Official newsletter

newsletter130 ( .pdf )

The Antigua and Barbuda

High Commission

Official Newsletter Issue 130 -- November/December 2008


Cariforum-EU


EPA


ready for


implementation


Prime Minster, Baldwin Spencer, has
announced that the Cariforum-EU
EPA has been ratified and is poised
to enter the implementation phase.


During his presentation in Parliament,
PM Spencer acknowledged that many
stakeholders have expressed that they
do not know enough about the
agreement.


.... -- ........ .
111111111 L 1 11 AN1 . 4-.- -
Governor-General H. E. Dame Louise Lake-Tack inspecting the
Guard of Honour at the Independence Day celebrations


In This Issue
1. Delores Lovell Scholarship Award launched .... Page 7
2. Antigua and Barbuda adds excitement to World Travel Market .... Pages 9 and
3. Antiguan Flagged Vessel hijacked in Gulf of Aden ...page 13


He said the process of implementation
is a long, ongoing one and people will
be engaged in many EPA discussions
in the months to come.
"The trade and commerce sector of the
Ministry of Finance will be having
continuous public engagements with
stakeholders," PM Spencer said.

According to Michele Lowe, senior co-
ordinator for hemispheric and bilateral
relations in the Caribbean Regional
Negotiating Machinery (CRNM),
ratification is the first step to legally
incorporating commitments into law.
While many believe that signing the
Cariforum-EU EPA in mid-October
was the first step to binding Antigua
and Barbuda to the agreement legally,
Lowe told the Antigua Sun that one
cannot have "entry into force" of an
agreement, unless there is ratification.
Antigua and Barbuda, Lowe said, is
now legally bound to make sure it does
not do anything to frustrate the spirit of
the EPA.
Entry into force will not come right
away, Lowe stated, it will only come
when both sides complete the
ratification process.
Continue on page 4


10






Issue 130 november/December 2008


..i.II. I ...- ..---- .I..n 11. .4.....III..dn.


HIGH COMMISSIONER'S CHRISTMAS

MESSAGE DECEMBER 2008


His Excellency and Mrs Roberts


Another twelve months have past and as we take time
out to think of our own families near to us and those
family members far from us, let us also bear in mind
the words of our Lord "love thy neighbour as thyself'.
Let us take time to think of others who during what
would normally be a happy and festive period are
devoid of much happiness. They may have lost their
jobs, their homes or family members or maybe one of
more of the above. To them the desire to celebrate the
joyous commemoration of the birth of the Saviour of
the world has waned. There is instead sadness,
emptiness and heartache.

I was watching a movie with my wife one December
evening and was warmed by the friendly gesture of a
family who received a US Vietnam Veteran into their
home and brought back into his life happiness and
warmth, love and laughter. In return he brought hope
and the joy of Christmas. Sometimes we have to be
reminded that it is necessary to give in order to receive.
A small mustard seed cannot turn into a tree until and
unless it gives up its body as food for the young shoot.


In the world today, there is so much fear and
uncertainty. The plans which we would have
painstakingly made for a bright future have gone up in
smoke. Our savings and pension have lost significant
values. Should we not be calling to mind our Lord's
admonition not to lay up for ourselves treasures on
earth? Yet, we, like the farmer in another story related
in the Bible, feel the need to provide our own
assurance of the future without the help of Jesus.

Some time ago someone circulated this message by
George Carlin which reminds me of the world today:

"The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller
buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but
narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less,
we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses
and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time.
We have more degrees but less sense, more
knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more
problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too
recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry,
stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch
TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied
our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too
much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life.
We've added years to life not life to years. We've been
all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble
crossing the street to meet a new neighbour. We
conquered outer space but not inner space. We've
done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've
conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write
more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish
less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build
more computers to hold more information, to produce
more copies than ever, but we communicate less and
less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion,
big men and small character, steep profits and shallow
relationships. These are the days of two incomes but
more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes.
These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers,
throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight
bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet,
to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom
window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when
technology can bring this letter to you, and a time
Continue on page 3


Cln)irrlrrr rrnrl Rrrrklrrlrr ~irrlr Crrmmictirrn






The Andoua and Rorbuda Hich Commission Issue 130 flovemberlDecembef 2008


Continued from page 2

when you can choose either to share
this insight, or to just hit delete...

Remember; spend some time with
your loved ones, because they are
not going to be around forever.
Remember, say a kind word to
someone who looks up to you in awe,
because that little person soon will
grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to
the one next to you, because that is
the only treasure you can give with
your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Government

Announces New

Benefit Programme

for two Vulnerable

Groups in Society

The Government of Prime Minister the
Hon. Baldwin Spencer has announced
another benefit programme to assist
two vulnerable groups in the society.

During the presentation of the 2009
Speech from the Throne on Monday,
24th November, Governor-General
Dame Louise Lake-Tack announced
that the government, in conjunction
with PDC Caribe Antigua and Barbuda,
will be introducing an initiative called
the People's Benefit Programme
which will offer tangible assistance in
the form of a monthly benefit to the
disabled and the economically
disadvantaged.

Dame Louise outlined that the project
involves the issuance of a special
debit card to programme beneficiaries
which will be used to purchase food
and personal household items at the


Remember, to say, 'I love you' to
your partner and your loved ones,
but most of all mean it. A kiss and an
embrace will mend hurt when it
comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and
cherish the moment for someday
that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak!
And give time to share the precious
thoughts in your mind.


Life is not measured by the number
of breaths we take, but by the
moments that take our breath away."

I therefore take this opportunity to
wish each of you on behalf of my
family and me, the staff of the High
Commission and the Government of
Antigua and Barbuda, a Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year.
May God continue to bless and
protect each and everyone of you
now and in 2009.


AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:


H.E Dr Carl B. Roberts


Central Marketing Corporation and the
Fisheries Complex during the initial
stages of the programme. The project
is expected to be expanded later to
supermarkets owned by citizens
throughout Antigua and Barbuda.

"The project is targeted at some 2,000
individuals of which, approximately
500 will fall in the disabled category,
with the remainder comprising
disadvantaged households. The
Peoples Benefit Card will be issued in
conjunction with a local indigenous
bank, the ABI Bank and will require the
placement of point of sale debit card
swipe machines to process payments
at the respective merchants. The
merchants would be guaranteed same
day processing of payment as with any
commercial debit or credit card,"
Dame Louise announced.

Each month every recipient's card will
be topped up to the value of EC$200
dollars with the unused portion of the
monthly benefit expiring at the end of
each month.

Commenting on the project, Prime
Minister Spencer said that this
programme follows the Senior Citizens
Utility Subsidy Programme which
provides financial assistance to senior


citizens on the payment of their utility
bills. "Once again we are able to use
the funds associated with the Petro
Caribe Initiative to come to the
assistance of the most vulnerable in
our society. My government is once
again demonstrating that we are
serious about putting people first. Our
programmes are designed to ensure
that every citizen including our
disabled and elderly live comfortable
lives," said the Prime Minister.

"With over 2000 persons benefiting
from this new programme, my
government is ensuring that we
positively impact the disposable
income and quality of life of the
disabled and the economically
disadvantaged," he noted.

At a monthly subsidy of EC$200 per
person the project is estimated to cost
the Government some EC$4.8M
annually.

Government has already appointed a
nine-member committee made up of
stakeholders from several civic and
non-governmental organizations to
oversee the programme. This
committee will have final approval of
all applications to the programme.


May this Christmas bring you an abundance of


joy and happiness.


We wish you a very prosperous New Year


Tha Anb'aua anJ BarbuJa Hiah Cammirrian


Irrua 130 navambar/bacambar 2008






The Andoua and Rorlbuda Hich Commission Issue 130 flovemberlDecembef 2008


Work on Public

Library continues

The Honourable Bertrand Joseph,
Minister of Education recently
remarked that despite the
unfavourable weather conditions, work
on the National Public Library is
progressing smoothly.

According to the Minister, contractors
have already put on the roof on the

Passport

Procedures for

first-time

applicants

Please note that effective
immediately, all first-time applicants
for Antigua and Barbuda passport
must be interviewed (in person at
the High Commission or by
telephone) and the following
documents (in addition to birth
certificates etc.) have to be
produced:

1. The parents of
applicants under age 16
must be interviewed and
a copy of their
photograph identification
(e.g. passport) be
produced for our records.

2. Applicants over age 16,
if claiming citizenship by


western section of the building. He
continued, "Once that has been
completed, they will start the
plastering and then move on to the
eastern section where they will also
put on the roof. The construction is
coming along nicely in terms of the
timeline that we have identified for the
completion of the project."

Minister Joseph also said that he is
heartened that every time he visits the
site, contractors are very busy at work.

descent, will need to
provide a copy of the
parent's photo
identification (e.g.
passport) through whom
entitlement to citizenship
is obtained.

3. All applicants must
provide the name of a
Referee in Antigua and
Barbuda known by the
applicant or his/her
parent.

REMINDER

RENEWALS

An application can also be submitted
on your next visit to Antigua or you
could authorise (written
authorisation) a family member or
friend living in or travelling to Antigua
to do so on your behalf. Please note
that, if the applicant is not resident in
Antigua and the application is
submitted directly in Antigua (and


Project Manager Zenworth Davis said
besides the recent weather conditions,
there are challenges with respect to
the correction of certain work on the
building, which had not received any
work for some time. He said they are
working seriously to correct the areas,
which were not taken into
consideration since the project was
priced based on the bill of quantity.




not through the High Commission)
the application form must be
certified by the appropriate person
resident in Antigua (See section 9
and note 6 of Form M OR Section 9
and note 7 of Form L).

LEGALIZATION (Apostille)

Please note that all non-Antiguan
and Barbudan documents have to
be legalized, which in the UK can be
done by the Foreign and
Commonwealth Office
(www.fco.gov.uk). Only certified
copies/original documents are
acceptable. Please see notes.

APPLICATION FORMS

Application forms can be
downloaded from the Government's
website
www.antiguabarbuda.gov.ag or from
the High Commission's website
www.antigua-barbuda.com


Continued from page 1


Contrary to statements made about Antigua and Barbuda's legal entry into the Cariforum-EU EPA, Lowe told the SUN
that, "Antigua and Barbuda is not the last to ratify; it is the second country to ratify. All others have done provisional
applications."
In these countries, what was needed was just a Cabinet note, which is passed through Cabinet, after which the other
side (in this case the EU) is notified that the necessary procedures have been put into place to provisionally apply the
agreement.
Antigua and Barbuda's laws do not allow it to undertake provisional application; therefore, the EPA was fast-forwarded
to the ratification process.
Lowe said there is much to do after the ratification which will allow Antigua and Barbuda to fully implement its obligations
and commitments under the EPA. Source: Antigua Sun


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The Andoua and Rorlbuda Hich Commission Issue 130 flovemberlDecembef 2008


Philip Campbell,
New Deputy
Commissioner of
Police
A new Deputy Commissioner of Police
has been appointed to join the
executive team of the Royal Police
Force of Antigua and Barbuda.

Philip Campbell fills the fourth and final
position of the team, a position
previously held by Acting
Commissioner Thomas Bennette.


Campbell, a Canadian, brings a wealth
of experience to his new position with
over 35 years experience in law
enforcement." At the conclusion of his
formal education, he enrolled as a
member of the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police (RCMP). Following
basic training in Regina and
Saskatchewan, he was posted to the
"J" division, Province of New Brunswick.
In addition, Inspector Everton Jeffers
has been officially announced as head
of the police's Strategic
Communications department
(Stratcom).


Jeffers is filling the post left vacant by
Inspector Cornelius Charles almost
two weeks ago. Jeffers has been an
officer in the Royal Antigua and
Barbuda Police Force for almost 26
years. He has worked in a number of
departments in the Force, including
the Special Patrol Group (SPG), the
Narcotics Department and the
Immigration Department, which was
once a department of the Force.
Jeffers is presently a part of the long-
standing Medical Benefits Scheme
(MBS) investigation team.


New trade
agreement with
Canada on the
horizon

Antigua and Barbuda, under the
umbrella of CARICOM, is preparing
to embark on negotiations of yet
another trade agreement, this time
with Canada.

The CARICOM-Canada
(CARIBCAN) agreement will be one
in which the rules that govern free
trade, as determined by the World
Trade Organisation (WTO), will
inform any future trading between
CARICOM member states and
Canada.

Under the CARIBCAN agreement,
Canada has pledged CDN$600
million to CARICOM members for
assistance in those countries, which
properly identify the specific areas
where development support is being
sought.


This is similar to negotiations under
the recently ratified Cariforum-EU
EPA, whereby the EU pledged 165
million Euros to Cariforum, to be
funded through the European
Development Fund (EDF).

Both these funds, however, will be
distributed, more or less, on a "first
come first serve" basis, a point
which Trade Co-ordinator,
Ambassador Dr. Clarence Henry has
emphasised as being the reason
why Antigua and Barbuda must try
hard to stay ahead in organising its
demands.

"We must ensure that Antigua and
Barbuda takes its planning activities
to the table first. In the past, when it
came to regional resources, we
tended to wait and acted late, while
others had more or less, taken all
and left none for us."

Some of the other aspects of the
CARIBCAN agreement were
discussed at Tuesday's meeting for
various stakeholders.


overview of the CARIBCAN
Agreement at that meeting.

One of the aspects of the proposed
agreement involves an emphasis on
"asymmetrical obligations", which
mimics the "asymmetrical reciprocity"
term used to describe trade
concessions in the Cariforum-EU
EPA.

Under previous trade agreements,
countries like Antigua and Barbuda,
were given special and differential
treatment because of factors such
as geographic and economic size,
competitive ability and supply-side
constraints.

Under the CARIBCAN, countries like
Antigua and Barbuda will still receive
differential treatment, but to a lesser
degree as informed by this notion of
"asymmetrical obligation".

Lowe also noted commitments to
development of Caricom member
states made on the part of Canada,
which will manifest themselves in


various ways including the delivery
Michele Lowe, senior trade policy of technical and financial assistance
advisor for the CRNM, presented an to CARICOM.


May you have the kind of Christmas that

beautiful memories are made of.



