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| Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Maxine McClean said that cultural services provide one of the biggest potentials to improving the economies of the Caribbean. ??Here the Minister and her team from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade meet with UNESCO Consultant, Andrew Senior and Alison Sealy-Smith (left side of the table). (C.Pitt/BGIS)?? |
Cultural services provide one of the biggest potentials to improving the economies of the Caribbean.
This statement was expressed recently by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Maxine McClean during a courtesy call from UNESCO Consultant, Andrew Senior at her Ministry’s headquarters in Culloden Road.
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| Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Maxine McClean welcomes UNESCO Consultant, Andrew Senior to Barbados, while Alison Sealy-Smith looks on. (C.Pitt/BGIS)?? |
Stating that Government flagged the Cultural Industries as a critical sector for development, Minister McClean added that culture was one of seven priority sectors that CARICOM had identified.
According to her, the region had taken this sector so seriously that a Regional Task Force on Cultural Industries was established in 2008 to develop a comprehensive Regional Development Strategy and Action Plan for the Cultural Industries in CARICOM.??
UNESCO Consultant, Mr. Senior, was in Barbados conducting research for a new European Union funded programme aimed at determining what type of technical and economic assistance was needed in 12 undisclosed countries for developing the creative and cultural sectors.??
He said his research showed that the industry was characterised by micro and small businesses "with international persons or agencies looking into see what they could get… and commercial entities did not regard culture in economic terms."
Minister McClean acknowledged that Barbados and CARICOM were small marketplaces that were focusing on building hemispheric relations.??
Furthermore, she noted that with the European Partnership Agreement, Barbados and the region now has increased scope for opportunities within the sector.??