Category: CANA News

Caribbean-American Democratic Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke has joined Louisiana Republican Congresswoman Julia Letlow in introducing a bipartisan, bicameral resolution to designate October as World Menopause Awareness Month and October 18 as World Menopause Day in the United States.

Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware and Cory Booker of New Jersey have introduced a companion resolution in the US Senate.

Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants who represents the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, New York, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) on Thursday that the observances would contribute to greater awareness of menopause and access to care during the menopausal transition and post-menopause.

She said they would also provide organisations and individuals around the world with an opportunity to advocate for resources and support for the 75 million American women in perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause.

‘Throughout our lives, women deserve the support we need to confront every trial and embrace every triumph each of our chapters has in store for us,’ said Clarke, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.

‘Menopause is a natural experience that we all must face. Yet, the stigma that follows it continues to inflict needless ridicule and shame on women at a time when all we ask for is acceptance and understanding.

‘World Menopause Awareness Month and World Menopause Day will be the bridges to normalising menopause and ensuring the women confronting it have the resources, care, and confidence they need to tackle their new horizons head on, and I am proud to lead this bipartisan legislation to see both codified as national observances,’ Clarke added.

Letlow said that, ‘Through any stage of life, women need access to reliable information to make educated decisions about their health.

‘World Menopause Awareness Month shines a light on the millions of women undergoing menopause every year, and the need for women to better understand the treatments and options available to them.’

Blunt Rochester said, ‘Generations of women have faced the transition to menopause. Yet, for too long, this experience has been overlooked, under-researched and treated as taboo.

‘It’s far past time we ensure women have the care and support they need to feel their best in all phases of life,’ she added. ‘I’m proud to introduce the World Menopause Awareness Month Resolution to elevate the challenges of menopause and encourage further investments into research that will help women meet this transition with confidence.’

Booker said the US health care system ‘has failed women struggling with menopausal symptoms that disrupt their livelihoods, and this unfortunate reality disproportionately affects Black and Hispanic women.’

‘This resolution is a reminder that we must do more to support women navigating menopause and provide them with the resources they need,’ he said. ‘Menopause should not be a barrier to the quality of life every woman deserves.’

Donna Klassen of Let’s Talk Menopause said the resolution introduced by Clarke represents ‘another important step toward breaking down the barriers that have too often left women without the information, care, and relief they need throughout the menopause transition.’

‘We proudly support this resolution and applaud Congresswoman Clarke’s leadership in bringing greater attention to menopause, expanding access to trusted health information and care, and ensuring women have the resources they need to navigate this stage of life with confidence and support,’ she added.

Lindsey Miltenberger of the Society for Women’s Health Research said menopause is ‘a universal experience for women, and, yet, for too long menopause has been understudied.’

‘This has left us with significant knowledge gaps about menopause itself, including its symptoms and treatments, but also about the effects of menopause on overall health and healthy aging,’ she said.

‘Fortunately, we now have momentum to course correct.

‘The Society for Women’s Health Research thanks Representative Clarke for her leadership on the resolution designating October as World Menopause Awareness Month and Oct. 18 as World Menopause Day,’ Miltenberger added.

‘We must collectively continue raising awareness about menopause, which can help shape research priorities and ensure women and health care providers have the evidence and information needed to make informed decisions about menopause care.’

Clarke said menopause is more than a personal biological transition, with lasting implications for women’s health and well-being, as well as families, workplaces and society.

Dr Ifeoma Udoh of the Black Women’s Health Imperative said her group endorses the resolution ‘to recognise October as World Menopause Awareness Month and expand awareness, provider education, and access to the resources and care that women, particularly Black women, need for a healthy, dignified menopause.’

The resolution is also endorsed by several associations and organisations, including the American Medical Association; Astellas; Greater New York Hospital Association; Healthcare Association of New York State; In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda; Mount Sinai Health System; National Medical Association; National Minority Quality Forum; Novo Nordisk, Inc.; NYU Langone Health; One Brooklyn Health System; Reproductive Health Access Project; Ritual; The Fibroid Foundation; and The White Dress Project.

The Caribbean Investment Forum (CIF) 2026 has concluded in Barbados after showcasing US$39 million in bankable projects, with the Caribbean Export Development Agency setting out a clear priority for the next phase: sustained work to convert investor interest into financing and long-term partnerships.

