(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) All 15 Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and one Associate Member will be represented at the Thirteenth Special Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government taking place in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago on 5 April 2008.

Up to Thursday afternoon, 3 April, 13 Heads of Government had signalled their intention to attend with Belize and Suriname being represented by their Minister of National Security and Minister of Justice and Police respectively. Bermuda is being represented by the Minister of Labour, Home Affairs and Housing.

The Special Meeting was called on the initiative of the host Prime Minister the Honourable Patrick Manning to discuss crime and security in the Region. Mr Manning, who has lead responsibility for Security in the Quasi Cabinet of the Community’s Heads of Government, had called for the meeting during the recent Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Heads of Government in Nassau, The Bahamas.

Three preparatory Meetings have been held prior to the Special Meeting. The Heads of Police Services and Military Forces met in Georgetown, Guyana, on 18-20 March while the Council for Ministers of National Security and Law Enforcement began their Fifth Meeting on Thursday 3 April in Port of Spain. This two-day session follows the meeting of the Security Policy Advisory Committee (SEPAC) which consists of senior officials of Ministries of National Security and Law Enforcement as well as senior Security Officers.

The Heads of Government will meet for an informal session on Friday at the Prime Minister’s Residence prior to the formal meeting at the Trinidad Hilton Hotel and Conference Centre from 9.30 a.m on Saturday.