(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Foreign Ministers of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) are in London, England this week to participate in the Sixth United Kingdom (UK)–Caribbean Forum at Lancaster House.
During the two-day business sessions on 15 and16 July, the Foreign Ministers will have the opportunity to discuss with their British counterpart such issues as security – including the immigration policies that affect the Caribbean diaspora – progress regarding implementation of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), education and training, the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the Caribbean Forum of African Caribbean and Pacific Group of countries (CARIFORUM) and the European Union (EU), climate change, energy and food security.
The Ministers will also be able to have frank discussions with the UK Foreign Secretary on political issues of critical interest and concern to CARICOM, in particular the graduation of Middle Income Countries in the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Reform of International Financial Institutions and the withdrawal of UK Overseas Development Assistance from some CARICOM countries.
Ministers will also engage with UK Parliamentarians on these issues at the UK/Caribbean Parliamentary Forum scheduled for Tuesday 15 July, 2008, at the UK Houses of Parliament. This forum will be hosted by Lord Foulkes of Cumnock, who is also President of the Caribbean Britain Business Council.
The CARICOM team is led by the Honourable Baldwin Spencer, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Antigua and Barbuda who is both Chairman of CARICOM and of the Community’s Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR). The five previous UK Caribbean Fora were held alternately in the Caribbean and the UK in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006 respectively.
