AGP Executive Report

Public Health Lab Readiness: CARPHA wrapped its 11th CariPHLN workshop in Bridgetown, bringing 26 lab directors (including Dominica) together to strengthen disease detection, surveillance, diagnostic coordination, specimen handling, and data-sharing across the Caribbean. Climate Risk for Children & Water: A UNICEF-commissioned Eastern Caribbean study warns of longer, more frequent dry spells by mid-century, with moderate to severe drought projected for three to four months each year on average—raising pressure on water, farming, and school sanitation. Dominica Builds Resilience: Dominica’s NCCU La Salette branch at Pointe Michel is already about three weeks ahead of schedule, moving from foundations to walls and first-floor work, with IT and utilities planned next. Regional Infrastructure Support: The RIISE Facility has begun operations for Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines, offering technical help to clear bottlenecks in climate-resilient projects. Fisheries Adaptation Funding: CC4FISH-II (US$12.55m) is launching in Dominica and other islands to help fisherfolk and coastal communities adapt to climate-driven declines in fish stocks and habitat damage. Maritime Safety & Rights: Human Rights Watch says Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden could amount to war crimes, including an incident involving the Dominica-flagged tanker Daisy. Digital Life Upgrade: Apple expanded iCloud+ in over 100 countries to include Apple Arcade, Apple TV, and Apple Music stations for no extra charge.

Public Health Tech: CARPHA wrapped its 11th CariPHLN workshop in Bridgetown, bringing 26 lab directors (including Dominica) together to boost disease detection, surveillance, diagnostic coordination, specimen transport, and data-sharing across the Caribbean. Climate Resilience Infrastructure: The new RIISE Facility is now operating, with Dominica among four Eastern Caribbean countries able to request specialist help to clear bottlenecks and speed up climate-resilient projects. Fisheries Adaptation: Dominica joined the US$12.55M CC4FISH-II launch, aiming to help over 21,800 people in the region adapt fisheries to climate shocks through training, tools, and livelihood support. Regional Lab Capacity: CARPHA also highlighted how stronger lab networks underpin outbreak confirmation and antimicrobial resistance monitoring. Maritime Safety & Rights: Human Rights Watch says Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden may amount to war crimes, including an attack on the Dominica-flagged tanker Daisy. Local Construction Update: NCCU’s Pointe Michel branch in Dominica is reportedly three weeks ahead of schedule, with Phase One targeted for April 2027.

Resilient Infrastructure Support: Dominica is among four Eastern Caribbean states (with Grenada, Saint Lucia, and St Vincent & the Grenadines) that can now tap the newly operational RIISE Facility for specialized help to push climate-resilient projects past implementation bottlenecks, with support covering areas like water, transport, energy, coastal protection, disaster recovery, and technical reviews, plus short-term advice or specialist deployments. Climate & Fisheries Resilience: A US$12.55 million GEF-funded CC4FISH-II initiative launched in Dominica will back climate and disaster resilience for Caribbean fisheries, targeting more than 21,800 fisherfolk and coastal workers across five countries, building on earlier 2017–2022 vulnerability work. Maritime Safety & Rights: Human Rights Watch says recent Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden could amount to war crimes in at least three cases, including an attack on the Dominica-flagged oil tanker Daisy, raising fresh concerns for Dominican-registered vessels and civilian seafarers. Digital Life for iCloud+ Users: Apple expands iCloud+ in over 100 countries by bundling Apple Arcade, Apple TV, and Apple Music stations at no extra charge, with Dominica included in the rollout list. Biotech Lab Automation: Asahi Kasei Bioprocess will unveil the VANTIJ SU-VFC Benchtop, a compact single-use virus filtration system aimed at improving efficiency and consistency for laboratory-scale gene therapy manufacturing. Tech Skills Push: The OECS Advanced Digital Skills Scholarship Programme opens for applications (Cohort II) from Sept 10–20, offering training across areas like AI, cloud, cybersecurity, data analytics, fintech, and UX/UI.