MI E RRY CHRIS7TM-AS


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Tha Anb'aua anJ BarbuJa Hiah Cammirrian


Irrua 130 navambar/bacambar 2008






The Andoua and Rorbuda Hich Commission Issue 130 flovemberlDecembef 2008


Commonwealth


enabling them


complete their sec-
Countries ondary or high

League (CCL) school education

Fair where, without such
help, they would be
On the 7th and 8th November 2008 unable to do so.
Antigua and Barbuda was one of
over 30 Commonwealth Countries The main funding for
participating at the CCL Fair held at the charity comes


the Kensington Town Hall.


"Since 1925 the Commonwealth


from the annual
Mrs Pauline Roberts
Commonwealth Fair Organizer of Antigua and Barbuda's Stall and
held in London Committee Member of the Commonwealth Fair 2008


Countries League has worked to pro- during November. Donations are Our stall, as usual, featured
mote the development, education also received from companies and Antiguan made arts and crafts,
and empowerment of women. individuals but if the work is to Antiguan rum, rum punch, fudge,


Through its charity, the CCL Educa- continue


and expand the sugar cakes, cakes, peanut sugar


tion Fund, formed in the 1960's, it organization needs all the help it can cakes and much more.
sponsors girls of proven potential get." Source:http://www.ccl-
int.org.uk/education


Antigua and
Barbuda

participates at
Gourmet Food and

Wine Expo

Antigua and Barbuda was
represented for the first time at the
14th Gourmet Food and Wine Expo
held at the Metro Toronto Convention
Centre in Ontario, Canada from 20th -
23rd November.

The over 35,000 visitors
sampled the culinary delights of the
twin island state.

According to Erica Henry-
Jackman, Sales and Marketing
Manager for the Antigua and Barbuda
Tourism Office (Canada), "This was
the perfect opportunity for the
Canadian Office to continue our very
successful 15 month Culinary Tourism
campaign, featuring Antigua's English
Harbour Rum. It also allowed us to


further highlight the
culinary geniuses of our
chefs and their cuisines."

Appearing at the
Antigua and Barbuda
booth was Chef Wayne
Forde. Forde has had a
number of years
experience as a chef and
currently holds the
position of Senior Sous !
Chef at The Verandah
Resort, where he has
worked since October .
2007.
Senior
The menu
showcased a range of Antiguan and
Barbudan dishes over the four day
period, which included pumpkin and
ginger soup, salt fish cakes, corn
bread and peas stew, veggi pepperpot
and fungi, sugar cakes, and guava
cheese.

Assisting him in preparing the
dishes was Chef Keith Otto and Chef
David Richards, who are both
Antiguan chefs residing in Canada.
Elmore Norris, another Antiguan who


Chef Wayne Forde
Sous Chef at the Verandah Resort

resides in Canada, rounded off the
team as the bartender.

Norris utilized the well-
renowned English Harbour Rum to
serve up cocktails.

The Gourmet Food and Wine
Expo offers visitors an extensive array
of fine wines and specialty foods from
around the world.


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The Anb'aua anJ BarbuJa Hiah Cammirrian


Irrua 130 navambar/bacambar 2008


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The Andaua and Rorlbuda Hich Commission Issue 130 flovemberlDecembef 2008


Delores Lovell

Scholarship Award

launched

Tracy St. Aimee of the Mary E. Pigott
School has become the first recipient
of the "Delores Lovell" scholarship
award, which will be given annually to
high achievers of that institution.

The presentation was made to St.
Aimee, who recently completed the
Junior Secondary examination at the
school's annual graduation exercise,
by Sandra Lovell-West.

Mrs West, a daughter of the late
Delores Lovell explained that the
scholarship is in memory of her late
mother who was taught by Mary E.
Pigott, a woman who had a huge
impact on her life while she attended
the St. John's Girls' School.

"My mother attended the Girls' School
and was impressed with the way in
which Miss Pigott dealt with students,


Governor-general

visits Holberton

Governor-General Dame Louise
Lake-Tack, on her annual visit to
Holberton Hospital on Wednesday,
17 December was quick to spread
some Christmas cheer and to
commend the staff for their work
during the year, most likely the last
at that venue.

The inevitable move to Mount St.
John was brought up from time to
time during the ceremony's
proceedings, which caused many
to reflect on what Holberton
Hospital has meant to Antigua over
the years.

Health Minister John Maginley,
stated, "What will be our
legacy?...think of how many
persons were born out of this
hospital... How many have spent a
sleepless night here concerned for


and she attempted to pass that
message on that it doesn't matter who
you are or your background, you can
attain greatness if you set your mind to
achieve."

Latrisha Robinson, Kady Merrifeld and
Akeem Michael were the other
students in the running for the award.
They were all interviewed by a panel of
judges, which included Kathleen Flax,
niece of Mary E. Pigott, and were
questioned on their future aspirations
even as they prepare to proceed
through secondary school.

The panel was said to be impressed
with the responses given by the
students, and spoke about how
articulate and intelligent they all were,
but St. Aimee stood out the most. She
received a one thousand dollar
scholarship, which has been placed in
a fixed deposit. Mrs. West says it is to
teach the student to "begin a life of
thrift."

Additionally, the winner received a
replica of a challenge trophy, which
will be kept at the school, with the

loved ones... How many people
from other countries have been
treated here..."

With that said, Maginley expressed
his congratulations to the student
nurses and staff at Holberton, who
have kept on despite what
Maginley called, people's
insistence on "crying down" the
institution.

Permanent Secretary at the
Ministry, John Jarvis, touched on
that point as well saying, "I feel
badly when on the radio, people
seem to take delight in bashing
those who work at
Holberton... Folks at Holberton go
way beyond the call of duty not for
remuneration but out of love."

Maginley also shared that while
visiting Mount St. John's yesterday,
he found some nurses in one of the
rooms.


name of the winner engraved as a high
achiever. The other students were
recipients of book prizes.

Chief Education Officer Jacintha
Pringle fully endorses the scholarship
award.

"It is a great motivation for grade six
students, who need such citizens to
assist them.

Many of them can do with the
additional help, and once they know
there are individuals who are willing to
support them, they will strive to do
better."

Mrs. Pringle pointed out that the
Ministry of Education should make it
its duty to track those high achievers
through their school years. By so
doing, she thinks it will "encourage
them to maintain a high level of
academic success."

Sandra Lovell-West who resides in
Trinidad says she hopes to improve
the scholarship offering in the future.


Maginley enquired what they were
doing and was told that they were
using their off time to practice-on
the new systems, so that they
would be better prepared once the
move to Mount St. John Medical
Centre is opened.

He stated, "That's what dedication
is all about."

Also, according to Maginley, he
understands the impatience
people feel when they are in
emergency care or with their loved
ones and it feels like too much time
passes before they are seen.

He reminded those present that
doctors and nurses are "not
machines that can be plugged in
and plugged out," but human
beings.

He said, "Unless you have a true
appreciation of what it takes to be
a health care professional, you
should not condemn them."


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Tha Anb'aucr crnJ BcrrbuJcr Hiah Cammirrian


Irrua 130 navambar/bacambar 2008






The Andaua and Rolbuda Hich Commission Issue 130 flovemberlDecembef 2008


-

Antigua and Barbuda

Steelpan Icon,

Leroy "Jughead"

Gordon, Passes

Away at 61

The steelband fraternity and other
community members of Antigua and
Barbuda will greatly miss one of its
well-known steelband cultural icons
Leroy "Jughead" Gordon, who passed
away on Thursday, November 13, 2008
after ailing for some time.

Gordon, who was a founding
member of the Harmonites
International Steel Orchestra
reportedly succumbed to heart failure
linked to cancer complications at the
Winter's Medical Clinic in Antigua
Gordon was still actively involved with
the Harmonites Steelband.

A former president of the Antigua
and Barbuda Pan Association on
November 3, the nation's 27th
anniversary of Independence Gordon
had just been recognized for his
lifelong contribution to the country's
overall carnival culture, and the steel
band art form. He was bestowed the
honour of 'Officer of the Most Precious
Order of Princely Heritage.'

Leroy "Jughead" Gordon will be
missed by many.


Keva Margetson laid to rest
The Holy Family Roman Catholic Cathedral was overflowing with people who
gathered to say goodbye to Keva Joan Margetson on Friday 5th December.

The service, led by Celebrant the Most Rev.
Donald J. Reece and punctuated, as it were,
by touches that were distinctly Keva flavoured,
said a fitting farewell to a much-loved and
respected woman.

Keva, who died on the 30th November
following a five-month battle with colon cancer,
was laid to rest in an atmosphere of
thanksgiving and celebration.

From the sweetness of the breeze that flowed
freely through the cathedral's wide open
windows to the choice of hymns tunefully
emitted from both choir and congregants,
Keva's life was reviewed with thanks and
praise.

Ushers, in national dress matched the attire of
the choristers; the fabric that Keva felt was
important enough to campaign for, reached even Bishop Reece's mitre and gown,
the colours repeated in the single wreath, a mix of white anthuriums, lilies and
light red roses resting upon the coffin.

Those blessed with the gift of having known Keva, nodded in agreement when
adjectives like independent, panache, energy and serving were used to describe
her and what her life stood for.

Those who did not know Keva or had merely received the blessing of an
encounter with the spirited lady, gave testimony by their presence that she had
nevertheless touched their lives.

Keva Margetson accompanied her parents from England to Antigua when she
was six. The cute, smaller twin to Leslie and sister to Judy and Robin, started a
love affair with Antigua to which she was ever faithful.

She was an inquisitive, industrious student who maintained throughout her life, a
strong sense of family loyalty.

What people will take from her funeral service is a memory of a woman who, as
D. Gisele Isaac said in her eulogy, squeezed every drop out of life.

Keva had a charisma that was integral to every organisation she worked for or
gave her time voluntarily to.

As a founding member of Professional Organisation for Women in Antigua
(POWA) she derived ways to keep the organisation alive and involved in matters
pertinent to inhabitants of the country she loved.

Isaac remarked that working with the Bank of Antigua, Keva's conscientiousness
would have people convinced that the bank was Keva's and not Sir R. Allen
Stanford's.

Bishop Reece in his homily paid tribute to Keva as a woman who lived life just as
Jesus instructed that we should.

He shared with listeners Keva's practice of spending solitary moments of prayer
in the sanctuary of the Cathedral.


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The Andoua and Rorbuda Hich Commission Issue 130 flovemberlDecembef 2008


ANTIGUA AND
BARBUDA ADDS
EXCITEMENT TO
WORLD TRAVEL
MARKET

To thank its trade and media
partners for their partnership and
support during 2008, the Antigua
and Barbuda Tourist Office hosted a
variety of exciting events in the run
up to World Travel Market, the
largest UK travel event of the year


along the River Thames on
board The Silver Barracuda for
their Annual Appreciation Party.
The event was a fun-filled
evening of rum punch, good
food and traditional Antiguan
hospitality!


travel agents, tour operators,
airline representatives, hotel
partners and members of the
press joined senior Minister Harold Lovell at the World Travel
representatives from the twin Market (WTM) with HE Dr Carl Roberts,
island nation, including Mrs. High Commissioner for Antigua and Barbuda
Sharon Peters, Permanent on his left and on his right HE Mr Paul
Secretary, Carol Hay, Director of Farquarhson, High Commissioner for The
Bahamas and Mrs Pauline Roberts


'Lionel Ritchie' flanked by Tourism staff left to right are Cherrie Osborne,
Carol Hay and Joyce Fyfe


held at Excel in London between 10
and 14 November.

To start off the celebrations, on
Thursday 6 November the Antigua
and Barbuda Tourist Office set sail








B ARBU DA


Carol Hay, Director of Tourism UK
& Europe


Capital of the Eastern Caribbean',
highlighting its many sporting events,
festivals and the second Romantic
Rhythms Music Festival to be held
from 5-7 June, 2009.

On Sunday 9 NovemberAntigua and
Barbuda's efforts were recognized
by Virgin Holidays who presented
the Tourist Office with its Bronze
Award for "Best Destination
Partnership."

On Tuesday 11 November at World
Travel Market, the Antigua and
Barbuda Tourist Office provided on-
stand entertainment for Partners and
UK media over drinks and traditional
Caribbean delicacies. Guest


Tourism for the UK and
Europe, as well as one of
Antigua and Barbuda's
most famous sons,
cricket celebrity, -
Ambassador Richie
Richardson.


Carol Hay thanked the
partners for their
continued support and
twelve lucky raffle guests
received a bottle of
premium champagne (Above, right) Sir Viv Richards and
and the much sought HE Dr Carl Roberts at the WTM
and the much sought
after 5 year old English Harbour appearances included cricketing
Antiguan rum. Carol used the legends Sir Vivian Richards and
occasion to promote the Islands' Richie Richardson, and a very
focus for 2009 as the 'Events special 'Lionel Richie' who


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The Andoua and Rorbuda Hich Commission Issue 1 30 flovemberlDecembef 2008


Carol Hay, Director of Tourism UK &
Europe commented: "2008 has been
an eventful year for Antigua and
Barbuda and we were very grateful
forthe support received at this year's
World Travel Market from partners
and the media.

This event provides the Antigua and
Barbuda Tourist Office with the
opportunity to create awareness of
the destination and allows us to
strengthen our partner relationships
and gain new contacts. The event
also provides us with an opportunity
to thank those who have worked with
us during the year at our annual
Partners Appreciation Party. We are
very pleased with the outcome of this
s.I. year's event and I rd to
-. F y working with eve

Visitors to the Antigua and Barbuda Stand at the World Travel Market
was given Antiguan-style hospitality

serenaded the guests with a -
rendition of the well known song -f I
'Hello' to promote the destination's
exciting Calendar of Events for 2009,
including the Romantic Rhythms A _
Music Festival. Carol stated, "We /
have a host of talented musicians in
Antigua and the Music Festival
enables us to showcase our local
talent along with International stars."

The Minister for Tourism Hon. Harold
Lovell attended the event and met
with various airlines, and tour
operators to discuss initiatives for
marketing Antigua and
strengthening relations. Minister
Lovell was joined by Mrs. Sharon
Peters, Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Tourism, Carol Hay,
Director of Tourism for the UK and
Europe as well as representatives
from the French and German Tourist
Offices who also attended the four Minister of Tourism Hon. Harold Lovell flanked by Sir Viv Richards on
cday event, his left and Ambassador Ritchie Richardson on his right
day event.


gooeery od wdish 0 a 71&"#rry aox


dad a &of e&W y/ear


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The Andoua and Rlrbuda Hich Commission Issue 130 flovemberlDecembef 2008


60th

Anniversary of

the Universal

Declaration of

Human Rights



Message by
Commonwealth
Secretary-General
Kamalesh Sharma.

