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In a bid to address critical issues facing the Caribbean region, Prime Minister the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew and his delegation are set to participate in the Forty-Sixth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). This significant gathering is scheduled to take place in Guyana from February 25th to February 28th, 2024, under the Chairmanship of His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and the Incoming Chair of CARICOM.

The delegation accompanying Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew includes the Senior Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas; Head of Civil Service, Ms. Thelma Richard; Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office, Ms. Naeemah Hazelle; Ambassador to OECS and CARICOM, His Excellency Larry Vaughan; Press Secretary, Mrs. Adelcia Connor-Ferlance; and Senior Foreign Service Officer, Bjorn Hazel.

The CARICOM meeting will address a range of pressing issues affecting the Caribbean region. These include territorial threats, crime and violence, climate change, climate financing, regional food and nutrition security, free movement of community nationals, regional security, and the situation in Haiti. The agenda will also feature discussions on COP 28 and the upcoming Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States.

Moreover, global and hemispheric issues will be deliberated upon, including developments in the Middle East and emerging situations in Argentina, Ecuador, and Guatemala. Special guests such as His Excellency Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil; Dr. Ilan Goldfajn, President of the Inter-American Development Bank; His Excellency Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Saudi Arabia; and Her Excellency Reem al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, United Arab Emirates (UAE) are expected to engage with the Heads of Government during the meeting.

Following the CARICOM Heads Meeting, a section of the delegation led by Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew will proceed to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for the VIII Summit of Heads of States and Governments of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). The two-day summit, commencing on March 1, 2024, at the Sandals Resort at Buccament, will be an essential platform for dialogue and political consensus among the thirty-two member nations of CELAC.

The delegation to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines includes Senior Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas; Ambassador His Excellency, Larry Vaughan; Press Secretary, Mrs. Adelcia Connor-Ferlance; and Foreign Service Officer, Jamella Davis.

CELAC, founded with a commitment to advancing regional integration, unity, and fostering collaboration among Latin American and Caribbean nations, serves as a vital regional forum. The summit’s leadership will comprise Dr. the Honourable Ralph E. Gonsalves, Prime Minister and Pro Tempore President of CELAC; Senator, the Honourable Keisal M. Peters, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade; and Dr. Douglas W. Slater, National Coordinator and Head of the CELAC Presidential Secretariat.

The summit’s program includes an official opening ceremony on the morning of March 1, 2024, followed by plenary sessions, and concludes with a media briefing. As Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew and his delegation engage in these crucial discussions, the outcomes will likely shape policies and cooperation mechanisms to enhance regional integration and address challenges facing the Caribbean and Latin American regions.

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