Maritime Safety & Rights: Human Rights Watch says recent Houthi attacks on Red Sea and Gulf of Aden commercial ships—including a Dominica-flagged vessel—may amount to war crimes, raising fresh alarms for civilian seafarers as shipping fears grow. Climate Resilience for Fisheries: Dominica and other Eastern Caribbean states are set to benefit from the US$12.55m GEF-backed CC4FISH-II project, launched in Dominica to help fisherfolk and coastal communities adapt to climate-driven fish stock declines and habitat damage. Infrastructure Delivery Support: The RIISE Facility has begun operations, with Dominica among four countries able to tap technical help to push climate-resilient infrastructure projects past implementation bottlenecks. Digital Skills Pipeline: OECS is opening applications for its Advanced Digital Skills Scholarship (Cohort II) on Sept. 10–20, covering areas like AI, cybersecurity, cloud, data analytics, and fintech. Biotech Manufacturing Tech: Asahi Kasei Bioprocess is unveiling the VANTIJ SU-VFC Benchtop to improve automated, single-use virus filtration for lab-scale and gene therapy development. Consumer Tech: Apple expands iCloud+ in 100+ countries by bundling Apple Arcade, Apple TV, and Apple Music stations (Dominica included).

Red Sea Security & Human Rights: A Houthi official says Saudi airstrikes in Yemen’s Taiz killed three people, including two children, as Houthis seize islands in the southern Red Sea and Human Rights Watch warns some attacks on commercial ships could amount to war crimes. AI for Telecom: Valdyr rebrands as Valdyr and pitches “Seamless OS” as an AI-native execution layer for telecom operators, aiming to automate offers, billing, provisioning, and integrations in one place. Gene Therapy Manufacturing Tech: Asahi Kasei Bioprocess unveils the VANTIJ SU-VFC Benchtop for automated, single-use virus filtration to improve efficiency and consistency in lab-scale and process development, including gene therapy workflows. Medical Education Access: ACSOM announces a January 2027 scholarship push with 98% of accepted students receiving aid, including full-tuition awards for Dominican nationals. Digital Skills for the OECS: Applications open Sept. 10 for the OECS Advanced Digital Skills Scholarship (CARDTP/World Bank, delivered by UWI Global Campus), covering AI, cybersecurity, cloud, data, fintech, and more. Women in Science: UNESCO launches WINGS Caribbean, offering two US$10,000 fellowships for mid- to advanced-career women leading STEM and social-impact projects. Local Heritage Online: Pont Casse Press launches PontCassePress.org to digitize and share Dominica’s history, literature, and African diaspora heritage.

Digital Heritage: Pont Casse Press launched PontCassePress.org to share Dominica’s history, literature, and African diaspora heritage, with a catalogue spanning Indigenous resistance, slavery, independence, identity, migration, and more. Medical Education Access: ACSOM says 98% of accepted students get scholarships or financial aid for the January 2027 intake, with Dominican nationals eligible for tuition-free four-year study. Advanced Tech Skills: The OECS Advanced Digital Skills Scholarship Programme opens Sept. 10 and runs to Sept. 20 (Cohort II), delivered via UWI Global Campus under the World Bank-backed CARDTP, covering AI/ML, cybersecurity, cloud, data analytics, fintech/blockchain, and more. Women in Science: UNESCO’s WINGS Caribbean fellowship invites mid-to-advanced career women to apply for two US$10,000 fellowships (STEM and Social Impact) to build projects on climate resilience, digital innovation, applied research, and governance. Climate & Energy: A hydroelectric option is pitched as a lower-cost renewable path, while broader coverage flags that the world has broken the 1.5°C promise—raising pressure on small states. Education & Research Capacity: Dominica State College reports strong 2026 enrolment growth across engineering, science, and business programmes, and UWI named new leadership for its climate-smart development institute.

OECS Education & South-South Scholarships: The OECS Embassy in Morocco held its first-ever graduate recognition ceremony in Rabat, celebrating 14 students from OECS states and highlighting Morocco’s annual scholarship support (120 places) that has sent Caribbean graduates into fields like biotechnology and engineering. Digital Skills Push: The OECS Advanced Digital Skills Scholarship Programme opens Sept. 10 and runs to Sept. 20, offering advanced, industry-relevant training via the World Bank-backed Caribbean Digital Transformation Project and delivered by UWI Global Campus, with tracks including AI/ML, cybersecurity, cloud, data analytics, fintech/blockchain, and UX/UI. Women in Science Leadership: UNESCO launched WINGS Caribbean, inviting mid- to advanced-career women to apply for two US$10,000 fellowships (STEM and Social Impact) to build projects on priorities like climate resilience, digital innovation, and applied research. Climate Reality Check: A new UN-backed warning says the world has broken its 1.5°C promise, with small states facing mounting costs and debt for damage they didn’t cause. AI Safety Debate: A BBC-linked report says an ex-Anthropic/OpenAI researcher claims AI staff are “genuinely frightened,” renewing calls for regulation and pacing.

