Azerbaijani Premier meets Our PM

Baku, December 29 (AzerTAc). Azerbaijan`s PM Artur Rasizade has today met Premier of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves.

The Azerbaijani Premier expressed confidence Ralph Gonsalves`s visit to Azerbaijan would give a new impetus to development of relations between the two countries.

Rasizade said Azerbaijan was interested in successful cooperation with all countries irrespective of their size.
He expressed gratitude to the Premier of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for the support in election of Azerbaijan as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

The Azerbaijani delegation is expected to visit Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to expand economic relations in February, 2012.

The Azeri PM briefed Vincentian counterpart Ralph Gonsalves on the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Rasizade said Azerbaijan supports peaceful resolution of the conflict based on the country`s territorial integrity.
Ralph Gonsalves underlined Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was interested in expansion of economic cooperation with Azerbaijan.

The Vincentian PM said he backs Azerbaijan`s territorial integrity.

Gonsalves added he would give information about the conflict in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as within the UN.


© AzerTAc. All rights reserved.

Camillo Gonsalves on Development

Reprinted from Caribbean News Now! Published on December 14, 2011

UNITED NATIONS -- Rich countries must honour their pledges of development assistance to poorer nations, especially in the wake of the global economic crisis, said Vincentian Ambassador Camillo Gonsalves at the fifth United Nations high level dialogue on financing for development.

Gonsalves, St Vincent and the Grenadines’ Permanent Representative to the United Nations, told the high-level dialogue that “[Official Development Assistance] is not charity. It is an investment in international peace and security, and it is a necessary counterweight, albeit an inadequate one, against systemic inequalities in global trade and capital flows that are fundamentally unbalanced and disadvantageous to many developing countries, particularly small states.”

Since 1970, developed countries have been pledging to devote 0.7% of their national incomes to development assistance, said Gonsalves. Despite repeating that pledge in 2002, 2008 and 2009, rich nations delivered less than half of the promised assistance in 2010, according to Gonsalves.

“Developing countries that have spoken today to highlight the massive shortfalls between [assistance] pledged and [assistance] delivered are neither blaming nor begging,” said Gonsalves. “We are simply reminding our partners of the longstanding commitments that they made, upon which we rely, and which we expect to be honored.”

“It remains a constant source of amazement that many states can regularly conjure up
billions of dollars to prosecute discretionary wars and unilateral military interventions, almost on a whim, while developmental assistance stagnates, falls short of commitments, and is subject to all forms of creative accounting or empty sloganeering that have no impact on the bottom lines of developing states,” said the ambassador.

The Vincentian envoy also highlighted an “urgent” call for debt relief to be extended to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). He pointed out that five CARICOM states have debt-to-GDP rations in excess of 100%, while another four exceed 70%. However, because of CARICOM states’ “middle-income” status, they were often excluded from debt- forgiveness schemes, a stance that Gonsalves called “shortsighted and ultimately counterproductive.”

Providing negotiated debt-relief to CARICOM states “on a regional basis... is the morally correct, fiscally prudent, and developmentally logical approach to our region’s growing debt burdens,” said Gonsalves.
Although the current high-level dialogue on financing for development is occurring in the shadow of the worst financial and economic depression in decades, the Vincentian diplomat stated flatly that the global meltdown “is not an excuse for failure to meet ODA commitments.”

Citing the outcome of the 2009 United Nations high level conference on the world economic and financial crisis and its impact on development, which was co-chaired by St Vincent and the Grenadines, Gonsalves reminded delegates that the “consensus outcome of the UN conference on the crisis stressed that the crisis, in and of itself, necessitated urgent compliance with existing targets.”

“In this time of global economic recession, the focus should not be on delaying or avoiding the implementation of FFD commitments, but rather on accelerating and strengthening those promises in the assistance of those who played no role in creating the crisis in the first place,” he said.

At the same time, Gonsalves expressed appreciation for “the efforts of all of our development partners – particularly in these times of increased global economic instability.”

However, despite gratitude for the assistance that his country and other developing states have received, Gonsalves
stated that “the inescapable fact is that total ODA is far short of the required or promised minimums.”
Paraphrasing Bob Marley’s hit song “Them Belly Full (But We Hungry),” Gonsalves said “the developmental pot may be cooking, but the food in it is not enough.”

“Development costs money, and while many states have demonstrated an unerring ability to renege on their commitments to assist, our governments cannot renege on our own solemn commitments to the people-centered development and advancement of our populations,” he said.

The fifth United Nations high level dialogue on financing for development was organised under the theme “The Monterrey Consensus and Doha Declaration on Financing for Development: status of implementation and tasks ahead.”

The Monterrey Consensus was the outcome of a 2002 United Nations conference that took place in Monterrey, Mexico. The Monterrey Consensus was adopted by all countries as a blueprint for mobilising and utilising financing for development. The Doha Declaration on Financing for Development was a 2008 follow-up to the Monterrey Consensus, which sought to add greater detail to the broad areas of agreement that were arrived at in Monterrey.

Copyright© 2004-2011 Caribbean News Now! at www.caribbeannewsnow.com All Rights Reserved For permission to republish, please contact editor@caribbeannewsnow.com


Latin and Caribbean leaders challenge US

Posted on Thu, Dec. 01, 2011
Latin and Caribbean leaders challenge US role in region

BY JIM WYSS
jwyss@MiamiHerald.com

The hemisphere is throwing a party, but not everyone’s invited.
On Friday, the leaders of 33 Latin American and Caribbean countries are gathering in Venezuela to forge a new organization that will include every nation in the region — except the United States and Canada.

Some are hoping the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, or CELAC, will blunt U.S. influence in the region and replace the Organization of American States, the only group that’s opened to all countries in the hemisphere. The OAS, which promotes democracy and development in the region, has been accused by some nations of being a U.S. mouthpiece.

The new body comes to life as Latin America is flexing its muscles on the world stage and the region is expected to see economic growth of almost 5 percent this year on the back of surging commodity prices. It also comes amid hand-wringing over waning U.S. influence in the region.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez — the event’s host and promoter — has called the CELAC a “historic” organization that will bring the region closer together as it shakes off the United States’ imperialist pretensions. The event culminates Saturday with the signing of the Caracas Declaration that formally launches the bloc. Chile will head the organization in its first year, followed by Cuba in 2013.

The administration is not worried that the organization will someday replace the OAS, said Dan Restrepo, President Barack Obama’s senior advisor on Latin America.

“The notion that you can create an organization simply to be anti-American is not viable over a sustained period of time,’’ Restrepo told The Miami Herald on Thursday.

Despite the flailing U.S. economy, it’s still the hemisphere’s powerhouse and the principal destination for most Latin American exports, including Venezuela’s. And unless the CELAC receives solid financial backing, such as the OAS receives from the United States, it’s unlikely to flourish, said Dennis Jett, the former U.S. ambassador to Peru and a professor at Penn State University.

“This organization will probably last as long as Chávez is willing to underwrite it,” Jett said, “and I’m not sure how much longer he can do that.”

While the CELAC is a regional effort, it’s Chávez’s baby. Originally scheduled for July, the formation of the CELAC was delayed as Chávez traveled to Cuba to undergo treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer.

He says that he’s cured and has stepped up his public appearances, but that hasn’t stopped reports that his condition is far more serious than he lets on. In that sense, the CELAC marks Chávez’s return to the world stage as he eyes a tight presidential race in October.

While the full impact of the organization won’t be known for years, some worry that it could become a tool for governments that have bristled under international criticism.

Ecuador President Rafael Correa is proposing the creation of a human rights venue within the CELAC that would supplant the OAS’s influential Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

“It’s not possible that Latin American conflicts have to be dealt with in Washington, where the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights is, when even United States doesn’t recognize the commission,” he said in a statement. “Sooner rather than later [the CELAC] should replace the OAS, which has historically been distorted.”

While it’s true that the United States has ignored commission rulings — most notably to close the Guantanamo detention facility — the body has been a powerful voice in the hemisphere.

The commission and the OAS’s Inter-American Court “have been essential in protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms in the region,” said Jose Miguel Vivanco, the director of the America’s division of Human Rights Watch.

Correa’s call for an alternative forum comes after he has effectively muzzled dissent at home by consolidating power and attacking the press, Vivanco said. The OAS recently held a special session to look at deteriorating press freedoms in Ecuador.

“Now Correa feels like it’s time to take it a step further and openly propose to restructure the international mechanisms we have to promote and protect human rights,” Vivanco said. “The more serious and democratic governments that are participating in this meeting should not echo this type of initiative.”

The OAS did not respond to interview requests, but in a press release said it looked forward to cooperating with the CELAC.

Just what kind of organization the CELAC will become remains to be seen. While moderate, free-market nations such as Brazil, Chile and Peru have the economic power to make the CELAC viable, it’s countries like Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia that have been some of its biggest backers.

“If you look at who is really pushing the organization, it’s countries that don’t want the United States to have any dominant kind of role in the region, but equally, and more importantly, they don’t like to be criticized by international organizations,” said Susan Purcell, the director of the Center for Hemispheric Policy at the University of Miami. “This is a way of setting up an alternative world where they have more control over who can say what about them.”

The initiative comes as some see signs of waning U.S. influence in the region.

