On behalf of the Government and People of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and on my own behalf, I welcome the distinguished Heads of State and Government, the esteemed Heads of International and regional organsations, and their respective delegations, and all other invited guests to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a fountain head of regional integration from which the unpolluted streams of Caribbean unity flows.
(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) At the invitation of the Governor General of Turks and Caicos Islands, a three-member CARICOM Electoral Observer Mission critically observed the General Elections held on Friday, 9 February 2007.
The Mission comprised Mr. Carson Raggie, Supervisor of Elections, Saint Lucia/Head of Mission, Mr. Elon Daniels, Internal Auditor, Electoral Office, Jamaica, and Ms Mignon Bowen, Project Officer, CARICOM Secretariat.
Dr. the Honourable Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community
Their Excellencies the Presidents of Guyana and Suriname
Other Distinguished Heads of Governments
Honourable Ministers
Members of Parliament (and High Government Officials)
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Distinguished Representatives of Regional and International Organisations
Chairman and Members of the Technical Working Group on Governance
Distinguished Guests
Dr. The Honourable Ralph Gonsalves – Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines & Chairman of Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community, Presidents of Guyana and Suriname and Colleague Heads of Government, Ministers of Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and of other CARICOM Countries, Leader of the Opposition of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Parliamentarians of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Visiting Heads of regional and international institutions, members of the Diplomatic Corp, Distinguished Delegates.
The Eighteenth Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) was held in Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, on 12-14 February 2007 under the Chairmanship of Dr. the Hon. Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government. Other Heads of Government in attendance were_ Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Hon. Baldwin Spencer; Prime Minister of Barbados, Rt. Hon. Owen Arthur; Prime Minister of Dominica, Hon.
(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) A technical working group of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Regional Nursing Body met in Georgetown, Guyana on 6-9 February to review the regional curriculum and management of the regional examination for nurse registration.
(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Caribbean countries hosting Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2007 will get assistance from from a number of Third States in the security arena. To date, South Africa has informed that seventy security experts will be made available to the Caribbean to further strengthen security for CWC 2007.
The South African security officials will be incorporated into the armed forces in the Region, and to this extent, amendments to some existing legislation will have to be introduced in some parliaments.
Dr. Jacques Diouf, Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has presented clear indications of the Caribbean net agriculture trade position to Ministers of Agriculture of the Caribbean Community.
Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Head of State with Lead Responsibility for Agriculture, His Excellency, President Bharrat Jagdeo of Guyana, today told CARICOM Ministers of Agriculture meeting in Georgetown that the level of political commitment to agriculture in the Region must be raised. He said that agriculture is not often carefully examined and its role in the Region had to be constantly reiterated.
The President made the remarks at the opening of the one-day 21st Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) at the CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown.