CARICOM Accepts Report on Antigua Led Inter-Faith Conference

KINGSTOWN, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – March 13, 2014………CARICOM Heads of Government have endorsed the Report from Prime Minister, Dr. Hon. Baldwin Spencer on the regional Inter-Faith Conference held at the Jolly Beach Resort and Spa on the 17 February 2014.
Prime Minister Spencer delivered the Report during caucus Wednesday morning at the residence of the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines in Kingstown.
Describing the wide participation of faiths locally and regionally at the Conference, the Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister pointed to the agreed approach of the Inter-Faith Conference and the “remarkable willingness to continue the dialogue”.
In accepting the Report, Chairman of the Community, Dr. Hon. Ralph Gonsalves, the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines commended Antigua and Barbuda for initiating the Conference and similarly described it as a “matter of great importance” to the Region. Accordingly, he urged Member States “to establish appropriate modalities for national inter-faith dialogue”. He also pointed to the fact that CDs on the “historic event” have been produced and circulated”.
According to Prime Minister Spencer “the Heads of Government recognized the establishment of the regional Inter-Faith mechanism and complemented the two activities held” as part of the inaugural Conference on 16th and 17th February, 2014. 
“The Heads also agreed that there should be briefings on the work of the Regional Inter-Faith Organization and that the other faiths not represented at the initial forum should seek to attend the second gathering”, according to Spencer.
The first CARICOM Inter-Faith Service and Conference was held following a request from Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister, who while addressing a meeting of “Change Drivers” on 9 January 2014 called for the different faiths to be involved in the CARICOM Change process.