“Without a doubt, this has not been a wonderful time for U.S.-Latin American relations,” said Sally Shelton-Colby, the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Latin America, a former ambassador in the Caribbean and a diplomat in residence at The American University. “The U.S. is focused like a laser beam on the Middle East, South Asia and China for reasons of national security.”

But that doesn’t mean it’s disengaged. Latin America does four times more trade with the United States than it does with Asia or Europe, and the U.S. pours millions into defense in Mexico, Colombia and parts of Central America, she said. Free trade deals were recently signed with Colombia and Panama, and Brazil and the United States recently hammered out a defense pact.

“If you examine Latin American relations with the U.S., you will see a huge amount of interconnectedness,” she said.

To complicate matters, the U.S. has not had an Assistant Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere since Arturo Valenzuela stepped down in July. His replacement, Roberta Jacobson, is facing resistance from congressional Republicans who are threatening to hold up her nomination until the administration takes a stronger stance on Cuba.

Even so, the United States will have a chance to strengthen ties again when President Barack Obama returns to the region in April for the Summit of the Americas in Colombia, and the OAS has survived such threats before.

“People have been predicting the demise of the OAS for a very long time,” Shelton-Colby said. “Has it disappointed? Yes. But it’s still there.”

Ultimately, the CELAC will be measured not by its rhetoric but on “wether it does anything concrete to make the lives of the people in the Americas better,” Restrepo said. “If it does, it will be a success.”

El Nuevo Herald’s Antonio Delgado contributed to this report



© 2011 Miami Herald Media Company. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.miamiherald.com


Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/12/01/v-print/2527460/latin-and-caribbean-leaders-challenge.html#ixzz1fO5ICyMY

Message from US

Statement by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I am delighted to send best wishes to the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines as you celebrate your independence day this October 27.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a valued partner as we work to address issues of mutual concern for both our countries.

Together we are promoting greater gender equality, reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS, and empowering more young people to be engaged in their communities and countries. In the Caribbean region and around the world we are strengthening democratic values and freedoms.

I look forward to deepening this already strong relationship between our two countries and finding new ways for our governments and people to work together. Happy independence day and best wishes for a year of peace, prosperity and opportunity.

Indigenous and Afro-descendants grasp at common voice

Carmen Herrera
10/20/2011



Both groups face discrimination and threats to their lands.

For the first time, leaders from indigenous and Afro-descendent peoples from throughout Central America met to form a common agenda.

More than 70 leaders from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama met in Managua Sept. 27-28 for the First Meeting of Indigenous and Afro-Descendant Authorities: Collective Rights in the Context of Central American Integration.



Tribal and community leaders, mayors and municipal authorities debated issues like land titles and demarcation, inclusion of women, native languages, at the meeting which was organized by the Nicaraguan Network for Democracy and Local Development and the Central American and Caribbean Conference for Decentralization and Local Development, or CONFEDELCCA.



To better articulate their agenda with a common voice, participants formed the Permanent Council of Native Peoples and Afro-Descendents of Central America.

“The objective of this first meeting has been to start an articulation process to influence public policies, as well as the development and decentralization of the states,” said Carlos H. Guarquez Ajiquichí, of the Guatemalan Association of Indigenous Mayors and Authorities.

Guarquez Ajiquichí also suggested teaming up with the Central American Integration System, or SICA, and the Central American Parliament to ensure that their goals reach the region’s heads of state.

One “historical problem,” he said, “is the distribution of land, since in every country in the region large-scale landowners hold a disproportionate amount of territory.”



“This is where the problem with the distribution of wealth that benefits a few comes from, and that affects indigenous peoples above all, those who have lived in misery on tiny plots of land even though the land belongs to us,” he said.

Women’s role
Nicolasa Jiménez, Ngöbe-Bugle indigenous leader from Panama, said that one of the meeting’s objectives was to increase women’s politic participation in their own community groups and in society in general.

“Indigenous women are fighting for active integration and participation,” she said. “We are fighting for more capacity building for women, because there are only a few of us who hold decision-making positions.”

The International Labor Organization’s Convention 169 on indigenous peoples has been ratified by every Central American country except for El Salvador and Panama.

While Convention 169 is seen by some international law experts as one of the most complete international indigenous rights law, local authorities have often ignored it.



For example, in Guatemala, indigenous communities have been consulted on some projects that would affect them, but their votes are not considered binding.

Afro-descendant groups in Honduras said that the alliances they made with indigenous leaders here have been fruitful, because they have the same problems: discrimination, invasion of their lands, a lack of respect and recognition for their language.



René Castro, deputy mayor of an Honduran Garifuna municipality — an Afro-descendant group living mostly on the country’s northern coast — say Afro-descendants are making efforts for Convention 169 to also be applied to his community now that the country has ratified the agreement.

“We have representation in some state institutions,” aiming at this end, he said.

Intercultural society
But another participant was not so optimistic about the situation in Nicaragua. Mauricio Solís, of the Nicaraguan Network for Democracy and Local Development, said that “in practice” these groups’ rights are limited.

“Indigenous communities are not consulted; local governments interfere in indigenous community elections and there is little governmental funding designated for indigenous peoples,” he said. “In Nicaragua’s case, we see that there is a lot of discourse about indigenous peoples, but in practice, there is a lot of politicizing, exclusion and marginalization.

”

For years, Solís’ organization has promoted multiculturalism for the country, with a vision of having a citizenry that recognizes the diversity of the region’s population, like the indigenous and Afro-descendants, who have a political, economic, cultural and social agenda.

His network, along with CONFEDELCCA, held the meeting to give indigenous and Afro-descendants authorities a place for reflection and debate over the situation facing their communities and to look for links with other national and international organizations and movements which work for their rights to be ensured.



“We have agreed to go through all the information collected during this meeting so it can be shared with our peoples,” said Solís. “In the following months, we’ll work on a framework to help map out the next steps.” —Latinamerica Press.

http://lapress.org/articles.asp?art=6490

Letter About UN Speech

Letter: Fireworks at the United Nations Published on October 20, 2011

Dear Sir:

I waited with bated breath for in excess of one month to see/hear a comment regarding Dr Ralph Gonsalves' address to the United Nations from the so-called Vincentian "political aficionados" who frequently comment on developments in our fair isle on this forum. As Bob Marley aptly and prophetically commented, "I waited in vain..." Those who attempt to give the impression that they 'know' Vincentian politics, have shown their true colours by completely ignoring this matter, and only make negative comments when the opportunity arises.

Speaking before the United Nations, Prime Minister Dr Ralph E. Gonsalves made several noteworthy points in mid- September 2011. He adamantly called for a reformation of the United Nations; reminded the UN of the health/wealth link; made the point that the poor countries of the world can no longer be taken for a ride; noted that the rich nations of the world failed to heal the global economy; and called for an apology along with reparations for slavery.

The applause that followed the prime minister's speech was nothing short of mind-numbing, -- deafening even. This was a fabulous, well received address which earned a standing ovation from all of its attendees. What else could be expected from a university professor of political science? A head of state does not need to be a political scientist, a professor of political science, an economist, or even an attorney; however, Dr Ralph E. Gonsalves possesses all of these qualifications.

Admittedly, much of this will fall on deaf ears, but these points needed to be made nevertheless, and Ralph Gonsalves did so remarkably. These pleas from Ralph Gonsalves have been made previously as well, but scant attention has been paid to these prophetic voices to the peril of all concerned.

Dr Ralph Gonsalves was joined in his quest by several world leaders at the UN by other Caribbean countries, and by countries of the African Bloc as well. The prime minister spoke to the core of the difficulties affecting the poorer nations of the world as well as those of the developed nations, and he minced no matters in this forthright delivery. Here is a synopsis of what the Vincentian prime minister had to say.

a) PM reminds the UN of health/wealth link

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves made the point that health officials discussing non-communicable diseases, at the United Nations must consider the factors that make imported junk food more nutritious than locally produced meals. PM Gonsalves even quoted Greek physician Hippocrates who said: "A wise man should consider that health is the greatest of all human blessings." He went to state, "If we can collectively protect and preserve this blessing, the benefits will go well beyond the longevity and productivity of individual citizens. It will have a knock-on effect on the economies, societies, and developmental prospects of countries and regions."

The prime minister thanked the nations that have helped "St Vincent and the Grenadines in the formation and the implementation of its own wellness revolution, in particular, the European Union, Cuba and Taiwan." He however noted that it "was not time for congratulatory back-slapping, but a time for the international community to roll up our collective sleeves to confront an epidemic that is correctable, reversible and treatable."

Dr Gonsalves observed that discussions about non-communicable diseases were taking place at the UN General Assembly and not at the World Health Organization in Switzerland. He further noted that the meeting "could not ignore the disproportionate impact of this epidemic on poor people and developing states or its obvious negative impact on the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

The millennium development goals are eight international development goals that all 193 UN member states and 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve by 2015. They include eradicating poverty, reducing child mortality rates, fighting disease and epidemics such as AIDS, and developing a global partnership for development.

b) Poor countries of the world being disadvantaged

The Vincentian prime minister fearlessly made the point that the more developed countries of the world were failing in the undertakings which they themselves committed to, regarding being responsible caretakers of the planet.

