Caribbean Community (CARICOM) officials today refined a wide-ranging strategy to be presented to Ministers responsible for Information and Communication Technologies here on Friday 15 October. A major element of the strategy urges a business approach by CARICOM Member States to the planning and management of the ICC 2007 Cricket World Cup to maximize its financial potential.

Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and Directors of Information of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have been heralded by CARICOM's Deputy Secretary General, Ambassador Lolita Applewhaite as specialised agents in informing the Region on government policies, plans, roles and positions.

Heads of Government and State of the Caribbean Community have accepted the advice of the President of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), the Rt. Hon. Michael de la Bastide, T.C. and the Chairman of the Inauguration Task Force, Sir David Simmons, K.A., to postpone the inauguration of the CCJ to the first quarter of 2005. Heads had previously set 6 November 2004 as the date for inauguration during their meeting in Grenada in July 2004.

Postponement of the date for inauguration has become inevitable for three (3) main reasons_

The CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) Officials of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Member States met in Georgetown today, to participate in a training workshop in the use of database, which was developed to monitor the movement of skilled nationals in respective Member States.

The database, which was developed by the Statistical Department of the CARICOM Secretariat in collaboration with the Directorate of Human and Social Development and the CSME Unit, is designed to provide Member States with timely information on the free movement of skilled nationals.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) experts in the Region see the maximising of ICTs as a necessary instrument in unifying the Region, while keeping Member States abreast with extra-regional developments. To this end, an ICT seminar will take place on October 14th in Barbados, where CARICOM ICT experts will meet under the theme "Communication and Technology for Development."

ICT experts will meet next week in Barbados to accelerate progress on implementation of a regional ICT strategy. There is growing awareness of the emergence of new global ICTs in the Community, and recognition that these technologies have an inherent potential for enhancing and integrating Member States in areas such as education, health, poverty reduction, disaster preparedness, delivery of public information and governance.

The progress and continued advancement of the Region's Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Agenda will be the central focus of CARICOM Ministers Responsible for ICT, at their Third Meeting scheduled for 15 October 2004 in Barbados.

An Action Plan aimed at accelerating the implementation and effectiveness of the Region's ICT Development will be put to the CARICOM Ministers, who are being called upon to review the activities in the Plan, as well as determine the way forward with regard to the Regional Plan for the World Summit for the Information Society (WSIS).

Over sixty representatives from twenty-one Caribbean territories, including Guyana, are in Georgetown this week for the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Eighth Capacity Building Workshop of the Caribbean Regional Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (CRN+). The AGM got underway on Wednesday, 6 October and will be followed by the Workshop over the next two days, at Le Meridien Pegasus.

27 September 2004

Mr. Brian Lara
Captain
West Indies Cricket Team
c/o West Indies Cricket Board
Bridgetown
BARBADOS

Dear Mr. Lara

The performance of the Team last Saturday in the final of the ICC one-day tournament Champions Trophy must go on record as one of the greatest catalysts for West Indian unity and pride ever.