(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) The challenges of globalization and the implications for higher education in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), facilitation of CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) Implementation, preparations for the February 16-17 Sixteenth Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government and the Community's position on the recent tsunami disaster in Asia will be among the major issues for discussion the at the 15th Meeting of the Community Council of Ministers in Georgetown on Wednesday, January 5. The meeting will be held at the CARICOM Secretariat.
The Community Council is responsible for strategic planning and coordination in the areas of economic integration, functional cooperation and external relations in accordance with the policy directions established by the Conference of Heads of Government. It also serves as the preparatory body for the meetings of the Conference and approves the budget of the Secretariat. As one of the two Principal Organs of the Community – the other being the Conference of Heads – the Community Council deliberates and makes recommendations to Heads of Government on matters arising from the several Organs of the Community namely, the Council for Finance and Planning (COFAP), the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFOR), the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED), and the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD).
Challenges facing the Region as its pursues the Millennium Development Goals set out by the United Nations in 2000, will also be discussed by Ministers, who will devote particular attention to issues such as the Millennium Goals for education, poverty reduction, and HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean.
The enhanced coordination of Member States' foreign policies will be the main thrust of the matters before the Community Council arising from the recent retreat of COFCOR. The enhanced foreign policy strategy seeks to strengthen the Community's collaboration with other countries, preserve the Region's security, develop strategic alliances with developed and developing countries, and protect and promote the interests of smaller economies of CARICOM.
Meanwhile, as three Member States – Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago prepare to take the lead in declaring their CARICOM Single Market readiness with the depositing of the relevant instrument at the new CARICOM Headquarters in Guyana on February 19, the Community Council will receive a progress report on the implementation of the various elements of the CSME. A recommendation for CARICOM Member States to invest in national statistical information systems to facilitate the collection, compilation and dissemination of statistics aimed at supporting the CSME will also the discussed.