Almost ten years ago at the Monetary Consensus of the International Conference on Financing held in Mexico, the developed countries agreed to the target of devoting 0.7% of their gross national income (GNI) as official development assistance to poor countries. Dr Gonsalves, however, noted that the developed countries were only contributing about 0.32% of their GNI.

The prime minister strongly made the point that poor countries can no longer be taken for a ride with promises of developmental aid. He went on to observe that he was puzzled by the response of developed nations to climate change, and hoped that recent hurricanes in the United States and the United Kingdom would wake-up developed nations to this reality.
He said that he was "baffled by the intransigence of major emitters and developed nations that refuse to shoulder the burden of arresting climate changes that are linked to the excesses of their own wasteful policies." He was saddened that "citizens and governments have lost faith in the UN's endless and self-important summits that produce little tangible results."

The prime minister noted that "the UN's archives are filled with grandiloquent declarations from summits whose outcome documents and whose commitments are forgotten even before the delegates boarded their planes to return home."

c) Global economy and the rich countries

British Prime Minister David Cameron's comments were consistent with Dr Gonsalves', and one got the distinct impression that the other political leaders as well certainly got the Vincentian leader's message.

Prime Minister Gonsalves pointed out that "the grim economic clouds of three years ago, rather than dissipating, seemed to be increasing," and noted that "declarations that the global economy is recovering were premature." He went on to state that "the tepid and timid response of wealthy nations has failed to heal the global economy three years into the international financial crisis. Therefore, asking suffering peoples from countries that did not contribute to the crisis to be patient is of cold comfort."

PM Gonsalves stressed that "even as the economic storm clouds thicken, economies in the world remain in peril, spurring global unemployment and poverty, which have engendered a feeling of hopelessness, especially among the youth. The effect of this is a major contributor to global unrest that has pitted disgruntled youth and others in violent opposition to government forces from Tottenham to Tripoli. Social unrest elsewhere beckons in dozens of countries, where neither socio-economic conditions nor their political institutions can much longer contain the enormous pressures."

d) Reparations for slavery

The UN has declared 2011 the International year for people of African Descent, and Prime Minister Gonsalves informed the General Council that he is grateful that the UN has hosted events to raise awareness of the challenges facing people of African descent and foster discussions on potential solutions to tackle these challenges.
The prime minister told the world leaders that "racial discrimination was justified, and became itself justification for a brutal, exploitative and dehumanizing system of production which was perfected during the Transatlantic slave trade and ingrained during the course of colonial domination." He noted as well, that "the structure of the modern world is sill firmly rooted in a past of slavers and colonialist exploitation."

Prime Minister Gonsalves, who is of Portuguese descent, pointed out that "the wounds of this era are deep, the crimes against humanity are clear, and the necessity for apology and reparations are undeniable." He observed that peoples of African descent "remain disadvantaged individually and systematically, by this entrenched and unyielding cycle of discrimination."

The prime minister of Antigua/Barbuda, Baldwin Spencer, in supporting Prime Minister Gonsalves, observed that segregation and violence against people of African descent had impaired their capacity for advancement, communities and individuals.
Not to be outdone, Stephen Lashley, Barbados Minister of Culture voiced his support as well. He commented that Barbados also renewed its call for "meaningful and innovative reparations" globally for people of African descent as past and continuing victims of racial discrimination.

Conclusion

Based on the discussion covered above, and its extreme importance, I am baffled by those who profess to be Vincentian patriots. They claim to know something about local politics, but strangely, have been silent - and their silence is truly deafening!

Moreover, those same individuals who claim that they are politically independent, and have no political affiliation, have chosen to ignore this phenomenally informative and successful address to the United Nations, by the most extraordinarily prominent politician in the Caribbean.

This classical address by Prime Minister Gonsalves to the United Nations should be required reading and study by students from primary and secondary schools throughout the entire Caribbean, as well as the University of the West Indies.

Simon Anderson

Copyright© 2004-2011 Caribbean News Now! at www.caribbeannewsnow.com All Rights Reserved For permission to republish, please contact editor@caribbeannewsnow.com


diplomatic relations with Libya “on hold”

By CMC - Friday, September 30th, 2011.

KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent – Foreign Minister Douglas Slater says St. Vincent and the Grenadines has pout “on hold”  its diplomatic relations with Libya until it is satisfied that “there is a legitimate, proper established government” in that North African country.Slater told Parliament that the government had taken a “principled position” as the United Nations decides whether to seat the National Transitional Council at the U.N. General Assembly last week.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines was not among the 114 U.N. member states that supported the decision to seat the Council, which replaced the 42-year-old Muammar al-Gaddafi administration after a civil war this year.

Slater quoted the Montevideo Convention on Rights and Duties of States, which says that the state, as a person of international law, should possess a permanent population, a defined territory, government, and capacity to enter into relations with the other states.“We have been following very closely the situation in Libya and to today I don’t think it is proper to say that there exists a proper government. … I don’t know that there is a minister of foreign Affairs, for example,” Slater told legislators.

He said the Ralph Gonsalves government had not “judged that the situation there is quite ready to qualify that council as sufficient to acknowledge.

“Others have, but we are argue form a position that is of principle,” he further said.Salter also quoted a Southern African Development Community representative, who, according to U.N. documents, this month said, “notwithstanding the fact that it was in control, the National Transitional Council was not the Government in Libya, interim or otherwise”.

“Mr. Speaker all of us watch the news, and we read online. I recall when the ‘rebels’ reached Tripoli a virtual mission accomplished was announced. Most people, I think, expected that that was it. But, today, as we speak, we are hearing report that there is fierce resistance still in cities.”

The Foreign Minister said were still “a lot of uncertainties” in Libya.

“St. Vincent and the Grenadines has and continues to have diplomatic relations with the state of Libya. We never broke them. Mr. Speaker, we are prepared to acknowledge a government when we think that government truly represents the full wishes of all the parties in Libya,” Slater said noting that the position of CARICOM and the African Union are similar.

“The NTC has not been seated there (at the African Union). That’s there region,” he said, noting “diplomacy is serious business and it’s a very involved issue and I don’t think that we should always rush into decisions.

“We have taken a very principled position, backed by a significant number of other people – of other countries,” Slater said, adding that St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Jamaica supported a U.N. vote for deferral of the Libya issues while Belize and St. Lucia opposed it.

Antigua and Barbuda, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago abstained from the vote while the rest of CARICOM were absent.

“It is interesting. They were absent. You see, our country — one of the things I am proud about St. Vincent and the Grenadines — we are not afraid to take a position when it is principled,” he said, adding,  “ … the real big-ticket item at the United Nations was really the position on Palestine.

“I didn’t hear the other side make any statement about Palestine,” he said, adding “but, I notice that some other people usurping that authority and making pronouncement about accepting NTC.

“Well, I am still … the Minister of Foreign Affairs … and as far as I know …  our government has decided to go a particular path … and when we think it is appropriate, as guided by principles I have outlined, we will do what we find most appropriate to do,” he said.

Opposition Leader Arnhim Eustace last week wrote to the NTC noting the “heroic struggle of the Libyan people to throw off the yoke of dictatorship and oppression”.He said that while the NDP is in opposition the NTC could “be assured of our solidarity”

“In government, we look forward to working with a democratically elected administration of the Libyan people in the promotion and consolidation of shared values of freedom, democracy, national development and respect for fundamental human rights,” Eustace said.

http://www.antiguaobserver.com/?p=65260

Friendly nations recommit to airport, education in St Vincent

MENAFN - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services -- Unrestricted - Thursday, September 29, 2011
Friendly nations recommit to airport, education in St Vincent
Sep 29, 2011 (Caribbean News Now - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- KINGSTOWN, StVincent -- Friendly nations partnering to build the international airport at Argyle in St Vincnt and the Grenadines havereconfirmed their support for the project, says Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves.
Gonsalves last week travelled to New York, where he attended the 66th United Nations General Assembly. He also metwith several world leaders who "either reaffirmed previous commitments to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, or madenew pledges of cooperation with the government," the country's diplomatic mission in New Work said in a pressstatement.
The prime minister was also invited to pay official visits to Kuwait, Georgia and Palestine to explore additional avenuesof support and solidarity, the statement said.
Gonsalves told Vincentians at a town hall meeting in New York on Saturday that the "coalition of countries" hasreaffirmed their support for the EC$652 million airport project.
He noted that so far this country has received direct contributions from Cuba, Venezuela, Mexico, Iran, Libya, Trinidadand Tobago, and Austria and indirect contributions from Turkey, through the CARICOM Development Fund.
"... when I go to talk to people like Prime Minister [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan of Turkey, I just don't talk about StVincent [alone]. I talk about the CARICOM Development Fund, too. Because what I don't get directly, I could getanother way," he said to applause at the town hall meeting.
"... all those coalitions there are in order. Libya, you know, is in tumult now so we have to wait until that settle down,but all the other reconfirmed their support -- everyone! And new prospective players have come aboard, includingKuwait and Qatar," Gonsalves told the gathering of Vincentians.
Meanwhile, the country's diplomatic mission, in its press statement, said the "Coalition of the Willing" -- the termGonsalves often uses to describe nations supporting the airport -- is on the verge of welcoming two new partners.
The president of Georgia and the prime minister of Kuwait "expressed strong interest in assisting SVG with the airportproject," the statement said.
According to the statement, Georgia, which produces a variety of heavy earth-moving equipment, indicated itswillingness to provide relevant machinery to the project, while the prime minister of Kuwait also committed hisgovernment to exploring the best avenues for partnership on the airport.
Both Georgia and Kuwait invited Gonsalves to pay official visits to their countries to further this cooperation.
Meanwhile, the new prime minister of Portugal, Pedro Passos Coelho, said his administration would honour thecommitment of the previous Portuguese government to continue the delivery of laptops to Vincentian students underKingstown's one-laptop-per-child programme.
Coelho pledged to expedite the delivery of the remainder of the 30,000 laptops Portugal promised.
Further, Gonsalves has secured undergraduate and postgraduate scholarship offers from Hungary and Slovenia.
The precise courses and institutions that will offer these scholarships will be finalized in the coming months.
Further, Qatar, which hosts campuses of a number of major American universities, also renewed its offer ofscholarships to Vincentian students, the statement said.
___ (c)2011 the Caribbean News Now (Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands) Visit theCaribbean News Now (GrandCayman, Cayman Islands) at www.caribbeannewsnow.comDistributed by MCT Information Services
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Iran president praises St Vincent

Published on September 22, 2011 by Kenton X. Chance

NEW YORK, USA – Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has praised St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) for its resistance against a number of “bullying states”, according to media reports.