Held October 5-7 at the Hilton Barbados Resort under the theme ‘Invest. Innovate. Accelerate.’, the fifth edition was organised by Caribbean Export in partnership with the Government of Barbados and the European Union.

Preliminary registration figures indicate more than 500 registered participants from 29 countries, including almost 300 from Barbados. Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and the United States were also among the countries with strong representation.

Caribbean Export Executive Director Dr. Damie Sinanan emphasised that the forum’s success must be assessed not only by participation or the opportunities presented, but by the progress made afterwards.

‘Every promising meeting needs diligent follow-up and interest needs to be converted into sustained engagement, due diligence and ultimately investment,’ he said in his opening remarks.

Scaling ambition and removing barriers 

In her feature address, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley called for a substantial increase in the scale of Caribbean investment ambition, supported by stronger project preparation and the discipline needed to translate ideas into financing. She recognised Caribbean Export as ‘that anchor and that glue that can bring everybody together’, highlighting its role in connecting the institutions needed to advance regional investment.

Mottley also requested a post-forum report card identifying policy shortcomings and obstacles to regional business, including areas where progress under the CARICOM Single Market and Economy could be accelerated. Her call reinforced the importance of using the forum’s discussions to inform practical improvements in the conditions for investment and business growth.

Connecting sector opportunities with capital 

The programme focused on sustainable agriculture and food security, digital transformation, logistics and transportation, and the green economy transition. Investment Spotlights, Deal Rooms and targeted business-to-business meetings complemented sessions on investment readiness and access to finance, providing opportunities for investors and project proponents to discuss what is needed to move projects forward.

Programme highlights included entrepreneur and investor Piers Linney’s keynote, ‘Small Markets. Global Capital. Big Ambition: Building the Caribbean’s Next Generation of Investable Businesses’, alongside discussions on climate finance, investor decision-making and ‘Investing in Caribbean Resilience – Introducing the CARICOM Sustainability Bond’. Together, these themes placed business growth, investment readiness and financing for resilience at the centre of the programme.

Building a year-round pathway to investment 

Caribbean Export’s ambition is to develop CIF beyond an annual event into a year-round regional investment platform. This would identify promising businesses and projects earlier, strengthen their investment readiness, connect them with suitable investors and financing, and sustain engagement between editions of the forum.

The agency’s partnership with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) supports that direction. CDB President Daniel Best said the Bank’s PROPEL programme is supporting targeted investor outreach, readiness support, matchmaking, structured follow-up and stronger pipeline management, helping project proponents progress from investor interest towards financing and strategic partnerships.

‘The next step is conversion,’ Best said. ‘Moving from introductions to partnerships, from interest to engagement and from engagement to investment.’

Best emphasised that stronger institutions, predictable policies and resilient infrastructure are essential to building investor confidence and attracting investment that creates jobs, transfers skills and strengthens productive capacity.

Partnerships that build Caribbean businesses 

European Union Ambassador Fiona Ramsey reaffirmed the EU’s longstanding partnership with Caribbean Export and its support for CIF. She linked that work to the EU’s Global Gateway approach, which brings public policy objectives together with private investment.

‘Our focus is on uniting public policy objectives with private investments that can deliver sustainable growth,’ Ramsey said.

She highlighted the importance of stronger local value chains, high-quality jobs and opportunities for Caribbean talent to thrive in the region. Examples of EU engagement included pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, maritime transport and connectivity, and digitalisation.

The forum coincided with Caribbean Export’s 30th anniversary. Chairperson Dr. Lynette Holder highlighted the agency’s work in supporting Caribbean enterprise, trade and investment, while calling for deeper partnerships and connections that continue beyond the event. She also pointed to Caribbean Export’s recent Green Climate Fund accreditation as an opportunity to connect regional businesses and projects with climate finance.

Caribbean Export also recognised the contribution of its platinum sponsors: Republic Bank Limited, which has supported CIF since its inception; Invest Barbados; Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc.; the Inter-American Development Bank; CAF; JMMB Group; and LunaLite Technologies.

Looking ahead to the Dominican Republic 

The sixth edition of the Caribbean Investment Forum will take place in the Dominican Republic in 2027. In the period ahead, Caribbean Export will continue working with its partners to maintain investor interest, address gaps in project readiness and connect projects with financing.

