Loss and Damage negotiations in DR
Sept. 5, 2023
Climate negotiators from two dozen countries are working in the Dominican Republic on the details of the United Nations' "loss and damage" fund, which is intended to provide compensation for poor nations suffering the impacts of climate change, reports Aljazeera.
This week climate experts were outraged by the “unacceptable” exclusion of civil society campaigners from the meeting. “As the devastating impacts of the climate crisis multiply, a fundamental human rights principle is participation--of those whose rights are being violated or threatened, and their key allies. Closed meetings are the antithesis of the required open and inclusive approach,” The U.N. special rapporteur on human rights and environment, David Boyd, said to Devex.
The fund is meant to cover expenses such as relocating or rebuilding after extreme weather events, the loss of livelihoods due to ecosystem destruction, and non-economic losses, including loss of culture and tradition or trauma.
A working and financed fund is seen by campaigners as critical to the success of the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties, or COP 28, to be hosted by the United Arab Emirates in late November, reports Devex.
There are two options for the structure of the new loss and damage fund in the context of climate change impacts: the "programmatic" approach, which allows countries to set their own agenda and develop national loss and damage policies, and the "responsive" approach, which links funding eligibility to specific climate disasters or thresholds of loss and damage incurred. (Climate Analytics)
Beach access protests in SVG
Ongoing protests over beach access in Canouan led St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves to criticize investors who fail to be “sensitive to people’s concerns, reports iWitness News. All beaches in St. Vincent and the Grenadines are public but land access to the beaches in the north of Canouan are all through the resort there.
A 99-year lease granted to Canouan Resorts Development “has been stirring the pot of discord since 1990. This agreement has sparked a prolonged struggle between public beach access rights and the resort’s desire to maintain an aura of exclusivity,” reports Searchlight.
Indeed, the affected northern third of Canouan is being referred to as a "gated community" by Director of Grenadines Affairs, Edwin Snagg. (iWitness News)
Human Rights
The Ministry of Education in St Kitts and Nevis has established new student hair guidelines to promote an inclusive educational environment while ensuring that there is no discrimination related to hair and hairstyles. (Loop)
A report by Claudia Mahler named “Independent Expert on the Enjoyment of all Human Rights by Older Persons” was published by the United Nations General Assembly. Follow the link to access to the full report.
Economics and Finance
The Grenadian government has approved over 2,000 foreign investors to become nationals of Grenada through the Citizenship by Investment program in the first six months of the current year, reports Loop.
The International Monetary Fund has reached a staff-level agreement with Suriname on the third review of the country's program, which restarted in June after a year-long hiatus. This development has prompted a closer examination of Suriname's debt restructuring negotiations and their implications for the international architecture of sovereign restructurings. (Sovdebt Oddities)
Public Security
As a potential Kenya-led international security mission to Haiti gathers steam, critics have voiced concern about the Kenyan police force’s human rights record, cultural clashes and a language barrier — “The Kenyan police have been involved in human rights violations and they don’t speak Kreyol nor French,” Pierre Espérance, executive director of the National Human Rights Defense Network in Haiti told The New Humanitarian.
The U.N. Secretary General’s recommendation to deploy “robust” force in Haiti is essentially a euphemism for “bloodbath,” argues Karl Watts in the Jamaica Gleaner.
Haiti’s struggling police force has lost 774 officers in the first six months of this year, “in the midst of a new escalation in violence that’s forcing thousands of Haitians to abandon their homes and leading to fears that all of Port-au-Prince will be under gang control in the coming days, reports the Miami Herald. The number represents a “staggering loss,” according to U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres in a report to the Security Council.
Migration
Despite the security crisis on the ground in Haiti, the U.S. Biden administration sent a deportation flight to Haiti, a day after the telling U.S. citizens to leave the country “as soon as possible.” (Miami Herald)
Trinidad and Tobago’s expansion of access to education to migrant children is more limited than initially thought, reports Sunday Express, noting that, “school spots are only open to Venezuelan children with parents who have permits from the Ministry of National Security and who must also pass an English language proficiency test administered by The University of the West Indies.” (Via Americas Migration Brief.)
