(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary-General, His Excellency Edwin Carrington has received an indication of interest from the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) to assist in exploring contributions to the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) Development Fund. The Fund is considered a critical element of CSME arrangements.

CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – The Chairperson of the Sixth WTO Ministerial Conference is set to make his rounds through the Caribbean this week. He visits the Region at a time of mounting uncertainty amongst the smallest and most vulnerable Caribbean Members of the WTO over the benefits to be derived from being a part of the WTO system, in light of the treatment of “development issues” in global trade talks and recent developments concerning a key commodity export - bananas. Below is an op ed by Hon. Petrus Compton, Minister of External Affairs, International Trade and Civil Aviation, St.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) The Thirteenth Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), ended on Friday, 28 October with wide ranging recommendations for the development of the Region’s youth, particularly in light of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) scheduled to come on stream in January 2006.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) As the Caribbean region seeks to intensify its response in the fight against HIV/AIDS, a number of the Region’s youth are being empowered to develop and implement community-based HIV/AIDS prevention, care and support and stigma and discrimination projects.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) The Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV/AIDS (PANCAP), which was launched by the CARICOM Heads of Government in 2001 as a mechanism for coordinating the response to preventing the spread and mitigating the impact of the disease in the Region has gained recognition even beyond the boundaries of the Caribbean.

  (CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) The Caribbean Festival of Arts –CARIFESTA-has been revived and restructured and will be held in Trinidad and Tobago from Friday the 22 of September to Sunday the 1st of October 2006.

The Thirteenth Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), which focussed on Youth, Sports and Drugs, was convened at Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel, Georgetown, Guyana on 26-28 October 2005 under the theme, “Youth in the CSME_ Perspectives, Prospects and Challenges.”

(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) The Caribbean region is being urged to take immediate action to ensure its national response mechanisms are fully in place to ward off the social and economic effects of invasive pests and diseases.

This call to action was made by the Caribbean Invasive Species Working Group (CISWG) at its recently concluded meeting held 27-28 October 2005 in Trinidad and Tobago.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) The Fifth Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV/AIDS (PANCAP) takes place on 31 October to 2 November, in Trinidad and Tobago, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Among the key features of this fifth AGM is the launch of the Pan Caribbean Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS during the opening ceremony in the evening of Monday, 31 October, at which Dr. the Hon. Denzil Douglas, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis and Chairman of PANCAP will deliver the keynote address.