(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) at its Twelfth Special Meeting which focused on Children agreed in principle to a recommendation that an Envoy for Children be identified for the Caribbean.

The three-day meeting which ended on Wednesday 19 March 2008, and was held under the theme Building a Region Fit for Children, agreed that such an emissary would be selected from a slate of nominees provided by Member States of the Caribbean Community and would be appointed by the Conference of Heads of Government.

The Child envoy would be a distinguished person of sufficient legitimacy and credibility within the Caribbean and who would be able to assist Member States to mobilize programmes toward the care and development of Children. Such a person would act on behalf of the Caribbean Community to champion the cause of children in the Region.

Ministers of Government who attended the COHSOD were urged to nominate suitable persons in accordance with the stipulated selection criteria in time for them to be presented to the Conference of Heads of Government in July.

The COHSOD also announced a proposed project for the development of a CARICOM Kids Website that would create a virtual knowledge network for children of the Community.

The COHSOD endorsed the approach set out for the establishment of the website and urged Member States to make available relevant resources to secure the efficient operation of this tool for Regional integration and strengthening of a Caribbean identity.

The meeting brought together a wide range of regional and international stakeholders including Ministers of Government, civil servants, child advocates and private sector interests who focused on progress towards the attainment of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the subsequent establishment of a revised regional Framework of Action for Children.