BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE 38th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will kick off tomorrow (Jul. 4) with an official Opening Ceremony at the Radisson Grenada Beach Resort.
The event, which will run from July 4-6, will see leaders holding closed-door discussions on critical issues on July 5 and 6 under the Chairmanship of Grenada’s Prime Minister, Dr. the Rt. Hon Keith Mitchell, according to a CARICOM statement.
“The Heads of Government are also expected to deliberate on outstanding matters related to the implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) following the comprehensive review of the CSME’s performance presented to them at the last Inter-Sessional Meeting in February,” the statement read.
It also stated: “This meeting is expected to include the presentation for approval by the Heads of a Human Resource Development 2030 Strategy and Implementation Plan to address the development of skills for the 21st century Caribbean economy and society.”
It further stated that there would be an update on the preparations for CARIFESTA XIII slated for Barbados; an update on the work of the Commissions on Reparations and Marijuana; and an update on the progress made with implementing the specified actions, agreed a decade ago, under the 2007 Port of Spain Declaration to stop the epidemic of Non-Communicable Diseases (NDCs).
Regional Security issues are also expected to receive attention.
Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris would be in attendance, according to a Government Information Service release.
He is the region’s point person on health-related matters at the Heads of Government level.
SKNVibes understands that the topic of Venezuela and its crisis would not be one of the areas that the regional leaders would be addressing.
According to the CARICOM Secretariat’s statement, the outgoing Chairman, Guyana’s President, His Excellency David Granger; incoming Chairman, Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr. the Rt. Hon. Keith Mitchell; and the Secretary-General of CARICOM, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque are expected to address the meeting.
