Puerto Rico Governor proposes 2012 political status referendum, Independence Party supports initiative

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Island electorate to vote up or down on territory’s current status, and constitutional amendment to reduce bloated Legislature

Press Release

La Fortaleza

SAN JUAN, PR – Puerto Rico Governor Luis G. Fortuño today announced legislation that will enable the people of Puerto Rico to determine whether or not they want to change the island’s current status as a U.S. territory. 

“We must enable our citizens to resolve the most important and transcendental issue in Puerto Rico’s history, the island’s political status,” said the Governor.  “The island’s status is an issue that affects every aspect of our daily lives, including employment opportunities, health services, public safety, our children’s education and our very rights as citizens.”

The status referendum bill Gov. Fortuño will file tomorrow in the Puerto Rico legislature will provide for a two-step process, starting with an initial up or down vote on Aug., 12, 2012, on whether or not voters want to change the island’s current territorial status.  If a majority votes in favor of maintaining the current status, there will be no further action.

If a majority votes for a change, however, on Election Day 2012 (Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012), people will vote on their preference among Puerto Rico’s three non-territorial status options: statehood, independence or sovereign free association, Fortuño said.

As promised in Fortuño’s 2008 electoral platform, the Governor and the island’s sole elected representative in the U.S. Congress, Pedro Pierluisi, initially pushed in 2009 and 2010 for Congress to set into motion a fair process for resolving the island’s political status.  The Puerto Rico Democracy Act of 2009, introduced by Pierluisi, was passed in 2010 by a strong majority of the U.S. House of Representatives, but was not voted upon by the U.S. Senate.

“Every day, it becomes more and more evident that the lack of resolution to the status issue is the primary obstacle we face in order for Puerto Rico to make further progress,” the Governor said.  “The current status provides us with neither the means nor the powers that are needed to achieve the growth we need in the years ahead.  That’s one thing we all agree on,” said the Governor.

Gov. Fortuño emphasized that the President’s Task Force on Puerto Rico’s Status outlined three political status alternatives – statehood, independence or sovereign free association – that are recognized as Puerto Rico’s non-colonial, non-territorial status options, and which will be presented to voters if the referendum proceeds to the second stage. 

“This process is equitable, fair and transparent; and will give all our voters the opportunity to vote for the status option they prefer,” said Fortuño. 

The Aug. 12 up or down vote on Puerto Rico’s political status will take place the same day Puerto Rico voters will also cast their ballots on a constitutional  amendment to shrink the size of the island’s Legislature by more than 25 percent.  Fortuño promised action on both status and legislative reform in his 2008 campaign platform, and the measures enjoy the support of the majority of lawmakers in the Puerto Rico Senate and House of Representatives.

“We are fulfilling our pledge to cut down to size one of the costliest Legislative Assemblies in the entire United States,” Fortuño said.  The Governor indicated that the final version of the island’s legislative reform has already been approved by the Puerto Rico House of Representatives, and is expected to be approved by the Senate within the next week.

Puerto Rico’s legislative reform reduces the overall size of the territory’s legislature from 78 seats to 56 seats, a more than 25 percent reduction.  If voters approve the proposed constitutional amendment to reduce the Legislature, the Puerto Rico Senate would shrink from 27 to 17 members, while the size of the House would be reduced from 51 to 39 members.     

“From the beginning, our administration has had the courage to take on Puerto Rico’s toughest issues, and do what’s right by our people,” said Fortuño. 

“In less than two and a half years, we’ve gone from having the worst fiscal situation of any state or territory in the Nation, to one of the best,” he pointed out.  “We’ve also delivered on our promise to provide the people of Puerto Rico with the biggest reductions in individual and corporate income taxes in history,” he added.

“Puerto Rico can wait no longer. The moment has arrived for our people to decide on amending the Constitution in order to have a smaller, more efficient and less costly Legislature, as well as to act decisively to resolve Puerto Rico’s status issue once and for all,” the Governor said.

Puerto Rico Independence Party: fix status to cure social ills

October 6, 2011

BY MARIA MIRANDA

Of the Daily Sun Staff

mmiranda@prdailysun.net

The heart of the infection that has caused many ills could very well be that the island’s status dilemma has yet to be resolved, Puerto Rican Independence Party President (PIP by its Spanish acronym) Rubén Berríos said Wednesday.

“Without a doubt, Puerto Rico’s fundamental problem that affects everything else, is the [island’s] colonial [status]. It has to be resolved because it’s the focus of the infection of many of our ills,” Berríos said at a news conference at PIP headquarters in Hato Rey.

Berríos said that he was satisfied with the ratification of the status project before the legislature indicating that “such an initiative in essence picks up the proposal that has been pushed by the PIP since 2005 and it’s the antidote that will initiate the cure for the terrible colonial disease that our country has been suffering from for the past 113 years,” Berríos said.

Berríos, who is also the honorary president of the international socialist movement, said that Puerto Ricans can’t continue being condemned to colonialism forever or to mere change, as has occurred during the past four decades — from Popular Democratic Party or New Progressive Party leaders and vice-versa — because on the contrary everyday problems will continue to be aggravated.

“Months ago the governor and I — after a number of substantive discussions — announced at La Fortaleza that a principal of understanding existed on how to face Puerto Rico’s colonial problem. That is where the legislative measure is headed … If approved, in its fundamental aspects, as it has been ratified, we will be heading towards decolonization,” Berríos said.  

Berríos insisted that resolving the colonial issue is indispensable to face all other immediate problems.

“Those who are opposed to the holding of this consultation, arguing that it’s of priority to deal with everyday problems, what they are really doing is using every problem as an excuse to keep us as a colony, which is what generates these problems. As if it was not as necessary to resolve the colonial problem as to solve every day problems. For the first time in 113 years the people of Puerto Rico will be able to express themselves as a majority against the colonial and territorial condition that exists at this time, opening the doors to decolonization,” Berríos added.

Meanwhile, PIP Vice President María de Lourdes Santiago said that the pro-independence political party will be challenging in court the legislative reform project as soon as lawmakers approve it.