"10th December 2008 marks 60
years since the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights was
adopted by the General Assembly
of the United Nations.

Commonwealth countries were
involved in its drafting then, and
they are involved in its
implementation today.

There has been a long and close
relationship between the countries
of the Commonwealth and the
promotion of human rights.

The Declaration champions the
links between human dignity and
equal rights, and between freedom,
justice and peace. It is a statement
of principles, setting out ideals and
aspirations for all countries.


Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma
at a CARICOM meeting in Antigua
and Barbuda, 2008
@ Copyright:
Joseph Jones/Commonwealth
Secretariat


As we in the Modern
Commonwealth seek to bring this
vision of a life of dignity to our
almost 2 billion people, there is so
much of our work which sees the
Declaration turned into the Deeds
of the first decade of the 21st
century.

The Declaration speaks to our
Commonwealth work on the right


WILD LIFE IMAGES


to education, to our work on the
right to freedom of opinion and
expression and to our work on the
right to a standard of living
adequate for the health and well-
being of the individual, and of the
family.

The Declaration enunciates so
many of the principles at the heart
of our Commonwealth democracy
work. It spells out the right to be
presumed innocent until proven
guilty, and to participate in the
government of one's country. It
establishes the right to work, and
the principle of equal pay for equal
work. Most fundamentally, it
declares that 'All human beings
are born free and equal in dignity
and rights' a principle at the
heart of the Commonwealth.

It's through work in schools and
colleges and in the workplace,
the court, the police station and
the health clinic that the most
important impacts of human rights
work are felt.

The Declaration reaches 60 years
of age just as the Commonwealth
approaches its own 60th
anniversary.

On this day I salute the continued
relevance and vision of the
Declaration, and commit our
collective and individual
Commonwealth efforts to make
real its aspirations.


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The Andaua and Rorbuda Hich Commission Issue 130 flovemberlDecembef 2008


CPTM

by

HE Dr. Carl

Roberts

In the first part of this mini-
series of articles covering the
Commonwealth Partnership for
Technology Management
(CPTM), I looked at its
formation and one aspect of
Smart Partnership or Sharing
In this article I will address the
membership of the organisation
and the base of its support
through Smart Partnership
Networkers.

CPTM's membership is drawn
from the member states of the
Commonwealth along with
public and private sector
organizations and many smart
partner networkers. These
smart partner networkers are
professionals (current and
former senior company officials
current and former senior civil
service officers and other
significant entrepreneurs) who
freely give of their time and
experience, skills and
knowledge in the spirit of Smart
Partnership practice "prosper
thy neighbour". Each year the
Smart Partnership Movements
Dialogue "get together" meets
in a particular country to discuss
and make suggestions for an
integrated approach to critical
issues of national development
under a theme which focuses
on current world issues. The
last dialogue was held in
Mulungushi Centre, Lusaka
Zambia, under the theme
"transforming communities


through realizing national
visions". Dialogues have been
held eight times in Langkawi,
Malaysia; seven times in Africa
(Uganda, Zambia) and two
times in the Caribbean
(Barbados).

CPTM's activities are backed by
- a small number of staff at the
main office in London. The
office is called the London Hub
and is supported by the National
Hubs and Nodes in several
countries including Barbados,
St. Lucia, Malaysia, Botswana,
Lesotho, Namibia, Swaziland
and Uganda among others.

CPTM's mission is to "enhance
national capabilities for the
creation of and participation in
global wealth, through sound
technology management and
using public / private sector
partnerships".

"Smart partnership" is a
philosophy developed and
practiced by CPTM Smart
Partners since the 1990's. It is a
proactive process carried out
through "real-time" networking,
where the group collectively
relies on individual Networkers
knowledge and resources to
bring about outcomes of mutual
benefit, in essence providing a
"win-win-win" situation for all
those involved. "Dialoguing" is
the prime vehicle through which
Smart Partnership is further
promoted. Dialoguing in the
Smart Partnership Fashion
enriches, sustains and expands
this network for individuals:
each of whom possesses
valuable hands-on experience
and who, collectively, have
backgrounds that support


various disciplines and national
boundaries.

The national Hubs and Nodes
are sometimes referred to as
"Webs" and Caribbean webs are
in operation in Antigua and
Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados,
Belize, Dominica, Grenada,
Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia and
Trinidad and Tobago. The
theme of the international
dialogue in Barbados in 1999
was "Smart partnership in Small
States for the Development of
Wealth". Other themes over the
years addressed "global trends
in emerging economies",
"enhancing the climate for
foreign direct investment",
"reconciling Development
challenges with global security
through dialogue", "poverty
eradication through human
capital development and
capacity building" "realizing
national visions through smart
partnership" and "Smart
partnership in economic
development and diversity"
among others.

I will develop other aspects of
CPTM in my next article.

Source: CPTM Website.


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The Andaua and Rorbuda Hich Commission Issue 130 flovemberlDecembef 2008


Antiguan Flagged
Vessel Hijacked in
the Gulf of Aden
"Crew members
reported safe"

On the 17th December the Maritime
Administration of Antigua and
Barbuda announced that the
Antigua and Barbuda flagged vessel
BOSPHORUS PRODIGY had been
attacked and subsequently hijacked
by armed pirates in the Gulf of Aden
in the Arabian Sea.

Since the report of the hijacking, The
Maritime Administration of Antigua
and Barbuda has been in close and
continuous contact with the vessel's
Management Company in Istanbul
to monitor the situation.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in St.
John's, Antigua along with the
Permanent Representatives of


Antigua and Barbuda to the United
Nations and the International
Maritime Organisation have also
been fully informed of the
developments.

The following details events as
reported to the Maritime Division of
Antigua and Barbuda by the ICC-
International Maritime Bureau
(Piracy Reporting Centre):

Late Monday December 15,
2008, an alarm message was
received by the ICC-International
Maritime Bureau (Piracy Reporting
Centre) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,
from the Antigua and Barbuda motor
vessel "BOSPHORUS PRODIGY"
Off. No. 2822, Call Sign V 2 P C 4,
stating that the Antigua and
Barbuda flagged vessel had been
attacked and subsequently hijacked
in the Gulf of Aden by armed pirates
in two speed boats coming from the
South.


On Tuesday December 16,
2008 at about 12:00 noon Eastern
European time, one Royal Navy
helicopter flew above the vessel and
learned from the vessel's Master
that seven (7) pirates were on board.

Also on Tuesday via the
vessel's SSAS (Ship Security Alert
System) which has been in
operation continuously since the
hijacking, it appeared that the vessel
under the control of the pirates was
proceeding towards the city of EYL
on the East Coast of Somalia.

No further information is
available at this time but it is
believed that the nine member crew
is safe.

The m/v BOSPHORUS PRODIGY
whose registered owner is Naviblue
Corporation of St. John's, Antigua, is
managed by Iskomarine Shipping
and Trading Inc. of Istanbul, Turkey


CARDI swings its

door on 'open

day'

The Antiguan branch of the
Caribbean Agricultural
Research and Development
Institute (CARDI) has gone
public about its endeavours for
the first time.

The initiative, known as the
CARDI Open Day Session, has
been enacted at stations
throughout the Caribbean
region since 31 Oct., and
Wednesday 17th December
was Antigua and Barbuda's turn.
According to Dr. Gregory Robin,
the nation's country
representative, holding the
open day allows for
transparency and accountability
since the projects of the station
are made public.


The session was also intended
to inform those members of the
general public about the
research and development
(R&D) CARDI undertakes as it
relates to food security, one of
the institute's main focus.

Experiments are currently being
conducted at Betty's Hope, the
Greencastle Agricultural Station
and Cades Bay.

This study seeks to determine
which of the island's agricultural
zones are most suitable for
growing sweet potatoes.

That, however, is not the only
CARDI initiative. It also has a
vegetable production
programme in which corn,
watermelon, table squash and
pumpkin are being cultivated.
These will go toward efforts to
enhance Antigua and
Barbuda's food security and the


National School
Programme once
ready for harvest.


Meals
they are


The local CARDI post has also
been working to satisfy the
mandate its parent branch, in
Trinidad & Tobago, has set for
the region.

This dictates the need for seed
production and so the institute
has been working closely with
Japanese consultants to keep
its efforts up to scratch.

Support for the venture will also
be provided by the Japanese
government for labs and
storage facilities.

Acting as a seed repository is
another role of the local CARDI
branch.


Source: Antigua Sun


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The Andaua and Rorbuda Hich Commission Issue 130 flovemberlDecembef 2008


Strict new rules for
foreign students

The British Government has
announced that foreign students
hoping to come to the UK to study
will have to meet strict new criteria,

The Home Office has published
proposals for much tighter rules for
foreign students and the
universities and colleges hosting
them under the student tier of its
new Points Based System.

All colleges and universities that
want to recruit foreign students will
now need a licence to do so and will
have to take greater responsibility
for their international students,
helping Government crack down on
bogus colleges who abuse the
system.

For the first time education providers
face a ban on bringing over
international students if they fail to
follow strict new rules including
alerting the UK Border Agency
(UKBA) if students fail to enrol.


ensuring only those who benefit
Britain can come. Before they can
study here, foreign students must:

be sponsored by a UKBA
licensed education
institution;
prove that they have the means
to support themselves and
their families while studying
here; and
supply their fingerprints.

Stricter rules on work placements for
students will also ensure that the
UK's labour market is protected.

Border and Immigration Minister
Liam Byrne said ""All those who
come to Britain must play by the
rules. It is right that foreign students
wanting to take advantage of our
world-class universities and colleges
must meet strict criteria."

"By locking people to one identity with
ID cards, alongside a tough new
sponsorship system, we will know
exactly who is coming here to study
and crack down on bogus colleges,"
he added.


Visas will only be granted to students
Students will also face stringent new who show a proven track record in
criteria if they want to study in the UK, education and are applying for a


course that meets a minimum level
of qualification.

They must also be able to
demonstrate they can financially
support themselves and any of their
dependants.

Students on courses for longer than
12 months will have to show they
have sufficient funds to pay their first
year of fees, plus 9,600 to cover
their first year in the UK.

Students wishing to bring their
dependants with them will need to
show they have a further 535 per
month for each person they bring.

In recognition of the many economic
and cultural benefits that these
students bring to the UK, earlier this
year the Government announced a
special visa category allowing
successful international students
who have graduated from a British
university to work in the UK for up to
two years.





(Source:
www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk)


Young Officer on
the move in the
Antigua and
Barbuda Defence
Force

2nd Lieutenant Jamal Aska
flanked by His Excellency Dr
Carl Roberts and Mrs Roberts
who was trained in the United
Kingdom led a platoon in the
Independence Day parade
2008 at the Antigua
Recreation Grounds.


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The Andaua and Rolbuda Hich Commission Issue 130 flovemberlDecembef 2008


Imbalanced EPA conditions in rural areas, and alleviate
poverty.
Trade Negotiations:
TO-Plu" During the African Union Extraordinary
"VTO-Plus" Conference, held in Arusha on 23
Requirements November 2005, African Ministers
strongly emphasized the need to
address this problem of instable
Peter Lunenborg commodity prices in the WTO
negotiations of the Doha Development
Economic Partnership Agreements Round. The African Group
(EPAs) are free trade agreements consequently submitted a proposal for
between the EU, and as ultimately modalities for negotiations on
envisaged, 9 African, Caribbean and agricultural commodity issues to the
Pacific (ACP) countries. In general, Committee on Agriculture at 7 June
any provisions in the EPAs go far 2006 (TN/AG/GEN/18). The ACP
beyond World Trade Organisation Group, LDC Group, Bolivia and
(WTO) requirements. This article Venezuela issued a declaration on
focuses on one particular example: it 'Development concerns and issues in
states that the General Exceptions in the current WTO negotiations' on the
the EPAs are at odds with Art. XX 21st of June 2007 stating their support
GATT, the General Exceptions article for the submitted African Group
of the GATT. General Exception proposal.
clauses in all EPAs trample on the
African Group position on commodities The proposal continues to receive a
and the July 2008 modalities on very strong backing from NGOs all
commodities. The Article calls upon over the world, religious and
the African Group and its supporters to missionary organizations,
reconfirm their stance on commodities development NGOs, and farmers'
and bring the July 2008 modalities on organizations in both the developed
commodities to life again, and developing world. In their common
position, the "Call for Action on the
The African Group Proposal on Crisis in Agricultural Commodities",
Commodities: tackling commodity they express strong support for the
price instability African roup's proposal. They invite all
the WTO member states to do likewise
Almost 100 developing countries and call for the policies outlined to be
derive at least half of their export firmly supported and pursued through
earnings from commodities, meaning all relevant channels.
they must contend with the problem of
short-term instability of primary The policies outlined in the African
commodity prices, which is greater Group's proposal refer to tariff
than that of prices for non-primary escalation and non-tariff barriers, but
tradable commodities. Most African the majority of the text is devoted to
countries depend on two to three main the adoption of an appropriate legal
primary commodity exports for the instrument clarifying GATT rules
bulk of their foreign exchange earnings, applicable to joint action by
The rollercoaster of global commodity commodity-dependent producers,
prices, which can rise or fall by 50 per including international commodity
cent or more in a year, makes sound agreements (ICAs).
fiscal planning extremely difficult for
both countries and producers. Many Transplantation of the African
smallholder firms cannot bear or share Group Proposal into the July 2008
the risks of swinging prices resulting in Modalities on Agriculture
less than suboptimal agricultural
output, as well as deterioration of their The July 2008 revised draft modalities
livelihoods. Predictable incomes are on agriculture nearly mimics the
critical if commodity-dependent African Group's proposal and
countries are to escape the cycle of distributes this sizeable text over 12
commodity dependence, increase paragraphs, from paragraph 88 to 99,
agricultural output, improve living underthe heading "commodities".


With regards to international
commodity agreements or supply
management systems, the modalities
provide for the possibility of Members
to take joint action through adoption of
suitable measures, including through
adoption of ICAs. ICAs may be
concluded either jointly by producing
and consuming countries or by
commodity-dependent producing
countries only. The objective of such
arrangements is the stabilization of
prices of exports of agricultural
commodities at levels that are stable,
equitable and remunerative.

There is one important difference
between the African Group's proposal
and the July 2008 text: in the July 2008
text, the potential role of UNCTAD or
International Commodity
Organizations in international
commodity agreement negotiations
and technical assistance for such
supply management systems, has
been abandoned (TN/AG/W/4/Rev.3).

