Guyana

(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) CARICOM Member States are gearing for the technological challenges of globalisation through active participation and cooperation in the sphere of information technology.

As part of preparations for phase two of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), which takes place in Tunisia November 2005, several Regional organisations and institutions are meeting at the CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Wednesday, 12 January for a CARICOM Regional Stakeholders Meeting.

Esteemed colleagues,
Representatives of the media_

On behalf of the Secretary-General and the staff of the CARICOM ecretariat, it is my pleasure to welcome you to this important Consultation. Given the early start of Community meetings this year, I am also glad of the opportunity to wish you, your families and organisations, a happy and successful New Year.

Colleague Ministers and their distinguished delegates, Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community and his hardworking staff. I would like to wish you all a healthy and prosperous new year. May CARICOM continue to be productive and beneficial to our Region.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) As the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) shapes up for the 2005 implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) the future looks promising for entrepreneurs, but a continued unified front among Member States remains important to the CARICOM integration process.

This Ceremony for the Signing of two Agreements between the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Federal Republic of Germany presents a timely opportunity to acknowledge the contribution of the Federal Republic of Germany to a number of developmental initiatives in the Region, including, but not restricted to, the building of regional capacity through the replenishment of the Study and Expert Fund and the provision of timely and well tailored assistance to stem the tide of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

A PROFESSIONAL JOURNALIST  WHO CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY (CARICOM)

(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has secured the sum of US$81 million in USAID Assistance to undertake its regional development priorities in Trade Competitiveness, HIV/AIDS and the reconstruction of Grenada.

The funds, which make up part of a five-year programme, mark another important stage in what is described as a "strong, substantial and strategic relationship between USAID and the CARICOM Region."

The Eleventh Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD XI) of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) was convened at Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel, Georgetown, Guyana on 28-29 October 2004, under the theme, "Investing in Human Resources with Special Reference to Education and Training."

Salutations

On March 30, 2003 when the Special Meeting of Education - COHSOD was held in Trinidad and Chaired by Suriname, I was delighted to welcome Ministers of Education to Trinidad and Tobago.

I also emphasised the importance of COHSOD as a mechanism that allows us to come together to learn from each other to plan for our education systems in our own countries while recognizing that our success ultimately will depend upon our ability to prepare young people of the Caribbean to assure future roles in all our activities.

It is my pleasure to chair this opening session of the Eleventh Meeting of  the COHSOD which focuses on education and training . I am pleased that so many Ministers, officials and representatives of collaborating agencies and development partners are with us today as we try to resolve some critical issues that underscore the intricate linkages between social and economic policies, especially in the context of the CSME process and the role that education plays in the development of human resources required for a CSME that is competitive in the global arena.