Santiago said that the bill, as is, needs at least three amendments to be made to the Constitution. In addition, the way the measure was designed makes it quite difficult for PIP contenders to become lawmakers.

“Once the legislative reform is approved we will have the opportunity to refute it in court. We had already talked about this when the project was announced because we understand the proposal represents over three amendments being made to the Constitution, as you would have to alter the way in which the Senate and representative districts are composed and the number of lawmakers would also change,” Santiago said.

Decolonization faces 40 % cut in U.N. budget even as the need for implementing the mandate is emphasized

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by

Charice Antonia Rivera

United Nations Correspondent

 Special to Overseas Territories Review

A proposal to cut support for decolonization in the U.N. budget by 40 per cent has raised eyebrows among many delegations of U.N. member states currently considering decolonization issues at the U.N. Fourth Committee. The cuts are contained in the "Proposed programme budget for the biennium 2012-2013" presently under consideration by the U.N.’s budgetary committee  (Fifth Committee). 

The implications of the proposed cuts to the decolonization of the remaining sixteen non self-governing territories were revealed to many surprised delegations in an address to the U.N. Fourth Committee by International Advisor on Governance Dr. Carlyle Corbin.

 In his statement to the committee, Corbin commended the U.N. General Assembly for the adoption of the Third International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism which he hoped would “provide renewed energy in bringing about the decolonization of particularly the small island territories in the Caribbean and Pacific.”

He noted that “since the early 1990s, the (U.N.) has consistently acknowledged the importance of implementing its decolonization resolutions” to promote the self-determination process.

“With most of the important work still to be undertaken, along with any new initiatives, it is of great concern that the present Third International Decade has begun with the recommendation to reduce the resources devoted to the decolonization process, rather than to enhance them,” he stated.

He observed that such a "draconian" cut in the U.N.’s servicing of decolonization “is being proposed even as the membership of the Special Committee on Decolonization continues to increase, and even as additional member states continue to join the Decolonization Committee, and as a number of additional non-independent countries are advocating for re-inscription on the U.N. list of non self-governing territories including  Maohi Nui (French Polynesia) where the national Assembly has adopted a resolution favoring U.N. re-inscription."  He noted that the un-listed territory of Puerto Rico had been seeking U.N. consideration by the General Assembly for years.

“It is clear that such a reduction, from five to three U.N. posts devoted to decolonization, is inconsistent with concerns consistently expressed by many (U.N.) member states for the already insufficient level of human and financial resources presently available to complete the decolonization process,” the governance expert pointed out, “and this is counter to the ongoing strengthening of the U.N. Department of Political Affairs (DPA) ordered by the General Assembly.”  The U.N. Decolonization Unit is located within DPA and may be the only unit where such drastic reductions are being proposed.

Speaking on the present unfinished business of decolonization, Corbin noted in his address that largely due to the dearth of U.N. support, “the process appears at a stalemate (with) most member states, particularly of the Global South, continu(ing) to express welcome support for the principles of self-determination, decolonization and human rights.” On the other hand, he noted, “the main Administering Powers continue to announce, year after year, that the territories under their administration have somehow already arrived at self-government, yet these Administering Powers do not openly engage the international community to justify such claim, preferring to absent themselves from the debate."

"What we have today," he commented in a subsequent interview,  "is a re-statement of position by member states, regional groups and administering powers without any opportunity for real dialogue or interactive discussion where questions could be raised and clarifications made on the true nature of these dependency arrangements." 

Corbin, who previously represented the Virgin Islands Government in the U.N. decolonization process for over twenty years, called for the use of objective self-governance indicators recently designed specifically to assess the level of self-governance in the small island territories, and based on international norms which have established minimum standards for a full measure of self-government. He emphasized that “while each territory should be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, there should be an objective standard against which such a review should be made.”

The unfinished decolonization agenda was outlined in a 2010 Analysis of Implementation of the Decolonization Mandate and presented to the relevant  U.N. committees one year ago. The analysis expressed concern that while the implementation of the decolonization mandate was insufficient, the decolonization budget had remained static from 2002 through 2010 providing no additional assistance to carry out the actions called for by member states as contained in the decolonization resolutions.

The 2010 Analysis appeared to anticipate a reduction in U.N. system support for decolonization with its inclusion of a “Proposed Plan of Action” providing for an Independent Expert mechanism, funded from external sources to conduct critical analyses of the progress and extent of the achievement towards self-government in the small territories.

A review of relevant U.N. documents, however, does not indicate that the proposal was ever given due consideration by the U.N. Decolonization Committee at its 2010 or 2011 session. A similar recommendation had been made in 2005 by the chair of the U.N. Decolonization Committee, but this was deferred because of a lack of resources, even as independent experts are not funded from the U.N. system. 

So if the current level of support has not been sufficient to undertake the required actions adopted by the U.N. General Assembly to move the decolonization process forward, a forty per cent reduction in the already inadequate resources for decolonization could only signal an attempt to further diminish the U.N. role in the decolonization process of the remaining territories. Score one for the administering powers whose constant pressure on the U.N. system to abandon decolonization and other objectionable issues appears to be bearing fruit. 

Can the next steps be the de-listing of territories, solely on the statement of the  administering powers, without regard for the non self-governing status of the territories? 

Will the adoption of decolonization resolutions continue annually without an adequate assessment of whether the resolutions of the previous year have been implemented? 

Will the stated support for the decolonization process articulated by the Non Aligned Movement, whose membership largely benefited from U.N. support for a successful process, translate into fundamental action to restore the resources for decolonization, and to sponsor a real effort to implement the decolonization mandate?

Or, are the remaining non self-governing territories, listed and otherwise, being abandoned by the United Nations, or as it is said, are they being “thrown under the bus?”

