Premier, the Honourable Donaldson Romeo will be attending the ‘39th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community’ to be held in Montego Bay, Jamaica, this week.
The Heads of Government Meeting from July 4 to 6 will bring together Heads from CARICOM and Associate Member States, to discuss a number of matters of importance for the Caribbean community. The CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), and how to make it more effective, is one of the agenda items.
Other matters to be discussed include, ‘Building Resilience’ specifically as it relates to disaster resilience in the Caribbean Community Post Hurricanes Irma and Maria. A draft declaration on climate change which was requested by the Council for Foreign and Community Relations is also on the agenda for approval by the Heads. Security and boarder issues, the report on the marijuana commission, matters related to the Caribbean Court of Justice and a CARICOM Regional strategy for the development of statistics are also carded for deliberations.
The Conference of Heads of Government meeting also includes the ‘24th Meeting of the Prime Ministerial Sub Committee (PMSC) On External Economic Negotiations’ to be held on Thursday, July 5. During this meeting, the PMSC will receive an overview of the regional and global developments relevant to CARICOM’s external trade agenda. There will also be discussions on future trade relations with the United Kingdom post Brexit.
The Thirty-Ninth Regular Meeting of the Conference will take place at the Montego Bay Convention Centre under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Hon. Andrew Holness.
An Opening Ceremony will be held on Wednesday 4 July from 4:00 pm (Jamaica time). The Conference will welcome its newest Member, the Prime Minister of Barbados, Hon Mia Mottley, who was elected to office following the country’s May 24 General Elections.
The Conference will also welcome back Prime Ministers Dr Hon Keith Mitchell of Grenada and Hon Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda who were reelected to office following general elections held on 13 March and 21 March respectively. These Heads will address the Opening Ceremony along with the outgoing Chairman of the Conference, President Jovenel Moise of Haiti; the incoming Chairman, Prime Minister Holness; and the CARICOM Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque.
Premier Romeo will be accompanied by the Deputy Financial Secretary, Mr. Phillip Chambers.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has 15 Member States – Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago, and five Associate Members – Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