The modalities, almost identical to the
widely supported African Group's
proposal, build upon the existing WTO
framework, specifically Art. XXXVIII
GATT on governmental assistance to
economic development and XX(h)
GATT on the commodity agreement
exception. These two articles, already
present in the WTO legal framework,
constitute the corner-stones in solving
the commodity problem.

GATT XX General Exceptions and
Free Trade Agreements:
"copy-paste"

GATT XX is the General Exceptions
article, listing possibilities to impose
trade-restrictive measures for internal-
ly recognized important and necessary
policy objectives, such as protection of
public health or the environment. The
exceptions listed in Art. XX relate to all
of the obligations under the GATT; not
just the national treatment obligation
and the most favoured nation obliga-
tion, but others as well: it provides a
general exception to all GATT 1994
obligations. They offer policy space for
a party using them; however, the ex-
ceptions should not be abused to pro-
tect national producers under the
guise of lofty principles.


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The Andoua and Rolbuda Hich Commission Issue 130 flovemberlDecembef 2008


The same legitimate governance priori-
ties recognized at multilateral level
apply at the bilateral level as well.
Even so, Article XX GATT exceptions
do not cover preferential r bilateral
trade agreements. Therefore, all free
trade agreements (FTAs) include a
section on general exceptions. For
example, the New Zealand-Thailand
Closer Economic Partnership (CEP)
copies the GATT XX verbatim into Arti-
cle 15(1) of the CEP. The EFTA-Chile
FTA has opted for the same approach
in Article 21. In the Australia-United
States FTA, GATT XX and its interpre-
tive notes are simply incorporated and
made part of he agreement (Article
22.1).

A stock-taking exercise would in fact
reveal that the bulk of FTAs, both
North-North as well as North-South
FTAs, duplicate the General Excep-
tions agreed upon at the multilateral
level.

Contrasting the General Exceptions
Clauses in the EPAs with Art. XX
GATT

Currently there are 8 (interim) EPAs:
the CARIFORUM EPA with 15
Caribbean countries, the Pacific
interim-EPA (Papua New Guinea &
Fiji), and the 6 interim-EPAs with 19
African countries. The number and
comprehensiveness of EPAs is due to
increase: it is envisaged that ultimately
all 79 ACP countries will have
concluded a free trade agreement with
the EU in the near future.

When focusing only on the General
Exception provision of the 8 EPAs,
notable variance with Art. XX GATT is
detected, unlike the other FTAs earlier
mentioned. Two main classes of
variance can be distinguished:
additional exceptions compared to Art.
XX and left-out exceptions compared
to Art. XX.

In all EPAs, there are additional
exceptions not included in GATT XX,
such as measures to secure
compliance to privacy protection or
safety laws, or to deal with defaults on
contracts. These additional exceptions
are more favourable to the EU. Take
the example of measures necessary to
secure compliance with laws or
regulations relating to privacy


protection. According to Privacy
International, none of the ACP
countries had a data protection law in
place in May 2007, with a few having
a pending effort to enact law regarding
privacy laws. In short: if you have no or
underdeveloped rivacy protection laws,
there is nothing to secure compliance
to, and the chance to avail of this
exception is virtually non-existent. On
the other hand, the EU has a detailed
body of regulations to safeguard
various kinds of privacy protection.
Added to that, the barrier to utilize EPA
general exceptions is lower than GATT
XX exceptions because of more
frequent use of consultations between
the parties and more accessible
dispute settlement provisions of the
EPA compared to the WTO.

In contrast, there are 3 important GATT
XX general exceptions relevant to
(commodity-dependent) developing
countries that are not included in the
EPAs:

* measures undertaken in pursuance
of obligations under any
intergovernmental commodity
agreement
* the measure to restrict exports of
domestic materials as part of a
governmental stabilization plan
* measures essential to the acquisition
or distribution of products in general or
local short supply (majority of the
EPAs)

As it currently stands, the EPAs do not
recognize the above three measures
as legitimate policy priorities.

The "WTO-Plus" Requirements of
the EPAs

Three general exceptions agreed upon
at the multilateral level are expunged
in the EPAs. All signed EPAs contain
General Exception clauses
detrimental to commodity dependent
developing countries. One of these
three crossouts the exclusion of the
international commodity agreements
exception directly conflicts with the
African Group proposal on
commodities and the consequently
drafted July 2008 modalities on
commodities which largely
incorporates this proposal.


Bilateral agreements supersede multi-
lateral agreement as ex specialist.
Whatever package is reached in the
Doha Round on Art. XX or related
articles, the EPAs, as opposed to the
Doha package, will be in effect.

A general exception expresses an
internationally recognized policy
objective, which under certain
conditions, is more important than
GATT-compliance. These exclusions
of GATT XX exceptions, in particular
the exclusion of the commodity
agreement exception, threaten viable
policy options which are totally
acceptable at multilateral level.

In fact, any type of international
commodity agreement affecting trade
with EU is prohibited. The demise of
ICAs or supply management systems
designed to stabilize prices and
alleviate poverty, catering for
commodity-dependent developing
countries, has been sealed by
signature of the EPAs. Nevertheless,
ICAs or joint actions by commodity
dependent producers are considered
by all ACP states as part of their
development toolbox and are viewed
as legitimate means to reduce poverty,
needing clarification and amendment
on WTO level.

Disregarding the ACP states in this
respect will render the EPA objectives
of poverty alleviation and pre-
eminence of political choices and
development priorities of ACP states in
their integration into the world
economy, null and void.

Therefore, the African Group and its
supporters should urgently reconfirm
their stance on commodities,
subscribe to the July modalities, and
take the necessary action. When no
action is taken, any type of
international commodity agreement
will be practically impossible and may
in fact be prohibited forever. This will
invalidate all the work done at
multilateral level and turn the African
Group's proposal, as well as a
substantial part of the July 2008
modalities, into a dead letter.

Beyond Art. XX GATT

In a plenary at the conference
"Confronting the Global Food


Continue on page 17


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The Andoua and Rorbuda Hich Commission Issue 130 flovemberlDecembef 2008


Funds needed for

Window-

Replacement

Project
By Agnes Meeker
President of the Historical and
Archaeological Society
Museum of Antigua and Barbuda

Excerpted from the Museum's
Newsletter No. 102

As simple as it seems it's a $207,000
job of which $92,740 has been
raised. We're talking some 53
windows, no make that 54, thanks to
another window discovered after the
original assessment.

With the funds raised we're ready to
begin phase one replacing the
windows in the upper level of the
museum.

That's 23 windows that must be
custom made and transported from
St Kitts via DOMUS. The contractor
is on standby with work expected to
begin mid May, and archaeologist Dr
Reginald Murphy, is sourcing the
special mortar required.



Continued from page 16

Challenge" on 25 November 2008,
Pascal Lamy was questioned about
the vanished commodity agreement
exception in all EPAs. In his reply, he
agreed that commodity agreements
are acceptable in the multilateral
context, but that countries sign
bilaterals with provisions going far
beyond WTO requirements. However,
he noted that bilateral agreements
take precedence over multilateral
agreements and it s a sovereign
choice of a member state to do so.

A WTO-compatible agreement does
not mean the forfeit of multilaterally
established rights. Restrictions could
be imposed in the area of national
treatment (Art. Ill GATT), fees and
formalities connected with importation
and exportation Art. VIII GATT), export


Phase one will be followed, naturally
enough, by phase two, replacement
of the windows in the lower level for
which funds have not yet been
raised and which will require the
temporary closure of the museum.
This is to allow for the complete
dismantling of the exhibits in order to
avoid damage.

Phase two will begin as soon as
funds permit.

Clearly, this is no simple renovation
job. With a building as old and as
historically significant, preserving
the architectural integrity is top
priority, and, as noted, apart from the
safety issues that come with
windows hanging on their last rusty
hinges, there's the building itself and
its contents to consider.

The 17 businesses and individuals
who've so far contributed to the
effort are keeping this from
happening. Perhaps because they
recognize that the museum houses
Antigua's history and should the
windows be damaged (as a result
the exhibits), we lose it and we'd
have to start from scratch. Many of
the items on display are
irreplaceable, notwithstanding that
the information may be backed up
on computers.

taxes, or safeguards, but a WTO com-
patible agreement is not limited to
these examples. Unnecessary losses
should be prevented.

For that reason, it is advisable for
sovereign ACP states, in their
respective negotiations leading to
either a 'goods only' or comprehensive
EPA, to conduct a close and thorough
examination of the EPA texts vis-a-vis
relevant WTO Agreements to prevent
WTO-plus commitments.






Peter Lunenborg works with the
Trade for Development Programme,
South Centre.


Perhaps the most significant of
these antiques is the building itself.

Completed in 1750, it was built by
Peter Harrison, credited as being the
first professionally trained architect
in America. Also to his credit are still
standing buildings like the Redwood
Library in Rhode Island, the oldest
community library still occupying its
original building, the Old Brick
Market. It houses the Museum of
Newport History. There is also the
Touro Synagogue, said to be the
only surviving synagogue from the
colonial era and Christ Church, a
national land mark in Massachusetts.

The neo-Classic Harrison design in
Antigua previously served as the
country's courthouse and is now a
popular stop tourists, school children
and history buffs.

Back in the day, a tax was levied for
a period of six years to aid on its
construction. Today, as we proceed
with the massive window
replacement project, the Historical
Society is asking people to pony up
voluntarily. Contributions can be
made by calling the museum or by
depositing funds directly to the
museum account number 1000404,
at the Bank of Nova Scotia.


Betty's Hope


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Irrua 130 navambar/bacambar 2008






The Andaua and Rorbuda Hich Commission Issue 130 flovemberlDecembef 2008


Commonwealth

Scholar attends

University of

Surrey

Antigua and Barbudan Ercil Charles,
Commonwealth Scholar, is currently
pursuing an MSc. in Tourism
Development at the University of
Surrey.

His studies in the United Kingdom
started on September 29, 2008 and
will terminate on September 28,
2009.

Mr Charles was previously
employed by the Ministry of
Education as a teacher at the All
Saints Secondary School. He also
worked at the Ministry of Tourism as
a Tutor/Facilitator at the Antigua and
Barbuda Hospitality Training
Institute (ABHTI).

His aspiration is to return to full time
service at ABHTI, where he can


make a more meaningful
contribution to Human Resources
Development, and to assist with
policy and developmental plans
within the Ministry of Tourism.
He says he is extremely honoured to
have been chosen as a
Commonwealth Scholar and is


working extremely diligently to
maintain the high standards of
previous and other current scholars
of this Award.


Installation of

Hundreds of

Street Lights to

Commence

Shortly in

Antigua and

Barbuda

General Manager of the Antigua
Public Utilities Authority Mr. Esworth
Martin and First Secretary in the
Business Office of the Embassy of
the People's Republic of China Mr.
Lu Jun, signed the final construction
agreement paving the way for the
erection of hundreds of street lights
across Antigua and Barbuda.

Antigua and Barbuda's Ambassador
to the People's Republic of China


H.E. David Shoul said that the
signing completes over two years of
negotiations for the erection of 1572
street lights across Antigua and
Barbuda covering some 65
kilometers of road.

He noted that the project is as a
result of a grant in the sum of EC$10
million dollars provided by the
Chinese Government.

It was also disclosed that a team of
Chinese officials and technicians will
arrive in the country on December
17 to begin preparations for the start
of the project which will commence
with a ground breaking ceremony on
December 30.

Ambassador Shoul said that the
Chinese delegation and the
government also signed a contract
for the covering of the Grays Hill
Reservoir which will also be funded
through a grant by the People's
Republic of China.


The country's Ambassador to China
added that he is excited about the
finalization of the two projects as
they have been in the pipeline for a
very long time. He noted that they
will positively impact the lives of
Antiguans and Barbudans and
contribute to security and the
provision of a more reliable source
of water by APUA.

This phase of the street lighting
project is a continuation of the
Chinese project which saw the
installation of lights from the V.C.
Bird International Airport to the Sir
Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium.


H.E. Dr Carl Roberts and Commonwealth Scholar
Ercil Charles


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The Anb'aua anJ BarbuJa Hiah Cammirrian


Irrua 130 navambar/bacambar 2008


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The Andoua and Rorlbuda Hich Commission Issue 130 flovemberlDecembef 2008


Identity Cards for

Foreign

Nationals

WHAT ARE IDENTITY CARDS
FOR FOREIGN NATIONALS?

On 25 November 2008 the UK Border
Agency changed the way it issues
permission to stay (grants of leave to
remain) in the United Kingdom.
Identity cards for foreign nationals are
a form of residence permit, and
replace the vignettes (or stickers)
previously placed in passports.
Initially this only applies to nationals of
countries outside the European
Economic Area who are granted leave
to remain in the United Kingdom as
either a student or an the basis of
marriage or partnership. More
immigration categories will switch from
vignettes to cards at a later date.

All applicants aged six or over are
required to give biometrics. These will
be scans of all 10 fingerprints and a
digital photo. Applicants who are
under six are not required to provide
fingerprints. The grant of leave to stay


in the United Kingdom will be issued
as a standalone card. There will be no
endorsement in the passport.

The card is proof of the holder's right to
stay, work or study in the United
Kingdom. It can also be used as a
form of identification (for example, if
they wish to open a bank account in
the UK). The holder is not required to
carry their card at all times, but they
must show it at the border, together
with they passport, when travelling
outside of, and when returning to, the
United Kingdom.

Under current legislation, employers
have a responsibility to check the
entitlement of prospective employees
to work in the UK. We strongly advise
employers undertake checks on
everyone they wish to employ. This
will enable enable employers to
establish a statutory excuse against
payment of a civil penalty for
employing an illegal migrant worker;
shows their recruitment process is
open and transparent, and ensures
their recruitment practices do no
discriminate against anyone because
of their race.

To help reduce the burden on
employers, foreign nationals issued


with an identity card will be required to
show it to employers prior to
commencing employment. Employers
will be able to accept this, alongside
the other recommended document to
help with checks to confirm the identity
and entitlement to work of their
prospective employees.

WHEN WILL CARDS REPLACE
VIGNETTES IN PASSPORTS?