IMF issues report on Curacao and Sint Marten

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Curacao and Sint Maarten 2011 Article IV Consultation Discussions

Preliminary Conclusions

September 19, 2011

 

The two newly-autonomous countries face substantial challenges, requiring sustained efforts over the near and medium term. Economic growth has been low, unemployment remains high, and population aging pressures are becoming significant. The current account deficit has widened to worrisome levels, primarily reflecting low competitiveness, rapid credit growth, and inadequate pass-through of increases in international food and oil prices to consumer prices. Strong measures will be needed to facilitate external adjustment. Credit growth should be reduced to help cool domestic demand pressures. Strong fiscal efforts are required to address pressures related to aging and institutional build-up, and to support external adjustment. Deep structural reforms are also needed to increase wage and price flexibility and competitiveness, and to improve the business environment.

Read full text of the IMF Report here.

Wiklileaks revealed that British informed U.S. in advance of Turks & Caicos constitutional suspension

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Turks and Caicos Sun

Former Governor Gordon Wetherell was certain about constitution suspension long before it was announced.

For at least three months before the Constitution of the Turks and Caicos Islands was suspended, former Governor Gordon Wetherell told officials at the US Embassy in The Bahamas that was “certain” about direct rule being imposed on this country.

That’s according to a US Embassy cable that was created on June 13th, 2009 and released by WikiLeaks  on August 30,2011. The cable said Wetherell acknowledged to the US Ambassador  that the relationship between former Governor Richard Tauwhare and former Premier Michael Misick was “uncomfortably close”. 

Commenting on the suspension of the Constitution which actually took place on August 14, 2009, the US Embassy cable stated:  “Gordon Wetherell, Britain's new governor of the tiny Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) British Overseas Territory just to the south of The Bahamas, told Embassy Nassau Charge that he is certain that the final report from a Commission of Inquiry into gross mismanagement by ex-Premier Michael Misick - due to be made public in the next few weeks - will cause London to suspend TCI's constitution and its elected House of Assembly,” the cable said.

Wetherell admitted that the suspension of local elected government is a harsh but necessary step toward rectifying years of financial mismanagement the by the Misick administration.  In a separate conversation May 29 with Embassy London Poloff, an FCO officer who covers TCI issues observed that "the situation has not improved" in TCI since the issuance of the interim report.  The FCO officer affirmed that the final report should be complete soon, that HMG would spend a few weeks "digesting" the report, and would "almost certainly" suspend the constitution and take steps to introduce direct British rule.”

The cable also noted that former Premier Michael Misick “launched a bitter tirade on a radio show May 5 that blasted Wetherell personally as an arrogant dictator and called for TCI independence as the only way to stop the suspension of local government and save TCI from losing its "sovereignty." 

The cable said that Misick charged that the proposed suspension of the constitution contravened the EU Convention on Human Rights, but according to Wetherell and local press the UK has withdrawn its commitment to the section of the Convention which guaranteed the territory's right to self-determination, making the point moot. 

The cable stated that Galmo Williams, who became Premier on March 25, traveled to the UK May 17 for a last ditch direct appeal to London, met with members of the House of Lords as well as FCO Under-Secretary Gillian Merron, who has responsibility for Overseas Territories. 

“Williams presented actions already being taken by his fledgling government to address recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry's interim report, such as a Code of Conduct for government officials and beefing up laws on apportioning Crown lands.  He also explored whether Britain would consider becoming financially responsible for the TCI.  Failing to secure an audience with Prime Minister Gordon Brown or Opposition leader David Cameron, Williams returned with little to show for his effort,” the cable added.

According to the cable, speaking with the Charge just before his trip to London, Premier Williams warned that Governor Wetherell's plan to appoint consultative bodies to act as counsels instead of the House of Assembly would be a fiasco. 

Wetherell separately confirmed to the Charge that he was compiling a "representative list" of TCI locals, known as Belongers, which would include "every element" of TCI society.  These would include Belongers of Haitian descent, a highly sensitive issue in a territory of 30,000 of whom half are estimated to be illegal Haitian migrants (non-Belongers).  

Williams acknowledged that the suspension of local governance currently had strong support among some Belongers but cautioned that the 17,000 Belongers were all interrelated and resentment against UK rule would build rapidly, particularly as the cost of returning TCI to financial soundness began to bite amidst the economic pain of the global recession already affecting the islands.    

The cable said Premier Williams passionately argued that the British bear some responsibility for TCI's mess.  He pointed out that  Governor Tauwhare, who left under a cloud last July, sat in on cabinet meetings and "signed off" on budgets, investment decisions and disposition of Crown lands. 

The cable also added that Wetherell insisted to the Charge that the UK would not repeat the mistake of being too soft on TCI, a reference to what he characterized as London's lenient approach when it was forced to intervene against former Chief Minister Norman Saunders' government after Saunders was arrested in Miami on drug charges in 1985.

After serving time in the U.S., Saunders returned to a hero's welcome and is currently a sitting member of the Assembly. Wetherell noted that trial by jury would be suspended when UK rule took effect because the pool of jurors was too small for the expected criminal prosecutions against senior TCI officials. Premier Williams seemed to unintentionally support Wetherell's comments when he told the Charge that any prosecutions would inevitably hit leaders of powerful local families, which "in a short time" would alienate many Belongers.   

The cable added that Williams predicted that Wetherell would likely seek to change the deep- seated patronage system in TCI under the "guise" of good governance measures.  Williams pointed out that the opposition People's Democratic Party (PDM) was already divided over the constitutional suspension, an indicator of the fragility of the UK's position.   

“The point on the fractured nature of TCI's political leadership was reinforced by former Bahamian Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell.  Mitchell, shadow foreign affairs leader for the Bahamian opposition party, recently led a delegation to TCI that wanted to explore ways to rally CARICOM against London resuming direct rule. Mitchell told the Charge that they found surprising ambivalence among TCI government officials and that the opposition PDM refused even to meet with the Bahamian delegation.  Mitchell said that this explained the lack of serious Caribbean-wide efforts, at least for now, against the resumption of direct UK rule,” the cable continued.

