Regional Level Activities

Caribbean Policy Development Centre

CAFRA serves on the Board of the Caribbean Policy Development Centre (CPDC) in the position of Vice Chair.

As part of the Caribbean Reference Group on Trade, CAFRA organised a Regional Consultation on the Free Trade Area of the Americas, involving the OECS countries. This Consultation allowed CAFRA to strengthen links with the Leeward Islands, Grenada and St. Lucia.

Organisation of East Caribbean States OECS

The Organisation of East Caribbean States (ECS) invited CAFRA to be part of a planning meeting to share its Development Strategy for the OECS Region. The strategy which was held in St. Lucia from 27-28 July, 2000, focuses on:

 Poverty and Sustainable Development
 Governance and Policy Support Issues
 Disaster Management and Mitigation
 Environment and Natural Resources Development
 Food Security and Nutrition
 Gender Mainstreaming
 Human Resources Development/Capacity Development
 Youth
 HIV/AIDS

OECS Supreme Court

The OECS Supreme Court invited CAFRA to be part of its Planning Team and a Stakeholder in a Project to Research existing Family Law and make recommendations for Reform.

Commonwealth Secretariat

CAFRA was invited to participate in the Meeting of Commonwealth Ministers of Women’s Affairs held in India in April 2000.

ECLAC

CAFRA participated in a General Mainstreaming Workshop sponsored by ECLAC. CAFRA seized the opportunity presented by the attendance of Coordinators of Women’s Bureaus in the region to conduct a Workshop to familiarise them with the proposed Beijing +5 Outcomes Document, and develop a lobbying/negotiating strategy.

UNIFEM

As was done in 1998, UNIFEM subcontracted CAFRA to produce the quarterly Newsletter "Zero Tolerance" which focuses on programmes to eradicate Violence Against Women and Girls.

CARICOM

The CARICOM Secretariat invited CAFRA to participate in the Fourth Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development held in Guyana from 4-6 October, 2000. It was useful for CAFRA to be updated on the CARICOM positions and actions on critical issues of Education, the World Summit on Social Development, Youth development, Free Movement of Skills, CARICOM Passports, Community Awards, and a proposed Civil Society Encounter in the year 2001. CAFRA successfully led an argument for retention of the Triennial Award for Women.

Caribbean Gender and Trade Network

CAFRA is the Secretariat for the Caribbean Gender and Trade Network which was set up following the Grenada seminars on Gender and Trade carried out by UNIFEM, DAWN Caribbean and the Centre of Concern. The work programme would address the areas of Research, Advocacy, and Literacy. The Network is comprised of twenty-two CAFRA focal points in 15 countries, UNIFEM and DAWN Caribbean. It collaborates with the Caribbean Reference Group on Trade comprised of CPDC, WINFA, CIECA (Dominican Republic), PAPDA (Haiti) and the UWI, with outreach to twenty-five NGOs and Governments in fifteen (15) CARICOM countries.