Strengthening Education/Culture between SICA & CARICOM

Francis Fonseca

On Thursday, a ceremony was held in Belmopan to transfer the pro tempore presidency of the Coordinacion Educativa y Cultural Centroamericana for the Central American Integration System (SICA) to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology. It’s a unique position that the country assumes as it continues to serve as a bridge between Central America and the Caribbean. Earlier today, News Five caught up with Education Minister Francis Fonseca and asked about the expectations to strengthen education and culture between both regions over the next six months.

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education

“One of the main priorities at the national level is to try to strengthen the partnership and the relationship between Central America and the Caribbean. Belize has always played that role because we sit in both bodies. For example as the Minister of Education, I am now the chair of the CARICOM Ministers of Education – that’s a one year chairmanship that started last year. So I will use that opportunity as well now that we are chairing CECC SICA to try to bring these groups together, both CARICOM and Central America to see how we can strengthen that partnership in education and culture. So it is an exciting opportunity. We also want to focus on science and technology – these are common themes that we share with our counterparts in Central America and the Caribbean. So I think we will have an opportunity for an exciting six-month period where we hopefully will produce some positive results for not only Belize, but the entire region.”