(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) At its third meeting held in Haiti on 8-10 December, the CARICOM Commission on Youth Development (CCYD) noted the findings of qualitative research conducted among youth in several critical areas including youth governance structures.

An analysis of those findings revealed that the Community has put effective good governance structures in place for youth participation in decision-making processes at both the national and regional levels and that the structures allowed for capacity building in leadership.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) On World AIDS Day the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed Dr Michel Sidibe as the next Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). Congratulating Dr Sidibe on his appointment, outgoing Executive Director Dr. Peter Piot said, "The leadership of UNAIDS is in very capable hands. UNAIDS has a vital role to play in sustaining the progress made in the global response on AIDS."

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary-General, His Excellency Edwin Carrington along with staff members of his office got into the Christmas spirit on December 12, 2008 with the sharing of gifts at the Red Cross Convalescent Home for Children, Georgetown, Guyana.

Salutations

The Mandate

The CARICOM Commission on Youth Development arose out of a mandate from the 27th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government held in St. Kitts and Nevis in July 2006. The Mandate is to “provide a full scale analysis of the challenges and opportunities for youth in the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) and to make recommendations on how to improve their well-being and empowerment.”

Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guyana
Distinguished Representatives of the United Nations (UN)
Sir George Alleyne
Other Distinguished Participants
Distinguished Guests
Representatives of the MediA
Ladies and Gentlemen

Today, the 10th of December 2008 the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) joins the international community in marking the Sixtieth Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) under the theme “Dignity and Justice for all of us”.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Amidst the challenges faced by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) from internal and external forces, the regional integration process remains on course with the people at its heart, said His Excellency Edwin Carrington, Secretary-General of CARICOM.

CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Ministers of the Caribbean Forum of African, Caribbean and Pacific Countries (CARIFORUM) will meet in Barbados on December 10, 2008 in preparation for the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial Meeting, proposed for later this month in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Ministerial meeting is intended to revive the Doha Development Round discussions of which broke down last July. The Doha Round is named after the capital of Qatar the country in which the talks began at the end of 2001.

Members of the Haitian Government
Master Ambassador, Representative of the Bureau of CARICOM in Haiti
Master Director General of the Ministry, Youth and Sports and Civic Action
Master Co-Chair of the CARICOM Commission for the Development of Youth
Madam the Regional Director of UNICEF
Madam the Executive Director of IDEJEN
Madam, Master Ambassadors of Youth of Haiti to CARICOM
Directors and Upper Management of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Civic Action
Representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations

Ladies and Gentlemen_

On behalf of my Co-Chair and all the other members of the CARICOM Commission on Youth Development I wish to extend warm greetings to all you who by your presence here at this our third Meeting have signaled your support and friendship to what is one of the most important Commissions established by the Heads of Government of our Caribbean Community.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Secretary General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) His Excellency Edwin Carrington has described Cuba’s former President His Excellency Fidel Castro Ruz as a true Caribbean Man.