task ahead is challenging, but nothing is impossible when we work together.”

Opening the segment, ECOSOC Vice-President Cristián Barros said the Council would contribute to the implementation of the QCPR in three ways: by laying the foundation for its work after the receipt of comprehensive proposals requested from the Secretary-General in the QCPR; by discussing concrete steps that the UN development system can initiate immediately to enhance system-wide coherence and efficiency; by reflecting on adjustments needed to improve impact of support provided to different groups of countries to deliver on the 2030 Agenda.

As a result of the deliberations in the general Assembly on the QCPR, Mr. Barros said there is now growing recognition among Member States that the UN development system is at a “critical juncture” where important decisions will need to be made for the Organization to effectively support delivery of the 2030 Agenda.

This is why the new QCPR resolution of the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to prepare proposals for their consideration in the course of this year on the system's functions and capacities.

“These options will enable Member States to make decisions on the changes required at different levels for the kind of transformation we need to bring the UN development system up to speed with the level of ambition of the 2030 Agenda,” he said.