The Bureau of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) meets in Montego Bay, Jamaica on the weekend of 5-6 April 2003 to consider the implications to the Community of the war in Iraq.

Chairman of Conference, the Hon. Pierre Charles, Prime Minister of Dominica will preside over the meeting of the Bureau, which at this time also consists of immediate past chairman, His Excellency Bharrat Jagdeo, President of Guyana, incoming chairman, Most Hon. P.J Patterson, Prime Minister of Jamaica and the Secretary-General of CARICOM, Mr Edwin Carrington.

Apart from the selection and fortunes of the West Indies Cricket team, there is no other issue that evokes, in this region, a richer, more sustained, more fierce, and more misplaced commentary than the purposes and workings of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy.   In both instances, the debate seems to be inspired by the desire of the people of the Caribbean for the region and its institutions to succeed, and the unwillingness therefore to accept any departure from full effort and best practice.

Honourable Ministers
Ms. Jacqulyn Joseph and other members of the CARICOM Secretariat
Permanent Secretaries
Representatives of Ministers
Representatives of Regional and International Institutions
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen.

The Caribbean Community/CARIFORUM, the Government of Italy and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) signed a US$5 million Food Security Project in Milan on 21 March 2003.

The Project is Italy's response to a US$26.2 million programme submitted by CARICOM/CARIFORUM to a Meeting on Food Security at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in Washington, DC in November last year.

I am delighted to welcome all of you who have honoured the invitation to this 6th Special Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development. Your presence here, is fitting testimony to your commitment to the urgent need for us to work harmoniously together in facing the challenges of Human and Social Development, as they relate to education at all levels of the system.

This Meeting provides a forum for dialogue with the objective of evolving enduring solutions to the human development constraints facing the Caribbean Region.

The Sixth Special Meeting of the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) begins in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, starting at 9_00 a.m. on Monday, 31 March with a focus on Education.

The two-day meeting at the Trinidad Hilton Hotel and Conference Centre to be presided over by the Hon. Walter Sandriman, Suriname’s Minister of Education and Community Development, will consider among other issues, the migration of teachers from the Caribbean.

CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – A College of Negotiators Meeting will be convened in Kingston, Jamaica from March 31 to April 1, 2003. The session will finalize CARICOM’s preparation for the 13th Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) Trade Negotiation Committee (TNC) Meeting in Puebla, Mexico from April 8 to 11. The College comprises Lead and Alternate Lead Negotiators representing CARICOM in the FTAA’s nine Negotiating Groups and one Ad Hoc Group on Rules of Origin (an ad hoc group of the Negotiating Group on Market Access).

The question has been asked sometimes why do we need a Caribbean Court of Justice. The short and simple response is that without it the CARICOM Single Market and Economy will certainly not function effectively. For it is inevitable that in the cut and thrust of the commercial and economic life involving trade in goods, in services, trans-community investment and movement of skilled labour as well as the dynamics of social life within that market, there will be disputes.

Mr. Chairman,
Colleague Heads of State and Government,
Honourable Ministers,
Secretary General of CARICOM,
Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Introduction