OECS Digital Skills: The OECS Commission says applications for the 2026 Advanced Digital Skills Scholarship Programme open September 10 and close September 20, delivered via the World Bank-financed CARDTP with The UWI Global Campus, building on Cohort I’s 200+ certifications and covering tracks like AI/ML, cybersecurity, cloud, data analytics, fintech/blockchain, UX/UI, web development and more. Women in Science: UNESCO has launched WINGS Caribbean, inviting mid-career and advanced-career women to apply for two US$10,000 fellowships (STEM and Social Impact) to develop projects on priorities like climate resilience, digital innovation and applied research, with up to 12 months to deliver measurable benefits. AI Safety Debate: A former Anthropic and OpenAI employee, Jacob Coxon, says AI builders and staff are “genuinely frightened” about risks to humanity, renewing calls for regulation and pacing as the conversation spikes globally. Climate Reality Check: UNEP reports the world has effectively broken the 1.5°C promise, with small island states facing mounting costs and debt as warming heads toward higher peaks. Energy Tech Angle: A Caribbean energy commentary argues hydroelectric power could be a lower-cost renewable path than distributed solar-and-wind models, warning of higher consumer prices and grid upgrade burdens. Education & Tech Pipeline: Dominica State College reports strong 2026 enrolment growth across engineering, science and business programmes, including record interest in areas like Pre-Health and Business Administration.

Climate Policy: UNEP says the world has effectively broken its 1.5°C promise, with small states warned they may face peak warming around 1.8°C—despite contributing little to emissions—raising fresh pressure for fair financing for mitigation and adaptation. Digital Skills: The OECS Advanced Digital Skills Scholarship Programme opens Sept. 10 and runs to Sept. 20, offering CARDTP/World Bank-backed training delivered by UWI Global Campus, with tracks including AI/ML, cybersecurity, cloud, data analytics, fintech/blockchain, and UX/UI. Youth Wellness: CARICOM’s Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnett marks Caribbean Wellness Day (Sept. 12) by urging action on youth mental and physical well-being as NCDs drive about 75% of Caribbean deaths, with many young adults facing overweight, high blood pressure, heavy alcohol use, and low activity. Science Leadership: UNESCO launches WINGS Caribbean, two fellowships worth US$10,000 each for women in STEM and social impact, supporting projects on climate resilience, digital innovation, applied research, and community development. Education & Tech Pathways: Dominica State College reports strong 2026 enrolment growth across multiple programmes, including engineering, pre-health, and business tracks. Renewables Debate: A Caribbean-focused commentary argues hydroelectric power could be a lower-cost renewable option than distributed solar-and-wind models that may drive higher consumer prices and grid upgrade costs. Tech & Mobility: A study on mobile broadband pricing ranks the UK 46th for average cost per 1GB, highlighting how data affordability varies widely by market.

Climate Policy: UNEP warns the world has effectively broken its 1.5°C promise, with small states facing mounting risks and debt for damage they didn’t cause. Digital Skills: OECS opens applications for its 2026 Advanced Digital Skills Scholarship (Sept 10–20), delivered by UWI Global Campus under a World Bank-backed programme, with tracks from AI/ML and cybersecurity to fintech, UX/UI, and cloud. Women in Innovation: UNESCO launches WINGS Caribbean, offering two US$10,000 fellowships for mid- to advanced-career women in STEM and social impact, including work on climate resilience, digital innovation, and applied research. Education & Tech Capacity: Dominica State College reports strong 2026 enrolment growth across science, engineering, and business programmes, including record intakes in Psychology and expanded engineering cohorts. Climate-Smart Leadership: UWI names new leadership for its Global Institute for Climate-Smart and Resilient Development, aiming to strengthen research and support for Caribbean SDG progress. Health & Youth Wellness: CARICOM marks Caribbean Wellness Day urging action on youth mental and physical well-being as NCDs drive most regional deaths.

