Salutation

The Caribbean Renewable Energy Development Programme represents one of two areas of activity in the field of energy currently being undertaken by the CARICOM Secretariat. The other area is the formulation of a regional energy policy by a Task Force on Regional Energy Policy, which was established in 2003 in Port of Spain by the 14th Inter-sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM.

Salutation

The Caribbean Renewable Energy Development Programme represents one of two areas of activity in the field of energy currently being undertaken by the CARICOM Secretariat. The other area is the formulation of a regional energy policy by a Task Force on Regional Energy Policy, which was established in 2003 in Port of Spain by the 14th Inter-sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM.

CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – At a recently concluded “mini-ministerial”, convened in Paris, Hon. Clement Rohee, CARICOM Ministerial Spokesperson for World Trade Organization (WTO) issues and Minister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation- Guyana, underscored that development has to be at the core of the WTO’s Doha Round. Minister Rohee also highlighted the significance to CARICOM of Special and Differential Treatment (S&DT). He stressed the importance of recognizing the vulnerabilities of Small Developing Economies.

The road towards the implementation of the Caribbean Renewable Energy Development Project (CREDP) will be clearly mapped out during the first workshop for the implementation of the project.

The workshop takes place in Guyana on 17-19 May 2004,  with participation from the intended beneficiary countries, the funding agencies and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat.

1.      The Fourth UK/Caribbean Forum, hosted by the Government of the United Kingdom took place at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Lancaster House in London on 10-12 May 2004. The Forum was co-chaired on the UK side by the Rt. Hon Jack Straw M.P, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and by Mr.

The Participants of the UK/Caribbean Forum, meeting in London on 11 and 12 May 2004, took note of a report from Belize in relation to the ongoing process to reach a just, equitable and permanent solution to the territorial differendum between Belize and Guatemala within the framework of the Organisation of American States (OAS).

CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – CARICOM welcomes elements of a joint letter on the World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha Development Agenda (DDA), issued by European Commissioners for Trade and Agriculture, Pascal Lamy and Franz Fischler, respectively. This according to the Director-General of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM), Ambassador Dr. Richard Bernal. Ambassador Bernal was speaking to members of the international press, in London, May 11, where he is attending the Fourth Meeting of the UK-Caribbean Forum.

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has begun the first of two preliminary rounds of a Regional School Quiz.

The first session was held last Thursday at the Learning Resource Center, University of West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.

The Quiz is among a concluding series of activities to mark the thirtieth anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas and is aimed at increasing the knowledge of students on the Caribbean and the integration movement.

The Seventeenth Meeting of the Bureau of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) with participation by the Core Group on Haiti, was held at the Office of the Prime Minister, St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda on 4-5 May 2004, under the Chairmanship of Hon. Baldwin Spencer, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda and Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government.

Esteemed Prime Ministers;
Secretary General of CARICOM, His Excellency, Dr. Edwin Carrington;
Honorable Ministers and Attorneys General;
Other Members of Delegations;
Other Dignitaries_

It is a singular honour for Antigua and Barbuda to host this historic meeting of the Bureau of Heads of Government. As the newest kid on this block, I beg your indulgence should any lapses into local realities during my remarks be seen as representing any affront to protocol.