News Releases

Spotlight to Fall on Changes in Contemporary Caribbean-EU Relations at UWI Diplomatic Academy Event

For Release Upon Receipt - June 10, 2022

St. Augustine


ST. AUGUSTINE, Trinidad and Tobago. Friday, June 10 2022 – On June 29th, The University of the West Indies (The UWI) Diplomatic Academy of the Caribbean (DAOC) will provide a virtual forum to promote dialogue on the significance of an emergent and wide-ranging partnership agreement between the European Union (EU) and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS). The webinar, titled ‘The Post-Cotonou EU-OACPS Process: A Caribbean Perspective in Retrospect and Prospect’, is a collaborative initiative. Co-hosted by the DAOC and CARIFORUM Group of Ambassadors in Brussels (CGAB), it is expected to attract high levels of institutional participation both from within and outside of the Caribbean.  

“The Diplomatic Academy’s approach to partnering with a segment of the practitioner community in the formulation and delivery of this webinar exemplifies our overarching commitment to integrating real-world insights into and leveraging Caribbean perspectives as regards the DAOC’s contribution to the advancement of modern diplomacy education through our work as an academic institution,” said DAOC Manager, Dr. Nand C. Bardouille. He noted, “At this historic juncture in OACPS-EU relations and Caribbean-EU relations, this webinar addresses a range of topical, policy-relevant issues in which DAOC constituents have a stake. It gives a much-needed boost to efforts to expand associated policy debate following the formal end of negotiations for the so-called post-Cotonou Agreement, which—like its predecessor—occupies a central place in and is a cornerstone of the Caribbean’s international relations.”  

A distinguished panel of experts and officials, as follows, will drive this timely webinar:

- Mr. Junior Lodge, Independent trade and development expert

- Mr. Morgan Karinge Githinji, Expert - External Relations, Governance and Protocol, OACPS Secretariat

- Mr. Stefano Manservisi, Professor, EUI School of Transnational Governance and former Director-General DEVCO, European Commission

- Mr. Percival Marie, former Director-General, CARIFORUM

- Ambassador Dr. Patrick I. Gomes, retired Ambassador of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana to the Kingdom of Belgium and the European Union and former Secretary-General of the ACP Group of States

In keeping with the broad theme of this interactive webinar, which will be held just over one year since the OACPS and EU clinched the new partnership agreement, the panelists have been tasked to lend perspectives on aspects of continuity and change in the remaking of the partnership paradigm in relation to the post-Cotonou EU-OACPS process. In this regard, special focus would be given to a Caribbean perspective. In the context of scheduled question and answer sessions on the webinar’s agenda, facilitated by the moderator, registered participants will have the opportunity to interact with the panelists.  

For further details on the theme of this event, please refer to the webinar Concept Note.

To register for this webinar, which falls under the DAOC’s Webinar Series, please refer to the registration link.  

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About the Diplomatic Academy of the Caribbean (DAOC) 

The DAOC is the Caribbean's premier professional development-oriented diplomatic studies centre. An integral part of The University of the West Indies' (UWI) Institute of International Relations (IIR), it was established in 2014. The DAOC has a primary teaching mandate in the area of diplomatic studies, offering short, highly specialized training modules in the broad field of diplomatic studies. For Caribbean professionals seeking to expand their capabilities to advance an international career, the DAOC is a trusted educational partner. Combining a world-class suite of curricular offerings, which align with topical policy and learning trends, with a programme of advocacy and partnerships regarding the relationship between diplomacy and the Caribbean, the Diplomatic Academy provides a unique setting for stakeholders to deepen diplomatic skills/knowledge and enhance policy expertise. 

The DAOC has yielded substantial and complementary benefit to the IIR, which was established in 1966 by agreement between the Government of Trinidad and Tobago and the Government of Switzerland. 

Integral to the DAOC's mission is its commitment to help close human resources capacity gaps in international affairs and diplomacy in the Caribbean, by providing capacity-building and skills development training in diplomacy to up and coming diplomats and to aspiring diplomats from the Caribbean Region. This diplomatic learning and training facility also strengthens the University's capacities for research/analysis, knowledge‐sharing, advocacy, and partnerships and dialogue on the relationship between diplomacy and the Caribbean broadly conceived, with the goal of helping to facilitate policy-relevant awareness-raising on international affairs issues of import (and that are topical) to the Region. 

The Diplomatic Academy derives its character from its global outlook, real-world impact and Caribbean mindedness which, in sum, constitute The DAOC Advantage™. For more information, please visit:  https://sta.uwi.edu/daoc. 

About The University of the West Indies 

The UWI has been and continues to be a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development; residing at the centre of all efforts to improve the well-being of people across the region. 

From a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948, The UWI is today an internationally respected, global university with near 50,000 students and five campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda and its Open Campus, and 10 global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe. 

The UWI offers over 800 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, and Sport. As the Caribbean’s leading university, it possesses the largest pool of Caribbean intellect and expertise committed to confronting the critical issues of our region and wider world. 

The UWI has been consistently ranked among the top universities globally by the most reputable ranking agency, Times Higher Education (THE). In the latest World University Rankings 2022, released in September 2021, The UWI moved up an impressive 94 places from last year. In the current global field of some 30,000 universities and elite research institutes, The UWI stands among the top 1.5%. 

The UWI is the only Caribbean-based university to make the prestigious lists since its debut in the rankings in 2018. In addition to its leading position in the Caribbean, it is also in the top 20 for Latin America and the Caribbean and the top 100 global Golden Age universities (between 50 and 80 years old).  The UWI is also featured among the leading universities on THE’s Impact Rankings for its response to the world’s biggest concerns, outlined in the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Good Health and Wellbeing; Gender Equality and Climate Action. 

For more, visit www.uwi.edu. 

(Please note that the proper name of the university is The University of the West Indies, inclusive of “The”)

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