OECS Digital Skills: The OECS Commission opened applications for its 2026 Advanced Digital Skills Scholarship Programme (Cohort II) on Sept. 10, closing Sept. 20, delivered by UWI Global Campus under the World Bank-funded CARDTP—covering tracks like AI/ML, cybersecurity, cloud, data analytics, fintech/blockchain, UX/UI, and web development for citizens across Dominica and other OECS states. UNESCO Fellowship for Women in Science: UNESCO launched WINGS Caribbean, inviting mid- and advanced-career women to apply for two US$10,000 fellowships (STEM and Social Impact) to build projects on priorities like climate resilience, disaster risk reduction, digital innovation, and applied research, with up to 12 months to deliver results. Youth Wellness Push: CARICOM’s Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnett marked Caribbean Wellness Day (Sept. 12) by urging action on young people’s mental, physical, and social well-being as NCDs drive about 75% of Caribbean deaths, with regional analysis showing high rates of overweight, elevated blood pressure, alcohol use, and inactivity among young adults. Climate-Smart Leadership: The UWI named new leadership for its Global Institute for Climate-Smart and Resilient Development, appointing Prof. Preeya S. Mohan as Executive Director and Dr Ronald Roopnarine as Deputy Director. Renewables Cost Debate: A former IMF consultant warned that distributed solar-and-wind models may raise consumer prices and grid upgrade costs, arguing hydroelectric power could be a lower-cost renewable path.

Digital Skills Boost: The OECS Advanced Digital Skills Scholarship Programme opens Sept. 10 and runs to Sept. 20, offering advanced training and industry certifications across Dominica and other OECS states, with tracks including AI/ML, cybersecurity, cloud computing, data analytics, fintech/blockchain, UX/UI, and web development. Youth Wellness Push: CARICOM’s Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnett marks Caribbean Wellness Day (Sept. 12) by urging action on youth mental, physical, and social well-being as non-communicable diseases drive about 75% of Caribbean deaths, with many young adults facing overweight, high blood pressure, heavy alcohol use, and low physical activity. Women in Science Funding: UNESCO launches WINGS Caribbean, inviting mid-career and advanced-career women to apply for two US$10,000 fellowships (STEM and Social Impact) to build projects on climate resilience, disaster risk reduction, digital innovation, applied research, and more. Climate-Smart Leadership: The UWI names Professor Preeya S. Mohan as Executive Director and Dr Ronald Roopnarine as Deputy Director of its Global Institute for Climate-Smart and Resilient Development. Education Growth in Dominica: Dominica State College reports strong 2026 enrolment gains, including record numbers in pre-health and rising cohorts in engineering, biology, and business-related programmes.

Digital Skills Scholarships: The OECS Commission opens applications for the 2026 OECS Advanced Digital Skills Scholarship Programme on 10 September, running to 20 September, with training delivered by The UWI Global Campus under the World Bank-backed CARDTP—covering areas like AI/ML, cybersecurity, cloud, data analytics, fintech, blockchain, UX/UI, and app development. Women in Science: UNESCO launches WINGS Caribbean, offering two US$10,000 fellowships for mid- and advanced-career women in STEM and social impact, with up to 12 months to build projects tied to Caribbean priorities such as climate resilience, digital innovation, and applied research. Fintech & APIs: Dominica-based Asprofin Bank expands into embedded finance via a multi-year Banking-as-a-Service partnership with Digital TRVST, aiming to scale API-driven banking capabilities and reach about US$5 billion in annualized transaction volume within 12 months. Renewables Debate: A former central bank governor argues hydroelectric and centrally managed power models may better lower renewable energy costs than distributed solar-and-wind approaches, warning of higher consumer prices and grid upgrade burdens. Climate-Smart Leadership: The UWI appoints new leadership for its Global Institute for Climate-Smart and Resilient Development, with Prof. Preeya S. Mohan as Executive Director and Dr Ronald Roopnarine as Deputy Director. Education Growth: Dominica State College reports strong 2026 enrolment gains across multiple programmes, including record numbers in Psychology and rising cohorts in engineering and science.