Ahmadinejad and Vincentian Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves met on Tuesday ahead of the 66th meeting of the UN General Assembly, the general debate of which takes place under the theme “The role of mediation in the settlement of disputes by peaceful means.”

The Iranian leader is said to have stressed that dominant powers must understand that slavery is over and nations are not going to tolerate pressures. Ahmadinejad further said that independent states cooperating with each other could provide for their own interests and resist arrogant powers, according to reports.

He is said to have referred to the excellent and expanding relations between Iran and SVG, saying that both nations and other independent and justice-seeking countries can stand and resist those who want to pressure and dominate other nations.

Ahmadinejad is quoted as saying that the main economic problem of Caribbean countries is that their rich resources have been looted by colonialist states and that current human problems are that former slave merchants have taken up positions as world managers.

Gonsalves, according to the reports, said that the world is facing serious dangers and that a number of states, by using their own economics and military powers, are trying to impose their own desire on the world, but added that the era for such acts has ended.

Gonsalves is quoted as having underlined the expansion of bilateral cooperation between SVG and Iran and said that his country intends to consolidate ties with Iran.The Vincentian head of government is also said to have met on Tuesday with Kuwait’s Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

During that meeting, held at Kuwait’s Mission at the UN, the top officials discussed ways of strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation and issues of mutual interest.

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PM at UN

NARRATOR: This is a time for the international community to confront an epidemic that is correctable, reversible and treatable.Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines told a high-level meeting on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases that this meeting should not be a culmination of an effort, but merely the beginning of intense, focused and coordinated action to address the health and developmental impacts of non-communicable diseases, particularly in poor and middle-income countries.Prime-Minister Gonsalves also pointed to what he said was the reason the meeting is being held in the UN General Assembly and not at the World Health Organization’s (WHO) headquarters in Geneva.

“That reason is the fact that the fallout of the NCD epidemic is much wider than the health sector or the health of those individuals tragically afflicted with non-communicable diseases. The developmental aspects of this epidemic must be highlighted and addressed. In particular, we must confront the tremendous strain that NCD treatment places on the health care budgets of developing countries. We cannot ignore too, the disproportionate impact of this epidemic on poor people and developing states; or its negative impact on the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.”NARRATOR: Prime Minister Gonsalves stressed that the response to the non-communicable disease epidemic must therefore be multifaceted and coordinated.

And he cautioned that the political consensus must give impetus to a robust follow-up process and a detailed action plan that will provide assistance to local hospitals and primary care facilities; and collaborate on education and pubic awareness efforts in combating these diseases.

This is Donn Bobb reporting.

Political plain speech

Political plain speech9/17/2011When the Wikileaks website started to release thousands of diplomatic cables belonging to the US State Department, more than one pundit warned that the decision would have repercussions throughout the world. A gradual release of countless diplomatic documents belonging to the world’s most powerful country – a country that has diplomatic dealings on some level with nearly every place on earth – is bound to have consequences. These were confidential documents, never intended for the knowledge of the general public.Now it’s our turn to deal with the revelations in these cables. Some of us may have thought that because most Americans can’t tell the difference between a Jamaican and a Bajan that our politics would be of no interest to the State Department. The cables show just how wrong that assumption was. US diplomats in the region have been taking notice of what goes on in the region, and in their missives, minced no words when it came to Caribbean politics. Former US Ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean criticised the decision to budget money for revamping Barbados’ sugar industry, calling it “imprudent”. The cables refer to the leader of the Opposition in St. Vincent as “a singularly uncharismatic and uninspiring figure who is unable to translate his technocratic expertise into any kind of viable or sustained political activity”. In some cases, the diplomats were merely passing on the information and opinion they gleaned from local sources.Still, whether giving a personal opinion or quoting a local source, US diplomats in the region have managed to upset a great many people in our region, especially in political circles. Ralph Gonsalves, the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Bharrat Jagdeo, President of Guyana have expressed their displeasure with the way the region has been portrayed in these dispatches. On the other hand, other leaders have declined to comment.In a way, the veil has been lifted – all the dirty laundry politicians in this region try to conceal has now been hung out to dry in the Caribbean sun. If you’ve always felt that your politicians were lying to you, these cables will give you proof. If you’ve always felt that half of what goes on in regional politics goes unreported, the cables confirm this. In truth, the US diplomats have confirmed many rumours and assumptions which we in the region have discussed in the rumshop or at the salon. For example, it was always believed that disgraced American businessman Allen Stanford used his money to gain significant political power in Antigua and Barbuda, and the cables confirm this.Furthermore, we now know what US diplomats really think of our leaders, their policies and their characters. The cables have provided a rare chance for us in the region to hear plain words about our countries, not just the clichéd rhetoric we hear at speeches and functions about friendship, co-operation and partnership. In that respect, these leaked cables have been invaluable.But in the midst of the controversy and furore caused by the Wikileaks cables, some of us have missed a key point. The cables may be scandalous and upsetting for our leaders, but there is very little new information in them. We have discovered that our politicians are just as we imagined them, but no worse. It may be hard to believe, but this is a good thing. Now we see our flaws, we can begin to fix them. Especially now that the extent to which money is playing a role in our political elections has been made plain. Instead of focusing on the less than flattering tones used in the dispatches, we should focus on the content of the cables and what it says about us. Is our democracy secure, or will money corrupt the process entirely? Do we need greater transparency in government? Will the decisions our leaders make now help or hinder our development? These are the questions we should ask after reading the Wikileaks cables.http://www.barbadosadvocate.com/newsitem.asp?more=editorial&NewsID=19859

