Suriname: The outgoing chairman of CARICOM, the 15-nation Caribbean Community integration movement, says that the group achieved much in the past year and expects succeeding leaders to build on gains made in 2011. Comments (1).

People: HERNDON, Va.-- Judy Smith, vice president of business development for ITT Exelis (NYSE: XLS) Information Systems division, has been appointed to the board of directors of Women in Aerospace (WIA). WIA is a Washington, D.C.-based organization dedicated to expanding women’s leadership opportunities and visibility in the global aerospace community. Comment.

Haiti: Marriott International recently announced it will open its first hotel in Haiti in 2014, a move that will create more jobs and tourism opportunities to Port-au-Prince. Comments (1).

Caribbean: As 2011 comes to a close, with the global economy facing yet another economic slowdown, the World Bank says it is drawing “key lessons” from the impact of the Great Recession of 2008/2009 and the quick recovery on the region’s poor. Comment.

Jamaica: General Manager of GraceKennedy Money Services (GKMS), Joan-Marie Powell recently announced the launch of the company’s newest initiative to enhance literacy in Jamaican primary schools. The program dubbed “I Pledge Too” allows residents of the USA to make contributions to the Western Union effort to computerize primary schools. Comment.

People: Lady English whose Fountain Pimento Oil has won over die-hard holistic practitioners will unveil a new addition to her product line just in time for the holiday season. Comment.

Bronx: It has been a tough year for most businesses across the country. Daily reports of retail closings and decline in consumer spending has caused many to close their doors. The 2nd Annual ‘Tribute to Bronx Businesses’ luncheon, awarded Bronx businesses for beating the odds during this turbulent economic year. Comment.

Jamaica: Lowell Hawthorne president & CEO of Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery & Grill (GK), the nation’s largest Caribbean franchise chain was awarded the Jamaica Observer’s Business Leader Award for 2010 at a banquet held on Wednesday, Nov. 30 at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston Jamaica. Comment.

Caribbean: The United Nations’ Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) says that the region could become an “important trading partner” with India, noting that exports from regional countries to India represented only 0.9 percent of the region’s total exports in 2008-2010. Comment.