Women in Science: UNESCO has launched WINGS Caribbean, a fellowship for mid- and advanced-career women in STEM and social impact, offering two US$10,000 awards and up to 12 months to build projects tied to Caribbean priorities like climate resilience, digital innovation, and applied research. Digital Skills: The OECS is opening applications for its 2026 Advanced Digital Skills Scholarship Programme (Cohort II), delivered by UWI Global Campus under the World Bank-backed CARDTP, with training across areas like AI, cybersecurity, cloud, fintech, and UX/UI. Renewables Debate: A former IMF adviser is urging Caribbean governments to consider hydroelectric power as a lower-cost renewable path, warning that distributed solar-and-wind models could raise prices and force costly grid upgrades. Climate Research Leadership: UWI has named new leadership for its Global Institute for Climate-Smart and Resilient Development, with Professor Preeya S. Mohan as Executive Director and Dr Ronald Roopnarine as Deputy Director. Local Education Growth: Dominica State College reports strong 2026 enrolment gains across multiple programmes, including record numbers in Psychology and growth in Business Administration. Embedded Finance: Asprofin Bank (Dominica) is expanding into API-driven Banking-as-a-Service and embedded finance via a partnership with Digital TRVST, targeting major transaction volume growth.

MetaMask + TRON DeFi: B.AI, SUN.io, JustLend DAO and BitTorrent have added MetaMask connectivity, letting users access multiple dApps from one familiar wallet interface and lowering the barrier to onchain finance. Renewables Debate: A former IMF adviser says “distributed power” models like Barbados’ solar-and-wind approach may raise consumer costs and force expensive grid upgrades, arguing for incentives for utility-scale solar/wind with central storage. Climate-Smart Leadership at UWI: The UWI named Prof. Preeya S. Mohan Executive Director and Dr Ronald Roopnarine Deputy Director of its Global Institute for Climate-Smart and Resilient Development, with a region-wide virtual model supporting climate-smart policy and research. Digital Trade Warning (Region): A World Bank/IDB/WTO report says Guyana risks falling behind in digital trade despite decent internet access, pointing to gaps in trade commitments, infrastructure, logistics and integration into digital-trade rules. Dominica Education Growth: Dominica State College reports strong 2026 enrolment gains across programmes, including record intakes in Pre-Health and Psychology, plus renewed interest in Physics. Embedded Finance in Dominica: Asprofin Bank (Dominica) is expanding into Banking-as-a-Service and embedded finance via an API-driven partnership with Digital TRVST, targeting major transaction volume growth. Energy Infrastructure Governance: A legal challenge in Victoria, Australia targets a wind project and planning decisions, with opponents warning it could escalate into broader lawsuits affecting renewables investment.

Climate Research & Leadership: The University of the West Indies (UWI) has named Professor Preeya S. Mohan as Executive Director and Dr Ronald Roopnarine as Deputy Director of its Global Institute for Climate-Smart and Resilient Development (GICSRD), effective Aug 1, 2026, strengthening a region-wide push to support climate-smart, resilient development across the Caribbean. Digital Economy & Trade: A new World Bank/IDB/WTO report warns Guyana could fall behind in digital trade, citing gaps in trade commitments, digital infrastructure, logistics, and integration into emerging digital-trade rules. Education & STEM Pipeline: Dominica State College says 2026 enrolment is up across multiple programmes, including record intakes in Pre-Health, Psychology, and engineering fields like Electrical Engineering, plus a return of Physics after years. Renewables Policy & Legal Risk: An anti-wind group in Victoria, Australia has filed a lawsuit targeting a wind project and the planning minister, with threats to expand legal action—raising questions about how renewable projects face regulatory and legal uncertainty. Fintech & Banking Tech: Asprofin Bank Corporation (Dominica) is expanding into embedded finance and Banking-as-a-Service via an API-driven partnership aimed at scaling transaction volume. Education Inclusion: The Mico CARE Centre in Jamaica received an upgraded classroom for students with special educational needs, supported by the Caribbean Development Bank and the Jamaica Social Investment Fund.