GUADELOUPE TO HOST CARIBBEAN WATER TALKS

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By: "Bevan Springer"

bevdread@msn.com

 Guadeloupe will host the 20th Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA) conference and exhibition which opens this Sunday, October 2 in the resort town of Gosier. Representatives from more than 45 countries will descend on the French Caribbean island department from October 2 to 7 to participate in CWWA's annual meeting as well as the 10th "The Water Days" in Guadeloupe to be jointly held at the new Gosier Sports Centre. 

This combined event will reinforce Caribbean links, promote the sharing of expertise and consolidate partnership agreements between the nations of the region in the water, sanitation and waste management sectors. Organized by Syndicat Intercommunal d'Alimentation en Eau et d'Assainissement de la Guadeloupe (Guadeloupe' s Inter-Urban District Union of Water Supply and Sanitation) in partnership with Syndicat Intercommunal du Centre et du Sud de la Martinique (Inter-Urban District Union of Central and Southern Martinique) and Communauté de Communes du Centre Littoral de Guyane (French Guyanese Community of Municipalities for the Central Coast), there will also be participants from the United States, Canada, Latin America and Europe, as well as from countries and territories in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific. 

Legislative procedures and regulations in the field of water sanitation and waste management, the state of networks in the Caribbean region, and the financial management of waste and the recovery of rain water will be among the principal themes to be debated under the title "Caribbean Cooperation: The Future of Water and Waste Management in the Region". Schoolchildren and university students will take part in both academic and recreational elements of the event in partnership with Université des Antilles et de la Guyane (UAD), while there will also be discussions to prepare a united Caribbean presentation for the 6th World Water Forum to be held in Marseilles, France from March 12 to 17, 2012. For further information, visit www.cwwa2011. com.

Will Obama review denial of Marcus Garvey pardon?

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by Calvin G. Brown

CARICOM News Network

 That Marcus Garvey pardon fiasco could cost Obama dearly

As US President Barak Obama contemplates a possible review of his ill fated decision not to posthumously grant a pardon to Jamaica's National Hero Marcus Mosiah Garvey, the following Jamaican proverb comes to mind: "“the same knife dat stick sheep will also stick goat.

Indeed, if the jihadist Tea Party faction of the Republican Party is allowed to have its way, President Obama will not have as much as a snowball’s chance in hell to be re-elected. According to Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, his primary goal is to make Obama a one term President. Clearly, the power structure is afraid that given a level playing field, Obama will succeed.

Hence in order to stop him, it is necessary to starve him of additional stimulus money to create jobs; encourage big business like Kotch Industries to withhold spending that would create well needed jobs; give Obama ownership of all that is wrong in the United States including a fragile economy fuelled by billions wasted on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; give him ownership of the Wall Street melt down; give him ownership of the Bush tax cuts for the rich that were never funded and represents one of the biggest addition to the national debt; and finally, to block any meaningful legislation that would assist Obama in helping the poor and downtrodden in the United States.

Like Marcus Garvey, Obama has tremendous capacity to mobilize people by way of his oratorical and organizational skills, and the only way to defeat him is to fraudulently give him ownership of an economy destroyed by Republicans. There is no doubt that racism is alive and well in the hallowed halls of the United States Congress and Senate.

On Monday the 28th of August, Barak Obama, the first Black president of the United States, will deliver the dedication speech celebrating the unveiling of a national memorial in honour of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. near the place on the National Mall in Washington DC where he made his famous "I have a dream" speech on 28 Aug 1963 which drew some 200,000 civil rights activists to the Mall.

The Dedication and the events surrounding this historic weekend promise to honor one of mankind’s most inspirational leaders, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The memorial will honour Dr. King for his contribution to the breakdown of American racism. He led marches and protests throughout the segregated south, preached non-violence in the face of violence and went to jail several times for his actions. He is credited with helping to change the course of US history. The 17-minute speech by King, in which he called for racial equality and an end to discrimination, is regarded as a defining moment of the American Civil Rights Movement.

King, however, stood on the shoulders of those who came before him, and fought the injustices of a racist American socio-economic system where people of colour were considered less than human.

One of the giants on whose shoulders he stood, was that of a Jamaican journalist and publisher, Marcus Mosiah Garvey who arrived in the US on March 23, 1916. While there he founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association, and the Communities League (UNIA-ACL), a black nationalist fraternal organization and the Black Star Steamship Line, which promoted the return of the African diaspora to their ancestral lands, the Black Cross Trading and Navigation Company, as well as the Negro Factories Corporation among other organizations.

In the nine short years he spent in the United States, Garvey built the largest mass movement of Black people in United States history. In a society riddled with racial discrimination, lynching and poor housing and unemployment, the masses of Black people were ready for a leader who was aggressive and had a plan to "uplift the race".

It however began to fail after he was convicted of mail fraud and was deported from the U.S. The Black Star Line failed because of purported mismanagement and lack of sufficient funds.

Many believe that fearful of his widening popularity among downtrodden US blacks, Garvey was set up by the J Edgar Hoover-led Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and imprisoned for mail fraud totalling US$25 in June 1923. After spending two years and nine months in an Atlanta Federal Penitentiary, Garvey was deported from New Orleans, Louisiana to Jamaica on a ship.

Today, from the Halls of Montezuma, across the Isthmus of Panama, through the isles of the Caribbean and the lands of continental Africa to the shores of Tripoli, Marcus Mosiah Garvey remains the most revered Black historical figure to have emanated from the new world.

The news that the Obama Administration has rejected overtures from Jamaicans to officially pardon Garvey posthumously, is disappointing, to say the least. Numerous efforts have been made over the years to have the matter rectified, but to no avail.

As a matter of fact, Former Prime Minister Edward Seaga had asked the late US President, Ronald Reagan to grant a full pardon to Marcus Garvey on the 1923 charge of mail fraud. In addition, from as far back as 1987, a resolution was brought to the US House Subcommittee on Criminal Justice to have Garvey’s name cleared, but the issue seemed to have fallen off the agenda and was never pursued.

