News Releases

4 CARICOM Member States Strengthen Capacity in Consular Affairs with UWI Diplomatic Academy Training

For Release Upon Receipt - June 18, 2025

St. Augustine


ST. AUGUSTINE, Trinidad and Tobago. Wednesday 18th June 2025 – "Let us embrace the future with optimism and determination as we strive to promote at all times the interest and welfare of our nationals in our respective jurisdictions while balancing the interests of the government, principles of Customary International Law, Article 5 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (VCCR) and main international human rights and migration protection agreements." Mr. Kurt Mc.B Haynes, JP, Vice Consul-General, Consulate-General of Barbados at Toronto, issued this clarion call to action to his fellow graduates of the recently held Diplomatic Academy of the Caribbean (DAOC) training module on Advances in Consular Affairs in the Modern Diplomatic Mission: A Caribbean Perspective.

A total of twenty-eight (28) mainly consular professionals successfully read for this module, which The UWI Institute of International Relations' (IIR) DAOC delivered virtually from June 9th to 12th. The cohort hailed from The Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada and St. Kitts and Nevis with one graduate serving as a consular official at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Trinidad and Tobago.  

In recognition of their academic achievement, members of the cohort were conferred with DAOC certificates of training at the module's closing ceremony on June 12th. This virtual event featured His Excellency Franz Hall, Ambassador of Jamaica to the Republic of Cuba and the Dominican Republic, whose remarks reinforced module-related learning.   

Ambassador Hall emphasized, "In international relations, there are generally three broad streams — multilateral diplomacy, bilateral diplomacy and consular affairs. If one looks at the range of issues in international relations, one could easily categorize them under one of these headings, except for Protocol, which is the ecosystem in which international relations exist." 

He also noted, "The most curious thing I have gleaned in my career is that consular affairs is often seen as the least favourable area for 'serious' practitioners of international relations. This, I believe, is unjustified, as consular matters speak to the human condition, which lies at the heart of international relations. Consular affairs are about people — it is about attending to matters affecting lives and often requiring immediate responses if not resolution." 

"This virtual training, the fourth edition of the module under reference, was informed by a state of the art conceptual and real-world oriented learning framework at the intersection of consular affairs and migration governance matters, highlighting the second Donald Trump Administration's immigration policies," stated the DAOC's Manager Dr. Nand C. Bardouille. 

For the better part of three days, the module covered the foundations of the consular function with an eye to the VCCR. The training segued from this focus into its migration-related pillar by way of an experts-based roundtable held on June 11th. The highlight of this panel was the presentation delivered by the module's co-facilitator, Dr. Natalie Dietrich Jones, whose session was titled 'Nationalism(s) and the Global Governance of Migration: The Enduring Relevance of the VCCR'.     

Dr. Dietrich Jones, a Research Fellow at the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES), The UWI Mona, specializing in migration, governance and border geographies, taught the final day of the module, which spotlighted a cross-section of migration governance matters.  

The Lead Facilitator Ms. Gail P. Guy, a retired Diplomat and Protocol Consultant who taught the first part of the module, articulated that: "This cohort was enthusiastic and highly engaged. At the end of the programme, I sensed that the module graduates could not wait to be back on the job to apply the knowledge that they were exposed to over the four days of training." 

The Acting IIR Director, Dr. Dave Seerattan, who delivered remarks during the module's Opening Ceremony, noted: "Immigration policy globally is now one of the most important political issues facing the international community. One of the main factors affecting immigration is that international security and cultural integration issues have heightened geopolitical tensions, resulting in tougher border regimes and enhanced integration conditionalities. Anti-immigration sentiment has therefore become an important political and socio-economic force across multiple jurisdictions, particularly in the Global North." 

Dr. Seerattan concluded that "the challenges facing immigration are multifaceted and structural," constituting issues that will confront diplomacy and international relations for the foreseeable future. In this regard, he indicated that the captioned DAOC training module was "very timely."     

 Mr. Haynes added: "As we move forward, I am confident that the knowledge and networks gained by this cohort will enhance our individual abilities to navigate the evolving diplomatic landscape and the multifaceted world of Consular Affairs."  

END 

About the Diplomatic Academy of the Caribbean 

The DAOC is the Caribbean's premier professional development-oriented diplomatic studies centre. An integral part of The University of the West Indies’ 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 University of the West Indies (The UWI) is the Caribbean’s premier higher education institution and one of only two regional universities in the world. With five campuses across the English-speaking Caribbean and global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe, The UWI continues to be a beacon of academic excellence, research innovation, and societal impact. Consistently ranked among the world’s best by Times Higher Education (THE), The UWI is a global leader in addressing critical challenges, including climate change, sustainability, and development. 

As The UWI St. Augustine Campus celebrates its 65th anniversary in 2025 under the theme Beyond 65: From the Caribbean, For the World, it pays tribute to its Caribbean roots while highlighting its contributions to solving global challenges. This milestone underscores the campus's significant role in producing ground-breaking research and fostering talent that transcends regional boundaries to shape a better world. The UWI St. Augustine’s researchers, academics, and graduates continue to make an international impact, exemplifying the university’s mission to serve the region while influencing the world. 

Learn more at www.uwi.edu 

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