ECTAD CARIBBEAN HOME COUNTRY ELECTED TO UNITED NATION SECURITY COUNCIL

St.  Vincent & the Grenadines (SVG) is an Anglo-Caribbean country in the British West Indies region of the Lesser Antilles island arc, in the southern portion of the Windward Islands, which lies in the West Indies at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea where the latter meets the Atlantic Ocean. The sovereign state is also frequently known simply as Saint Vincent.

Its 389 km2 (150 sq mi) territory consists of the main island of Saint Vincent and the northern two-thirds of the Grenadines, which are a chain of 32 smaller islands including Saint Vincent. Some of the Grenadine Islands are inhabited: Bequia, Mustique, Union Island, Canouan, Palm Island, Mayreau, Young Island and others are uninhabited: Tobago Cays (Includes Petit Rameau, Petit Bateau, Baradal, Petit Tabac and Jamesby), Petit Saint Vincent, Baliceaux, Bettowia, Quatre, Petite Mustique, Savan and Petit Nevis. Most of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines lies within the Hurricane Alley.

On Friday 7th June 2019, St.Vincent & the Grenadines was elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. It is the first time in the 74 years history of the United Nations had such a small country as St.Vincent & the Grenadines been elected to the security council. The fifteen-member institution is responsible for oversight of international peace and security.

As a small nation, St.Vincent & the Grenadines has been very active at the international stage, both at the government and non-governmental level, promoting dialogue and partnership in the process of international peace and development. St.Vincent & the Grenadines is expected to use their position in the Security Council to champion and highlight the problems and key issues affecting vulnerable small Island states such as climate change issues, poverty, crime and drugs, demographic changes, health care, universal education, good governance, financial markets trade and debt.

SVG has played an active role in maintaining our regional airline LIAT which is one of the links among our Islands in terms of travel. Strengthening ORGANISATION OF EAST CARIBBEAN STATES < OECS>, Eastern Caribbean Central Bank which now manages one of the strongest currency in the region, and  a strong supporter and promoter of CARICOM.

St.Vincent’s local investors were among the early investors in Guyana investing in major rice mill supplying rice products on the overseas markets and link to current rice packing based in St.Vincent & the Grenadines.

In addition, ECTAD Caribbean’s secretariat based in SVG has taken a very strong lead at the Europian level for small farmers from the Caribbean, Pacific and Africa, lobbying for a greater voice in issues ensuring that governments and the EU authorities put small farmers at the front burner as one of the key elements in food and nutrition security.

ECTAD Caribbean has also paid a very pivotal role in the setting up of the Caribbean Common Agriculture Policy with one of the key pillar being Rural Modernisation and Youth which was proposed by ECTAD Caribbean’s secretariat out of St.Vincent after lobbying with their partners around the Caribbean.

ECTAD Caribbean for many years also played a very lead role in promoting the Caribbean Agriculture Research and Development (CARDI). We lobby and mobilize our partners highlighting the importance of research and development needed to support progressive modern agriculture. We also continue to lobby our governments to ensure all educational institutions from kindergarten to university ensure that the awareness of agriculture, food  health and nutrition security for our young people.

 

The SVG approach has been noted for dialogue and partnership building. As a small island, we are respected because we promote negotiation and dialogue.  and the quality of our interventions on issues.

So it goes to show that it’s not the size of the country but the attitude of its people and the quality of its leadership across sectors. that can promote and make a country visible on the world stage.

We at ECTAD continue to do our part not only for St.Vincent but for our brothers and sister in the Caribbean,Africa and the Pacific and working internationally to ensure that the good practices, innovation and technology are brought to bear and share especially by our large small farmers population throughout the Caribbean, Africa and the Pacific region. We work together promoting partnerships as the way to put our small farmers at the forefront.

ECTAD Caribbean’s approach, we promote the concept of sustaining the profitable market for our small farmers as a key methodology in stabilizing our agriculture and improved quality of life.

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