Lack of transparency in development project sparked protests

Peaceful Assembly

In May, hundreds of people dressed in white protested on the streets of St. Michael to highlight their dissatisfaction with the current government, poor water connections in some areas and a lack of jobs and economic development in Barbados. The march, which took place close to the Office of the Prime Minister, went off without incident. Civil society organisations have also held other protests in recent months to highlight a lack of government transparency in the planning and implementation of development projects, in particular a project proposed by Cahill Waste Management to address the country's need for a new landfill solution.

Association

While civil society organisations continue to operate freely in Barbados, local organisations are concerned about their sustainability, reporting that the amount of grant funding available has been reduced in recent times. They also point to long delays in the registration of charities in Barbados at the Corporate Affairs and Intellectual Property Office. Rather than a deliberate move to stifle free association, this bottleneck is caused by a lack of personnel and institutional capacity.