‘Every opportunity at CIF should have a next step, and every promising opportunity should have a pathway forward,’ Sinanan said.

Jamaica is to introduce a new ticketing system for certain public-order offences as the Government seeks to reduce confrontations between police officers and people who breach the law.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security and Peace Horace Chang said the Ticket Information Management System, developed by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) in partnership with the Ministry of National Security and Peace, would support the administration of fixed-penalty offences.

During a statement in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, he said the system would also strengthen enforcement of the Noise Abatement Act, illegal vending regulations and other public-order offences.

He said the system would allow people to be issued tickets for offences such as illegal vending or noise violations, rather than requiring police officers to confiscate equipment or get involved in confrontations.

‘It will be done in a manner that is civilised, non-contentious and in keeping with 21st century operations,’ Chang said.

He said a municipal corporation could issue a ticket rather than having highly trained police officers directly engage people over such offences.

Chang said he was particularly concerned about situations in which young police officers confiscated a vendor’s goods and became involved in confrontations with people trying to earn a living.

‘We know it’s inappropriate for them to be vending in the wrong place… but a contest with the police is not the way to resolve it,’ he said.

Chang said greater attention must now be placed on public order as Jamaica continues to record reductions in murders and other serious crimes.

‘We must ensure that the way in which the Police engage citizens is professional, proportionate and respectful. We want effective enforcement while maintaining a strong relationship between the police and the public,’ he said.

He said improved public security could strengthen communities, boost confidence among businesses and investors and improve citizens’ quality of life.

‘The peace dividend must become a development dividend,’ Chang said, arguing that security progress should translate into moew opportunities and prosperity for Jamaicans.

He said the Government also wanted to restore a culture of peace, with violence rejected, the rule of law respected and citizens and police viewing each other as partners.

Chang reiterated the Government’s commitment to supporting national security personnel, investing in the security forces and pursuing policies and programmes to consolidate the gains made in reducing violence.

‘We will not yield any ground to criminals in this country,’ he said.

Chang said the Government wanted the reduction in violence to become a permanent feature of Jamaica’s national life and to use the improved security environment as a foundation for development, a better quality of life and greater prosperity.

Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Martin and Montserrat all registered wins on Thursday in the CONCACAF Nations League to qualify for the League C Championship as well as the League A+C Play-In.

Antigua and Barbuda needed a late winner from Brandon Satchell to get past Aruba 3-2 and finish top of Group B by goal difference.

Playing at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua got off to a perfect start when they took the lead in the fifth minute thanks to a header by Sean Tomlinson, before TJ Bramble doubled their advantage with a spectacular long range shot five minutes later.

However, Aruba fought back to level the scores through goals by Walter Bennett in the 14th minute and Carlito Fermina in the 50th to set up an exciting end to the match.

With four minutes remaining in regulation time, Satchell’s strike gave the home side the all-important three points to see them advance.

Both Antigua and Aruba ended on nine points, but the former had a superior goal difference of eight to the latter’s three.

Meanwhile, Saint Martin and Montserrat topped their respective groups after trouncing Bahamas 6-0 and Turks and Caicos 4-1, respectively.

Saint Martin were led by a hat-trick by Axel Raga, while goals from Pierre-Bertrand Arne, Mattéo Makhabe and Jordan Alexandre helped to complete the rout.

With the win, they secured first place in Group C on nine points, the same as second-placed US Virgin Islands.

A first-half brace by Lyle Taylor put Montserrat on course to a dominant victory, with Tyrone Baker and Ashley Boatswain also getting on the scoresheet.

Billy Forbes scored the lone goal for Turks and Caicos.

Montserrat topped Group A after winning all four of their matches to secure a maximum 12 points.

The Surinamese Football Association (SVB) has filed an official complaint with CONCACAF after its national team was subjected to racist abuse from spectators during their Nations League away match against Guatemala on Monday.

Playing at the Estadio Manuel Felipe Carrera, Suriname lost 1-0 to the home side to be eliminated from the Nations League after finishing third in Group B.

Suriname’s general manager, Brian Tevreden, described the behaviour of the spectators as ‘absolutely unacceptable’, while revealing that the complaint was filed immediately after the match.

