The Hummingbird
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The Hummingbird Energy Efficiency ECLAC AND GIZ JOIN FORCES 5 things to know ACHIEVING WORK-LIFE BALANCE Sneak Preview DIGITAL ECONOMY WORKSHOP IN TRINIDAD Contents 4 Article Member States to benefit from ECLAC’s Development Account project 6 Feature Article ECLAC and GIZ join forces to improve Caribbe- an energy efficiency 11 Things to Know Improving Caribbean energy efficiency v 16 Recent Publications Documents relating to ECLAC’s work or the Caribbean region 19 State of Affairs Recent activity by Caribbean governments 20 Around the Caribbean A boost for internet in Belize A new way to tour Kingston, Jamaica 24 ECLAC Caribbean Family The On-the-job Trainee experience EDITORIAL TEAM Director: Diane Quarless, ECLAC Editor: Alexander Voccia, ECLAC CoverCopy designEditor: Deniseand photography Balgobin, ECLACby Blaine MarcanoPublication of ECLACDesign: Caribbean Blaine Marcano, / CC BY. ECLAC Posted May 16 ECLAC convenes a Regional Policy Dialogue and Training Workshop, with the support of the German Federal Enterprise for International Cooperation (GIZ): http://vrb.al/eclac-giz Upcoming Events Workshop: Exploring innovation in transactions and 1-3 financing in the Caribbean Port-of-Spain, Trinidad 1-3 June 2016 Posted May 13 7th Summit of Head of State and/or Government of Senior policy makers recently received a comprehensive intro- the ACS Ministerial Council duction to the ECLAC Development Account project. Find out 4 more: http://vrb.al/public-expenditure La Havana, Republic of Cuba 4 June 2016 World Environment Day 5 5 June 2016 World Day Against Child Labour 12 12 June 2016 Posted May 2 LATEST ECLAC VIDEO: There is an urgent need for govern- ments to strengthen social protection against the risks associ- ated with ageing. Find out more: http://vrb.al/ageing-eclac Fifteenth meeting of the Executive Committee of the Statistical Conference of the Americas of ECLAC 14 Santiago, Chile 14 June 2016 The Hummingbird - June 2016 | 3 Member States to benefit from ECLAC’s Development Account project aribbean governments are set to gain finance management in the selected countries, greater capacity in the management of ultimately helping them to improve their debt public finance in the near future, as ECLAC ratio and contribute to a more stable economic Caribbean continues to roll out its Development environment and to social development. CAccount project to four member states over a period of three years. The impact of the recent global economic crisis was particularly severe on the economies of the The project is entitled “Strengthening the Caribbean, especially those that depend heavily technical capacity of public finance managers in on services for their economic growth. It has select Caribbean Small Island Developing States exacerbated already existing high-levels of debt (SIDS)”, and implementation has commenced for several countries of this region. in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize and Saint Kitts and Nevis. A team led by ECLAC The persistent fiscal challenge in the region is Caribbean Director Diane Quarless, recently partly a reflection of the difficulty which small visited each of the three Caribbean island nations export-dependent economies experience in in an effort to increase stakeholder awareness of addressing negative external shocks. In addition, the purpose of the project. the random occurrence of natural disasters also leads to unplanned spending and contributes to The project focuses on increasing the capacity expanding deficits. of policy makers and finance managers to apply the methods and procedures for better Furthermore, the approach to revenue and monitoring and forecasting of public expenditure expenditure planning and forecasting appears and revenue, and is expected to have a to be weak in a number of countries, particularly positive outcome on the efficiency of public as they relate to containing contingent liabilities. | June 2016 4 44 | September 2015 -- TheThe HummingbirdHummingbird Given the number of countries and extent of with analysis of each participating country to the problems, the region requires a broad determine their respective needs and priorities, programme of capacity building to strengthen includes the preparation of a training manual and public finance management to control fiscal accompanying reference material to facilitate deficits, and ECLAC’s assistance was requested the conduct of expenditure reviews, planning in dealing with the challenge of fiscal imbalances. and forecasting revenue and expenditure and developing approaches for enhanced fiscal It is within this context that the ECLAC transparency. Development project - funded by the United Nations Development Account - is being National training workshops using this manual