Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Hugh Todd recently chaired the Fifty-Third Meeting of the Community Council of Ministers which discussed important Community matters including the provisional agenda for the Forty-Seventh Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government, scheduled from 3-5 July 2024 in St George’s, Grenada.

The hybrid meeting, anchored at the CARICOM Secretariat Headquarters in Georgetown, Guyana, also deliberated on applications for Associate Membership, the CARICOM Competition Commission, and CARICOM Election Observation Missions.

In her address at the opening of the meeting, CARICOM Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett underscored the imperative for CARICOM to strategically position itself to ensure the implementation of interventions to advance its development. This was critical, she said, as vulnerable middle-income developing states of the Community face many challenges to their sustainable growth.

“Our lived experience is that of our collective and united approach, especially for giving voice to those issues affecting the Region in the international arena. This includes but is not limited to our advocacy for special and differential treatment that considers our vulnerabilities as Small Islands and Low Lying Coastal Developing States,” Dr. Barnett stated.

In his remarks, Minister Todd said emphasized the imperative of strengthening and deepening regional integration efforts, in the face of a challenging global environment.