Decolonisation and Reparations
Barbados' transition to a republic is seen as a step toward true decolonisation, but it is emphasized that constitutional changes must be accompanied by broader structural and ideological shifts to address the legacy of colonialism fully. (New Internationalist)
Britain punishing poorer nations who sell citizenship is simplistic and destructive, argues Caribbean writer Kenneth Mohammed in the Guardian. “Braverman’s approach to immigration raises questions about the UK’s commitment to equitable policies. Meanwhile, the Caribbean’s investment visa programmes offer economic opportunities but need to to address due diligence concerns related to inequality, alongside fraud, tax evasion and national security”.
Patrick Robinson, a Jamaican member of the International Court of Justice, delivered a speech commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Demerara Slave Rebellion. In his address, he highlighted the significance of this event and discussed various aspects related to slavery's legacy, reparations, and the fight against racism, reports Stabroek News.
Energy
The Transparency Institute Guyana Inc is calling on Guyana’s government to release reports submitted by ExxonMobil detailing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their operations in the Stabroek, Canje, and Corentyne oil blocks. (Kaieteur News)
More than a dozen citizens in Guyana held a protest in Houston, East Bank Demerara, demanding transparency regarding ExxonMobil's expenses related to the Stabroek Block oil project, reports Kaieteur News.
Food Security
Over the years, agriculture has waned in importance in The Cayman Islands, leading to an over-reliance on imported products. However, this region has an opportunity to reinvigorate their agricultural sector through innovation and collaboration. By doing so, they can enhance food security, reduce reliance on imports, and address the challenges posed by climate change and other global factors. (Climate Tracker)
Culture
Michael Anthony, a beloved Trinidadian author and historian, passed away on August 24, 2023, at the age of 93, reports Global Voices. He made significant contributions to Trinidad and Tobago's literary and historical heritage with his humble and authentic writing style.
Climate Justice
“What all these negotiators have in common is an unparalleled work ethic and a drive to make a change, states Erin Roberts, founder and Global Lead of the Loss and Damage Collaboration, about the importance of developing countries' negotiators. “No one is better equipped to bring those needs, those complexities, those challenges, to the global discussions on Loss and Damage”, concludes.
The Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) has an ongoing concern about the National Environment and Planning Agencies (NEPA) denial of access to environmental information, specifically water-quality test results and assessments related to a reported pollution incident in the Rio Cobre. (The Gleaner)
A new UNU-IAS policy brief offers guidance on building resilient education systems in small island developing states (SIDS) to meet the needs of people displaced by climate change. Read the full brief here.
Climate change is significantly affecting food security in Guyana, particularly among indigenous communities. Rising sea levels and unpredictable weather patterns are impacting cassava, a staple crop in indigenous farming systems. This has led to challenges in food production and threatens food security in the interior regions of the country, including Middle Mazaruni in Region Seven. (Climate Tracker)
There is an ongoing concern and opposition regarding the proposed construction of an industrial boatyard in a mangrove forest at the top of Mt. Hartman Bay in Grenada due to the potential environmental impact of the project, including the destruction of mangroves, seabed dredging, chemical contamination from boat repair, and runoff of aquatic pollutants. (Coral Cove Group)
Trinidad and Tobago experienced a significant heatwave, with temperatures soaring to 34.7°C (94.46°F) on August 27 and 33.8°C (92.84°F) on the following day. Consequently, The Trinidad and Tobago Express editorial highlighted the need for a coordinated national response to address the effects of climate change, including extreme heat. It emphasized the lack of preparedness and called for action from line ministries and agencies. (Global Voices)
The biodiversity of the Caribbean region is facing an urgent and multifaceted threat due to a combination of factors, including excessive land and sea use, climate change, and other human-induced impacts. This puts at risk the ecosystems economic and ecological importance as well as its cultural heritage and calls for immediate action. (The Global Americans)
Events
11-25 September — the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea will hold oral hearings in the advisory proceedings regarding States' obligations related to climate change. The hearings will be broadcast live on the website and you can listen to them when available in the following link.
25-29 June, 2024 in Lombok Island, Indonesia, 19th “Islands of the World” Conference, organized by ISISA, Institut Pertanian, Universitas Mataram and Archipelagic & Island State Forum. For more information, follow the link.