Current Events

• Dominica Tourism Security Specialized Training Course June 10 – 14, 2013
  Roseau, Dominica, Monday June 10, 2013
  
  The Organization of American States, Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE), together with the Ministry of Tourism & Legal Affairs of the Commonwealth of Dominica and with the Dominica Police Force, will carry out a specialized training course on Tourism Security from June 10 – 14, 2013 at the Fort Young Hotel. This preventative program will train 60 members from both the public and private sectors of the tourism industry in Dominica in areas such as threat analysis, crisis management, risk management and facility security.
  
  The objective of this course is to develop the skills of security supervisors in the areas of counterterrorism, law enforcement and security capabilities within the tourism sector. A secondary objective is to promote the development of public-private partnerships between security officials of the public and private sectors involved in tourism and recreational facilities.
  
  The course will be delivered by instructors from Atlantic Group Associates and is funded be the Government of Canada.
  
  The opening ceremony will Begin at 9AM on June 10th at the Fort Young Hotel Conference room.
  
• OAS HANDS OVER LEARNING MATERIALS ON SUSTAINABLE ENERGY TO DOMINICA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
  Roseau Dominica, Friday November 16, 2012
  
  As part of the Caribbean Energy Awareness and Education Programme (CEEAP), and its Learn and Save campaign, the Office of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Dominica delivered to the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development of Dominica learning materials and toolkits that will help educators teach students about the importance of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources.
  
  A country’s energy costs effect nearly every aspect of its economic development. This is true for all countries, but is particularly crucial for those in the Eastern Caribbean, where almost all of their energy resources are imported, and thus cost more. Changing the established patterns of energy consumption and production is a major social challenge which requires broad public support, and as we look toward the sustainable development of the Caribbean region, teachers and students have an important part to play.
  
  This effort is part of an OAS executed, European Union funded initiative entitled the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Program (CSEP), which delivered two regional workshops in preparation for the handing over of these materials. These workshops were attended by representatives from the Ministries of Education of the seven participating countries; Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, and the Commonwealth of Dominica. Attendees were able to review preliminary materials and provide their input on the learning materials that were designed for the Learn and Save campaign.
  
  The second workshop held in September 2012 provided delegates with training on the use of the educational materials, along with additional educational resources from the North-American organization KidWind, which has been engaging teachers and students to effectively incorporate sustainable energy science into their classroom curricula for nearly a decade.
  
  The project’s objective is to provide educators with effective teaching materials, the training and confidence to communicate and transfer knowledge of the science behind sustainable energy to students in their home countries, and thus promote education on sustainable energy for all.
  
  
  For more information contact:
  
  Michael Bejos
  Representative
  OAS Dominica
  [email protected]
  
  
  Carolina Peña
  CSEP-RCU Manager
  OAS Department of Sustainable Development
  [email protected]
  
• OAS/CICAD and NDPU to Survey Drug Prevalence in Dominica Secondary Schools
  Roseau Dominica, Tuesday October 2, 2012
  
  The Organization of American States (OAS), working through its Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD), and the Government of Dominica through the National Drug Abuse Prevention Unit have agreed to conduct a Secondary School Drug Prevalence Survey in Dominica.
  
  As stated in the Memorandum of Understanding between the two parties, OAS CICAD will provide the NDPU with all the technical assistance they need to complete the survey and they will also provide NDPU with a financial contribution of US$6,000 in project funding. The NDPU will conduct the survey, compile the database and produce a final report.
  
  A check for the first installment of that financial contribution was handed over to Mrs. Jacintha Bannis, Director of the NDPU on October 2nd by OAS Rep in Dominica, Michael Bejos. Also present at the handing-over was Mr. Pernell Clarke, CICAD Research Specialist and Program Manager.
  
  This Dug Prevalence Survey was a recommendation that came out of the CICAD’s Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM). The Government of Dominica agreed to implement the MEM’s recommendation and CICAD provided the methodology, partial funding, and technical assistance.
  
• OAS receives Partner Recognition Award from Dominica Youth Business Trust
  Roseau, Dominica, Wednesday November 16, 2011
  
  The Organization of American States received an award from the Dominica Youth Business Trust at its graduation ceremony for young entrepreneurs held in Roseau, Dominica on 16th November 2011.
  
  The award was presented in recognition of the OAS’ contribution to the establishment and development of the Dominica Youth Business Trust (DYBT). The DYBT was established by the Government of Dominica as a vehicle to provide young entrepreneurs with training, mentorship and access to finance. Its partnership with the OAS, through FEMCIDI and the Young Americas Business Trust has yielded very positive results.
  
  The award, presented by Hon. Justina Charles, Minister for Culture, Youth and Sports, was received by Mr. Michael Bejos, OAS Representative to the Commonwealth of Dominica. The Hon. Reginald Austrie, Acting Prime Minister, and Minister for Lands, Housing, Settlements and Water Resource Management presided over the ceremony.
  
• OAS Co-Sponsors CARICOM Energy Week Activities in Dominica
  Roseau, Dominica, Monday November 7, 2011
  
  The OAS joined the Ministry of Public Works, Energy and Ports to co-sponsor the Energy Week in the Commonwealth of Dominica from November 7-11 2011 in partnership with the CARICOM Secretariat.
  
