Youth representatives of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will meet in Trinidad and Tobago next week to address a number of issues affecting their daily lives under the theme "Human Rights, Freedoms, and Responsibilities."
Canada
The good relations between Canada and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) were once again demonstrated when that country made a presentation of 100,000 Canadian Dollars to assist in the work of the constitutional reform process in CARICOM Member State, Guyana.
At a simple ceremony on Thursday, 9 September, at the CARICOM Secretariat's Headquarters in Georgetown, Guyana , H.E. Mr. Kamoji Wachiira, High Commissioner (Acting) of Canada to Guyana presented the cheque to CARICOM Secretary-General, Mr. Edwin Carrington.
The leaders discussed a number of regional, hemispheric and international issues. Particular attention was paid to the imminent Second Summit of the Americas due to be held in Santiago, Chile on the weekend, April 18-19, 1998.
Noting the equal relevance of both the economic and non-economic issues to be addressed in Santiago, prominence was given to the proposal expected to be adopted at the Summit to launch the negotiations towards the establishment of the Free Trade Area of the Americas by the year 2005.
The integration process of the Caribbean Community is progressing well and the Region is making an effort to liberalise its market, in spite of the concern of countries about their vulnerability. So said Mr. Michael Kergin, Deputy Minister Americas, Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Canada at a joint press conference with CARICOM Secretary-General Edwin Carrington at the conclusion of the Ninth Meeting of the CARICOM-Canada Joint Trade and Economic Committee held at the CARICOM headquarters in Georgetown, Guyana on Friday 20 February 1998.
The Ninth meeting of the CARICOM/Canada Joint Trade and Economic Committee (JTEC) begins in Georgetown, Guyana on Thursday 19 February, 1998.
This meeting takes place against the backdrop of the upcoming second Summit of the Americas scheduled for Santiago, Chile in April and the recent expansion of Caribbean Community/Canadian Technical Cooperation Agreement (CARIBCAN), the one way duty free trade arrangement, which allows CARICOM products to enter Canadian markets. Methanol and lubricating oils were added to the list of products under CARIBCAN.