(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Nineteenth Meeting of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Council of Ministers will be convened on Friday 19 January at the CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana.
The Community Council, comprising Ministers with responsibility for CARICOM Affairs, is expected to consider among other issues, a report from the Technical Working Group on Governance (TWGG). The report, in keeping with its terms of reference, contains a number of recommendations including new approaches for the governance and financing of institutions of CARICOM.
The TWGG was appointed by CARICOM Heads of Government in February 2006, following a report from the Prime Ministerial Expert Group on Governance which was established in 2003 to recommend structural changes to the Region’s governance in keeping with its march towards becoming a Single Market and Economy.
During the course of its meeting, the Community Council is also expected to receive and consider a report from the Budget Committee of CARICOM which met 17-18 January at the CARICOM Headquarters. Issues arising out of the most recent meetings of the Councils of CARICOM, including the Councils for Trade and Economic Development and Human and Social Development are also on the meeting agenda.
As part of their discussions, CARICOM Affairs Ministers are also likely to discuss plans for the Region’s involvement in the Conference on the Caribbean scheduled for June in Washington.
With St. Vincent and the Grenadines now holding the Chairmanship of CARICOM, CARICOM Heads of Government will next meet February 12-14 in St. Vincent and the Grenadines for the Eighteenth Inter-Sessional Meeting of The Conference.