US officials drew stark contrasts between Gonsalves, Eustace

POSTED BY KENTON X. CHANCE ⋅ SEPTEMBER 11, 2011 ⋅KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent – Despite his public rants against the United States, Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves in 2009 struck a positive note with U.S. diplomats in Barbados, a stark contrast to Opposition Leader Arnhim Eustace, who generally seems to care what Washington thinks about developments in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).In a diplomatic cable published by WikiLeaks, U.S. officials in Bridgetown compiled a leadership profile on Gonsalves in which they told Washington that the Unity Labour Party (ULP) head was “easily the most intelligent and charismatic of the Eastern Caribbean leaders”.In other cables, the officials said that while Eustace was “undeniable intelligent and acutely aware of the problems facing the country”, he was “a singularly uncharismatic and uninspiring figure who is unable to translate his technocratic expertise into any kind of viable or sustained political activity”.“Without a stronger leader, the NDP’s [New Democratic Party] influence will be muted,” the Americans said of party that governed from 1984 to 2001 and last December came one seat short of the left side of Parliament.On the other hand, they felt that Gonsalves had “the charisma and political savvy needed to keep himself in power for years to come, though his popularity is gradually eroding”.The profile noted that while Gonsalves was “politically rooted in 1970s leftist movement” he was “a pragmatic ideologue with a strong populist bent”.The Prime Minister relationship with Caracas, Havana, and ALBA were “close and built on both pragmatic economic interest and a healthy measure of populist spirit and socialist ideology,” the cable said, adding that then blossoming relations with Iran appeared “to be more mercenary, but nevertheless bear scrutiny”.Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves “easily the most intelligent and charismatic of the Eastern Caribbean leaders”, U.S. officials said.U.S. officials told their superiors that Gonsalves could be expected to work with Washington on common issues of concern even as he took “while at the same time taking public “potshots” at the superpower “to highlight his leftist credentials and rile up his domestic base”.“Despite his affection for Chavez, fears that he could be in danger of becoming a Chavez puppet are overblown,” the cable said.The document argued that Gonsalves had “moved methodically to establish a vertically-oriented government in which virtually all decision making comes to his desk and opposing viewpoints are not warmly embraced.”According to the cable, opposition and civil society elements saw Gonsalves “more darkly, as the head of a centralized political system exercising near-dictatorial control over all aspects of Vincentian politics and economy”.U.S. officials, however, told Washington that some of these statements were “overblown rhetoric born of frustration with the inability of the opposition to mount any real challenge to the ULP.The cable, however, said that there were “kernels of truth” adding that SVG was  “littered with relatives and former close friends of Gonsalves’ who have lost positions in government or ‘kitchen cabinet’ jobs for disagreeing with him on economic policy issues”.The profile said that the Prime Minister had “effectively secured a firm grip on the press by intimidating media outlets that challenge him in any way through litigation”.Noting that Gonsalves had sued successfully at least one such outlet, the cable claimed, “[T]repidation amongst Vincentian media professionals has resulted in a measure of self-censorship”.The profile also commented on the country’s constitutional reform efforts, saying that Gonsalves’ pursuing such far-reaching changes and putting his political capital on the line reflected one of dichotomies:“[A]t  one level he is ambitious and self interested, while at  another level, he is a disinterested academic and theorist  willing to risk a short-term political loss for what he sees  as fundamental political change in the region.”The officials noted that the constitutions handed to Eastern Caribbean nations at Independence had served the region well but could benefit from change.The cable said that of Eastern Caribbean leaders, Gonsalves was “the one most closely aligned philosophically with the leftist-populist ‘Chavista’ crowd” and claimed that he had egged his Dominican colleague Roosevelt Skerrit to join ALBA to gauge regional reaction before Kingstown signed on to the bloc.Gonsalves and foreign relationsThe cable said that despite Gonsalves’ personal political leanings he was “eminently practical” regarding foreign relations.“He knows his country needs money, and he knows his party needs money to support the public infrastructure programs that bring jobs and buy votes.”Gonsalves reportedly saw Chavez's ALBA “only as a funding source in bad economic times”.The profile noted that Gonsalves was not shy about reaching out to “non-traditional” sources of funding such as Iran and Libya, adding that he had “expressed his own reservations about Venezuela and the PetroCaribe arrangement”.U.S. officials said Gonsalves had told them in August 2009 that he suspected that Venezuelan oil subsidies would not last forever, noting a PetroCaribe price hike, and “hinted that he would attempt to stockpile reserves in case the situation worsened”.The Prime Minister is said to have told the U.S. officials that he saw ALBA “only as a funding source in bad economic times” and strove to reassure them that he was only interested in Iran’s contribution to the Argyle International Airport, pointing out that many U.S. allies with Tehran.“He can probably be taken at face value as far as his intentions with Iran go, but it remains uncertain if a country with such porous borders and thinly stretched police forces will be able to maintain adequate checks on such a relationship,” the U.S. officials told Washington.They further said that under a Gonsalves government, Kingstown’s support for ALBA and PetroCaribe would “continue to the last dollar these programs provide him”.U.S. official said that Gonsalves was “not a Chavista satellite and will not become one.“He genuinely believes he can secure handouts from whoever will provide them and still maintain his freedom of action.  That is why, despite his ideological orientation, he nevertheless maintains ties with Taiwan instead of China — he is happy with the Taiwanese and not willing to derail the gravy train,” the cable said.The U.S. officials said that in keeping with this pragmatic approach to foreign relations, Gonsalves continued to work closely with them “even as he uses the U.S. and the ‘colonial powers’ as a foil to play to his foreign leftist audience and his hard core domestic base”.“Gonsalves has adeptly walked a fine line between populist, occasionally anti-US rhetoric to bolster himself locally while maintaining good relations with us on security and law enforcement issues.  He knows we are his most reliable strategic partner and an important source of investment, tourists and trade, and he is unlikely to do anything to damage that relationship,” the cable said.Eustace a ‘man of principle’, lacks ‘political acuity’Opposition Leader Arnhim Eustace was described as a "man of principle" but lacking "political acuity.”U.S. officials in Barbados gave their assessment of the NDP leadership in several documents though none of them was exclusively a profile of Eustace.A 2008 cable said that despite several potential openings, the NDP seemed incapable of mounting any serious opposition to Gonsalves. “The party’s lacklustre leadership has had difficulty targeting their criticism and making them stick,” Washington was told of the NDP.“The NDP leadership appears woeful and lost, lacking ideas on how to move forward and mount a serious challenge to Gonsalves,” the cable said, even as it noted that the ULP was “well-organised and well funded”.“Embassy contacts have criticized Eustace for his poor leadership, citing especially his tendency to rattle off his “many concerns” without offering substantive solutions or plans-of-action,” another cable said.U.S. officials’ impression of the NDP in 2008 had not improved much from one year earlier, when they told Washington that Embassy staff had learnt of “growing discontent with the ULP administration”.In 2007, the NDP registered with the Bridgetown embassy their concerns about trade and foreign investment, foreign affairs and warming relations Cuba and Venezuela, drug-trafficking, the Argyle International Airport, and the stifling of free speech.“Despite general agreement on these issues, however, the NDP’s leadership is perceived as weak and ineffectual,” the officials said.“Many Embassy contacts have criticized Eustace for his poor leadership, citing especially his tendency to rattle off his ‘many concerns’ without offering substantive solutions or plans-of-action,” the cable said.However, a biographical note in the same cable said that “… Eustace is widely revered by Embassy contacts as a ‘man of principle’ who is as ‘clean as they come.’ At the same time, he is viewed as lacking charisma and political acuity.”The cable further said that while there appeared to be growing discontent with the ULP government among a wide range of private and public sector figures, the NDP “manages to float from issue to issue, without appearing to secure a stronger foothold among the population.“The opposition leader Arnhim Eustace’s bland personality and lack of charisma certainly hurt the party, as does the apparent divergence of support between Eustace and the looming figure of Sir James Mitchell.”Criticisms of Eustace’s leadership is said to have come from within the NDP, including from former foreign affairs minister Jonathan Peter, who in 2009 asked Washington for money as part of a failed bid to wrestle NDP leadership from Eustace.Peters is said to have doubted that Eustace was the future leadership of the NDP, owing to a lack of charisma.“[H]e still sees Eustace as  a talented technocrat and generously stated he would retain  Eustace as his Minister of Finance if he wins the elections,” the cable said.Private endorsementFormer ULP parliamentarian Ken Boyea reportedly said he would “completely trust Eustace with the keys to the country”.Eustace, according one of the cables, got a private endorsement from Ken Boyea, who in 2007, remained  “one of the most outspoken critics, at least in private, of Gonsalves and his left-leaning tendencies” although he endorsed Gonsalves publicly ahead of the 2010 vote.Boyea, who fell out with the ULP and ran as leader of the People Political Movement in 2001, is quoted as telling Embassy officials that “although Eustace lacks charisma, he is bright, capable and honest,” and added that he would “completely trust Eustace with the keys to the country”.After the NDP’s election defeat in 2005, Eustace stood for re-election as party president, with two years remaining in his previous term.He was re-elected overwhelmingly but Member of Parliament for the Northern Grenadines Dr. Godwin Friday, is quoted as telling U.S. officials that NDP supporters wanted a more “vigorous opposition”.Friday is keyAccording to the cables, in 2008, Friday was “one glimmer of hope for the NDP” and U.S. officials described the Canada trained lawyer as  “articulate, well respected and slightly more charismatic” and having “a solid grasp of the challenges ahead”.“During meetings with [Embassy officials], other NDP leaders including Eustace valued his opinion and often turned to Friday for answers,” the cable said.It further said that Friday did not “share the same apocalyptic view of the future other members of the NDP have.While the Dr. Godwin Friday was identified as an alternative leader, NDP founder and former prime minister, Sir James Mitchell was looming and former trade minister Jonathan Peters was asking the United States for money to overthrow Eustace.“Friday is also the NDP leader best equipped to deal with the press, and he has a good analytical grasp of both domestic political and economic issues.  Aside from Eustace, Friday appears to be the only other real option for leadership in the NDP as currently constructed,” the document said, two years before Eustace brought the NDP one seat away from government.ULP’s young starMeanwhile, Gonsalves is said to have identified five identify up-and-comers he hoped will one day take greater leadership roles in the ULP.The list comprised:Then senator, Sabato Caesar, who won the South Windward seat in the December 2010 poll and is now the minister of tourism.Press Secretary Hans King, who stepped aside to allow Luke Browne to stage an unsuccessful challenge against Eustace in East Kingstown.Then Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly Rochelle Forde and former senator Ronald Marks, both lawyers who did not contest the 2010 poll.Camillo Gonsalves, the Prime Minister’s lawyer son who has been hailed internationally for his work as the country’s U.N. Ambassador, although some labelled his appointment an act of nepotism.Dr. Gonsalves' identified future ULP leaders in Saboto Caesar, Hans King, Rochlle Forde, Ronald Marks, and Camillo Gonsalves.“The PM confided that he had high hopes for current Minister of Health Douglas Slater, who was technically very competent, but whose lack of political sensibility would hinder his popularity,” the cable said of Slater who, in 2010, did not contest the South Leeward seat he had been representing since 2001 and has since been appointed senator and Minister of Foreign Affairs.“The Charge mentioned that these individuals would make good candidates for International Visitor programs, to which Gonsalves jokingly responded that we were seeking to “corrupt” them in the U.S.,” the profile of Gonsalves said.U.S. officials told Washington that despite Gonsalves’ “leftist orientation and sometimes strong public criticism of the U.S.”, he remained “a pragmatic partner who will continue to cooperate with us on the full range of our agenda”.It, however, said the Prime Minister “continues to believe that he can play all sides in his peripatetic international efforts to squeeze every cent of support from a   motley crew of international partners.  In defending his sketchier associations, he tends to exaggerate his own degree of independence …“Nevertheless, he does seek to balance his relations with ALBA and Venezuela, Cuba, and Iran with genuine respect for the United States and the myriad bilateral programs we have in place,” the profile concluded.About Kenton X. ChanceKenton X. Chance is a Vincentian journalist living and studying in Taiwan. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication and Journalism and is reading for a Master of Arts in International Affairs.http://i-witness-news.com/2011/09/11/us-officials-drew-stark-contrasts-between-gonsalves-eustace/