Tevreden recalled that during the match, he went from the bench to the match commissioner a few times to draw his attention to the racist behavior in the stadium.

He said he was shocked the officials did not take action.

‘Because of the loss, it might look less good, but if we hadn’t lost on Monday and had reached the quarterfinals, we would have lodged a protest as well.

‘We did the same last year after beating El Salvador 2-1, where racism also echoed from the stands,’ Tevreden said.

‘[CONCACAF and FIFA] cannot continue to turn a blind eye to these kinds of practices. Home fans booing the opponent might be part of the sport, but it goes much too far to do so with monkey noises.’

‘…Those protocols exist for a reason. The international federations need to stop sweeping this idiotic behavior in the stands under the rug. The Salvadoran federation got away with a fine of less than 60,000 US dollars last year. But surely that doesn’t solve the problem?’ he questioned.

Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are facing new charges in the United States accusing them of conspiring to torture political opponents and US citizens detained in Venezuela.

The new charges were announced Thursday in a superseding indictment that also includes allegations of narcoterrorism, cocaine importation and weapons offences.

Maduro and Flores were already charged with conspiring to import cocaine into the United States. They have pleaded not guilty to those charges. They have been in US custody in New York since early January, when US forces seized them from their home in Caracas during a middle-of-the-night raid and brought them to the United States.

According to the new indictment, prosecutors allege that Maduro and Flores were involved in a system of repression that included unlawful detention, torture, violence and threats against political opponents and others.

The alleged torture included electric shocks, suffocation, rape, forced nudity, prolonged isolation, starvation, beatings and psychological threats.

Prosecutors also allege that at least one US citizen was deprived of food and water, subjected to simulated drowning and electric shocks, and forcibly injected with substances.

US Attorney General Todd Blanche said the new charges show the extent of what prosecutors allege was a long-running campaign of repression.

FBI Director Kash Patel and other US officials also accused Maduro and his associates of using government power to protect drug trafficking and other criminal activity.

The indictment alleges that Venezuelan officials worked with armed and drug-trafficking groups, including Colombia’s FARC and ELN and Mexican cartels, to move cocaine through Venezuela and other countries towards the United States.

Maduro and Flores are accused of conspiring to commit torture, narcoterrorism, cocaine importation and weapons offences.

The narcoterrorism conspiracy carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years and a maximum of life imprisonment if convicted. The cocaine importation charge carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life imprisonment, while the weapons charge carries a mandatory minimum of 30 years.

Jamaica has recorded a 24 per cent reduction in murders since the beginning of the year, even as questions were raised in Parliament about the number of people fatally shot by the security forces.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security and Peace Horace Chang told the House of Representatives that 407 murders had been recorded as at that date, compared with 534 during the corresponding period in 2025.

Chang said 123 murders were recorded between July and September, the lowest quarterly figure recorded in more than three decades.

September recorded 36 murders, the lowest monthly total in more than 30 years, he said.

‘It was the fourth month this year in which Jamaica recorded 40 or fewer murders,’ Chang said.

He said five of the first nine months of 2026 were among the lowest monthly murder totals recorded in more than three decades, while the first three quarters of the year also recorded the lowest quarterly murder totals for the corresponding periods.

‘Just a few years ago, 123 murders was a figure Jamaica could record in a single month. In May 2024, Jamaica recorded 134 murders. In 2017, the monthly average was 137 murders. Today, 123 murders represent an entire quarter,’ Chang said.

However, the decline in murders was accompanied by questions from Opposition lawmakers about fatal shootings by members of the security forces.

The Opposition cited figures showing that 311 people were fatally shot by the police in 2025 and at least 231 had been fatally shot by the security forces as of October 6 this year. The figures were raised during questions to Chang about the high level of fatal police shootings and whether he supported the rapid implementation of body-worn cameras, particularly for targeted or planned special operations.

Chang acknowledged that fatal shootings remained a concern but said he believed they were linked to the circumstances in which security forces operate. He said police officers had to respond when their lives were at risk.

Chang pointed to a September 9 incident in Mount Salem, St James, in which three police officers were shot and injured by a gunman. The man was subsequently fatally shot by police.

‘Any loss of any Jamaican life is a concern, it’s a question of the circumstances,’ Chang said.