The roll-out will be phased according
to the immigration category under
which the migrant is granted leave to
stay in the United Kingdom. Any
person who applies for an extension of
stay as a student or on the basis of
marriage or partnership on or after 25
November 2008 will be required to
apply for an identity card for foreign
nationals. Migrants granted leave to
stay in the United Kingdom under
other immigration categories will
receive a vignette in their passport.
Both vignettes and cards will remain in
circulation for the foreseeable future.
For up-to-date information on which
immigration categories are issued with
cards please see the UK Border
Agency website at
www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk


l)eil'sl h Brilge


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The Andoua and Rorbuda Hich Commission Issue 130 flovemberlDecembef 2008


Newcomers must

earn the right to

stay in the UK

Foreign nationals wishing to become
British citizens will have to earn the
right to stay, the Government
announced.

The tough new approach will require
all migrants to speak English and
obey the law if they want to gain
citizenship and stay permanently in
Britain, while speeding up the path to
citizenship for those who contribute
to the community.

The reforms are at the centre of a
sweeping overhaul of all immigration
laws dating back to 1971 and
confirm new modern laws reserving
full access to benefits and social
housing will be reserved for citizens
and permanent residents.

Foreign nationals who commit
serious offences will face automatic
consideration for deportation and
even minor offences will delay
access to citizenship by up to three
years.

Public support for the proposals was
confirmed by new Home Office
polling released today. A Mori poll
carried out for the Home Office
revealed that:
70 per cent of the public think
that newcomers should earn
the right to stay in Britain;
83 per cent think that immigrants
in Britain should be made to
learn English; and
69 per cent agree that
newcomers should be
penalised on the path to
citizenship if they don't obey
Britain's laws.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said:
"In recent months we have
listened to people across
Britain and the message is
clear they want those who
want to make Britain their
home to speak English, to


work hard, and to earn the
right to stay here.
"We are making the biggest
changes to our immigration
system for a generation, and
part of that is making sure
those who stay in the UK
make a positive impact on
their local community."
The draft Immigration and
Citizenship Bill published today
replaces ten Acts of Parliament and
enshrines into law the Government's
biggest ever shake-up of the
immigration system. The key
measures are:
Strong borders
1. new powers for frontline UKBA
officers at foreign ports and airports
to cancel visas.
2. bringing customs and immigration
powers at the border into the 21st
century, consolidating and
strengthening civil penalties for
bringing passengers without the
right papers and clandestine
entrants to the UK.
Selective migration
3. the Bill proposes a clear legal duty
on migrants to ensure they have
permission to be in the UK, for
example under our new points
system.
4. the Bill introduces a single,
streamlined power of expulsion for
those without permission.
Earning the right to stay
5. migrants will now have to earn
their right to stay in the UK.
6. automatic bans on returns with
new powers to exclude offenders
and powers to require those who are
expelled to repay costs to taxpayers
if we allow them to come back.
Playing by the rules
7. the Bill gives a new power to
require large 'bail bonds' for those
awaiting decisions or expulsion, part
of a tough menu of conditions for
"Immigration bail" as an alternative to
detention.
8. confirming tough measures to
prevent organised illegal
immigration by attacking illegal
working with civil penalties for


employers who do not make the
necessary checks.
9. simplifying our appeals system to
cut red-tape; ensuring that the
system is properly sensitive to the
needs of vulnerable groups:
honouring our international
obligations to refugees and ensuring
the UKBA safeguards and promotes
the welfare of children.
Managing any local impacts
10. full access to benefits for citizens
and permanent residents, with
migrants contributing a little extra to
the cost of local services.

The Home Office confirmed that
newcomers will have to pay a little
extra before they become citizens to
create a fund of tens of millions of
pounds a year to help police,
schools, councils and local health
services to use the money to deal
with the short-term pressures of
migration in their areas.

Border and Immigration Minister
Liam Byrne said:
"Britain is not anti-foreigner,
we're a welcoming, tolerant
place. But we do expect
newcomers to sign up to a
deal if they want to stay and
build a life in Britain.
"The public overwhelmingly
supports the idea of
newcomers earning their
right to stay. Today we show
how we'll make these ideas
law, hand in hand with our
new points system for
selective migration, like the
one that's worked so well in
Australia."
These changes are part of the
biggest shake-up to the immigration
system for a generation, and to
make sure these changes stick
today's Bill will see the currently
complex immigration laws replaced
by one simplified piece of legislation.
By updating the law, and getting rid
of any room for misinterpretation, the
UK Border Agency can cut red tape
and accelerate the speed of its work.

(Source:www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk)


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PAGE 1

The Antigua and Barbuda High Commissio n O fficial Newsletter Issue 130 -November/December 2008 In This Issue 1. Delores Lovell Scholarship Award launched .... Page 7 2. Antigua and Barbuda adds excitement to World Travel Market .... Pages 9 and 10 3. Antiguan Flagged Vessel hijacked in Gulf of Aden ...page 13 Prime Minster, Baldwin Spencer, has announced that the Cariforum-EU EPA has been ratified and is poised to enter the implementation phase. During his presentation in Parliament, PM Spencer acknowledged that many stakeholders have expressed that they do not know enough about the agreement. He said the process of implementation is a long, ongoing one and people will be engaged in many EPA discussions in the months to come. “The trade and commerce sector of the Ministry of Finance will be having continuous public engagements with stakeholders,” PM Spencer said. According to Michele Lowe, senior coordinator for hemispheric and bilateral relations in the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM), ratification is the first step to legally incorporating commitments into law. While many believe that signing the Cariforum-EU EPA in mid-October was the first step to binding Antigua and Barbuda to the agreement legally, Lowe told the Antigua Sun that one cannot have “entry into force” of an agreement, unless there is ratification. Antigua and Barbuda, Lowe said, is now legally bound to make sure it does not do anything to frustrate the spirit of the EPA. Entry into force will not come right away, Lowe stated, it will only come when both sides complete the ratification process. Cariforum-EU EPA ready for implementation Governor-General H. E. Dame Louise Lake-Tack inspecting the Guard of Honour at the Independence Day celebrations Continue on page 4

PAGE 2

Another twelve months have past and as we take time out to think of our own families near to us and those family members far from us, let us also bear in mind the words of our Lord “love thy neighbour as thyself”. Let us take time to think of others who during what would normally be a happy and festive period are devoid of much happiness. They may have lost their jobs, their homes or family members or maybe one of more of the above. To them the desire to celebrate the joyous commemoration of the birth of the Saviour of the world has waned. There is instead sadness, emptiness and heartache. I was watching a movie with my wife one December evening and was warmed by the friendly gesture of a family who received a US Vietnam Veteran into their home and brought back into his life happiness and warmth, love and laughter. In return he brought hope and the joy of Christmas. Sometimes we have to be reminded that it is necessary to give in order to receive. A small mustard seed cannot turn into a tree until and unless it gives up its body as food for the young shoot. In the world today, there is so much fear and uncertainty. The plans which we would have painstakingly made for a bright future have gone up in smoke. Our savings and pension have lost significant values. Should we not be calling to mind our Lord’s admonition not to lay up for ourselves treasures on earth? Yet, we, like the farmer in another story related in the Bible, feel the need to provide our own assurance of the future without the help of Jesus. Some time ago someone circulated this message by George Carlin which reminds me of the world today: “The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints.  We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less.  We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness. We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.  We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years.  We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbour.  We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things. We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.  We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice.  We write more, but learn less.  We plan more, but accomplish less.  We've learned to rush, but not to wait.  We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less. These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships.  These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.  It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom.  A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Issue 130 November/December 2008 HIGH COMMISSIONER’S CHRISTMAS MESSAGE DECEMBER 2008 His Excellency and Mrs Roberts Continue on page 3 2

PAGE 3

The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Issue 130 November/December 2008 Continued from page 2 when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete... Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side. Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent. Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you. Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again. Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind. AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” I therefore take this opportunity to wish each of you on behalf of my family and me, the staff of the High Commission and the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May God continue to bless and protect each and everyone of you now and in 2009. H.E Dr Carl B. Roberts Government Announces New Benefit Programme for two Vulnerable Groups in Society The Government of Prime Minister the Hon. Baldwin Spencer has announced another benefit programme to assist two vulnerable groups in the society. During the presentation of the 2009 Speech from the Throne on Monday, 24th November, Governor-General Dame Louise Lake-Tack announced that the government, in conjunction with PDC Caribe Antigua and Barbuda, will be introducing an initiative called the People’s Benefit Programme which will offer tangible assistance in the form of a monthly benefit to the disabled and the economically disadvantaged. Dame Louise outlined that the project involves the issuance of a special debit card to programme beneficiaries which will be used to purchase food and personal household items at the Central Marketing Corporation and the Fisheries Complex during the initial stages of the programme. The project is expected to be expanded later to supermarkets owned by citizens throughout Antigua and Barbuda. “The project is targeted at some 2,000 individuals of which, approximately 500 will fall in the disabled category, with the remainder comprising disadvantaged households. The Peoples Benefit Card will be issued in conjunction with a local indigenous bank, the ABI Bank and will require the placement of point of sale debit card swipe machines to process payments at the respective merchants. The merchants would be guaranteed same day processing of payment as with any commercial debit or credit card,” Dame Louise announced. Each month every recipient’s card will be topped up to the value of EC$200 dollars with the unused portion of the monthly benefit expiring at the end of each month. Commenting on the project, Prime Minister Spencer said that this programme follows the Senior Citizens Utility Subsidy Programme which provides financial assistance to senior citizens on the payment of their utility bills.  “Once again we are able to use the funds associated with the Petro Caribe Initiative to come to the assistance of the most vulnerable in our society.  My government is once again demonstrating that we are serious about putting people first.  Our programmes are designed to ensure that every citizen including our disabled and elderly live comfortable lives,” said the Prime Minister. “With over 2000 persons benefiting from this new programme, my government is ensuring that we positively impact the disposable income and quality of life of the disabled and the economically disadvantaged,” he noted. At a monthly subsidy of EC$200 per person the project is estimated to cost the Government some EC$4.8M annually. Government has already appointed a nine-member committee made up of stakeholders from several civic and non-governmental organizations to oversee the programme.  This committee will have final approval of all applications to the programme. 3 May this Christmas bring you an abundance of joy and happiness. We wish you a very prosperous New Year

PAGE 4

The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Issue 130 November/December 2008 Work on Public Library continues The Honourable Bertrand Joseph, Minister of Education recently remarked that despite the unfavourable weather conditions, work on the National Public Library is progressing smoothly. According to the Minister, contractors have already put on the roof on the western section of the building. He continued, “Once that has been completed, they will start the plastering and then move on to the eastern section where they will also put on the roof. The construction is coming along nicely in terms of the timeline that we have identified for the completion of the project.” Minister Joseph also said that he is heartened that every time he visits the site, contractors are very busy at work. Project Manager Zenworth Davis said besides the recent weather conditions, there are challenges with respect to the correction of certain work on the building, which had not received any work for some time. He said they are working seriously to correct the areas, which were not taken into consideration since the project was priced based on the bill of quantity. 4 Passport Procedures for first-time applicants Please note that effective immediately, all first-time applicants for Antigua and Barbuda passport must be interviewed (in person at the High Commission or by telephone) and the following documents (in addition to birth certificates etc.) have to be produced: 1. The parents of applicants under age 16 must be interviewed and a copy of their photograph identification (e.g. passport) be produced for our records. 2. Applicants over age 16, if claiming citizenship by descent, will need to provide a copy of the parent’s photo identification (e.g. passport) through whom entitlement to citizenship is obtained. 3. All applicants must provide the name of a Referee in Antigua and Barbuda known by the applicant or his/her parent. REMINDER RENEWALS An application can also be submitted on your next visit to Antigua or you could authorise (written authorisation) a family member or friend living in or travelling to Antigua to do so on your behalf. Please note that, if the applicant is not resident in Antigua and the application is submitted directly in Antigua (and not through the High Commission) the application form must be certified by the appropriate person resident in Antigua (See section 9 and note 6 of Form M OR Section 9 and note 7 of Form L). LEGALIZATION (Apostille) Please note that all non-Antiguan and Barbudan documents have to be legalized, which in the UK can be done by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (www.fco.gov.uk). Only certified copies/original documents are acceptable. Please see notes. APPLICATION FORMS Application forms can be downloaded from the Government’s website www.antiguabarbuda.gov.ag or from the High Commission’s website www.antigua-barbuda.com Continued from page 1 Contrary to statements made about Antigua and Barbuda’s legal entry into the Cariforum-EU EPA, Lowe told the SUN that, “Antigua and Barbuda is not the last to ratify; it is the second country to ratify. All others have done provisional applications.” In these countries, what was needed was just a Cabinet note, which is passed through Cabinet, after which the other side (in this case the EU) is notified that the necessary procedures have been put into place to provisionally apply the agreement. Antigua and Barbuda’s laws do not allow it to undertake provisional application; therefore, the EPA was fast-forwarded to the ratification process. Lowe said there is much to do after the ratification which will allow Antigua and Barbuda to fully implement its obligations and commitments under the EPA. Source: Antigua Sun

PAGE 5

The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Issue 130 November/December 2008 Philip Campbell, New Deputy Commissioner of Police A new Deputy Commissioner of Police has been appointed to join the executive team of the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda. Philip Campbell fills the fourth and final position of the team, a position previously held by Acting Commissioner Thomas Bennette. Campbell, a Canadian, brings a wealth of experience to his new position with over 35 years experience in law enforcement.“ At the conclusion of his formal education, he enrolled as a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Following basic training in Regina and Saskatchewan, he was posted to the “J” division, Province of New Brunswick. In addition, Inspector Everton Jeffers has been officially announced as head of the police’s Strategic Communications department (Stratcom). Jeffers is filling the post left vacant by Inspector Cornelius Charles almost two weeks ago. Jeffers has been an officer in the Royal Antigua and Barbuda Police Force for almost 26 years. He has worked in a number of departments in the Force, including the Special Patrol Group (SPG), the Narcotics Department and the Immigration Department, which was once a department of the Force. Jeffers is presently a part of the longstanding Medical Benefits Scheme (MBS) investigation team. 5 New trade agreement with Canada on the horizo n Antigua and Barbuda, under the umbrella of CARICOM, is preparing to embark on negotiations of yet another trade agreement, this time with Canada. The CARICOM-Canada (CARIBCAN) agreement will be one in which the rules that govern free trade, as determined by the World Trade Organisation (WTO), will inform any future trading between CARICOM member states and Canada. Under the CARIBCAN agreement, Canada has pledged CDN$600 million to CARICOM members for assistance in those countries, which properly identify the specific areas where development support is being sought. This is similar to negotiations under the recently ratified Cariforum-EU EPA, whereby the EU pledged 165 million Euros to Cariforum, to be funded through the European Development Fund (EDF). Both these funds, however, will be distributed, more or less, on a “first come first serve” basis, a point which Trade Co-ordinator, Ambassador Dr. Clarence Henry has emphasised as being the reason why Antigua and Barbuda must try hard to stay ahead in organising its demands. “We must ensure that Antigua and Barbuda takes its planning activities to the table first. In the past, when it came to regional resources, we tended to wait and acted late, while others had more or less, taken all and left none for us.” Some of the other aspects of the CARIBCAN agreement were discussed at Tuesday’s meeting for various stakeholders. Michele Lowe, senior trade policy advisor for the CRNM, presented an overview of the CARIBCAN Agreement at that meeting. One of the aspects of the proposed agreement involves an emphasis on “asymmetrical obligations”, which mimics the “asymmetrical reciprocity” term used to describe trade concessions in the Cariforum-EU EPA. Under previous trade agreements, countries like Antigua and Barbuda, were given special and differential treatment because of factors such as geographic and economic size, competitive ability and supply-side constraints. Under the CARIBCAN, countries like Antigua and Barbuda will still receive differential treatment, but to a lesser degree as informed by this notion of “asymmetrical obligation”. Lowe also noted commitments to development of Caricom member states made on the part of Canada, which will manifest themselves in various ways including the delivery of technical and financial assistance to CARICOM.

