(S) BRIDGETOWN GUIDANCE RELATED TO RESETTLEMENT

S E C R E T BRIDGETOWN 000586

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/24/2018
TAGS: PHUM PTER PREL PINR
SUBJECT: (S) BRIDGETOWN GUIDANCE RELATED TO RESETTLEMENT
OF GTMO UIGHURS

REF: SECSTATE 101742

Classified By: AMBASSADOR MARY OURISMAN, REASONS 1.4 (b,d)


1. (S) In response to reftel guidance request, in the event
that the government of St. Lucia could be persuaded to accept
GTMO Uighurs, Embassy Bridgetown recommends proposing to the
GOSL a set of technical assistance activities totaling $10.5
million as outlined below. We note, however, that even
though St. Lucia currently recognizes Taiwan, it is unlikely
to risk a future relationship with China for any short-term
benefits, given China's rumored regional role as political
party financier and its recognized role as major donor for
infrastructure projects in the region. We would further
caution that, since St. Lucia and its neighbors have porous
borders, weak law enforcement infrastructure, and
well-established drug smuggling routes to the U.S., it is
entirely possible that any former GTMO detainees sent to St.
Lucia could find their way to the U.S. with relatively little
difficulty.


2. (SBU) With that in mind, we would propose the following
programs that are consistent with the Foreign Assistance
Strategic Framework for achieving transformational diplomacy,
well within USAID/Eastern Caribbean's management capability,
and congruent with the development interests of the
Government of St. Lucia. With the exception of the proposed
activity associated with health, all of these suggested
projects are currently underway and could be expanded to have
a greater impact in St. Lucia. Some projects will be
terminating during 2009 due to reduced funding or planned
contract termination, but with an injection of new money
these projects could continue and expand. Another USAID
project is being planned for only two islands (due to very
limited funds) and could be expanded to include St. Lucia.
In almost every case, adding St. Lucia to current or imminent
projects, or extending the life of projects currently
underway in St. Lucia would require minimal USAID contract
and budget modification. Only the proposed public health
project would require front-end time for design and
contracting action.


3. (SBU) Begin Proposal:


A. Caribbean Centers for Excellence Teacher Training Program
(C-CETT)

The Caribbean Centers of Excellence for Teacher Training
(C-CETT) program is a response to the problem of illiteracy
in eight English-speaking Caribbean countries. A 2002
Presidential Initiative, the program is funded by USAID and
offers training and follow-up support to teachers, with a
view to making them better Reading Instructors. By
improving the quality of education in the region and
increasing children's reading capabilities, this program
helps to equip individuals with the skills and knowledge to
participate fully in the competitive global economy. The
C-CETT program is being implemented in several primary
schools in St. Lucia in addition to seven other Caribbean
countries. The program has been highly successful in the
region. The recommendation therefore is to increase the
program's support to St. Lucia by including all St. Lucian
primary schools under the program, as is being done in
Dominica - a "deliverable" from the June 2007 U.S.-CARICOM
Conference. Benefits to be derived include:

-- Improvement in teaching to support the development of
children's vocabulary.

-- Access to a set of common Primary School Standards For
Reading and Writing, agreed upon by all twelve countries in
the English-speaking Caribbean covering Grades 1-6.

-- The development of a public-private partnership which
would contribute to the establishment of long-term
sustainability of the program.

Project Status: CETT is scheduled to terminate in Fiscal Year

2009. Additional funding would allow the continuation and
expansion of CETT in St. Lucia for a two to three year
period. CETT is implemented by the University of the West
Indies and the Caribbean Joint Board of Teacher Colleges.
Expansion of this effort in St. Lucia would require minimal
contracting actions with these organizations.

Program Budget: $1,000,000


B. Caribbean Youth Employability Program (CYEP)

The CYEP program (Entra 21) is a new pilot project that will
target low-income and unemployed youth through the provision
of short and effective job training and placement services
that ensure they are equipped with the necessary skills to

facilitate their transition to the world of work, as well as
to be recognized in their communities as positive change
agents. The program will be implemented by the International
Youth Foundation (IYF) in partnership with local partners in
Antigua and Barbuda and Grenada. The proposal would be to
expand it into St. Lucia. The program works primarily with
male and female school-leavers (ages 17-25) who are currently
unemployed or vulnerable and either lack the skills to
participate in the increasingly service-oriented economy or
are unable to successfully initiate and sustain small
business enterprises. The proposed St. Lucia component of
the program would target 800 young persons and take them
through the relevant processes to become a part of the
growing economy.

