(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Twenty-Sixth Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Integration (COTED) will be held 24-25 November 2008 at Le Meridien Pegasus in Georgetown, Guyana.

The implementation of the recently signed Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the Caribbean Forum of African Caribbean and Pacific States (CARIFORUM) and the European Commission (EC), will be among the main issues to be discussed.

Among the agenda items is the status of implementation of the regimes regarding the Free Movement of Skills within the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). Earlier in November, a meeting of officials on the Free Movement of Persons, as well as a forum on Contingent Rights was held at the Secretariat in Georgetown, Guyana. COTED will receive reports on the outcomes of both meetings.

The COTED will be apprised of progress of several regional organisations and facilities including the CARICOM Competition Commission launched in January 2008 in Suriname, the CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) and the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF).

The agreement bringing the CDF into being was signed in July 2008 at the CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting. Since then, the inaugural meeting of the Board of Directors was held and a Chief Executive Officer - Ambassador Lorne T. McDonnough - was appointed. The CDF, with an initial target of US$250 Million, is mandated by Article 158 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas to assist Disadvantaged Member States, Regions and Sectors to mitigate dislocating or other adverse effects of the CSME and to promote equitable development.

CARICOM Member States have committed to provide US$120M to the CDF, with the remainder being raised from targeted prospective donor countries and institutions.

Delegates to the COTED Meeting will also hold discussions on other external trade matters including negotiations for the CARICOM-Canada Trade and Development Agreement, the Doha Round of Multilateral Negotiations, and the CARICOM-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement

A meeting of officials will be held at the CARICOM Secretariat 20-21 November prior to the COTED Ministerial meeting.