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Antigua and Barbuda participates at Gourmet Food and Wine Expo Antigua and Barbuda was represented for the first time at the 14th Gourmet Food and Wine Expo held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Ontario, Canada from 20th 23rd November. The over 35,000 visitors sampled the culinary delights of the twin island state. According to Erica HenryJackman, Sales and Marketing Manager for the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Office (Canada), "This was the perfect opportunity for the Canadian Office to continue our very successful 15 month Culinary Tourism campaign, featuring Antigua's English Harbour Rum. It also allowed us to further highlight the culinary geniuses of our chefs and their cuisines." Appearing at the Antigua and Barbuda booth was Chef Wayne Forde.  Forde has had a number of years experience as a chef and currently holds the position of Senior Sous Chef at The Verandah Resort, where he has worked since October 2007. The menu showcased a range of Antiguan and Barbudan dishes over the four day period, which included pumpkin and ginger soup, salt fish cakes, corn bread and peas stew, veggi pepperpot and fungi, sugar cakes, and guava cheese. Assisting him in preparing the dishes was Chef Keith Otto and Chef David Richards, who are both Antiguan chefs residing in Canada. Elmore Norris, another Antiguan who resides in Canada, rounded off the team as the bartender. Norris utilized the wellrenowned English Harbour Rum to serve up cocktails. The Gourmet Food and Wine Expo offers visitors an extensive array of fine wines and specialty foods from around the world. The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Issue 130 November/December 2008 Commonwealth Countries League (CCL) Fair On the 7th and 8th November 2008 Antigua and Barbuda was one of over 30 Commonwealth Countries participating at the CCL Fair held at the Kensington Town Hall. “Since 1925 the Commonwealth Countries League has worked to promote the development, education and empowerment of women. Through its charity, the CCL Education Fund, formed in the 1960’s, it sponsors girls of proven potential enabling them to complete their secondary or high school education where, without such help, they would be unable to do so. The main funding for the charity comes from the annual Commonwealth Fair held in London during November. Donations are also received from companies and individuals but if the work is to continue and expand the organization needs all the help it can get.” Sour ce:http://www.cclint.org.uk/education Our stall, as usual, featured Antiguan made arts and crafts, Antiguan rum, rum punch, fudge, sugar cakes, cakes, peanut sugar cakes and much more. Chef Wayne Forde Senior Sous Chef at the Verandah Resort 6 Mrs Pauline Roberts Organizer of Antigua and Barbuda’s Stall and Committee Member of the Commonwealth Fair 2008

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The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Issue 130 November/December 2008 Delores Lovell Scholarship Award launched Tracy St. Aimee of the Mary E. Pigott School has become the first recipient of the “Delores Lovell” scholarship award, which will be given annually to high achievers of that institution. The presentation was made to St. Aimee, who recently completed the Junior Secondary examination at the school’s annual graduation exercise, by Sandra Lovell-West. Mrs West, a daughter of the late Delores Lovell explained that the scholarship is in memory of her late mother who was taught by Mary E. Pigott, a woman who had a huge impact on her life while she attended the St. John’s Girls’ School. “My mother attended the Girls’ School and was impressed with the way in which Miss Pigott dealt with students, and she attempted to pass that message on that it doesn’t matter who you are or your background, you can attain greatness if you set your mind to achieve.” Latrisha Robinson, Kady Merrifeld and Akeem Michael were the other students in the running for the award. They were all interviewed by a panel of judges, which included Kathleen Flax, niece of Mary E. Pigott, and were questioned on their future aspirations even as they prepare to proceed through secondary school. The panel was said to be impressed with the responses given by the students, and spoke about how articulate and intelligent they all were, but St. Aimee stood out the most. She received a one thousand dollar scholarship, which has been placed in a fixed deposit. Mrs. West says it is to teach the student to “begin a life of thrift.” Additionally, the winner received a replica of a challenge trophy, which will be kept at the school, with the name of the winner engraved as a high achiever. The other students were recipients of book prizes. Chief Education Officer Jacintha Pringle fully endorses the scholarship award. “It is a great motivation for grade six students, who need such citizens to assist them. Many of them can do with the additional help, and once they know there are individuals who are willing to support them, they will strive to do better.”  Mrs. Pringle pointed out that the Ministry of Education should make it its duty to track those high achievers through their school years. By so doing, she thinks it will “encourage them to maintain a high level of academic success.” Sandra Lovell-West who resides in Trinidad says she hopes to improve the scholarship offering in the future. 7 Governor-general visits Holberton Governor-General Dame Louise Lake-Tack, on her annual visit to Holberton Hospital on Wednesday, 17 December was quick to spread some Christmas cheer and to commend the staff for their work during the year, most likely the last at that venue. The inevitable move to Mount St. John was brought up from time to time during the ceremony’s proceedings, which caused many to reflect on what Holberton Hospital has meant to Antigua over the years. Health Minister John Maginley, stated, “What will be our legacy?...think of how many persons were born out of this hospital… How many have spent a sleepless night here concerned for loved ones... How many people from other countries have been treated here…” With that said, Maginley expressed his congratulations to the student nurses and staff at Holberton, who have kept on despite what Maginley called, people’s insistence on “crying down” the institution. Permanent Secretary at the Ministry, John Jarvis, touched on that point as well saying, “I feel badly when on the radio, people seem to take delight in bashing those who work at Holberton…Folks at Holberton go way beyond the call of duty not for remuneration but out of love.” Maginley also shared that while visiting Mount St. John’s yesterday, he found some nurses in one of the rooms. Maginley enquired what they were doing and was told that they were using their off time to practice on the new systems, so that they would be better prepared once the move to Mount St. John Medical Centre is opened. He stated, “That’s what dedication is all about.” Also, according to Maginley, he understands the impatience people feel when they are in emergency care or with their loved ones and it feels like too much time passes before they are seen. He reminded those present that doctors and nurses are “not machines that can be plugged in and plugged out,” but human beings. He said, “Unless you have a true appreciation of what it takes to be a health care professional, you should not condemn them.”

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Antigua and Barbuda Steelpan Icon, Leroy “Jughead” Gordon, Passes Away at 61 The steelband fraternity and other community members of Antigua and Barbuda will greatly miss one of its well-known steelband cultural icons, Leroy “Jughead” Gordon, who passed away on Thursday, November 13, 2008 after ailing for some time. Gordon, who was a founding member of the Harmonites International Steel Orchestra reportedly succumbed to heart failure linked to cancer complications at the Winter's Medical Clinic in Antigua. Gordon was still actively involved with the Harmonites Steelband. A former president of the Antigua and Barbuda Pan Association on November 3, the nation’s 27th anniversary of Independence Gordon had just been recognized for his lifelong contribution to the country’s overall carnival culture, and the steel band art form.  He was bestowed the honour of ‘Officer of the Most Precious Order of Princely Heritage.’ Leroy “Jughead” Gordon will be missed by many. The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Issue 130 November/December 2008 8 Keva Margetson laid to rest The Holy Family Roman Catholic Cathedral was overflowing with people who gathered to say goodbye to Keva Joan Margetson on Friday 5 th December. The service, led by Celebrant the Most Rev. Donald J. Reece and punctuated, as it were, by touches that were distinctly Keva flavoured, said a fitting farewell to a much-loved and respected woman. Keva, who died on the 30 th November following a five-month battle with colon cancer, was laid to rest in an atmosphere of thanksgiving and celebration. From the sweetness of the breeze that flowed freely through the cathedral’s wide open windows to the choice of hymns tunefully emitted from both choir and congregants, Keva’s life was reviewed with thanks and praise. Ushers, in national dress matched the attire of the choristers; the fabric that Keva felt was important enough to campaign for, reached even Bishop Reece’s mitre and gown, the colours repeated in the single wreath, a mix of white anthuriums, lilies and light red roses resting upon the coffin. Those blessed with the gift of having known Keva, nodded in agreement when adjectives like independent, panache, energy and serving were used to describe her and what her life stood for. Those who did not know Keva or had merely received the blessing of an encounter with the spirited lady, gave testimony by their presence that she had nevertheless touched their lives. Keva Margetson accompanied her parents from England to Antigua when she was six. The cute, smaller twin to Leslie and sister to Judy and Robin, started a love affair with Antigua to which she was ever faithful. She was an inquisitive, industrious student who maintained throughout her life, a strong sense of family loyalty. What people will take from her funeral service is a memory of a woman who, as D. Gisele Isaac said in her eulogy, squeezed every drop out of life. Keva had a charisma that was integral to every organisation she worked for or gave her time voluntarily to. As a founding member of Professional Organisation for Women in Antigua (POWA) she derived ways to keep the organisation alive and involved in matters pertinent to inhabitants of the country she loved. Isaac remarked that working with the Bank of Antigua, Keva’s conscientiousness would have people convinced that the bank was Keva’s and not Sir R. Allen Stanford’s. Bishop Reece in his homily paid tribute to Keva as a woman who lived life just as Jesus instructed that we should. He shared with listeners Keva’s practice of spending solitary moments of prayer in the sanctuary of the Cathedral.

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The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Issue 130 November/December 2008 ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA ADDS EXCITEMENT TO WORLD TRAVEL MARKET To thank its trade and media partners for their partnership and support during 2008, the Antigua and Barbuda Tourist Office hosted a variety of exciting events in the run up to World Travel Market, the largest UK travel event of the year held at Excel in London between 10 and 14 November. To start off the celebrations, on Thursday 6 November the Antigua and Barbuda Tourist Office set sail along the River Thames on board The Silver Barracuda for their Annual Appreciation Party. The event was a fun-filled evening of rum punch, good food and traditional Antiguan hospitality! Over one hundred UK-based travel agents, tour operators, airline representatives, hotel partners and members of the press joined senior representatives from the twin island nation, including Mrs. Sharon Peters, Permanent Secretary, Carol Hay, Director of Tourism for the UK and Europe, as well as one of Antigua and Barbuda’s most famous sons, cricket celebrity, Ambassador Richie Richardson. Carol Hay thanked the partners for their continued support and twelve lucky raffle guests received a bottle of premium champagne and the much sought after 5 year old English Harbour Antiguan rum. Carol used the occasion to promote the Islands’ focus for 2009 as the ‘Events Capital of the Eastern Caribbean’, highlighting its many sporting events, festivals and the second Romantic Rhythms Music Festival to be held from 5-7 June, 2009. On Sunday 9 November Antigua and Barbuda’s efforts were recognized by Virgin Holidays who presented the Tourist Office with its Bronze Award for “Best Destination Partnership.” On Tuesday 11 November at World Travel Market, the Antigua and Barbuda Tourist Office provided onstand entertainment for Partners and UK media over drinks and traditional Caribbean delicacies. Guest appearances included cricketing legends Sir Vivian Richards and Richie Richardson, and a very special ‘Lionel Richie’ who 9 Minister Harold Lovell at the World Travel Market (WTM) with HE Dr Carl Roberts, High Commissioner for Antigua and Barbuda on his left and on his right HE Mr Paul Farquarhson, High Commissioner for The Bahamas and Mrs Pauline Roberts (Above, right) Sir Viv Richards and HE Dr Carl Roberts at the WTM ‘Lionel Ritchie’ flanked by Tourism staff left to right are Cherrie Osborne, Carol Hay and Joyce Fyfe Carol Hay, Director of Tourism UK & Europe

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The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Issue 130 November/December 2008 10 serenaded the guests with a rendition of the well known song ‘Hello’ to promote the destination’s exciting Calendar of Events for 2009, including the Romantic Rhythms Music Festival. Carol stated, “We have a host of talented musicians in Antigua and the Music Festival enables us to showcase our local talent along with International stars.” The Minister for Tourism Hon. Harold Lovell attended the event and met with various airlines, and tour operators to discuss initiatives for marketing Antigua and strengthening relations. Minister Lovell was joined by Mrs. Sharon Peters, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Carol Hay, Director of Tourism for the UK and Europe as well as representatives from the French and German Tourist Offices who also attended the four day event. Carol Hay, Director of Tourism UK & Europe commented: “2008 has been an eventful year for Antigua and Barbuda and we were very grateful for the support received at this year’s World Travel Market from partners and the media. This event provides the Antigua and Barbuda Tourist Office with the opportunity to create awareness of the destination and allows us to strengthen our partner relationships and gain new contacts. The event also provides us with an opportunity to thank those who have worked with us during the year at our annual Partners Appreciation Party. We are very pleased with the outcome of this year’s event and look forward to working with everyone in 2009” Visitors to the Antigua and Barbuda Stand at the World Travel Market was given Antiguan-style hospitality Minister of Tourism Hon. Harold Lovell flanked by Sir Viv Richards on his left and Ambassador Ritchie Richardson on his right

