Government

On September 18, 2023, Prime Minister Hon. John Briceño participated in a High-Level Ocean Meeting and Leaders’ Dialogue at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, as a part of the 2023 SDG Summit.

The UK’s OCPP, in collaboration with the Ministry of Blue Economy and Civil Aviation (MBECA) and the Belize Fisheries Department (BFiD), hosted the IUCN in Belize for a transformative five-day workshop focused on Green Listing of marine protected areas (MPAs) as part of Belize’s marine conservation ambitions.

A limitation to increasing trade of fish and fisheries productsin Belize is the restricted capacity of the sector to conduct tests indicating that products do indeed meet international market standards. Funded by the European Union, a key activity of the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures Project is to improve laboratory testing capacity for the fisheries and aquaculture sector in the CARIFORUM Region. As part of this activity, technical assistance has been provided to the Belize Agricultural Health Authority’s (BAHA) Central Investigation Laboratory (CIL) through training, technical guidance, and the provision of equipment. The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) is the executing body, and the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) is a major partner in the implementation of this SPS Action.

A delegation from the United States, comprised of representatives from the Office of the Vice President, U.S. Department of Defense, USAID, and the U.S. Department of State, spent four days in Belize engaged in high-level discussions with Belizean officials aimed at strengthening bilateral ties, enhancing security cooperation, and addressing the climate crisis and critical humanitarian and migration issues.

Elections for five new judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) are expected to occur in November 2023. The ICJ consists of 15 judges, with five members elected in intervals of three years. While this transition is ongoing, oral hearings before the ICJ are slated to resume until February 2024, when the newly elected judges officially take up tenure. The Belize-Guatemala territorial, insular, and maritime dispute case is awaiting its first oral hearing, expected in late spring or the summer of 2024.

While across the country on Sunday, September 10th, Belizeans were celebrating the 225th Anniversary of the Battle of St. George’s Caye, a group of Belizeans headed to the Sarstoon River on the southern border with Guatemala to celebrate the occasion with a flag-raising ceremony. The event was spearheaded by the Belize Territorial Volunteers (BTV), and as on previous occasions, it was interrupted by the Guatemalan armed forces. The BTV said the Guatemalan military personnel removed three Belizean flags planted on Belize’s soil. The Belize Ministry of Foreign Affairs is yet to respond to this latest incident, but the Opposition issued a statement condemning the actions by the Guatemalan military.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Diaspora Relations, the Straughan & Sigler Foundation, Belize Chinese Association and Build Belize Inc. donated medical supplies and equipment to the Ministry of Health & Wellness (MOHW). This collaborative effort is anticipated to significantly enhance the quality of healthcare in Belize. The donation, valued at over BZ$100,000, will be distributed to health facilities throughout the country.

The National Hydrological Service (NHS) in the Ministry of Natural Resources, Petroleum, and Mining hosted a four-day capacity building workshop on groundwater management and well drilling. The training was held from August 29 to September 1, 2023, in the City of Belmopan. The training was funded through the Inter-American Development Bank’s technical Cooperation Grant, which aims to support integrated water resources management in Belize.