He argued that fatal police shootings were likely to decline as the homicide rate fell.

‘My understanding, and I will say it again, [is that] as the homicide rate gets lower, the likelihood is that fatal shootings [by the police] will go lower,’ he said.

Chang also maintained that police officers were not acting impetuously but were responding to information and intelligence.

He said the reduction in homicides over the past two years was partly the result of the disruption of violent criminals, with some in prison and others having migrated to North and Central America and other Caribbean countries.

Chang said the Government was also committed to protecting the gains made in reducing murders.

‘While we recognise these gains, we will not become complacent. Our responsibility now is to protect and deepen them,’ he said.

He attributed the reduction to Government policies and investments in the Jamaica Constabulary Force, including resources for personnel, infrastructure, technology, equipment and mobility.

Chang said the Government had invested in the training and professional development of security personnel through the Caribbean Military Academy, the National Police College of Jamaica and the Caribbean Correctional Academy.

He said the institutions were intended to strengthen professionalism, leadership and excellence across the security services and help sustain the gains made in reducing crime.

President Irfaan Ali is calling for faster digital visa systems and better regional transport links to make travel to and within the Caribbean easier, saying that cumbersome travel processes are holding back tourism, business and international partnerships.

Speaking at the opening of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation’s (CTO) State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC) on Wednesday, Ali said Caribbean travellers seeking European visas sometimes have to travel to countries such as Trinidad and Tobago or Suriname for appointments, delaying trips by days.

‘The modern world can’t be that complicated. You can get the biometrics of anybody…in a couple of seconds,’ he said.

Ali said such delays undermine efforts to build stronger international partnerships, particularly when Caribbean representatives are invited to conferences and other events overseas.

‘You can’t build partnership and friendship like that,’ he said.

The Guyanese president contrasted this with the Gulf states, where he said electronic visas and frequent air connections facilitate easier movement, and pointed to similar connectivity being developed across Latin America.

He said the Caribbean needs to adopt a more integrated approach to tourism, allowing visitors to move more easily between destinations and creating a shared regional tourism ecosystem rather than having countries develop their tourism products in isolation.

‘The only thing that can take us forward by scale is integrated infrastructure, starting with an integrated transport system,’ Ali said.

He said better connectivity would allow the region to package its diverse tourism offerings more effectively and encourage visitors to experience several Caribbean destinations during the same trip.

Ali warned that the Caribbean could not continue relying on its natural beauty alone as other destinations invest heavily in transport, hospitality, entertainment, sporting events, digital tourism and other infrastructure.

‘Our natural product and our natural beauty are important assets. But if we are complacent about the way we will reorganise, reorient, revalue, reposition this asset, we are not going to optimise its value in the future,’ he said.

He urged Caribbean governments, investors and tourism businesses to ‘scale up’ their thinking and investment, arguing that the region needs to plan for the future rather than continue operating in short cycles.

‘We have to be futuristic. We gotta bite the bullet at some point,’ he said. ‘We can no longer plan in cycles. You have to plan ahead of time, and we can only do so together.’

He also called for greater use of technology, including artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, arguing that Caribbean countries should work together because individual states are too small to tackle such areas alone.

Ali said regional cooperation should also extend to major international events. He suggested that Caribbean countries jointly identify a number of global events they want to attract by 2035 and develop the infrastructure needed to host them.

Ali also called for greater resilience in tourism investment, saying disaster preparedness and business continuity should be incorporated into projects from the outset.

He proposed that investment agreements include contingency provisions that would automatically take effect following natural disasters, while urging the region to reduce its dependence on single markets and supply chains.

Tourism businesses, he said, should source more food from local farmers and suppliers across the region.

The president said the Caribbean’s tourism industry demonstrated its resilience after the COVID-19 pandemic, but that resilience must now be reinforced through infrastructure, investment, partnerships and strategy.

‘Tourism is always resilient. But we have to now add to that resilience by the infrastructure, the investment, the partnership, the strategy,’ he said.

Ali also urged investors to develop new tourism experiences rather than relying solely on natural attractions.

‘This is where our investors are too laid back….They’re satisfied with the product that nature has given them. But the future is going to be completely different,’ he said.

Guyana is hosting SOTIC for the first time. The event runs until October 9 under the theme, ‘Tourism Futures: Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive’.

