Pulse of the Caribbean

#117 Caribbean News Round Up Episode 4 Week of September 22

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Caribbean leaders take center stage at the UN General Assembly to advocate for small island nations facing climate disasters and economic challenges, while regional initiatives strengthen governance and economic resilience. Here are stories making Caribbean headlines.

  • Antigua and Barbuda PM Gaston Brown Promoted the SIDS Debt Sustainability Support Services for restructuring debt and funding resilience projects at 80th UN General Assembly
  • Guyana's President Dr. Ali Address to 80th UN General Assembly updated on Venezuela border disputes and calls for respect of international law by impacted nations around the world
  • Five Eastern Caribbean states sign agreement to establish regulatory authority for citizenship investment programs
  • US Virgin Islands residents face new shipping challenges after Trump's Executive Order ends $800 duty-free exemptions
  • Royal Caribbean International opens its first Caribbean office in Nassau, strengthening its commitment to the Bahamas
  • Dominican Republic adds three new destinations to Airbnb's network, promoting rural and agricultural tourism 

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Speaker 1:

This podcast is brought to you by Diamond Key Marina, yosemite, british Virgin Islands, home of Foxy's Taboo and Gateway to the Bubbly Pool, a natural jacuzzi and hidden gem. Welcome to the Pulse of the Caribbean News Roundup, episode 4 for the week of September 22nd. Here's a look at what's making Caribbean headlines. We start our report today at the United Nations General Assembly. In his UN address Antigua and Barbuda, prime Minister Gaston Brown called for immediate international action to protect small island nations from climatic and economic disasters. Brown warned world leaders of dire economic and environmental issues. He stated public debt is $97 trillion and over half of low-income nations are struggling. He said global growth averages 2.5 percent far behind development and climate targets. Small island developing states face trade fragmentations, financial volatility and climate disasters. Brown stated 2024 climate-related disasters ruined $7 billion in assets. Brown added that the UN International Governmental Panel on Climate Change predicted a one-meter sea level rise might harm houses, ports and civilizations. He warned that tourism dependent economies, which account for 40 percent of GDP in some islands, are vulnerable. Prime Minister Brown compared global pledges to action, despite slow progress. He said the Paris Climate Accord and UN 2030 Agenda offer climate finance, social development and inequality reduction. Brown said the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS, debt Sustainability Support Services, restructures debt and funding resilience projects. March 2026 will see the first debt sustainability support service transaction involving climate resilient government debt. He encouraged multilateral development banks and financial institutions to enhance concessional financing, adopt vulnerability-based access and suspend catastrophic debt service. Brown advised charity and private finance collaborations for resilient infrastructure, sustainable energy and adaptation. D'antiga and Barbuda Prime Minister told world leaders this week the UN Climate Summit attribution research allow legal proceedings attributing extreme weather to fossil fuel emissions. He said if diplomacy fails, we should hold large polluters accountable in court. Brown supports the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative rules based phase out of coal, oil and gas with financial and technical transfers.

Speaker 1:

In other news from the UN General Assembly at the 88th UN General Assembly on Wednesday, guyana's President, dr Ephraim Ali, gave an update on the Guyana-Venezuela border issue. He said Venezuela has frequently threatened and attacked. President Ali said the International Court of Justice twice confirmed its jurisdiction and ordered Venezuela to maintain the status quo in 2023. Venezuela's unilateral legislation and annexation threats contradict international law, the UN Charter and world order. He said what protection remains for any nation under international law if the rights of a small state can be trampled and legally binding orders ignored. President Ali said Guyana still has fate in international law. We must maintain sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference. We'll fight coercion, intimidation and unilateral acts. The Guyanese leader praised international allies for their support.

Speaker 1:

President Ali also said the 80th General Assembly session is under a cloud Continuing. He said genocide in Palestine, annexation of Ukrainian territory, persecution of women in Afghanistan, humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan, brutal gang violence in Haiti, increased transnational organized crime trafficking and illegal immigration. President Ali remarked we must take urgent action to halt the genocide, return the hostages and accelerate our efforts towards the two-state solution. Palestinian men, women and children are being killed and displaced, he said. He also said Guyana wants the Russia-Ukraine war to end immediately and supports Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. He also called for international action in Haiti, where gang violence, displacement and food and pharmaceutical shortages have deepened despair. President Ali observed that peacekeeping resources are diminishing, humanitarian expenditures are growing and military spending rose to its highest level in 2024 since the Cold War. The UN noble mission to maintain international peace and security will be hollowed if it allows power to triumph over principle and might over rights. President Ali cautioned. He said the UN must be true to its charter and not trade humanity's survival and progress for power Now on to the OECS. Progress for power Now on to the OECS.

Speaker 1:

Government leaders from the citizenship investment programs of the eastern Caribbean states signed a major regulatory agreement. The agreement establishes a regional supervisory authority to oversee and standardize citizenship by investment operations in five member nations to strengthen their integrity, transparency and long-term sustainability. The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States said this was the result of regional and international consultations with citizenship by investment industry leaders and global partners like the United States, the UK and European Commission. The Commonwealth of Dominica, antigua and Barbuda, grenada, st Kitts and Nevis and St Lucia have held significant discussions with international allies over the previous two years. According to the OACS media statement, they have agreed on a set of principles that reinforced a value of legality of citizenship investment programs earning and its critical role in sustaining small island economies. Member states propose to establish the Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regulatory Authority by October 2025. This new authority will oversee all Citizenship by Investment Program activities in member countries, assuring consistent standards, rigorous oversight and compliance. Assuring consistent standards, rigorous oversight and compliance. The region's minimal investment threshold is $200,000 to maintain the CIP program credibility, maintaining funding for critical infrastructure, climate resilience and social development projects. According to the OECS, international partners have acknowledged that dismantling citizenship investment programs would have severe economic repercussions for small island developing states, which depend on these revenues for fiscal stability, climate resilience and pandemic recovery. That the countries involved are dedicated to ensuring their citizenship by investment initiatives fulfilling global transparency and accountability requirements.

