ST. VINCENT – The United Nations has helped train nearly 90 officials of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) nations on the consolidation and advancement of the rule of law, a top priority of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
The three-day workshop last week in Kingstown in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines brought together 17 men and 69 women serving with their nations’ foreign affairs and justice ministries, as well as judges and attorneys general.
Convened by CARICOM and organized in collaboration with the UN Treaty Section of the Office of Legal Affairs (OLA), the gathering touched on international treaty law, participation in multilateral treaties and how the UN can assist CARICOM nations implement treaties on the domestic level.
Earlier this month, Mr. Ban hailed the cooperation between the UN and CARICOM in tackling the various crises impacting the region and the world at large, including the global financial turmoil and climate change.
“In the current daunting international environment, our partnership is more important than ever,” he said in a message to the heads of government meeting of the regional body in Georgetown, Guyana.
CARICOM nations, the Secretary-General said, which are highly vulnerable to external shocks and among the most indebted in the world, are especially affected by the economic and financial crisis.
