Tag:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Foreign Trade and Immigration
Government
Belize Participates in Regional Workshop on Migrant Workers’ Rights
Belize participated in a regional workshop hosted by the Regional Conference on Migration (RCM), in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), in Panama City on June 28 and 29. The delegation included Mr. Valentino Shal, Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Rural Transformation, Community Development, Labour, and Local Government; Mrs. Rissela Dominguez-Patt, Labour Commissioner; Mrs. Aida Reyes, Senior Labour Officer; and Ms. Lorine Pott, Port Commander, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Immigration.
Government
Belize Deposits Instrument of Acceptance for WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies
On June 16, 2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, and Immigration through H.E. Dr. Gianni Avila, submitted Belize's instrument of acceptance of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, making Belize the first Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Central American Integration System (SICA) country to take this significant step towards sustainable fisheries practices at the multilateral level.
Government
Belize and Taiwan Host Award Ceremony for “Women Who Boss” Competition
On May 8, 2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Immigration and the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) held an award ceremony for the winners of the MSME Women Economic Empowerment Competition: WOMEN WHO BOSS. The competition was held under the “Enhancing the Economic Empowerment of Women in Latin America and the Caribbean in the COVID-19 Post-Pandemic Era: Technical Assistance for Women Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Financial Inclusion” project.
Government
Belize Receives Hurricane Lisa Relief Funds from the Republic of Lithuania
As part of the ongoing efforts by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Immigration to engage with its bilateral and multilateral partners in securing Hurricane Lisa relief, Belize received a cheque for the equivalent of 20,000 Euros from the people and Government of Lithuania on January 19, 2023.
Government
GOB launches electronic passport system
On Monday, October 24th, the Government of Belize (GOB), through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, and Immigration, launched the Electronic Passport Issuance and Control System (EPICS) and E-Passports. This upgrade in the immigration department is to end required visits to the main offices in Belmopan, where applicants often stand in line for hours. The system will also address the issue of backlogs delaying the issuance of passports. The new passport application process is moving almost entirely online, requiring one visit to the data capture site and another to the issuance center to pick up the passport.
Business & Economy
25 Caye Caulker residents’ complete sea salt production and seaweed farming training
On Wednesday, January 26th, a group of 25 Hicaqueños celebrated their completion of a diversification training, helping them with the skills to utilize the island’s resources for sustainable livelihoods such as the production of sea salt and seaweed cultivation. The program was made possible through the Ministry of the Blue Economy and Caye Caulker’s Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA) chapter.
Government
Venezuelan “asylum seekers” escape shelter assigned by UNHCR
A group of eight Venezuelan nationals who reportedly were seeking refugee status in Belize are missing and believed to have escaped to Mexico. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Belize assisted them when in captivity. They were among 38 persons deemed inadmissible into Belize on January 18th after arriving at the Philip Goldson International Airport from Panama. Belize’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, and Immigration registry have expressed dissatisfaction with the handling of the situation.
Government
Ministry to Implement New ePassports
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, and Immigration hereby informs of the transition from the design phase of the new ePassports to the process phase of the new Electronic Passport Issuance and Control System (ePICS).