Project Status: International Youth Foundation specialists
will be visiting our Mission in October to work with USAID
and with Grenada and Antigua partners to begin implementing
this new project. Additional funds could easily be added to
this new project to include St. Lucia.

Program Budget: $1,000,000


C. Caribbean Trade Expansion Project (CTEP)

USAID/Barbados is implementing an agricultural trade
expansion project for non-traditional specialty products by
small farmers in the Dominica and St. Lucia. The project
provides technical assistance to participating farmers that
helps to improve the variety and volume of agricultural
specialty crops for exports to North American markets.
Specialty products developed include dasheen, hot pepper,
breadfruit, tannias and okras. At the end of year two, the
project has realized significant successes in its current two
islands:

-- Works with over 370 farmers with $250,000 in total revenue
realized from exports

-- Project impact on the small farming sector - multiplier
effect 7:1

-- Market contracts signed with US importers valued at $1.7
million

-- Monthly farm income has increased: St. Lucia, 16 percent;
Dominica, 20 percent

Opportunities for Expanded Activities:

-- Increased level of St. Lucia farmer participation: The
number of small farmers contracted by the program can be
significantly increased from 100 to 400 to cover not only the
south of the island but all of St. Lucia.

-- Increased exports and use of technology: Upgrading
agricultural technology currently used in the sector, for
example through increased use of greenhouses to improve
quality and quantity of export-quality peppers, etc.

-- Partnership with regional agricultural institute: The St.
Lucia-based Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development
Institute (CARDI) provide training, cost-share project
support, and technical assistance in post-harvest technology
and agribusiness investment profiles. Increased funding would
allow CARDI to expand such partnership activities.
-- Training: The project trains farmers in technology
transfer; export know-how; post-harvest handling,
export-out-turn and value chain management; pesticide safety;
best management practices; food safety; and other relevant
topics.
-- Grant support: A micro-enterprise loan fund would assist
participating farmers to expand their operations. Funds can
be for in-field support, irrigation supplies, bulking of
planning material, purchasing of certain inputs, and the
resuscitation of breadfruit trees. After Hurricane Dean a
small fund was started, which could be extended and should
take the form of grant/loan packages to assist farmers to
reach production volumes needed once contracts are in place.
Project Status: This activity is scheduled to continue until
September 2009. With additional funding its continuation and
expansion in St. Lucia could be easily accommodated through
the current contractual arrangement with the North-South
Institute of Florida, the project implementer.
Program Budget: $1,000,000

D. Caribbean Open Trade Support (COTS) Program

USAID/Eastern Caribbean has been implementing the Caribbean
Open Trade Support Program for the past three years with the
goal of facilitating the transition of OECS countries to open
trade and enabling them to compete more successfully in the
global economy while protecting their rich natural assets.
COTS has suffered severe budget cutbacks from Washington
E

during this timeframe, negatively affecting its ability to
serve all OECS countries equally. The original focus was on
Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda, with St. Kitts and Nevis
and then St. Lucia planned to receive full assistance.
Recurring budget shortfalls have forced COTS to give less
support to St. Lucia than either USAID or the Government and
private sector of St. Lucia intended or desired, so
additional funding would allow the full positive impact of
COTS to be felt in St. Lucia where planned activities have
forced to be curtailed.
Options for expanded/continued activities:
-- Private Sector Development: The "Doing Business"
component seeks to achieve growth in sales, investment, and
employment OECS business communities by increasing
competitiveness at both the firm and policy levels. Types of
firms assisted include agriculture, agro-processing,
construction, business services, hospitality, financial
services, garment construction, quarrying, medical services,
data processing, ICT, and adventure tourism enterprises.
-- Business Alliance: Technical assistance to business
alliances is provided in the form of economic/trade policy
analysts who develop position papers to assist the
public-private sector dialogue to enhance the business
sector's access to market opportunities.