Camillo Gonzalves at the UN

The international community must tangibly demonstrate even greater levels of trust and faith in the youth.
The call comes from the Permanent representative of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ambassador Camillo Gonsalves. He told the General Assembly’s High-Level Meeting on Youth that the challenges they face are often without parallel in historical memory.
Gonsalves: In our region, the youth confront transnational crime, HIV/AIDS, climate vulnerability and a technological explosion amid an uncertain economic environment, with changing modes of production and distribution of capital that have yet untold implications for the next generation. This High-Level event must have something to show for itself beyond a tepid outcome document. It must be the beginning of a reimagining of the role of the youth in our national development and global governance, and the starting point of a genuine effort to mainstream youth issues and embrace our young people as equal partners in this journey into an uncertain future. Anything less would be simply be another attempt to use the youth as a photogenic backdrop for further political grandstanding. But as we have learned in recent months, the price of such marginalization of the youth, their needs and concerns, can be politically and societally cataclysmic. Let us heed the lessons that the youth have been trying to teach us.
NAR: According to Ambassador Gonsalves, it is an unfortunate truth that youth and governance are often times-uneasy bedfellows. He said the traditional halls of power and politics – including the General AssemblyHall – are often dominated by those for whom youth is but a dim memory.
Gonsalves: Further, many of our political leaders have failed to earn the trust of young people, seeing them merely as an emotional wave to be ridden into or out of political office. Others seek to cynically grasp a mantle of “change” that belies their own status as senior citizens whose principles and transformative credentials have long since been sacrificed on the altar of political ambition. But the world’s youth need not be mistrusted, harnessed, indoctrinated or marginalized. They need to be listened to. They need to be embraced. And they need to be made active, and leading partners in national development and global governance. The pace of change and development has accelerated exponentially, and the world that lies one generation into the future will be radically different from the one that we grapple with today. The pace of change – for good and ill – will be a defining feature of tomorrow’s global village, and it is one that we have no experience in managing, or even predicting.
NAR: Ambassador Gonsalves reiterated Saint Vincent and the Grenadines central sentiment of the CARICOM Declaration on the Future of Youth in the Caribbean Community, namely, that the youth are “not problems to be solved,” but rather “invaluable assets and partners in development” of the sub region. He said the creativity, innovation and energy that will chart a new course through the fallout of globalization and the ongoing global economic crisis lies with our youth, not the staid orthodoxy that led us into the crises we now face.
Gonsalves: The Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has invested heavily in the youth at all levels of society. We have, in the last decade, achieved universal access to secondary education, and are well underway to universal access to early childhood education. State spending in tertiary education has increased exponentially, and every single one of our students – with the cooperation of the governments of Portugal and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela – will have their own laptop computer, to engage the world beyond the narrow confines of our Small Island Developing State. Young people have also been thrust into positions of great responsibility at all levels of government and the public service. Senators, Ministers, Diplomats and other high level officials are all part of this burgeoning youth brigade. Young Vincentian entrepreneurs, sportspersons and cultural artists continue to create jobs, influence debate, and create new pathways for future development. Our national trust and faith in the youth is unshakeable.
NAR: Ambassador Gonsalves stressed that it is today’s youth who will inherit that world, and it is today’s youth who must be taken into the confidence of leaders and policymakers on every step of our journey into the future.
This is Donn Bobb reporting.

Another Ambassador?

On a positive note, the House Foreign Affairs Committee passed a bipartisan amendment sponsored by Engel and Mack that calls on the State Department to open embassies in five small Caribbean countries — Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Vincent and the Grenadines — where the United States has no diplomatic missions.
Under this amendment, five of the more than 800 U.S. diplomats currently serving in Afghanistan and Iraq would open one-person missions in these countries as they are phased out from their current posts in coming years, at no cost to taxpayers. Cuba and Venezuela already have embassies in these small Caribbean nations.
My opinion: The Republican-controlled House Foreign Affairs Committee, presided over by Rep. Ileana Ros Lehtinen, R-Miami, lost its marbles by calling for cutting U.S. funds to the OAS.
The OAS is one of the few places where Washington can sit together with most countries in the region, friends and foes alike. At a time when China and the European Union are playing a growing role in the region — the Europeans in recent years created the Ibero-American Community of Nations in a little-disguised move to compete with the OAS — withdrawing from the OAS doesn’t make any sense.
Granted, the OAS is a monument to diplomatic frivolity and political theater, but it’s a much-needed forum for the smallest countries in the region, and Washington needs it more than some of its foes.


Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/07/23/2328338/oas-is-a-basket-case-but-a-needed.html#ixzz1TB4huMiA

Interesting Email

I got the following as an email. It seems to be a Wikileaks sort of cable about a conversation between PM Gonsalves and the US Ambassador in Barbados. In any case it gives some sense of what the US-SVG relationship is like:

¶1. (C) Summary: In a wide-ranging discussion over breakfast, Ambassador Ourisman and St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves covered the crime situation in St. Vincent, the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA), the state of the region's primary air carrier (LIAT), the IMF's involvement in the Eastern Caribbean, and cultural influences and preservation. PM Gonsalves reiterated SVG's gratitude for American military and law enforcement assistance, and offered to investigate the handling of a court case involving a Peace Corps Volunteer who had been stabbed mid-2007. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) On January 29, 2008 Ambassador Ourisman hosted St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves for breakfast at the Embassy before his first official meeting with new Barbados Prime Minister David Thompson. Initially meant to focus on the recent trial involving a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) who was stabbed in St. Vincent last year, the discussion soon wandered to cover a variety of issues. "Daniel, My Brother" -------------------- ¶3. (C) Much of the discussion focused on Gonsalves' participation in the sixth Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA) summit just days before in Caracas (septel). Gonsalves was quick to deny any military and intelligence agenda or component to ALBA, and appeared to generally want to disassociate himself from Chavez's ideologies. He was quick to thank the United States for is continued military and law enforcement assistance. Gonsalves opined that Nicaragua's Ortega (who he described as his "brother") is "less strident" this time around, and noted that Chavez and Ortega plan to visit St. Vincent, Dominica, and Antigua in late February. Barbados Elections ------------------ ¶4. (C) On the subject of Barbados' newly elected government, Gonsalves stated that he did not expect any significant differences in the ruling Democratic Labour Party's policies, as both major political parties in Barbados are "steeped in social democracy and committed to regional integration." Echoing Grenada PM Keith Mitchell's comments in the press, Gonsalves dismissed the notion of "winds of change" sweeping through the Caribbean with the recent change of governments in Jamaica, St. Lucia, Bahamas, and Barbados. According to Gonsalves, Barbados' two main parties are so similar that "differences will have to be manufactured to keep the party faithful happy." Investment, Macroeconomics, and the IMF --------------------------------------- ¶5. (C) The Ambassador then mentioned USAID's recent support for Investment Promotion Authorities (IPA's) in St. Kitts and Antigua, and asked Gonsalves if SVG had interest in forming an IPA as well. Gonsalves replied that while St. Vincent currently has a type of investment authority now (the National Investment Promotion, Inc.), he conceded that it needed modernizing and expressed interest in partnering with the United States to pursue an IPA. Expanding on the theme of economics, Gonsalves noted that SVG farmers had "taken a beating" as a result of the loss of European trade preferences. He noted that SVG had begun importing sugar and using the profits from selling the sugar to the private sector to subsidize agricultural inputs. ¶6. (C) Gonsalves emphasized that while SVG currently receives good marks from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the organization is not generally constructed to understand the "peculiarities" of small island economies. Saying "you cannot use general economic theories" with countries such as SVG, Gonsalves cited his use of "counter-cycle fiscal policy", which the IMF originally opposed, and then later praised but added that it should be discontinued. Speaking philosophically, the PM noted that "the peoples in these islands are wedded to good governance," and have a "devotion to the rock but not necessarily to the government." UN Voting Record ---------------- ¶7. (C) When the Ambassador reiterated USG appreciation for SVG casting the deciding vote in December's UNGA human rights resolution on Iran, Gonsalves admitted, "we have not been consistent in the past in voting on these matters." He followed this surprising admission by blaming SVG's former Ambassador to the United Nations, Margaret Hughes Ferrari (2001-2007) for previous UN votes on human rights, saying she was "cynical in her view that so-called Western nations used the human rights issue selectively." (Note: Gonsalves replaced Ferrari with his son Camillo Gonsalves in late 2007. End note). Peace Corps Stabbing, Crime, and Medical Schools --------------------------------------------- --- ¶8. (C) The Ambassador then raised the recent dismissal of a criminal case against a Vincentian who had stabbed a Pace Corps Volunteer (PCV) in June 2007. According to USG representatives who attended the recent rial, the case against the perpetrator was withdawn by the police prosecutor without calling allthe witnesses, and despite overwhelming evidencethat had been collected by local police. Saying I am very sorry about this," Gonsalves promised o order investigations by te Police Chief, the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Attorney General into the handling of the case. Based on his knowledge of the legal system, the PM said that a retrial is very unlikely, given SVG's laws against "double jeopardy"; however, he noted that a civil suit was still possible. ¶9. (C) When the Ambassador expressed general concerns about the crime situation in SVG, Gonsalves downplayed any concerns, and in reference to the closure of Kingstown Medical College (Ref B), denied that crime was truly a deciding factor. Instead, he noted that the College had demanded "exclusivity" (a guarantee that it would be the only medical school with access to SVG's hospitals) while negotiating the renewal of its contract with the government. Gonsalves claimed that since the closure of the college, school officials had since offered to open a four-year medical school on the site, but that the government had decided (but not yet announced) to go with an offer from a different institution to found a four-year medical school in St. Vincent. Recognizing the potential of so-called "educational tourism", Gonsalves noted that SVG was seeking additional medical schools that would be interested in attaching themselves to the medical center currently being built in the nation's second-largest city of Georgetown. LIAT, Race, and Culture ----------------------- ¶10. (C) When asked about recent claims in the Eastern Caribbean that the sole regional air carrier, LIAT, was inefficient and guilty of price-gouging, Gonsalves replied that (St. Lucia's Minister of Tourism) "Chastanet talks a lot of rubbish when it comes to regional air transport." Noting the lack of air transport regulation in the Eastern Caribbean, and in regards to governmental efforts to increase competition in the region, Gonsalves stated, "we've been down that road before", citing the failures of Carib Express, BWIA, and Caribbean Star, among others. Gonsalves said he was "not against competition" but wants "fair competition." ¶11. (C) He further criticized St. Lucia's Alan Chastanet as among "a species of brown people in the Caribbean with money" who are "not loyal to anybody". Gonsalves continued by noting that such people, whom he described as "Castries mulattos", believe they are "oracles" and represent a "break in the social advancement in the Eastern Caribbean." ¶12. (C) Continuing on the theme of culture, Gonsalves lamented the influence of "U.S. prison culture" on his country in the modes of dress adopted by young people. On a positive note, the Ambassador expressed her desire to provide cultural preservation funding to the GOSVG to refurbish wood panels depicting the indigenous Carib population that are currently housed in the dilapidated Fort Charlotte. Gonsalves expressed gratitude and promised to provide the appropriate contact so that such a project could proceed immediately. Comment ------- ¶13. (C) While the friendly nature of the meeting reflected the Embassy's generally good relations with St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Gonsalves was at his legalistic best, downplaying both SVG's involvement in ALBA and the crime situation (which by most accounts has severely escalated of late). Still, he was extremely responsive to the Ambassador's concerns regarding the incident involving the Peace Corps volunteer, and was quick to offer extremely frank views on a variety of subjects. Gonsalves remains a master of contradictions, who continues to court whatever foreign government he can in order to secure financial and other benefits for his country. End Comment. OURISMAN