Every student of the civil rights movement is acutely aware of the injustice meted out to Garvey as well as the conventional wisdom that he was “railroaded” by J Edgar Hoover because he was getting too powerful as a black leader, but that the only charge that could be trumped up against him was “mail fraud”.

Jamaican born attorney Donavon Parker, whose weekly mails to the White House demanding a pardon for Garvey goaded the Barak Obama administration into making this unfortunate reply, also pointed out that the original transcripts of Garvey's trial cannot be found. "They don't have it. Somebody took it. I was told this by the Jamaican Consul General in Miami, Sandra Grant-Griffiths, who informed me via a letter," Parker said.

It is difficult to believe that Obama had a hand in this patently anal response from The White House Pardon Attorney, Ronald Rodgers who indicated that ‘pardoning Garvey would be a waste of time and resources since Garvey had been dead for ages.’ According to Rodgers, "It is the general policy of the Department of Justice that requests for posthumous pardons for federal offences not be processed for adjudication. The policy is grounded in the belief that the time of the officials involved in the clemency process is better spent on pardon and commutation requests of living persons.”

He said "Many posthumous pardon requests would likely be based on a claim of manifest injustice, and given that decades have passed since the event and the historical record would have to be scoured to objectively and comprehensively investigate such applications, it is the Department's position that the limited resources which are available to process requests for Presidential clemency -- now being submitted in record numbers -- are best dedicated to requests submitted by persons who can truly benefit from a grant of the request," said Rodgers who replied on behalf of Obama who is seeking re-election in 2012.

Garvey has influenced Black leaders from Malcolm X to and Muhamad Ali to Mandela Martin Luther King, and undoubtedly must be considered as a supremely important historical figure not only in US history, but that of Africa and the Caribbean as well. In fact, Young Malcolm used to accompany his father to Garvey's meetings. His father's involvement later cost him his life. Interestingly enough, former New York State Governor David Paterson was also indirectly influenced by the Garvey Movement as his paternal grandmother, Evangeline Rondon Paterson was no less than secretary to Marcus Garvey.

During a trip to Jamaica, Martin Luther King and his wife Coretta Scott King visited the shrine of Marcus Garvey on 20 June 1965 and laid a wreath, “out of respect for a man he said, gave Negroes in the US a sense of dignity, a "sense of personhood, a sense of manhood, a sense of somebodiness".

If Martin Luther King whose monument Obama will dedicate on the 28th of August can realise the importance of Garvey, what is so difficult about him recognizing the fact of the fundamental importance to Jamaicans and people of colour, of posthumously clearing the name of Garvey.

Marcus Mosiah Garvey is not only a National Hero of Jamaica and a folk Hero in many Caribbean and Central American countries, but also a most important forebear of the American civil rights experience. Hence this rejection of an official pardon from quarters out of which one would expect a more reasoned response, represents a supreme blow to the ethos of the continuing movement for equality in the US.

When on the 28th day of August, President Barak Obama rises to dedicate the official monument to the memory of Martin Luther King, the ghost of forebears such as Marcus Garvey will not allow him to forget that he too stands on the shoulders of those who have gone before and have paid the price to enable him, a Black man, to attain the high office of President of the United States of America.

An Executive Pardon is usually reserved to be addressed at the end of a President’s term in office because of the obvious sensitivities involved and the decision is usually final. It cannot be reversed.

Therefore, what’s the rationale in this functionary, Rodgers apparently taking it upon himself to make such an insensitive pronouncement in an election year? Is he secretly working against Obama? In fact, this is a matter that is usually addressed on the recommendation the Attorney General, who, in this case, happens to be Eric Holder who is of Barbadian descent and well versed in the achievements of Marcus Garvey.

What may at first glance seem to be an insignificant and innocuous occurrence, could very well, in the long run, cost candidate Obama very dearly by underestimating the historical value and importance of Marcus Garvey to the black and afro-centric immigrant community in the United States . In an election year, Obama can ill afford any resistance from a traditionally safe, black, Caribbean, African immigrant constituency, which would possibly otherwise unreservedly support his policies.

Let me take this opportunity to congratulate Mr. Donavon Parker for his tremendous efforts and urge every Jamaican, Caribbean, and Black American to write to the White House in continuation of the effort to have The Rt. Hon. Marcus Mosiah Garvey posthumously pardoned by the United States Government.

Malawi presses UN to renew efforts to advance process of decolonization

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Foreign Minister Arthur Peter Mutharika of Malawi

 

27 September 2011 – The United Nations must renew its commitment to ensure that the world’s 16 remaining non-self-governing territories, home collectively to nearly two million people, are able to exercise their right to self-determination, Malawi said today. 

Addressing the final day of the General Assembly’s annual general debate, Malawian Foreign Minister Arthur Peter Mutharika said “the continuation of colonialism in any form is therefore counter-productive to social, economic and cultural development.” 

While Mr. Mutharika paid tribute to the UN’s decolonization efforts, given that almost 750 million people lived in non-self-governing territories when the Organization was founded in 1945, he stressed that “there is still a long way to go. Our task is not finished. The many commitments we have made in the past need to be fulfilled.” 

The 16 territories on the list today are: Western Sahara; Anguilla; Bermuda; British Virgin Islands; Cayman Islands; Falkland Islands (Malvinas); Montserrat; St. Helena; Turks and Caicos Islands; United States Virgin Islands; Gibraltar; American Samoa; Guam; New Caledonia; Pitcairn; and Tokelau. 

Mr. Mutharika noted that the start of the Third International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism, which runs from 2011 to 2021, makes the case for self-determination more urgent than ever. 

But he also commended administering powers which had provided an opportunity for people in their non-self-governing territories to freely choose their destiny.

The Foreign Minister called on the UN’s Special Committee on Decolonization, also known as the Committee of 24, “to pursue genuine dialogue aimed at finding fresh and more creative ways to eradicate colonialism.”