Speaker 1:

Our next stop is the US Virgin Islands. Us President Donald Trump's Executive Order 14324 ends 800 duty-free exemptions, costing US Virgin Islands residents more to ship. Duty-free imports up to $800 were allowed under the Domenes exemption. Residents of the US Virgin Islands and other territories must now prepay duties on numerous goods before the US Postal Service will accept them. The Virgin Islands delegate to the US Congress, stacey Plaskett, said she and other territorial leaders wanta waiver from the US White House to restore justice. The duty-free de minimis exemption for items under $800 was repealed by the executive order, putting pressure on shipping in the US Virgin Islands and other territories outside the custom zone. As a US territory, the Virgin Islands has been outside the custom zone and the governor can request a change, plaskett said. She said the Virgin Islands should assess if staying outside the custom zone now benefits them as much as it did a century ago.

Speaker 1:

All of the US territories Guam, american Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands and the US Virgin Islands, except for Puerto Rico, which is the only territory inside the custom zone, are experiencing the same problem following Executive Order 14324. Plaskett said the requirement is an unfair burden on territorial residents. According to Plaskett, she promised to seek a waiver like the one she received to protect the Virgin Islands of the US from high port fees and shipping restrictions. Other Caribbean nations have been affected by the US from high port fees and shipping restrictions. Other Caribbean nations have been affected by the US White House executive order. Despite being a US territory, the US Virgin Islands confront similar challenge as other Caribbean nations. The neighboring US Virgin Islands Postal Service temporarily suspended all mail containing products to the US and its territories on August 29, 2025. The suspension covers shipments to the American Samoa, guam, northern Mariana Islands, neighboring Puerto Rico and neighboring US Virgin Islands. Beyond the Caribbean, the executive order has disrupted shipping services worldwide, including international carrier cargo to the United States.

Speaker 1:

Now on to the British Virgin Islands. Lawmakers have opposed term limits for the premier of the British Virgin Islands, stating that the territory's small size and democracy makes it unnecessary, and democracy makes it unnecessary. Over 90 countries have put term limits on their leaders of government, mainly in presidential systems like the United States. Thus the British Virgin Islands Constitutional Review Commission suggested considering them. The Cayman Island limit premieres to two terms. Other British Virgin Islands House Assembly members claim the plan would harm the British Virgin Islands. The opposition leader, myron Wolwin, said in a small population like the Virgin Islands, some of these things, as good as they may sound, don't always work for us. He warned that ousting leaders could cause destabilization. Term limits may encourage politicians to plan short-term, wolwin said. Opposition member Stacey Buda-Mather recommended holding a referendum to poll the public in 2027. The commission believed term restrictions would prevent complacency and power entrenchment.

Speaker 1:

Next up, royal Caribbean International has opened its first office in the Caribbean region. After this For Pulse of the Caribbean podcast advertising or marketplace feature opportunities, email biz B-I-Z at pulseofthecaribbeancom. Get your ads in front of our ever-expanding Caribbean and diaspora community. Contact us at biz B-I-Z at pulseofthecaribbeancom. Engage in networking and advertising with Pulse of the Caribbean. This is the Pulse of the Caribbean News Roundup, episode 4, for the week of September 22nd.

Speaker 1:

Royal Caribbean International launched its first Caribbean office in Nassau this week, becoming the first cruise line to do so. Royal Caribbean International Bahamas President Philip Solomon said the office's establishment strengthens the cruise line's Bahamas commitment, adding that this opening shows we are not just here to drop anchor and admire the view. Our organization is dedicated to Bahamian employment, tourism, industry growth, community connections and island preservation. He said the office opens before Royal Caribbean International's Royal Beach Club on Paradise Island's western point. The Bahamas acting Prime Minister Glenys Hannah-Martin said, as Royal Caribbean International arranges excursions for Paradise to Bahamian communities since it drives national tourism, royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bailey said the cruise line is dedicated to the Bahamas for the long term, despite its often rocky relationship with the government.

Speaker 1:

And here's our final note the Dominican Republic added three new destinations to Airbnb's global first-time booking network in 2024. Airbnb reports record disperse travel worldwide, reflecting a global shift into non-traditional areas. New Dominican Republic destinations include Sabal North Val Verde for mountain scenery, ecotourism and agriculture, yuma. San Pedro de Macaris for sugar industry Proximity, and Sabal Salt Duarte for Cocoa Production and Agrotourism. These editions show increased interest in authentic, off-the-beaten-pat travel, which diversifies the country's appeal and boosts regional economies. Nearly 40% of Airbnb guests in 2024 were natives experiencing the country, with rural stays accounting for a comparable amount. This move has increased chances for hosts in non-traditional destinations and promoted cultural interchange and sustainable growth.

Speaker 1:

This podcast has been brought to you by Diamond Key Marina, yosemite, british Virgin Islands, home of Foxy's Taboo and Gateway to the Bubbly Pool, a natural jacuzzi and hidden gem. Have news and information you'd like to share with us. Send news releases to news at pulseofthecaribbeancom. This has been your Pulse of the Caribbean News Roundup, episode 4, for the week of September 22nd. Here's a special greeting going out to our listeners in Curacao, north Carolina and the Netherlands. Thanks for listening and do spread the word and share our podcast with others across the region and the diaspora. I'm Keisha Blyden. See you next time diaspora.

Speaker 2:

I'm Keisha Blyden. See you next time and thank you in advance for choosing Pulse of the Caribbean Caribbean News Roundup as your source for Caribbean-centered news.