The Sixth Heads of Government of Commonwealth Caribbean Countries was officially opened this morning by His Excellency, Sir Clifford Campbell, Governor General of Jamaica at the Sheraton Kingston Hotel. A reply to the Governor General’s address was made by the Hon. R.M. Cato, Premier of St. Vincent.
Delegations attending the Conference are from the eleven Member Territories of the Caribbean Free Trade Association, the Commonwealth of the Bahama Islands and British Honduras (Belize).
The Conference is scheduled to conclude on Friday 18th April 1970.
At the public session addresses were given by the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of the Bahama Islands, British Honduras (Belize), Guyana and Jamaica, the leaders of the Antigua and Trinidad and Tobago delegations and, on behalf of the Associated States, the Premier of St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla.
The Conference later moved into closed plenary session and the leader of the Guyana delegation nominated the Prime Minister of Jamaica, the Rt. Hon, H,l. Shearer, to be the Chairman. This received unanimous acclamation by the Conference.
The Conference also adopted the Agenda and fixed procedures for its meetings.
In the afternoon there was a Special Meeting of the CARIFTA Council of Ministers to consider the report of the meeting of Officials of CARIFTA Countries in relation to an expanded European Economic Community. The Hon R. C. Lightbourne, Minister of Trade and Industry, Jamaica, was elected Chairman of this meeting.
The Heads of Government Conference will resume in plenary session tomorrow morning (Tuesday) at 9.30 o’clock.