Organization of American States (OAS) Resolution on Security of Small States of the Caribbean

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AG/RES.2619 (XLI-O/11)

SPECIAL SECURITY CONCERNS OF THE SMALL ISLAND STATES

OF THE CARIBBEAN

      THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,


 HAVING SEEN the Annual Report of the Permanent Council to the General Assembly, in particular the section on the matters entrusted to the Committee on Hemispheric Security (AG/doc.5111/10);

RECALLING:

Its resolutions AG/RES. 1886 (XXXII-O/02), AG/RES. 1970 (XXXIII-O/03), AG/RES. 2006 (XXXIV-O/04), AG/RES. 2112 (XXXV-O/05), AG/RES. 2187 (XXXVI-O/06), AG/RES. 2325 (XXXVII-O/07), AG/RES. 2397 (XXXVIII-O/08), and AG/RES. 2485 (XXXIX-O/09) “Special Security Concerns of the Small Island States of the Caribbean”; AG/RES. 1497 (XXVII-O/97), AG/RES. 1567 (XXVIII-O/98), AG/RES. 1640 (XXIX-O/99), and AG/RES. 1802 (XXXI-O/01), “Special Security Concerns of Small Island States”; and AG/RES. 1410 (XXVI-O/96), “Promotion of Security in the Small Island States”;

That the ministers of foreign affairs and heads of delegation recognized, as stated in the Declaration of Bridgetown:  The Multidimensional Approach to Hemispheric Security (Bridgetown, Barbados, June 4, 2002), that the security threats, concerns, and other challenges in the hemispheric context are diverse in nature and multidimensional in scope, and that the traditional concept and approach must be expanded to encompass new and nontraditional threats, which include political, economic, social, health, and environmental aspects;

That, at the Special Conference on Security, held in Mexico City on October 27 and 28, 2003, the member states addressed, in paragraphs 2 and 4 of the Declaration on Security in the Americas, the multidimensional scope of security and the new threats, concerns, and other challenges and, in paragraph 8 of that Declaration, called for “renewed and ongoing attention to, and the development of appropriate instruments and strategies within the Inter-American system to address the special security concerns of small island states as reflected in the Declaration of Kingstown on the Security of Small Island States”; and

That, in the Declaration of Kingstown on the Security of Small Island States, the member states reaffirmed that the political, economic, social, health, and environmental integrity and stability of small island states are integral to the security of the Hemisphere;

REITERATING that the security of small island states has peculiar characteristics which render these states particularly vulnerable and susceptible to risks and threats of a multidimensional and transnational nature, involving political, economic, social, health, environmental, and geographic factors; and that multilateral cooperation is the most effective approach for responding to and managing the threats and concerns of small island states;

MINDFUL of the potentially disastrous impact of acts of terrorism on the stability and security of all states in the Hemisphere, particularly the small and vulnerable island states;

ACKNOWLEDGING that effectively addressing the security threats, concerns and challenges of small island states requires simultaneous efforts to reduce both threats and vulnerabilities;

RECOGNIZING the asymmetry that exists between the institutional capacity of small island states and the volume and scope of transnational organized criminal activity in the region;

AWARE that the small island states remain deeply concerned about the possible threats posed to their economies and maritime environment should a ship transporting substances such as petroleum and potentially dangerous materials, radioactive material, and toxic waste, have an accident or be the target of a terrorist attack while transiting the Caribbean Sea and other sea-lanes of communication in the Hemisphere;

RECOGNIZING the international obligations of member states, particularly obligations of the states parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and relevant instruments of the International Maritime Organization;

UNDERSCORING the importance of sustained dialogue on the multidimensional aspects of security and their impact on the small island states of the Caribbean, in support of ongoing subregional efforts to enhance law enforcement, violence prevention, security cooperation, and disaster mitigation and preparedness;

NOTING WITH SATISFACTION:

The Declaration of Commitment of Port of Spain of the Fifth Summit of the Americas, in which the Heads of State and Government recognized, inter alia, that it is important to address the threats, concerns, and challenges to security in the Hemisphere that are diverse, multidimensional in scope, and impact on the well-being of our citizens; that violence is preventable; and that climate change has adverse effects on all countries of the Hemisphere, in particular, on small island states and countries with low-lying coastal areas;^[1]/

The decisions adopted at the Tenth and Eleventh Regular Sessions of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE) to promote public-private cooperation in the fight against terrorism and to renew hemispheric commitment to enhance cooperation to prevent, combat and eliminate terrorism, as well as the decisions adopted at all previous regular sessions of CICTE that address the special security concerns of small island states; and

The outcomes of the Twelfth Regular Meeting of the Consultative Committee of the Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials (CIFTA);

BEARING IN MIND the decisions adopted at the Thirteenth Special Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), held in Trinidad and Tobago in April 2008, which identified the special security concerns of the region and have been formulated into the security cooperation agenda, instruments, and strategic priorities currently being pursued and implemented in that region;

RECALLING:

Its resolutions AG/RES. 2114 (XXXV-O/05), “Natural Disaster Reduction and Risk Management,” AG/RES. 2184 (XXXVI-O/06), “Natural Disaster Reduction, Risk Management, and Assistance in Natural and Other Disaster Situations,” AG/RES. 2492 (XXXIX-O/09), and AG/RES. (XL-O/10), “Existing Mechanisms for Disaster Prevention and Response and Humanitarian Assistance Among Member States”; and

Its resolution AG/RES. 1 (XXXII-E/06), “Statutes of the Inter-American Defense Board,” which mandates the Inter-American Defense Board (IADB), in carrying out its purpose, to take into account the needs of the smaller states, whose level of vulnerability is greater in the face of traditional threats and of new threats, concerns, and other challenges;

WELCOMING:

The meetings of the permanent committee of the Permanent Council–Committee on Hemispheric Security–held on March 25, 2010 and March 31, 2011 respectively, that addressed the follow-up of the implementation of resolution AG/RES. 2485 (XXXIX-O/09), “Special Security Concerns of the Small Island States of the Caribbean,” and which included expert presentations on CARICOM’s security priorities, among them disaster management and mitigation, violence and crime prevention, the impact of climate change as an ongoing threat to sustainable development, and border control enhancement;