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The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Issue 130 November/December 2008 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Message by Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma. “10th December 2008 marks 60 years since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations. Commonwealth countries were involved in its drafting then, and they are involved in its implementation today. There has been a long and close relationship between the countries of the Commonwealth and the promotion of human rights. The Declaration champions the links between human dignity and equal rights, and between freedom, justice and peace. It is a statement of principles, setting out ideals and aspirations for all countries. As we in the Modern Commonwealth seek to bring this vision of a life of dignity to our almost 2 billion people, there is so much of our work which sees the Declaration turned into the Deeds of the first decade of the 21st century. The Declaration speaks to our Commonwealth work on the right to education, to our work on the right to freedom of opinion and expression and to our work on the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and wellbeing of the individual, and of the family. The Declaration enunciates so many of the principles at the heart of our Commonwealth democracy work. It spells out the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, and to participate in the government of one’s country. It establishes the right to work, and the principle of equal pay for equal work. Most fundamentally, it declares that ‘All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights’ – a principle at the heart of the Commonwealth. It’s through work in schools and colleges – and in the workplace, the court, the police station and the health clinic – that the most important impacts of human rights work are felt. The Declaration reaches 60 years of age just as the Commonwealth approaches its own 60th anniversary. On this day I salute the continued relevance and vision of the Declaration, and commit our collective and individual Commonwealth efforts to make real its aspirations. 11 Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma at a CARICOM meeting in Antigua and Barbuda, 2008 © Copyright: Joseph Jones/Commonwealth Secretariat WILD LIFE IMAGES

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The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Issue 130 November/December 2008 CPTM by HE Dr. Carl Roberts In the first part of this miniseries of articles covering the Commonwealth Partnership for Technology Management (CPTM), I looked at its formation and one aspect of Smart Partnership or Sharing. In this article I will address the membership of the organisation and the base of its support through Smart Partnership Networkers. CPTM’s membership is drawn from the member states of the Commonwealth along with public and private sector organizations and many smart partner networkers. These smart partner networkers are professionals (current and former senior company officials, current and former senior civil service officers and other significant entrepreneurs) who freely give of their time and experience, skills and knowledge in the spirit of Smart Partnership practice “prosper thy – neighbour”. Each year the Smart Partnership Movements Dialogue “get – together” meets in a particular country to discuss and make suggestions for an integrated approach to critical issues of national development under a theme which focuses on current world issues. The last dialogue was held in Mulungushi Centre, Lusaka, Zambia, under the theme “transforming communities through realizing national visions”. Dialogues have been held eight times in Langkawi, Malaysia; seven times in Africa (Uganda, Zambia) and two times in the Caribbean (Barbados). CPTM’s activities are backed by a small number of staff at the main office in London. The office is called the London Hub and is supported by the National Hubs and Nodes in several countries including Barbados, St. Lucia, Malaysia, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Swaziland and Uganda among others. CPTM’s mission is to “enhance national capabilities for the creation of and participation in global wealth, through sound technology management and using public / private sector partnerships”. “Smart partnership” is a philosophy developed and practiced by CPTM Smart Partners since the 1990’s. It is a proactive process carried out through “real-time” networking, where the group collectively relies on individual Networkers knowledge and resources to bring about outcomes of mutual benefit, in essence providing a “win-win-win” situation for all those involved. “Dialoguing” is the prime vehicle through which Smart Partnership is further promoted. Dialoguing in the Smart Partnership Fashion enriches, sustains and expands this network for individuals: each of whom possesses valuable hands-on experience and who, collectively, have backgrounds that support various disciplines and national boundaries. The national Hubs and Nodes are sometimes referred to as “Webs” and Caribbean webs are in operation in Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago. The theme of the international dialogue in Barbados in 1999 was “Smart partnership in Small States for the Development of Wealth”. Other themes over the years addressed “global trends in emerging economies”, “enhancing the climate for foreign direct investment”, “reconciling Development challenges with global security through dialogue”, “poverty eradication through human capital development and capacity building” “realizing national visions through smart partnership” and “Smart partnership in economic development and diversity” among others. I will develop other aspects of CPTM in my next article. 12 Source: CPTM Website.

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The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Issue 130 November/December 2008 Antiguan Flagged Vessel Hijacked in the Gulf of Aden “Crew members reported safe” On the 17th December the Maritime Administration of Antigua and Barbuda announced that the Antigua and Barbuda flagged vessel BOSPHORUS PRODIGY had been attacked and subsequently hijacked by armed pirates in the Gulf of Aden in the Arabian Sea. Since the report of the hijacking, The Maritime Administration of Antigua and Barbuda has been in close and continuous contact with the vessel’s Management Company in Istanbul to monitor the situation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in St. John’s, Antigua along with the Permanent Representatives of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Nations and the International Maritime Organisation have also been fully informed of the developments. The following details events as reported to the Maritime Division of Antigua and Barbuda by the ICCInternational Maritime Bureau (Piracy Reporting Centre): -     Late Monday December 15, 2008, an alarm message was received by the ICC-International Maritime Bureau (Piracy Reporting Centre) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from the Antigua and Barbuda motor vessel “BOSPHORUS PRODIGY” Off. No. 2822, Call Sign V 2 P C 4, stating that the Antigua and Barbuda flagged vessel had been attacked and subsequently hijacked in the Gulf of Aden by armed pirates in two speed boats coming from the South. -    On Tuesday December 16, 2008 at about 12:00 noon Eastern European time, one Royal Navy helicopter flew above the vessel and learned  from the vessel’s Master that seven (7) pirates were on board. -        Also on Tuesday via the vessel’s SSAS (Ship Security Alert System) which has been in operation continuously since the hijacking, it appeared that the vessel under the control of the pirates was proceeding towards the city of EYL on the East Coast of Somalia. -        No further information is available at this time but it is believed that the nine member crew is safe. The m/v BOSPHORUS PRODIGY whose registered owner is Naviblue Corporation of St. John’s, Antigua, is managed by Iskomarine Shipping and Trading Inc. of Istanbul, Turkey 13 CARDI swings its door on 'open day' The Antiguan branch of the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) has gone public about its endeavours for the first time. The initiative, known as the CARDI Open Day Session, has been enacted at stations throughout the Caribbean region since 31 Oct., and Wednesday 17th December was Antigua and Barbuda’s turn. According to Dr. Gregory Robin, the nation’s country representative, holding the open day allows for transparency and accountability since the projects of the station are made public. The session was also intended to inform those members of the general public about the research and development (R&D) CARDI undertakes as it relates to food security, one of the institute's main focus. Experiments are currently being conducted at Betty’s Hope, the Greencastle Agricultural Station and Cades Bay. This study seeks to determine which of the island’s agricultural zones are most suitable for growing sweet potatoes. That, however, is not the only CARDI initiative. It also has a vegetable production programme in which corn, watermelon, table squash and pumpkin are being cultivated. These will go toward efforts to enhance Antigua and Barbuda’s food security and the National School Meals Programme once they are ready for harvest. The local CARDI post has also been working to satisfy the mandate its parent branch, in Trinidad & Tobago, has set for the region. This dictates the need for seed production and so the institute has been working closely with Japanese consultants to keep its efforts up to scratch. Support for the venture will also be provided by the Japanese government for labs and storage facilities. Acting as a seed repository is another role of the local CARDI branch. Source: Antigua Sun

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The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Issue 130 November/December 2008 Strict new rules for foreign students The British Government has announced that foreign students hoping to come to the UK to study will have to meet strict new criteria, The Home Office has published proposals for much tighter rules for foreign students and the universities and colleges hosting them under the student tier of its new Points Based System. All colleges and universities that want to recruit foreign students will now need a licence to do so and will have to take greater responsibility for their international students, helping Government crack down on bogus colleges who abuse the system. For the first time education providers face a ban on bringing over international students if they fail to follow strict new rules including alerting the UK Border Agency (UKBA) if students fail to enrol. Students will also face stringent new criteria if they want to study in the UK, ensuring only those who benefit Britain can come. Before they can study here, foreign students must: be sponsored by a UKBA licensed education institution; prove that they have the means to support themselves and their families while studying here; and supply their fingerprints. Stricter rules on work placements for students will also ensure that the UK's labour market is protected. Border and Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said “"All those who come to Britain must play by the rules. It is right that foreign students wanting to take advantage of our world-class universities and colleges must meet strict criteria.” "By locking people to one identity with ID cards, alongside a tough new sponsorship system, we will know exactly who is coming here to study and crack down on bogus colleges,” he added. Visas will only be granted to students who show a proven track record in education and are applying for a course that meets a minimum level of qualification. They must also be able to demonstrate they can financially support themselves and any of their dependants. Students on courses for longer than 12 months will have to show they have sufficient funds to pay their first year of fees, plus £9,600 to cover their first year in the UK. Students wishing to bring their dependants with them will need to show they have a further £535 per month for each person they bring. In recognition of the many economic and cultural benefits that these students bring to the UK, earlier this year the Government announced a special visa category allowing successful international students who have graduated from a British university to work in the UK for up to two years. (Source: www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk ) 14 Young Officer on the move in the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force 2nd Lieutenant Jamal Aska flanked by His Excellency Dr Carl Roberts and Mrs Roberts who was trained in the United Kingdom led a platoon in the Independence Day parade 2008 at the Antigua Recreation Grounds.

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The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Issue 130 November/December 2008 Imbalanced EPA Trade Negotiations: “WTO-Plus” Requirements Peter Lunenborg Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) are free trade agreements between the EU, and as ultimately envisaged, 9 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. In general, any provisions in the EPAs go far beyond World Trade Organisation (WTO) requirements. This article focuses on one particular example: it states that the General Exceptions in the EPAs are at odds with Art. XX GATT, the General Exceptions article of the GATT. General Exception clauses in all EPAs trample on the African Group position on commodities and the July 2008 modalities on commodities. The Article calls upon the African Group and its supporters to reconfirm their stance on commodities and bring the July 2008 modalities on commodities to life again. The African Group Proposal on Commodities: tackling commodity price instability Almost 100 developing countries derive at least half of their export earnings from commodities, meaning they must contend with the problem of short-term instability of primary commodity prices, which is greater than that of prices for non-primary tradable commodities. Most African countries depend on two to three main primary commodity exports for the bulk of their foreign exchange earnings. The rollercoaster of global commodity prices, which can rise or fall by 50 per cent or more in a year, makes sound fiscal planning extremely difficult for both countries and producers. Many smallholder firms cannot bear or share the risks of swinging prices resulting in less than suboptimal agricultural output, as well as deterioration of their livelihoods. Predictable incomes are critical if commodity-dependent countries are to escape the cycle of commodity dependence, increase agricultural output, improve living conditions in rural areas, and alleviate poverty. During the African Union Extraordinary Conference, held in Arusha on 23 November 2005, African Ministers strongly emphasized the need to address this problem of instable commodity prices in the WTO negotiations of the Doha Development Round. The African Group consequently submitted a proposal for modalities for negotiations on agricultural commodity issues to the Committee on Agriculture at 7 June 2006 (TN/AG/GEN/18). The ACP Group, LDC Group, Bolivia and Venezuela issued a declaration on ‘Development concerns and issues in the current WTO negotiations’ on the 21 st of June 2007 stating their support for the submitted African Group proposal. The proposal continues to receive a very strong backing from NGOs all over the world, religious and missionary organizations, development NGOs, and farmers’ organizations in both the developed and developing world. In their common position, the “Call for Action on the Crisis in Agricultural Commodities”, they express strong support for the African roup’s proposal. They invite all the WTO member states to do likewise and call for the policies outlined to be firmly supported and pursued through all relevant channels. The policies outlined in the African Group’s proposal refer to tariff escalation and non-tariff barriers, but the majority of the text is devoted to the adoption of an appropriate legal instrument clarifying GATT rules applicable to joint action by commodity-dependent producers, including international commodity agreements (ICAs). Transplantation of the African Group Proposal into the July 2008 Modalities on Agriculture The July 2008 revised draft modalities on agriculture nearly mimics the African Group’s proposal and distributes this sizeable text over 12 paragraphs, from paragraph 88 to 99, under the heading “commodities”. With regards to international commodity agreements or supply management systems, the modalities provide for the possibility of Members to take joint action through adoption of suitable measures, including through adoption of ICAs. ICAs may be concluded either jointly by producing and consuming countries or by commodity-dependent producing countries only. The objective of such arrangements is the stabilization of prices of exports of agricultural commodities at levels that are stable, equitable and remunerative. There is one important difference between the African Group’s proposal and the July 2008 text: in the July 2008 text, the potential role of UNCTAD or International Commodity Organizations in international commodity agreement negotiations and technical assistance for such supply management systems, has been abandoned (TN/AG/W/4/Rev.3). The modalities, almost identical to the widely supported African Group's proposal, build upon the existing WTO framework, specifically Art. XXXVIII GATT on governmental assistance to economic development and XX(h) GATT on the commodity agreement exception. These two articles, already present in the WTO legal framework, constitute the corner-stones in solving the commodity problem. GATT XX General Exceptions and Free Trade Agreements: “copy-paste” GATT XX is the General Exceptions article, listing possibilities to impose trade-restrictive measures for internally recognized important and necessary policy objectives, such as protection of public health or the environment. The exceptions listed in Art. XX relate to all of the obligations under the GATT; not just the national treatment obligation and the most favoured nation obligation, but others as well: it provides a general exception to all GATT 1994 obligations. They offer policy space for a party using them; however, the exceptions should not be abused to protect national producers under the guise of lofty principles. 15