Obama Visits UK

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13518279

(Thanks to Cheryl King)

St Vincent and the Grenadines concludes UN human rights review

News Publisher 5/16/11 6:31 AM
Reprinted from Caribbean News Now!

GENEVA, Switzerland -- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) made concluding remarks before the United Nations Human Rights Council on Friday, becoming the 172nd country to have its record on human rights reviewed under the Universal Periodic Review process that began in 2008.

SVG’s progress in education, housing, health and development was praised by members of the Human Rights Council.

However, some countries also asked SVG to consider abolishing the death penalty, and to remove any legal provisions against the crime of buggery. Countries also asked the government to strengthen its protections of the disabled, juveniles, and victims of domestic violence.

The Universal Periodic Review involves a review of the human rights records of all 192 members of the United Nations. It provides an opportunity for all countries to declare what actions they have taken to improve the human rights situations in their countries and to overcome challenges to the enjoyment of human rights. The countries are evaluated based on a national report provided by their government, as well as information from the reports of independent human rights experts and groups, human rights treaty bodies, and non-governmental organisations.
The two-person Vincentian delegation to Geneva, Switzerland was led by Ambassador Camillo Gonsalves of the Permanent Mission of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to the United Nations. He was joined by Doris Charles, Minister Counselor of SVG’s High Commission to the United Kingdom.

SVG presented its national report to the Human Rights Council on Tuesday, 10 May, 2011. In introducing the national report, Gonsalves told the Council that SVG was proud of its “rapidly developing and improving post-independence human rights record.” The ambassador reminded the Council that SVG’s history was scarred by both slavery – “that most inhumane of human rights violations” – and the genocide of the Garifuna. However, he pointed out that “In modern times, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has largely solved, and spectacularly so, many of the ethnic and racial tensions that bedevil other States.”

“The descendants of the slaveholder, the enslaved and the indigenous live in peace and relative harmony with each other, and with the more recent immigrants from Asia, the Middle East and Europe,” said Gonsalves.
He also pointed out Ambassador Betty King, who was in the Council chamber to hear SVG’s presentation. King, the Vincentian-born Ambassador of the United States in Geneva, was called an “illustrious member of our Diaspora” by Gonsalves.

The Vincentian ambassador told the Council about the growth of democracy in SVG since independence. He recounted the free and fair elections and peaceful transfers of power that have been typical of the country’s development. He also told the Council about the diversity of successive Vincentian governments, which have featured women, the youth, and prime ministers of different ethnic backgrounds.
Gonsalves also described the fundamental rights and freedoms protected by the Vincentian Constitution, as well as the additional human rights protections that were included in the proposed new Constitution, which was defeated in the 2009 referendum.

“Unfortunately, the required referendum on the Constitution became a political football as the scheduled 2010 General Elections approached,” said Gonsalves. “The opposition, which formerly supported the Constitutional reform effort, withdrew from the bipartisan process, and the discussion of the document took on a sharply partisan political tone that made sober and informed debate unexpectedly difficult.”

“On reflection, the State too, could and should have done more to ensure that the constitutional debate did not become hostage to more short-term political calculations,” said the ambassador.

In a rigorous two-hour question-and-answer session between Gonsalves and the members of the Council, 33 countries asked questions and made recommendations to SVG.

Responding to questions on the death penalty, Gonsalves explained that recent judicial decisions made it extremely difficult for executions to take place in SVG, where the death penalty has not been applied in over 15 years. He later asserted out that a majority of the world’s peoples still live in countries that impose capital punishment.
A number of countries called on SVG to repeal all laws that criminalise sexual activities between consenting adults. However, Gonsalves pointed out that Vincentian laws prohibited incest, prostitution, buggery and other sex acts that could involve consenting adults, and that there was no public or legislative appetite to revise any of those provisions.

Many Council members congratulated SVG for its poverty reduction strategies and focus on health and education. They also praised the government for the construction of the new Belle Isle Correctional Facility and economic development.

The Human Rights Council made 92 recommendations to SVG for national action and consideration.
In wrapping-up the week-long Universal Periodic Review process on Friday, May 13, Gonsalves thanked the Council for “the warm expressions of support, solidarity and recognition of the strides and efforts being made by Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the field of human rights; and the progress we have achieved in national development and the ennoblement of the Vincentian people.”

He told the Council that SVG could immediately accept 49 of the 92 recommendations, many of which were already being implemented by the government. He explained to the Council that another 26 recommendations would require further study by the government and wider consultation with the Vincentian public before making a response. The remaining 17 recommendations, which dealt mainly with the death penalty and laws relating to buggery, were not accepted by the government.

The president of the Human Rights Council praised SVG for its progress in the field of human rights and congratulated the delegation for their comprehensive responses to the questions and recommendations of the Council.

Ambassador Bente Angell-Hansen of Norway, who represented one of three countries with primary responsibility for recording and reporting the positions of SVG, extended her “sincere appreciation to Ambassador Camillo Gonsalves for the effective and constructive participation of his country in this review.”

Copyright© 2004-2011 Caribbean News Now! at www.caribbeannewsnow.com All Rights Reserved For permission to republish, please contact editor@caribbeannewsnow.com
http://www.caribbeannewsnow.com/news/newspublish/home.print.php?news_id=6352

PM On Diplomacy

By CMC - Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011.

KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, CMC – Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves Tuesday defended his administration’s decision to establish diplomatic ties with countries like Taiwan saying that the changing global environment made it imperative for St. Vincent and the Grenadines to have diplomatic relations with countries that would further enhance the island’s socio-economic development.
“Foreign relations is a highly sophisticated…business. There are some people who want to look at foreign policy as in the Cold War,” Gonsalves told a news conference following visits to a number of countries like Taiwan and Britain in recent days.
He told reporters that those persons, whom he did not name, “haven’t gotten out of that old mode and they have blinkers on their eyes.
“As you know that has not been the position of this government which looks at a policy to enhance our capacity to deal effectively with our external environment in the interest of our own people,” he added.
The Prime Minister said that he held talks with various officials on the future development of the island that is recovering from a number of natural disasters in recent weeks and would be meeting with the Taiwanese diplomat here to discuss the modalities of promised financial and other assistance to the island.
During his lengthy news conference, in which Gonsalves discussed issues ranging from assistance from the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) to the marriage of Prince William and his wife, Kate, the Prime Minister also disclosed that he would be writing a letter to United States President Barack Obama on the recent capture and death of the terrorist, Osama bin Laden.
The leader of the al-Qaeda group, who had been blamed for a number of terrorist activities worldwide, including the September 2001 attack on the World Trade Center in the United States, was killed after a small team of US operatives raided his residence in Abbottabad, Pakistan
Gonsalves said that he would congratulate the United States leader on the “magnificent assault on the accommodation of the terrorist” in Pakistan, adding that developing countries like St. Vincent and the Grenadines understood the “adverse effects” of terrorism on their economies.
“We are very pleased to have this success,” he said, noting that developing countries have had to shift much needed revenue to deal with issues like poverty eradication to upgrading air and sea ports as part of the efforts to deal with terrorist activities.
Gonsalves told reporters that he would be leading a delegation to Brazil on Friday “to sell St. Vincent and the Grenadines as an investment local” adding :it is not easy in today’s world, the economic circumstances continue to have an impact on us”.