The Second Meeting of National Authorities on Trafficking in Persons, held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from March 25 to 27, 2009;

The renewed Commitment to Public Security in the Americas at the Second Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Public Security (MISPA II) held in Santo Domingo on November 4 and 5, 2009, and the importance of the undertakings therein to the security of small island states;

The convocation of the Third Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Public Security in the Americas (MISPA III), to be held in Trinidad and Tobago on November 17 and 18, 2011, which will focus on the theme of Police Management; and

The actions taken to address the special security concerns of the small island states by the organs, agencies, and entities of the inter-American system and by the General Secretariat, through the Secretariat for Multidimensional Security and the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development; and

NOTING WITH INTEREST the intention of the IADB to address more effectively the special concerns of the small island states, in compliance with Statutes of the IADB, through the formation of a new office of “Small States Issues” to expand, in accordance with its Statutes, cooperation and coordination with regional and subregional organizations on the needs of small island states in the Caribbean,^[2]/

RESOLVES:

1.                   To reemphasize the importance of strengthening and enhancing the hemispheric security agenda of the Organization of American States (OAS) by addressing the multidimensional nature of security as it relates to the special security concerns of the small island states of the Caribbean.

2.                   To instruct the Permanent Council to continue considering the issues which have an impact on the security of small island states, including global climate change, and, to this end, through its Committee on Hemispheric Security (CSH), to evaluate progress made in addressing the security concerns of those states and the development of strategies for the implementation of related General Assembly resolutions.

3.                   To urge all member states that have not already done so to give prompt consideration to ratifying or acceding to, as the case may be, the Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives and Other Related Materials, the Inter-American Convention against Terrorism, and the Inter-American Convention on Transparency in Conventional Weapons Acquisitions (CITAAC), and to adopting all necessary measures for their effective implementation.

4.         To reiterate its request that the General Secretariat, through the Secretariat for Multidimensional Security and the relevant organs, agencies, and entities of the inter-American system and in collaboration with member states, civil society, private sector organizations and relevant multilateral institutions, as appropriate, within their areas of competence and programming:

a.                   Strengthen regional, sub-regional, and national crime management systems, taking into account those initiatives currently being implemented or pursued by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM);

b.                   Enhance border security systems and capacities, including transportation security, at airports, seaports, and border crossing points, and assist border control authorities in the small island states in accessing critical information;

c.                   Strengthen the capacity of small island states to fight money laundering and the illicit trafficking in drugs;

d.                   Strengthen the capacity of small island states to combat the illicit manufacture and trafficking in small arms, light weapons, and ammunition;

e.                   Continue to analyze the causes and effects of violence as it relates to criminal gangs and at-risk youth and other vulnerable populations with a view to identifying best practices and supporting capacity-building initiatives including prevention, social rehabilitation, and reintegration programs aimed at reducing incidences of violence;

f.                    Continue to support the states through the provision of capacity building programs and technical assistance regarding legislation aimed at countering trafficking in persons;

g.                   Promote technical cooperation and institutional capacity-building, in order to strengthen natural and man-made disaster response and mitigation and crisis management capacity in the small island states, including the development of reconstruction capability, training in humanitarian assistance, search and rescue operations, and strengthening of critical infrastructure protection, as well as the security of tourism and recreational facilities and the use of simulation exercises;

h.                   Provide training and technical assistance regarding legislation on counter-terrorism, terrorist financing, cyber-security, and cyber-crime to small island states;

i.                     Improve coordination among the organs, agencies, and entities of the OAS, and with regional and subregional organizations, including the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) and the Regional Security System (RSS), on matters related to the special security concerns of small island states, so as to ensure awareness and avoid duplication in their response to these concerns; and

j.                     Improve coordination and information-sharing among member states on immigration policies, including deportation.

5.         To urge member states and the international community to adopt measures to strengthen international cooperation with a view to complying with security measures on the transportation of radioactive and hazardous materials.

6.         To request that the General Secretariat, through the Secretariat for Multidimensional Security and the relevant organs, agencies, and entities of the inter-American system, keep the Committee on Hemispheric Security duly apprised on the progress made in addressing the special security concerns of the small island states of the Caribbean.

7.                   To request the Permanent Council and the General Secretariat to report to the General Assembly at its forty-second and forty-third regular sessions on the implementation of this resolution, the execution of which shall be subject to the availability of financial resources in the program-budget of the Organization and other resources.

_____________________________________________

1.             During the event, Nicaragua stated its position that it considered the Declaration of the Fifth Summit of the Americas to be unacceptable and insufficient as it failed to address a number of issues of vital importance for the Hemisphere, which are still pending discussion.  Similarly, Nicaragua does not accept the reference to that Declaration in various resolutions adopted by the General Assembly.  Nicaragua insists that the items on the agenda for the General Assembly should be drawn from the discussions and debates of the Heads of State and Government gathered in Trinidad and Tobago.

2.             The Government of Nicaragua has maintained a critical stance towards the IADB, not agreeing that it should be engaged in matters of a military or defense nature in the countries of the hemisphere, or in any other activity that affects the sovereignty of states.

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                [1].         The Government of Nicaragua places on record its express reservation to the Declaration of the Fifth Summit of the Americas, held in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago….

                [2].         Nicaragua respects the sovereign right of the CARICOM member states to create a new office of “Small States Issues” ….

Guam Commission on Decolonization convenes to initiate self-determination process

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 Guam decolonization meeting held 

HAGÅTÑA (Office of the Guam Governor) — Gov. Eddie Calvo last Friday convened the Commission on Decolonization for the first time in about a decade.

Calvo also signed a letter to President Obama announcing the commission’s plans to seek political self-determination.

“Times have changed since the last time this commission met. I suggest we set up various groups within our organization to go out into the community and identify what the needs and wants of the people are today,” Calvo said. “We’ve got to look at the social, political and economic aspects of this initiative and how it will affect us today.”

