CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – “It is with a measure of disappointment that on the eve of my departure from office as Prime Minister of Jamaica and Chairman of the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on External Negotiations of CARICOM, the FTAA – a central, and probably the most important element of our collective vision - has faltered on the rock of political will.”  These were the sentiments of the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Most Hon. P. J. Patterson, who this afternoon addressed a Special Session of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington, D.C..

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana)The Nineteenth Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) was held in Nassau, The Bahamas, from 7-8 March 2008. The Right Honourable Hubert Ingraham, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, presided.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat is honoured to salute the women and girls of the Caribbean Community today on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2008. International Women’s Day (IWD) is an occasion to review and reflect on the quest by women for equality, peace and development. It also affords an opportunity to celebrate women’s contributions to the strengthening of democratic governance, justice, peace, security and quality of life.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana)Unity of purpose and action was essential not only in the quest to maximize the Community benefits for its citizens, but also to surmount the serious threat crime posed to regional societies, Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) H.E. Edwin Carrington said on Friday.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana)CARICOM Secretary-General H.E. Edwin Carrington, mourning the passing of Sir George Herbert Walter, hailed the former Premier of Antigua and Barbuda as “a visionary, a leader, and a fine example of true West Indian identity and pride.”

In a message of condolence, Secretary-General Carrington recalled Sir George’s involvement in the labour movement and his service to the people of Antigua and Barbuda for more than forty years.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana)The 19th Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) opened in Nassau, The Bahamas on Friday with a warning that time was ebbing away from the Community in the quest to forge integration.

Honourable Michael Brown, Minister of National Mobilisation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Chairman of the Council for Finance and Planning;

Honourable Roosevelt Skerritt, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Dominica;

Other Distinguished Ministers of Finance;

Other Distinguished Ministers;

Central Bank Governors and Deputy Governors;

Representatives of Regional and International Organisations;

Distinguished Delegates and Officials;

Representatives of the Media;

Ladies and Gentlemen_

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater, Georgetown, Guyana) In its quest to stem the rising cost of living in the Region, the Twenty-Fourth Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) is expected to make a determination regarding the removal or reduction of the Common External Tariff (CET) on certain commodities. The COTED Meeting will be held in Nassau, The Bahamas on 5 March 2008.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana)Preparations for the CARICOM Single Economy (CSE), the framework of which is to be in place this year, the status of the proposed Regional Development Agency (RDA) and of the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF), will be examined at the Council for Finance and Planning (COFAP) which convenes in The Bahamas on 6 March 2008.