(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Regional Agriculture Investment Forum will provide a platform for Caribbean and international parties with an interest in investing in the agriculture sector to seek business alliances with existing and potential agriculture entrepreneurs.

This was emphasised today by H. E Bharrat Jagdeo, President of Guyana and Lead CARICOM Head of Government on agriculture at the launching of the event in a ceremony at the CARICOM Secretariat in Guyana.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The recognition of the need to focus on the governance of the various strands of the environment and natural resources issues was one of the most instructive outcomes of the meeting of officials of the Twenty-Fifth Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Integration (COTED) on the Environment.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) In what is expected to be a cultural extravaganza designed to whet the Region’s appetite for more, Guyana will officially roll out on Wednesday, (23 April, 2008) its slate of activities for the tenth staging of the Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA X) in August.

This Twenty-Fifth Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) is significant as much for the fact that it is actually taking place, as it is for its ultimate goal in helping to fashion a Caribbean Environment and Natural Resource Policy Framework. This is not an easy task given the multifaceted ambit of environmental issues, its widespread impact on the social and political landscape and on the lives and livelihood of the citizens of the Caribbean, and indeed on the future of the Region as a whole.

Mr. Chairman
Hon. Robert Persaud, Minister of Agriculture, representing the Prime Minister of Guyana
Hon. Allen Chastanet, Minister of Tourism of Saint Lucia and Representative of the Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Lead Head of Government in the Quasi-Cabinet with responsibility for Sustainable Development
Ministers of Environment of CARICOM Member States
Assistant Secretary-General Irwin LaRocque and other members of Staff of the CARICOM Secretariat
Other Government Officials
Representatives of Agencies within the UN System

At a time when the world is grappling with climate change and its consequences, this 25th special meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (Environment) is timely. Our Agenda Items speak to critical issues facing the Region, and our deliberations in Georgetown will seek to charter a course for meaningful action for the future.

Within this context, it is appropriate that this COTED Meeting will discuss the development of a Regional Policy on Environment as a direct response to the common challenges and opportunities we face.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Twenty-Fifth Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) on the Environment opened formally on 17 April 2008 with the acknowledgement that collective action was critical to confronting the environmental challenges that the Region faced.

The link between the environment and the quality of life of the Region’s citizens was also stressed by the speakers at the brief function at the opening of the two-day Meeting at the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC).

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) H.E. Edwin Carrington Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has acknowledged the “sterling contribution” professionals of the Caribbean have made to global environment management.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Dr. Edward Greene, Assistant Secretary-General Human and Social Development, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat, has underscored the integral link between sustainable development and functional cooperation.

Mr. Chairman
Hon. Robert Persaud, Minister of Agriculture, representing the Prime Minister of Guyana
Hon. Allen Chastanet, Minister of Tourism of Saint Lucia and Representative of the Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Lead Head of Government in the Quasi-Cabinet with responsibility for Sustainable Development
Ministers of Environment of CARICOM Member States
Assistant Secretary-General Irwin LaRocque and other members of Staff of the CARICOM Secretariat
Other Government Officials
Representatives of Agencies within the UN System