-- Investment Business Climate Reforms: Under this component
COTS has begun to extend firm-level assistance to St. Lucia
by establishing a new Business Development Unit in
collaboration with the St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce and
Agriculture.
-- Public-Private Sector Interaction: COTS will continue to
take advantage of every opportunity to foster public-private
partnerships. As an example, a key activity to be implemented
is the establishment of a Single Window for Trade and
Investment facilitation in both St. Lucia. Such a system
would be established through the formation of public-private
partnership firms in each country. Additionally, work in
trade facilitation through the improvement of Customs and
Excise Department includes an active consultation process
with the private sector to ensure the necessary buy-in for
the reforms.

-- Improving the Business Climate through the establishment
of Investment Promotion agencies: COTS' principal activities
focused on supporting the governments in their efforts to
reduce barriers to increased investment inflows and local
private sector development. Such an Agency would enhance St.
Lucia's investment profile.

Project Status: The contract with the COTS implementing
partner Chemonics is scheduled to terminate in September

2009. With additional funding USAID would amend the contract
with Chemonics to allow for a two year continuation and
expansion of its trade-related program in St. Lucia.

Program Budget: $4,500,000

E. Public Health

Over the past several years Washington programming
constraints have required that USAID's health program focus
exclusively on enhancing the region's ability to respond to
the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Even so, our ability to reach all
OECS countries equally has been limited. USAID will continue
its current efforts to develop capacity to plan, manage and
implement programs while supporting a comprehensive strategy
to combat the HIV/AIDS threat in the region by extending the
existing strategy to be more holistic in its scope. The
availability of additional resources which are not earmarked
specifically HIV/AIDS programming would enable USAID to
expand its current HIV/AIDS program to fully include St.
Lucia and to link our existing HIV/AIDS program with broader
health sector needs that are repeatedly articulated by
national and regional health authorities and national
political leaders.

Opportunities for New Health Activities:

-- Family Planning and HIV Prevention Integration:
Additional funding would allow USAID to broaden its current
focus on HIV prevention which focuses on traditionally
defined most-at-risk populations to include programming which
integrates family planning with HIV prevention. World Health
Organization (WHO) data from 1999 for St. Lucia indicated
that 16 percent of all live births were in young women
between the ages of 10-14 yrs. This is a potential disaster
with so many young women potentially exposed to HIV
infection, underscoring the critical need for better
programming in family planning and reproductive health from
an early age, and the introduction of family planning and
prevention measures following delivery to reduce the risk of
infection and ensure effective spacing of subsequent births.

-- Health System Strengthening: Based on information

obtained from WHO and Pan American Health Organization, St.
Lucia has identified several priorities within the health
sector for reform and strengthening, including:
de-centralization of management and functions; integration of
different levels of care; improved financing and quality
assurance. These goals are further endorsed at the regional
level in the PAHO policy document "Caribbean Cooperation in
Health II" which identifies health systems strengthening as a
priority concern to enable Caribbean countries to deliver
efficient and effective health services to the total
population, emphasizing the involvement of local health
systems.

-- Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases: Over the past several
years USAID and the Embassy have heard from the regional
health leadership and national political leaders that
assistance is greatly desired to address the issue of
lifestyle diseases or chronic non-communicable diseases
(NCDs) such as diabetes, heart disease and hypertension.
These diseases account for a significant portion of the
disease burden in the region and therefore absorb a
substantial portion of the resources allocated to the health
sector (based on 1999 data from WHO, cardiovascular disease
was responsible for 19 percent of all deaths, was the third
leading cause of death in the 20-59 year age group and the
leading cause of death in those above 60 years of age.)
Diabetes and hypertension account for a significant
proportion of the morbidity and recurrent health care cost.
Improving St. Lucia's ability to address these lifestyle
diseases could help St. Lucia to become a regional leader in
the area of NCDs, where there is a definite void in local
expertise and donor assistance. Improvements will free the
health sector to spend much needed resources on others areas
of national development such as education and to respond to
other emerging crises such as youth at risk.

Project Status: Front-end efforts (estimated at six months)
would be needed for consultations with various St. Lucia
partners, program design, and contracting.

Program Budget: $3,000,000
OURISMAN