On the table for discussion were issues such as funding for a delegation to represent Guam at an upcoming United Nations meeting as well as an agenda for an upcoming visit from Dr. Carlyle Corbin, an expert on decolonization.

“We don’t need to look far to understand the degree of success and failure when exploring our options,” Calvo stated. “Whether it’s free association, statehood or independence, the people of Guam really need to come together to think these issues through and ultimately decide what is going to be the best course of action.”

Guam is one of 16 non-self-governing territories identified by the United Nations. UN Resolution No. 1514, signed in 1960, affirms that at all non-self-governing territories have the right to self-determination.

Members of the Commission on Decolonization voted to schedule regular meetings every first and third Friday of the month.

DRAFT AMERICAN DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

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Organization of American States

AG/RES. 2674 (XLI-O/11)

(Adopted at the fourth plenary session, held on June 7, 2011)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

RECALLING resolutions AG/RES. 1022 (XIX-O/89), AG/RES. 1479 (XXVII-O/97), AG/RES. 1549 (XXVIII-O/98), AG/RES. 1610 (XXIX-O/99), AG/RES. 1708 (XXX-O/00), AG/RES. 1780 (XXXI-O/01), AG/RES. 1851 (XXXII-O/02), AG/RES. 1919 (XXXIII-O/03), AG/RES. 2029 (XXXIV-O/04), AG/RES. 2073 (XXXV-O/05), AG/RES. 2234 (XXXVI-O/06), AG/RES. 2294 (XXXVII-O/07), AG/RES. 2368 (XXXVIII-O/08), AG/RES. 2498 (XXXIX-O/09), and AG/RES. 2565 (XL-O/10);

HAVING SEEN the report of the Chair of the Working Group to Prepare the Draft American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples on the activities carried out in 2010-2011 (GT/DADIN/doc.409/11), including the Thirteenth Meeting of Negotiations in the Quest for Points of Consensus, and the report on that meeting (GT/DADIN/doc.406/11);

UNDERSCORING the results of the Thirteenth Meeting of Negotiations in the Quest for Points of Consensus on the Draft American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, held in Washington, D.C., United States of America, from January 18 to 20, 2011, and in particular the concerted efforts of the states parties and the Indigenous Caucus to move forward in their quest for points of consensus;

ACKNOWLEDGING WITH SATISFACTION the outstanding efforts of the Working Group during this period through its Chair; and

RECOGNIZING the importance of contributions to the Specific Fund to Support the Elaboration of the American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which enable effective participation by indigenous representatives in the meetings of negotiation,

RESOLVES: 

1.  To reaffirm the will and the commitment of the OAS member states to the process surrounding the Draft American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People

2.   To renew the mandate of the Working Group to Prepare the Draft American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to continue holding its Meetings of Negotiations in the Quest for Points of Consensus, so as to complete the drafting of the Declaration, on the basis of the “Record of the Current Status of the Draft American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,” hereinafter “Record of the Current Status” (GT/DADIN/doc.334/08 rev. 6), and taking into consideration the “Compendium of Proposals of Negotiations in the Quest for Points of Consensus Held by the Working Group,” issued by the Thirteenth Meeting of Negotiations in the Quest for Points of Consensus (GT/DADIN/doc.255/06 add. 4), and other pertinent documents of the Working Group

3.      To request the Permanent Council to instruct the Working Group to:

a.         Hold up to two three-day Meetings of Negotiations in the Quest for Points of Consensus prior to the  forty-second regular session of the General Assembly;

b.        Convene the Meetings of Negotiations in the Quest for Points of Consensus the Draft American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples three months in advance; and

c.         Take the appropriate measures to ensure the effective participation in these meetings of member states and representatives of the indigenous peoples 

4.                   To invite the member states to conduct consultations or dialogues on the Draft American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples with the respective indigenous peoples. 

5.                   To request the Selection Board of the Specific Fund to continue to work according to the principles of transparency established in the resolution CP/RES. 951 (1691/09) “Specific Fund to Support the Elaboration of the American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.” 

6.                   To thank the member states, permanent observers, and institutions for their valuable contributions to the Specific Fund, which will make it possible to hold the meetings suggested for the period covered by this resolution; and to invite all the states and institutions to continue supporting the purposes of the Fund through their contributions. 

7.                   To request the General Secretariat and the organs, agencies, and entities of the Organization to continue to lend their valuable support to the process of drafting the American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; and to thank them for their ongoing contribution to that process. 

8.                   To request the Permanent Council to report to the General Assembly at its forty-second regular session on the implementation of this resolution, the execution of which shall be subject to the availability of financial resources in the program-budget of the Organization and other resources.

Dutch Caribbean 'public entities' have tax increases reversed

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Bonaire Reporter

Elected officials, at both the island and national level, under pressure from disgruntled citizens influenced government officials to lower taxes in the BES Islands and improve public relations.

(OTR Note: The BES islands are Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba, formerly part of the erstwhile 5-island Netherlands Antilles, and partially integrated 'public entities of the Kingdom of the Netherlands' after 10th October 2010).

The general sales tax (ABB) on all services in Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba will be reduced by 2% on January 1,2012. The import tax on cars in St.Eustatius and Saba will be reduced. Instead of having to pay 25% import duty, people buying cars on these islands now will have to pay 18% on the first $20,000 of value increasing to 30% for vehicles worth more than $30,000.

Several other tax relief measures for the islands will go into effect on October 1 this year. Overall taxes will be reduced by $6 million. Other cuts are being discussed.

On October 1, the tax-free sum and the allowance for children and the elderly all will be increased by five per cent. The 5% increase for children and the elderly will be added to the 5.9% inflation indexing.

Furthermore, the elderly deduction in income and wage tax assessment will be increased from $200 to $1,200. Pension premiums paid by the elderly will be marked as negative income in their tax assessment.

According to preliminary indications, the ABB tax and excises on the three islands for this year have yielded an additional $10 million. The new fiscal regime that went into effect on January 1 this year should yield a total tax revenue of $52 million for the three islands per year, but it turned out to be more.