The situation in Haiti will top the agenda as Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) meet in St Kitts and Nevis for the Fifteenth Inter-sessional Meeting of the Conference.
The two-day meeting from March 25-26 will take place at the headquarters of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) and is the highlight of a series of meetings being held this week in Basseterre. Others include, the Ninth Meeting of the Council for Finance and Planning (COFAP), the Second meeting of the Committee of Central Bank Governors and Directors of Finance/Financial Secretaries, the Caucus of CARIFORUM Ministers of Foreign Trade and the Tenth Special Meeting of the Legal Affairs Committee. All the sessions, which are being held between Monday March 22 and Wednesday March 24, are being held at the ECCB except the Legal Affairs Committee, which is scheduled for the Frigate Bay Beach Hotel.
The Inter-sessional Meeting of the Conference takes place as the Community’s newest Member State is embroiled in political unrest. Heads of Government met in emergency session on March 2-3 in Kingston, Jamaica to review the situation following the February 29 removal from office of then President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. At that emergency meeting, the leaders said in a statement “the issue of relations with the Interim administration would be the subject of urgent review at the upcoming Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference.”
In that statement the Heads of Government also “reiterated their commitment to the people of Haiti and their intention to remain constructively engaged in the efforts to create the conditions considered necessary for their long-term safety, well-being and progress.”
Apart from Haiti, the meeting will receive an update on the implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) as well as the establishment of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).
Attention will also be paid to Agriculture and Regional Development with emphasis on strengthening the sector for it to play a greater role in the Community’s growth and development. There will also be discussions on the latest developments with respect to sugar and bananas.
Three countries, Australia, Brazil and Thailand have launched a challenge at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to the European Union’s sugar regime which if successful would deal a significant blow to sugar producers in the Region. In the case of bananas, there is serious concern at the deterioration of conditions facing Caribbean bananas in the European market following the change in the EU regime in 2001 as a result of the successful challenge to the regime at the WTO.
A report from the Prime Ministerial Expert Group on Governance is also expected to be tabled at the meeting. This Group was established in February 2003 to look at options for governance of the Community and in the course of its deliberations issued three reports for public comment to be received in time for this Inter-Sessional Meeting. These reports were: the establishment of a CARICOM Commission or Other Executive mechanism; development of the processes for strengthening the role of the Assembly of Caribbean Community Parliamentarians (ACCP); and adoption of the principle of automatic resource transfers for the financing of Community institutions.
Heads of Government would also be discussing issues related to Crime and Security, External Relations, Access to Natural Resources and Cricket World Cup 2007.
