Following their decision of last July in Montego Bay, Jamaica, CARICOM Heads of Government will meet in special session in Castries, Saint Lucia on November 13-14, 2003 with a view to maintaining the momentum regarding a number of issues discussed at that July meeting.
The Heads of Government are to pay particular attention to issues surrounding governance of the Community, the key requirements for the implementation of the Single Market and Economy and energy.
The meeting will provide the Heads of Government a final opportunity to sign off on regional positions prior to a number of critical international meetings including the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Abuja, Nigeria from December 5-8 and the Special Summit of the Americas on January 12-13, 2004 in Mexico. In gearing up for (CHOGM), CARICOM leaders will hold separate discussions with their counterparts from the United Kingdom and Canada.
A report from the breakfast meeting between four CARICOM Heads of Government and the United States President George Bush last September will also be on the agenda.
Trade matters will also engage the attention of the leaders as a Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) will take place on November 12, also in Saint Lucia, one day prior to their meeting. Trade Ministers will be considering the international negotiations in which the Region is engaged to assist Heads of Government in deciding on regional positions at their session.
Most urgent among these is the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) Ministerial meeting in Miami on November 20-21. Other trade issues, which the ministers will look at before seeking direction from the Heads of Government, include the African Caribbean and Pacific States (ACP) negotiations with the European Union (EU) and possible paths for the Region at the level of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) following the collapse of the recent round of negotiations held in Cancun, Mexico.