  The OAS participation in Energy Week was organized by the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Program (CSEP) and executed with the collaboration of the OAS Office in Dominica. In support of the Government of Dominica’s efforts to increase awareness of the issues of sustainable energy development, the OAS co-sponsored an energy policy symposium/seminar and funded an awareness campaign on sustainable energy by publishing a newsletter entitled “Adopting Clean, Energy Efficient Lifestyles” which was circulated as an inserted supplement in the two popular Dominican newspapers.
  
  The Energy Week was established at the Thirty-Fifth Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) on Energy held in Georgetown, Guyana on March 22 - 24, 2011. CARICOM Energy Week is to be an annual event aimed at educating and sensitizing nationals and residents of the Commonwealth of Dominica and other CARICOM member states on issues relating the use of renewable energy, energy efficiency and energy conservation.
  
  The OAS is the designated execution body for CSEP, through the Department of Sustainable Development (DSD) and is funded by the European Union (EU). The CSEP participating countries include Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines. CSEP aims to address the market conditions and mitigate the barriers for the development and use of sustainable energy. CSEP is a joint project with the CARICOM Secretariat, Caribbean Electric Utilities Association (CARILEC) and the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP).
  
• OAS Partners with UNODC for Legislative Workshop Against Terrorism and its Financing in Dominica
  Roseau, Dominica, Wednesday October 5, 2011
  
  In response to a request for assistance from the Government of Dominica, a team of experts from the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE), the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) and the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) held a National Legislative Workshop on the Implementation of the Global Legal Framework against Terrorism and its Financing in Roseau, Dominica on 5 October 2011.
  
  The objectives of the workshop and the visit were to increase expertise and capacity at the national level to deal with the legal aspects of counter-terrorism, including the practical application of new or revised counter-terrorism legislation, especially by judges, prosecutors and law enforcement officials; and to recommend to Government of Dominica the measures it is advised to adopt in order to comply with the international legislative standards on the issues of terrorism and its financing.
  
  The workshop also served to increase awareness among policy makers of the importance of the ratification, incorporation and implementation of the universal legal instruments against terrorism and compliance with relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and the Inter-American Convention against Terrorism.
  
  The workshop was preceded by two days of senior level meetings in which various aspects of the mutual evaluation report and existing international legislation were discussed.
  
• Customs and Facility Coordination Workshop
  Roseau, Dominica., Wednesday July 27, 2011
  
  In cooperation with Transport Canada and the United States Coast Guard, OAS-CICTE delivered a workshop on customs and facility security coordination, with the main objective of addressing the issues and challenges currently affecting coordination between Customs officials and port facility security personnel, as well as other maritime security stakeholders at the port level. Participants viewed presentations by French Customs, Transport Canada and the US Coastguard, among others, and engaged in discussions regarding cooperation in their national contexts. Delegations from Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Grenada, Haiti, St. Kitts and Nevis, St, Vincent and the Grenadines and The Bahamas participated.
• Rural Tourism Business Lab
  Roseau, Dominica, Monday July 18, 2011
  
  Young Americas Business Trust (YABT) – Organization of American States (OAS) in cooperation with the Israeli cooperation Agency “MASHAV” and the Dominican Youth Business Trust conducted a one-week Rural Tourism Business Lab at the Public Service Training Centre in Roseau. The objective was to provide selected youth with initial guidance and support in generating viable ideas for rural tourism enterprises in Dominica; to provide technical skills and advice in business planning, marketing, branding and; to evaluate existing ventures to identify and pursue new opportunities. Thirty-one young entrepreneurs received the training.
• OAS delivers OWA donation to ChildFund Caribbean
  Roseau, Dominica, Wednesday July 6, 2011
  
  On behalf of the Organization of Women of the Americas (OWA), the Dominica Office of the Organization of American States (OAS) delivered a donation of XCD$13,500 to ChildFund Caribbean on July 6th to help finance their Roving Caregivers Program (RCP), an early childhood education program focused on ‘at risk’ families and their children, birth to three years old, in the parish of St. David, Dominica.
  
  The donation was handed over to Mr. Mario Lima, Director of Child Fund Caribbean and Ms. Gelina Fontaine Program Manager by the OAS Representative in Dominica, Mr. Michael Bejos and the Director of Political Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Sonia Magloire-Akpa on behalf of the Permanent Mission of Dominica to the OAS.
  
  The OWA’s donation was raised with the help of the Permanent Mission of Dominica to the OAS, headed by His Excellency Mr. Hubert Charles, and will be used by ChildFund Caribbean to deliver the parent education component of the Roving Caregivers Program (RCP) which is aimed at enhancing parenting knowledge and behavior, and promoting appropriate child rearing practices. This component will carry out activities such as toy making/educational material production workshops for parents in project communities and the funds will be used to cover the cost of organizing these activities and purchasing materials and supplies for the production of the toys and educational aids which the parents will use in home stimulation interactions with their children.
  
  The OWA, a non-profit, charitable organization was founded in 1997. Its members comprise Lady Ambassadors who are permanent members of the Organization of American States (OAS) and the wives of Ambassadors, Permanent Observers and Alternate Representatives (permanent Members and Observers) to the OAS ...