implemented, through a series of integrated are set to begin in June 2016 in each of activities including specialized research, the participating countries. These national knowledge and capacity building activities workshops will be designed to respond to the (seminars and workshops), technical advice and specific priorities of the participating countries. the upgrading of public finance management The final phase of the project constitutes systems. Moreover, targeted follow-up will be technical advisory missions to provide post- undertaken to determine additional capacity training support to the participating countries. needs, prior to targeted technical advisory missions to support the effort of member States to incorporate in their public finance management practices, processes and systems, the skills and knowledge acquired. The three year initiative, which began in 2015 The Hummingbird - June 2016 | 5 The ECLAC and GIZ join Hummingbird forces to improve Caribbean energy FEATURE efficiency article CLAC Caribbean, with support from the German Federal Enterprise for International Cooperation (GIZ), recently convened a two-day Regional Energy Policy Dialogue and Training EWorkshop in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago (17- 18 May 2016), to discuss the many opportunities to be gained through initiatives in renewable energy technologies. The workshop brought together senior policy makers from the region, and was attended by the Trinidad and Tobago Minister of Energy and Energy Industries, Nicole Olivierre, and the German ambassador, Dr. Lutz Görgens. Read More 6 | June 2016 - The Hummingbird The Hummingbird - February 2016 | 6 7 | February 2016 - The Hummingbird The Hummingbird - June 2016 | 7 q&a The Hummingbird sat down with Economic Affairs Officer Willard Phillips of the Sustainable Development and Disaster unit, to gain some insight into the ECLAC/GIZ collaboration. Q: Willard, can you please tell carbon emissions, it will be Caribbean. Additionally, ECLAC us what is the main objective among the first to be impacted Caribbean proposed the training behind this ECLAC/GIZ by changes in climate, especially workshop – which is part of a collaboration? sea level rise that threatens the wider project on “Sustainable coastal and marine populations Energy in the Caribbean” – as a A: The project seeks to promote and resources. It has therefore forum for stakeholders to explore financing opportunities which will become necessary to develop a feasibility analysis for financing provide greater incentives for the definitive programme of support energy projects in the Caribbean. development of energy efficiency to the Caribbean in an attempt measures and renewable energy to reduce carbon emissions Q: What benefits has the wider technologies for the region. This through the development of a low project brought so far? effort is especially relevant for us energy pathway. In this regard, in the Caribbean if we consider it is important to sensitize the A: Well, the wider project that the region faces high energy public on strategies for reducing seeks to engage countries in insecurity due to its high reliance the carbon footprint through strengthening their capacity for on imported fossil energy, which more efficient energy use, as securing financing for energy has until recently placed a heavy well as on options for increasing efficiency and renewable energy burden on the region’s balance of the use of renewable energy. projects, as well as enhancing payments, as substantial foreign the policy framework for the reserves were used for energy Q: Can you tell us more sustainable development of imports. This, along with the about the recent workshop in the energy sector. Three pilot need to mitigate the emission of Trinidad? countries (Dominica, Saint Lucia carbon dioxide which contributes and Martinique), have received to global climate change, has A: The workshop was entitled support in developing motivated many Caribbean “Regional Energy Policy Dialogue country profiles of countries to seek to better utilize and Training Workshop”. It was their energy their current energy resources convened to identify issues sectors, through energy efficiency relevant to the development a n d measures, or to use alternative of energy efficiency and energy sources such as solar, renewable energy policy, and wind or geothermal. to share experiences in implementing such Q: Why is the project policies in the important? A: It must be remembered that although the subregion contributes less than 1% of the world’s 8 | June 2016 - The Hummingbird Caribbean Energy Efficiency identifying financing options efficiency and renewable energy, capacity of policymakers and for the development of energy and will be able to design and technical experts at the national efficient and renewable