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The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Issue 130 November/December 2008 The same legitimate governance priorities recognized at multilateral level apply at the bilateral level as well. Even so, Article XX GATT exceptions do not cover preferential r bilateral trade agreements. Therefore, all free trade agreements (FTAs) include a section on general exceptions. For example, the New Zealand-Thailand Closer Economic Partnership (CEP) copies the GATT XX verbatim into Article 15(1) of the CEP. The EFTA-Chile FTA has opted for the same approach in Article 21. In the Australia-United States FTA, GATT XX and its interpretive notes are simply incorporated and made part of he agreement (Article 22.1). A stock-taking exercise would in fact reveal that the bulk of FTAs, both North-North as well as North-South FTAs, duplicate the General Exceptions agreed upon at the multilateral level. Contrasting the General Exceptions Clauses in the EPAs with Art. XX GATT Currently there are 8 (interim) EPAs: the CARIFORUM EPA with 15 Caribbean countries, the Pacific interim-EPA (Papua New Guinea & Fiji), and the 6 interim-EPAs with 19 African countries. The number and comprehensiveness of EPAs is due to increase: it is envisaged that ultimately all 79 ACP countries will have concluded a free trade agreement with the EU in the near future. When focusing only on the General Exception provision of the 8 EPAs, notable variance with Art. XX GATT is detected, unlike the other FTAs earlier mentioned. Two main classes of variance can be distinguished: additional exceptions compared to Art. XX and left-out exceptions compared to Art. XX. In all EPAs, there are additional exceptions not included in GATT XX, such as measures to secure compliance to privacy protection or safety laws, or to deal with defaults on contracts. These additional exceptions are more favourable to the EU. Take the example of measures necessary to secure compliance with laws or regulations relating to privacy protection. According to Privacy International, none of the ACP countries had a data protection law in place in May 2007, with a few having a pending effort to enact law regarding privacy laws. In short: if you have no or underdeveloped rivacy protection laws, there is nothing to secure compliance to, and the chance to avail of this exception is virtually non-existent. On the other hand, the EU has a detailed body of regulations to safeguard various kinds of privacy protection. Added to that, the barrier to utilize EPA general exceptions is lower than GATT XX exceptions because of more frequent use of consultations between the parties and more accessible dispute settlement provisions of the EPA compared to the WTO. In contrast, there are 3 important GATT XX general exceptions relevant to (commodity-dependent) developing countries that are not included in the EPAs:  measures undertaken in pursuance of obligations under any intergovernmental commodity agreement  the measure to restrict exports of domestic materials as part of a governmental stabilization plan  measures essential to the acquisition or distribution of products in general or local short supply (majority of the EPAs) As it currently stands, the EPAs do not recognize the above three measures as legitimate policy priorities. The “WTO-Plus” Requirements of the EPAs Three general exceptions agreed upon at the multilateral level are expunged in the EPAs. All signed EPAs contain General Exception clauses detrimental to commodity dependent developing countries. One of these three crossouts the exclusion of the international commodity agreements exception directly conflicts with the African Group proposal on commodities and the consequently drafted July 2008 modalities on commodities which largely incorporates this proposal. Bilateral agreements supersede multilateral agreement as ex specialis . Whatever package is reached in the Doha Round on Art. XX or related articles, the EPAs, as opposed to the Doha package, will be in effect. A general exception expresses an internationally recognized policy objective, which under certain conditions, is more important than GATT-compliance. These exclusions of GATT XX exceptions, in particular the exclusion of the commodity agreement exception, threaten viable policy options which are totally acceptable at multilateral level. In fact, any type of international commodity agreement affecting trade with EU is prohibited. The demise of ICAs or supply management systems designed to stabilize prices and alleviate poverty, catering for commodity-dependent developing countries, has been sealed by signature of the EPAs. Nevertheless, ICAs or joint actions by commodity dependent producers are considered by all ACP states as part of their development toolbox and are viewed as legitimate means to reduce poverty, needing clarification and amendment on WTO level. Disregarding the ACP states in this respect will render the EPA objectives of poverty alleviation and preeminence of political choices and development priorities of ACP states in their integration into the world economy, null and void. Therefore, the African Group and its supporters should urgently reconfirm their stance on commodities, subscribe to the July modalities, and take the necessary action. When no action is taken, any type of international commodity agreement will be practically impossible and may in fact be prohibited forever. This will invalidate all the work done at multilateral level and turn the African Group's proposal, as well as a substantial part of the July 2008 modalities, into a dead letter. Beyond Art. XX GATT In a plenary at the conference “Confronting the Global Food 16 Continue on page 17

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The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Issue 130 November/December 2008 Funds needed for WindowReplacement Project By Agnes Meeker President of the Historical and Archaeological Society Museum of Antigua and Barbuda Excerpted from the Museum’s Newsletter No.102 As simple as it seems it’s a $207,000 job of which $92,740 has been raised. We’re talking some 53 windows, no make that 54, thanks to another window discovered after the original assessment. With the funds raised we’re ready to begin phase one replacing the windows in the upper level of the museum. That’s 23 windows that must be custom made and transported from St Kitts via DOMUS. The contractor is on standby with work expected to begin mid May, and archaeologist Dr Reginald Murphy, is sourcing the special mortar required. Phase one will be followed, naturally enough, by phase two, replacement of the windows in the lower level for which funds have not yet been raised and which will require the temporary closure of the museum. This is to allow for the complete dismantling of the exhibits in order to avoid damage. Phase two will begin as soon as funds permit. Clearly, this is no simple renovation job. With a building as old and as historically significant, preserving the architectural integrity is top priority, and, as noted, apart from the safety issues that come with windows hanging on their last rusty hinges, there’s the building itself and its contents to consider. The 17 businesses and individuals who’ve so far contributed to the effort are keeping this from happening. Perhaps because they recognize that the museum houses Antigua’s history and should the windows be damaged (as a result the exhibits), we lose it and we’d have to start from scratch. Many of the items on display are irreplaceable, notwithstanding that the information may be backed up on computers. Perhaps the most significant of these antiques is the building itself. Completed in 1750, it was built by Peter Harrison, credited as being the first professionally trained architect in America. Also to his credit are still standing buildings like the Redwood Library in Rhode Island, the oldest community library still occupying its original building, the Old Brick Market. It houses the Museum of Newport History. There is also the Touro Synagogue, said to be the only surviving synagogue from the colonial era and Christ Church, a national land mark in Massachusetts. The neo-Classic Harrison design in Antigua previously served as the country’s courthouse and is now a popular stop tourists, school children and history buffs. Back in the day, a tax was levied for a period of six years to aid on its construction. Today, as we proceed with the massive window replacement project, the Historical Society is asking people to pony up voluntarily. Contributions can be made by calling the museum or by depositing funds directly to the museum account number 1000404, at the Bank of Nova Scotia. 17 Continued from page 1 6 Challenge” on 25 November 2008, Pascal Lamy was questioned about the vanished commodity agreement exception in all EPAs. In his reply, he agreed that commodity agreements are acceptable in the multilateral context, but that countries sign bilaterals with provisions going far beyond WTO requirements. However, he noted that bilateral agreements take precedence over multilateral agreements and it s a sovereign choice of a member state to do so. A WTO-compatible agreement does not mean the forfeit of multilaterally established rights. Restrictions could be imposed in the area of national treatment (Art. III GATT), fees and formalities connected with importation and exportation Art. VIII GATT), export taxes, or safeguards, but a WTO compatible agreement is not limited to these examples. Unnecessary losses should be prevented. For that reason, it is advisable for sovereign ACP states, in their respective negotiations leading to either a ‘goods only’ or comprehensive EPA, to conduct a close and thorough examination of the EPA texts vis-a-vis relevant WTO Agreements to prevent WTO-plus commitments. Peter Lunenborg works with the Trade for Development Programme, South Centre. Betty’s Hope

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The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Issue 130 November/December 2008 18 Commonwealth Scholar attends University of Surrey Antigua and Barbudan Ercil Charles, Commonwealth Scholar, is currently pursuing an MSc. in Tourism Development at the University of Surrey. His studies in the United Kingdom started on September 29, 2008 and will terminate on September 28, 2009. Mr Charles was previously employed by the Ministry of Education as a teacher at the All Saints Secondary School. He also worked at the Ministry of Tourism as a Tutor/Facilitator at the Antigua and Barbuda Hospitality Training Institute (ABHTI). His aspiration is to return to full time service at ABHTI, where he can make a more meaningful contribution to Human Resources Development, and to assist with policy and developmental plans within the Ministry of Tourism. He says he is extremely honoured to have been chosen as a Commonwealth Scholar and is working extremely diligently to maintain the high standards of previous and other current scholars of this Award. H.E. Dr Carl Roberts and Commonwealth Scholar Ercil Charles Installation of Hundreds of Street Lights to Commence Shortly in Antigua and Barbuda General Manager of the Antigua Public Utilities Authority Mr. Esworth Martin and First Secretary in the Business Office of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China Mr. Lu Jun, signed the final construction agreement paving the way for the erection of hundreds of street lights across Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China H.E. David Shoul said that the signing completes over two years of negotiations for the erection of 1572 street lights across Antigua and Barbuda covering some 65 kilometers of road. He noted that the project is as a result of a grant in the sum of EC$10 million dollars provided by the Chinese Government. It was also disclosed that a team of Chinese officials and technicians will arrive in the country on December 17 to begin preparations for the start of the project which will commence with a ground breaking ceremony on December 30. Ambassador Shoul said that the Chinese delegation and the government also signed a contract for the covering of the Grays Hill Reservoir which will also be funded through a grant by the People’s Republic of China. The country’s Ambassador to China added that he is excited about the finalization of the two projects as they have been in the pipeline for a very long time.  He noted that they will positively impact the lives of Antiguans and Barbudans and contribute to security and the provision of a more reliable source of water by APUA. This phase of the street lighting project is a continuation of the Chinese project which saw the installation of lights from the V.C. Bird International Airport to the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium.

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The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Issue 130 November/December 2008 Identity Cards for Foreign Nationals WHAT ARE IDENTITY CARDS FOR FOREIGN NATIONALS? On 25 November 2008 the UK Border Agency changed the way it issues permission to stay (grants of leave to remain) in the United Kingdom. Identity cards for foreign nationals are a form of residence permit, and replace the vignettes (or stickers) previously placed in passports. Initially this only applies to nationals of countries outside the European Economic Area who are granted leave to remain in the United Kingdom as either a student or an the basis of marriage or partnership. More immigration categories will switch from vignettes to cards at a later date. All applicants aged six or over are required to give biometrics. These will be scans of all 10 fingerprints and a digital photo. Applicants who are under six are not required to provide fingerprints. The grant of leave to stay in the United Kingdom will be issued as a standalone card. There will be no endorsement in the passport. The card is proof of the holderÂ’s right to stay, work or study in the United Kingdom. It can also be used as a form of identification (for example, if they wish to open a bank account in the UK). The holder is not required to carry their card at all times, but they must show it at the border, together with they passport, when travelling outside of, and when returning to, the United Kingdom. Under current legislation, employers have a responsibility to check the entitlement of prospective employees to work in the UK. We strongly advise employers undertake checks on everyone they wish to employ. This will enable enable employers to establish a statutory excuse against payment of a civil penalty for employing an illegal migrant worker; shows their recruitment process is open and transparent, and ensures their recruitment practices do no discriminate against anyone because of their race. To help reduce the burden on employers, foreign nationals issued with an identity card will be required to show it to employers prior to commencing employment. Employers will be able to accept this, alongside the other recommended document to help with checks to confirm the identity and entitlement to work of their prospective employees. WHEN WILL CARDS REPLACE VIGNETTES IN PASSPORTS? The roll-out will be phased according to the immigration category under which the migrant is granted leave to stay in the United Kingdom. Any person who applies for an extension of stay as a student or on the basis of marriage or partnership on or after 25 November 2008 will be required to apply for an identity card for foreign nationals. Migrants granted leave to stay in the United Kingdom under other immigration categories will receive a vignette in their passport. Both vignettes and cards will remain in circulation for the foreseeable future. For up-to-date information on which immigration categories are issued with cards please see the UK Border Agency website at www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk 19 DevilÂ’s Bridge

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The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Issue 130 November/December 2008 Newcomers must earn the right to stay in the UK Foreign nationals wishing to become British citizens will have to earn the right to stay, the Government announced. The tough new approach will require all migrants to speak English and obey the law if they want to gain citizenship and stay permanently in Britain, while speeding up the path to citizenship for those who contribute to the community. The reforms are at the centre of a sweeping overhaul of all immigration laws dating back to 1971 and confirm new modern laws reserving full access to benefits and social housing will be reserved for citizens and permanent residents. Foreign nationals who commit serious offences will face automatic consideration for deportation and even minor offences will delay access to citizenship by up to three years. Public support for the proposals was confirmed by new Home Office polling released today. A Mori poll carried out for the Home Office revealed that: 70 per cent of the public think that newcomers should earn the right to stay in Britain; 83 per cent think that immigrants in Britain should be made to learn English; and 69 per cent agree that newcomers should be penalised on the path to citizenship if they don't obey Britain's laws. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said: "In recent months we have listened to people across Britain and the message is clear they want those who want to make Britain their home to speak English, to work hard, and to earn the right to stay here. "We are making the biggest changes to our immigration system for a generation, and part of that is making sure those who stay in the UK make a positive impact on their local community." The draft Immigration and Citizenship Bill published today replaces ten Acts of Parliament and enshrines into law the Government's biggest ever shake-up of the immigration system. The key measures are: Strong borders 1. new powers for frontline UKBA officers at foreign ports and airports to cancel visas. 2. bringing customs and immigration powers at the border into the 21st century, consolidating and strengthening civil penalties for bringing passengers without the right papers and clandestine entrants to the UK. Selective migration 3. the Bill proposes a clear legal duty on migrants to ensure they have permission to be in the UK, for example under our new points system. 4. the Bill introduces a single, streamlined power of expulsion for those without permission. Earning the right to stay 5. migrants will now have to earn their right to stay in the UK. 6. automatic bans on returns with new powers to exclude offenders and powers to require those who are expelled to repay costs to taxpayers if we allow them to come back. Playing by the rules 7. the Bill gives a new power to require large 'bail bonds' for those awaiting decisions or expulsion, part of a tough menu of conditions for "Immigration bail" as an alternative to detention. 8. confirming tough measures to prevent organised illegal immigration by attacking illegal working with civil penalties for employers who do not make the necessary checks. 9. simplifying our appeals system to cut red-tape; ensuring that the system is properly sensitive to the needs of vulnerable groups: honouring our international obligations to refugees and ensuring the UKBA safeguards and promotes the welfare of children. Managing any local impacts 10. full access to benefits for citizens and permanent residents, with migrants contributing a little extra to the cost of local services. The Home Office confirmed that newcomers will have to pay a little extra before they become citizens to create a fund of tens of millions of pounds a year to help police, schools, councils and local health services to use the money to deal with the short-term pressures of migration in their areas. Border and Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said: "Britain is not anti-foreigner, we're a welcoming, tolerant place. But we do expect newcomers to sign up to a deal if they want to stay and build a life in Britain. "The public overwhelmingly supports the idea of newcomers earning their right to stay. Today we show how we'll make these ideas law, hand in hand with our new points system for selective migration, like the one that's worked so well in Australia." These changes are part of the biggest shake-up to the immigration system for a generation, and to make sure these changes stick today's Bill will see the currently complex immigration laws replaced by one simplified piece of legislation. By updating the law, and getting rid of any room for misinterpretation, the UK Border Agency can cut red tape and accelerate the speed of its work. (Source:www.bia.homeoffice.gov. uk) 20