(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Legal Affairs Committee (LAC) of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) meets on Friday 9 May in St. Lucia for its Tenth Ordinary Meeting. The meeting’s agenda is replete with modern and timely legislation and instruments for CARICOM Member States to address the challenges of an increasingly globalised world.

Chairperson,
Collaborative Partners - Food and Agriculture Organisation - Dr. Hesdie Grauwde, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) - Mr. Ignatius Jean, United States Department of Agriculture /Animal and Plant Health International Services (USDA/APHIS) - Dr John Shaw, French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD) - Mr. Pierre-Yves Tycheney,
Participants from the non-CARICOM Countries,
Members and Associate Members of CARICOM,

Good morning.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) H.E Irwin Larocque, Assistant Secretary-General for Trade and Economic Integration at the CARICOM Secretariat told the first formal meeting of Plant Health officials from across the Caribbean, that the Region needs to produce more than it consumes, in order to tackle the issue of rising food prices.

The Hon. Dr. Frank Anthony, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport
The Hon. Junia Regrello, Parliamentary Secretary, Trinidad and Tobago
Distinguished delegates of the Ninteenth Regional Cultural Committee
Members of the Interim Festival Directorate
Members of Staff of the CARICOM Secretariat

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Nobel Laureate, Derek Walcott will be one of the featured guest presenters at CARIFESTA X, the Caribbean’s premier festival, slated for Guyana on 22–31 August, 2008.

Making the announcement on Wednesday 23 April 2008 at the Nineteenth Meeting of the Regional Culture Committee (RCC), Dr Frank Anthony, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Guyana, said Mr Walcott would be delivering the feature address at the Opening Session of the symposium at CARIFESTA X.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana)  “Come to CARIFESTA; we are ready to host you; are you ready to come?”

This is the firm and positive message delivered to the Caribbean Region by the Honourable Dr Frank Anthony, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Guyana, as he addressed the Opening Session of the Nineteenth Meeting of the Regional Culture Committee (RCC) this morning (23 April 2008) at the Grand Coastal Inn, East Coast Demerara, Guyana.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana)  The Dean of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Youth Ambassador Programme (CYAP) Donna Greene has called on public and private sector agencies and youth-oriented institutions to develop more meaningful partnerships with young people.

Ms. Greene made the challenge on Monday while addressing CYAs, senior government officials and stakeholders at the Induction ceremony for CYAs at the Pom Marine Hotel in Christ Church, Barbados on 21 April 2008.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Caribbean countries were today assured of scientific and technical assistance to improve plant health systems which if not effectively dealt with could negatively impact on the work towards ensuring food security which has become critical in the face of rising food prices across the globe.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Assistant Secretary General, Human and Social Development in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat said, Guyana’s offer to host the tenth staging of the Caribbean Festival of the Arts (CARIFESTA X) represents a homecoming for the Festival.