The Caribbean is experiencing a two-speed economic recovery, with oil-producing Guyana and Suriname recording strong growth while tourism-dependent economies face a more moderate outlook amid high energy and transportation costs and softer tourism demand, according to the World Bank.

In its October 2026 Latin America and the Caribbean Economic Update, the World Bank says the divergence is particularly evident across the Caribbean, where oil-driven expansions contrast with the more mature post-pandemic recovery of tourism-dependent island economies.

Guyana’s gross domestic product (GDP) is projected to expand by 23.7 per cent in 2026, 18.7 per cent in 2027 and 15.3 per cent in 2028.

Suriname is forecast to grow by 3.9 per cent this year and 4.6 per cent in 2027, before accelerating to 21.5 per cent in 2028.

The outlook is considerably more moderate for several tourism-dependent Caribbean economies.

On 14 September 2026, during the final day of the Eighth Pacific Meteorological Council (PMC-8) meeting in Nuku’alofa, Tonga; the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) formalised a historic partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen meteorological and hydrological services across the Pacific and Caribbean regions.

The MOU was signed by Mr Sefanaia Nawadra, Director General of SPREP, and Dr David A. Farrell, Principal of CIMH, bringing together two organisations with deep expertise in supporting island communities to navigate climate and weather challenges.

SPREP is the Pacific region’s environmental intergovernmental organisation based in Apia, Samoa. Through its Climate Science and Information (CSI) Programme, SPREP supports Pacific National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) to strengthen their institutional and technical capacities, improve the generation and use of climate science and information, and enhance weather, climate, and hydrological services. SPREP also leads implementation of the Early Warnings for All initiative across the Pacific, contributing to strengthened multi-hazard early warning systems and climate resilience.

Based in Barbados, CIMH is an Institution of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the technical organ of the Caribbean Meteorological Organisation (CMO), and an Affiliate of the University of the West Indies. CIMH hosts several highly specialised technical Centres that advance regional and global capacity development, research and development, as well as services development and delivery in meteorology, climate science, hydro-meteorology, water resources management, and marine science. Through collaborations with other regional and global institutions, the CIMH is contributing to the development of advanced cascading multi-hazard early warning systems and integrative platforms designed to strengthen the social and economic resilience of Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

Dr David Farrell said, ‘For the CIMH, this partnership presents a tremendous opportunity for the Caribbean and Pacific SIDS to partner on building capacity and technical solutions specifically targeted to address the unique current and future challenges facing SIDS. The Caribbean and Pacific both understand the importance of becoming more self-reliant in a rapidly changing and uncertain world. By learning from each other, sharing expertise and creating opportunities for our young professionals to meet and interact, we can learn from each other and, in doing so, strengthen the products and services that our respective states and communities depend on. This is about South-South cooperation in action, Pacific and Caribbean expertise coming together to find solutions that work for island communities. Above all, this is an opportunity for people from distant island nations to build new friendships while learning from and about each other.’

This partnership between the two organisations will allow for knowledge sharing and the exchange of experience in seasonal forecasting, climate analysis, and sectoral climate services, creating a pathway for Pacific meteorological services to learn from Caribbean approaches to building climate-resilient economies and vice versa. It will also increase opportunities for Pacific and Caribbean island states to exchange knowledge, particularly on disaster risk reduction and adapting services for island communities that face strikingly similar climate challenges, from tropical cyclones to sea-level rise and ocean acidification.

‘This partnership reflects the strength of the Pacific when we come together, share what we know and learn from each other. Our islands may be different, but many of the challenges we face are shared as Small Island Developing States. By working together, supporting our people and investing in the next generation of Pacific meteorologists and climate professionals, we can build stronger services and better prepare our communities for the changes ahead,’ said Director General Sefanaia Nawadra following the signing.

‘At the heart of this partnership is a simple goal: to ensure that we are sharing our knowledge and information and make a real difference in the lives of our people.’

The five-year partnership is renewable and builds on both organisations’ commitment to the United Nations’ (UN) Early Warnings for All initiative, reflecting a shared determination to ensure that island communities in the Pacific and Caribbean have access to timely, reliable climate and weather information to support decision-making and save lives.

As climate impacts intensify across both regions, this collaboration represents a critical step forward in strengthening the science and services that underpin resilience.