From left, Best and Bernal.
AMBASSADOR DR Richard Bernal and Margaret Best, minister of health promotion, for the Province of Ontario in Canada will be the keynote speakers at this year's staging of Northern Caribbean University's (NCU's) annual commencement exercises. NCU's Commencement 2008 will be held on August 10 at the university's main campus in Mandeville. At the two-part event, Ambassador Bernal will deliver his address during the first ceremony at 8:30 a.m., while Minister Best will address the second ceremony scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m.
Ambassador Bernal, a professional economist with over 30 years of experience, most recently served as director-general of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM). The RNM has responsibility for trade negotiations for member states of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and provides technical support to Cuba and the Dominican Republic.
Lead negotiator
Since the late 1980s, Ambassador Bernal has been lead negotiator in numerous trade talks on behalf of Jamaica and CARICOM, including agreements on investment, intellectual property rights, textiles and apparel, trade agreements, debt reduction agreements and loans from multilateral financial institutions. He was also CARICOM's lead negotiator in the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) negotiations.
Dr Bernal was Jamaica's ambassador to the United States of America and permanent represen-tative to the Organisation of American States (OAS) for the period May 6, 1991 to August 31, 2001. When he demitted office, he was the fourth most senior ambassador in Washington, DC and dean of the Caribbean Diplomatic Corps.
For seven years, Dr Bernal taught international economics and development economics at the University of the West Indies and remains actively involved in academic and policy discussions, delivering papers, examining dissertations and giving lectures. He is a senior associate at the Centre for Strategic International Studies in Washington, DC, and is a member of the Harvard University Trade Policy Group, the board of directors of the International Trade Law Institute and the editorial committee of Integration and Trade (journal of the Inter-American Development Bank). Ambassador Bernal, with his extensive knowledge-base and eloquent delivery style, is expected to enthuse and motivate graduates.
Profound message expected
Likewise, Minister Margarett Best is expected to deliver a profound message to graduands.
Minister Best was elected to the Ontario legislature in 2007. Before joining the Government she ran a law practice specialising in real estate and family law. She also served on the College Compensations and Appointments Council, which recognises outstanding graduates of Ontario's college system.
She is an alumnus of the University of Toronto at Scarborough and Osgoode Hall Law School, and she holds a Mutual Funds Certificate from the Investment Funds Institute of Canada.
A philanthropist, the minister has volunteered with the Shouters National Evangelical Spiritual Baptist Ministries, an organisation that helps underprivileged, unemployed young people. Mrs Best served as a board member of the Black Business and Profes-sional Association, as well as a member of Ontario Provincial Police Advisory Committee. In 2007, Minister Best was nominated for the Lincoln Alexander Medal after being awarded an African Canadian Achievement Award in 2006.
As customary, both speakers will be conferred with honorary doctorates during the commencement exercise, which is the culmination of the annual graduation exercises of Northern Caribbean University. The graduation weekend begins with the Consecration Service, scheduled for Friday, August 8, followed by the Baccalaureate Service, to be held on Saturday, August 9.
