The impact of Hurricane Georges on the Caribbean is among items to be considered when the Eleventh Meeting of the Bureau of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community convenes in Grenada on Wednesday October 21, 1998.
The Caribbean Youth Explosion is into its second week in The Bahamas and into its second phase, the CARICOM Youth Workshop and Parliament.
The first week of the three-week Explosion saw a highly successful Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP), the Caribbean Youth Exchange which took place on the island of Eleuthera.
Cuba will be the focus of four days of activity in Guyana beginning November 18.
The CARICOM/Cuba Joint Commission will hold its Fifth Meeting on November 18-19 and immediately following, Guyana will be host for a two-day Caribbean/Cuba Trade and Investment Symposium on November 20-21. The symposium is being held with the assistance of the CARICOM Secretariat and the Caribbean Export Development Agency (CEDA).
CARICOM Secretary General Mr Edwin Carrington has assured the Member States of the Community devastated by Hurricane Georges that the Region stood ready to assist them in their time of need.
Mr Carrington despatched messages of condolence and support to Antigua and Barbuda, St Kitts and Nevis and Haiti on behalf of the Community and the Secretariat earlier this week shortly after the passage of Hurricane Georges through the Caribbean. He also sent a similar message to the Dominican Republic, a Member State of CARIFORUM of which Mr Carrington is also Secretary-General.
The Caribbean Community's (CARICOM) Inter-Governmental Task Force on Drugs and Regional Ministers of National Security expressed concern at the high levels of illicit drugs remaining in the Caribbean out of the cargo being transhipped to external countries.
The Government of The Bahamas has assured the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) that all necessary precautions are in place in the event of a hurricane attacking the country which is hosting the first and second legs of the Caribbean Youth Explosion on the islands of Eleuthera and New Providence.
The 96 delegates are at present housed in Camp Symonette, the designated hurricane shelter on Eleuthera, as they participate in the Commonwealth Youth Programme's Caribbean Youth Exchange which began on Friday September 18.
The first ever Joint Meeting of the Inter-Governmental Task Force on Drugs and Ministers of National Security got underway on Wednesday 22 September at the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat Headquarters with a challenge to Member States to mount integrated programmes involving punishment, prevention, and rehabilitation, to battle the growing trade in illicit drugs in the Region.
The Caribbean Youth Explosion will be launched in Nassau, The Bahamas on Friday,18 September 1998 with a ceremony at the Nassau Marriott Hotel.
This unique event will involve more than 100 young people between the ages of 13 and 30 from Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Commonwealth Caribbean including Canada. With the theme "Making Choices, Taking Action", the Explosion brings together the youth in a series of activities organised by the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP), the CARICOM Secretariat and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The pace of the constitutional reform process in Guyana has been given added impetus following agreement by all parties to the terms of reference of a Caribbean Community (CARICOM) appointed Facilitator.
Agreement to the terms came after the Chairman of CARICOM, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Dr. the Hon. Kenny Anthony held discussions with leaders of the political parties in Guyana during a one-day visit on Monday 14 September, 1998.