PM speaks to UK Diaspora

HIGH WYCOMBE, England -- Dr Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) addressed Vincentian nationals, friends of SVG and other interested parties on developments in the country, at Buckinghamshire New University in High Wycombe, England.

The event was attended by Sir Frederick Ballantyne, Governor General of SVG; Cenio Lewis, High Commissioner for SVG to the UK; Eloise Gonsalves; Dr Christopher Stange, Hon. Consul for SVG to Northern Ireland; Cllr Jane White, Mayor of High Wycombe; other dignitaries; nationals and the respective chairs of the various SVG National Associations in the UK.


Gonsalves updated the standing room only audience about all sectors of the economy in SVG, particularly around the world economic crisis and what the government is doing proactively to create a better future for all Vincentians.

He opened with a briefing on the recent floods during SVG’s dry season, which has created mass devastation from Byrea to Rabacca with current estimates of repairs and removal of debris at approximately $100 million.

“This is a vital set back as we have still not fully recovered from the damage caused by Hurricane Tomas last October and this has had a knock on effect,” he said.

Gonsalves then spoke about the “spaces that exist within international relations” and the government’s commitment to its foreign policy, explaining the relationships and assistance received from both traditional and non-traditional allies.

SVG is a small country that needs to be creative and look for opportunities, “being friends of all and enemies of none,” he said.

He thanked those countries that have offered scholarships to Vincentians and the active part they have played in the education revolution. Half of the 30,000 laptops for every child have been received from Portugal and the Ministry of Education plans to distribute these at the primary level in the coming month.

There are large scale direct foreign investment tourism projects in St Vincent, Bequia, Canouan and Union Island for the benefit of all Vincentians. The Taiwanese company OECC will be starting the Argyle International Airport terminal in the next few weeks and all earthworks are to be completed by the end of this year, with the airport fully operational early 2013.

The wellness revolution is alive and well and as a developing country SVG is making tremendous efforts in having fully functional imaging and diagnostic equipment locally and, in the very near future, a kidney dialysis unit at Georgetown. In addition, the improved infrastructure of having various medical facilities stationed around the island will help improve access to care for everyone and take the main focus away from Milton Cato Hospital.

Gonsalves finished speaking about interconnectivity including the national airline LIAT, telecommunications, agricultural diversification, including potential cocoa production, and transport.

“Today is about celebrating the responsibility we all share as Vincentians to be involved in the country and its economic and social development. While some Vincentians have left the country and sought out different paths, please don’t forget your homeland and keeping attached to your roots,” Gonsalves said.

Published on May 2, 2011

Copyright© 2004-2011 Caribbean News Now! at www.caribbeannewsnow.com All Rights Reserved

Catherine Middleton and Prince William`s wedding

Catherine Middleton and Prince William`s wedding

Two tiny, softly-spoken words cut the pin-drop silence of a dumbstruck Westminster Abbey and sent cheers ringing from Whitehall to Bucklebury to Papua New Guinea: ‘I will.’

And with that, Catherine Middleton went from ‘Miss’ to future Queen Consort of 16 nations spanning nearly seven billion acres and a large part of the Earth’s surface.
At her side was the young man with, perhaps, a greater burden of expectation than anyone alive. And now, he no longer carries it alone.
With his own no-nonsense ‘I will’, Prince William opened a new royal epoch, happily reuniting the Monarchy with those powerful memories of his late mother, all of it in front of half the planet.
Prior to this moment, the most-watched event in British history – perhaps in world history – had been her funeral here 14 years before. How many billions were watching now over supper in Sydney or breakfast in Ottawa; how many eyes prickling, throats tightening as that bravest of adolescent mourners now returned as the happiest man in the land?
The sense of a turning tide was as inescapable as Low Water on the Anglesey shoreline.

In the annals of our 1000-year-old Monarchy, this was a very good day. In the annals of the House of Windsor (created: 1917), it was a very great one.
Now that the mystery of the bride’s wedding dress designer has been solved, speculation is focused on where the royal couple will spend their honeymoon, due to start today.
Sources have privately confirmed the obvious: William and Kate will holiday ‘somewhere hot and sunny’ where they can ‘relax completely and privately’ for two weeks.
Mustique is the odds-on favourite for their romantic getaway. Kate’s family visit the private Caribbean island regularly, and she and William have spent several romantic breaks snorkelling, jetskiing and sunning themselves there.
Another favoured destination is a nostalgic but relatively public sight-seeing tour of Jordan, where Kate lived as a toddler. King Abdullah II is rumoured to have offered the use of his lavish private summer palace in the Red Sea resort of Aqaba.

But a brief sojourn at a UK destination has not been ruled out. A few days in Balmoral, Scotland, would follow in the footsteps of William’s father, who spent both his honeymoons there.
Another mooted destination is Kenya, where William proposed. He has often said his heart is in Africa and he also spent his gap year in Kenya. Tanzania, the Seychelles, Australia, or a cruise have also been suggested as likely choices.
The Royal Family has acquired a new recruit capable of great grace and poise under the most extreme pressure imaginable. What’s a garden party – or even a State Opening – after that 318ft walk to the Abbey altar?
What is a plaque-unveiling or a state visit after getting ‘William Arthur Philip Louis’ crystal clear, unquavering and in the right order?

Prince William, likewise, showed supreme unflappability as he gently fought with an obstreperous band of Welsh gold, as he proudly steered his future Queen into the daylight before a dazzled world already running out of superlatives.
Lip-reading viewers may have spotted what happened next. ‘Are you happy?’ asked the new Duchess of Cambridge as they climbed into the State Landau. ‘It was amazing, amazing,’ replied the Duke. ‘I am so proud you’re my wife.’
The most striking aspect of the whole occasion was the simplest of the lot: the sight of two people so confident and comfortable with each other that you can already hear them finishing each other’s sentences. They were even doing it on the Palace balcony. ‘Are you ready?’ asked Prince William. ‘Okay, let’s …’ She finished that one with a kiss.

Westminster Abbey began the day with the flavour of a rather grand country wedding – lots of intergalactic hats, handsome chaps in uniform and exuberant flowers, all capped by several maples and hornbeams from the Highgrove garden. Trees in the Abbey? ‘Unheard of’, said one orderly. Yet also inspired.
Guests gaily tested the patience of the Abbey ushers as they kept leaping out of their seats to ‘Mwa-Mwa’ or shake hands with an old chum from the Army or St Andrews or a royal charity.
At one point, there was aisle gridlock. I spotted Earl Spencer trying to lead a trio of young Spencer belles through a yacking standstill, his path blocked by people shaking hands with the film director, Guy Ritchie, and the Lord Great Chamberlain, the Marquess of Cholmondeley. Progressing through the throng beneath a blue 45-degree Philip Treacy hat was It-girl and royal chum, Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, escorted by her novelist sister, Santa, and historian brother-in-law, Simon Sebag-Montefiore.
Morning coats were the general order of the day, regardless of an invitation offering a ‘lounge suit’ option. The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, declared that he had rented his from Moss Bros – suggesting that he must have lost or outgrown the tails he wore for five years at Eton.

David Beckham had embellished his traditional wedding kit with a wing-collared shirt and his OBE, despite the dress code specifically advising against decorations for civilian guests. He was wearing it on the wrong side, too. Few seemed to notice. All eyes were on Mrs Beckham, not his gong.
I found myself seated deep in Middleton country, just behind Michael Middleton’s proud cousin, Cambridge geo-physicist, Penny Barton. She was delighted by news of the new Dukedom of Cambridge. ‘Maybe, William will be the next Chancellor of Cambridge University,’ she suggested. Prince Philip’s retirement does, indeed, create a vacancy.

Less relaxed were the official guests, all those ambassadors and Governors-General and Cabinet Ministers knowing that they must be on best behaviour lest a camera spot an injudicious yawn.
I spotted a very chuffed-looking Ralph Gonsalves, prime minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, one of the Queen’s 16 realms (the one which includes royal Mustique). Could this be the same ‘Comrade Ralph’ who staged a referendum on abolishing the Monarchy just 18 months ago? It was just as well he lost the vote, then, or he would not have had the call-up yesterday.

For pictures see URL below.

http://www.zimbabwemetro.com/entertainment/catherine-middleton-and-prince-williams-wedding/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=catherine-middleton-and-prince-williams-wedding