(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) A three-day conference under the theme, Champions for Change, involving at least one Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Prime Minister, Ministers of Government, health officials and civil society representatives from the Region as well as the United Kingdom opens in St. Kitts on Monday, November 22.

The conference, which takes place at the Marriott Hotel, aims to reduce HIV/AIDS related stigma and discrimination and is being organized by CARICOM, the Pan-Caribbean Partnership on HIV/AIDS (PANCAP) and the UK Department for International Development. St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas, who has responsibility for Health and Human Resource Development within CARICOM and is the Chairman of PANCAP, will deliver the keynote address at the opening ceremony on Monday.

The opening ceremony will also see the participation of The United Kingdom's Under-Secretary of State for International Development, Hon. Gareth Thomas; the Minister of Health and Environment of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Hon. Douglas Slater; Executive Director of UNAIDS and United Nations Under Secretary-General, Dr. Peter Piot; and Regional Coordinator of the Regional Network Plus, Ms. Yolanda Simon.

A technical meeting will precede the opening ceremony. Presenters at the high level forum on Tuesday and Wednesday will include Chancellor of the University of the West Indies and Director of the Caribbean Commission on Health and Development, Sir George Alleyne; Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community, Mr. Edwin Carrington; and Director of Health for the BBC World Service Trust, Mr. Roy Head.

CARICOM Assistant Secretary-General, Human and Social Development, Dr. Edward Greene said the conference is dedicated to sharing international best practices on reducing stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS. "The overall objective is to accelerate the process of reducing HIV/AIDS related stigma and discrimination in the Caribbean through persons identified and 'champions for change,' he said.