(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Heads of State and Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), regional policymakers, representatives of the academic community, the private sector and financial institutions, as well as members of the Diaspora will meet in New York City later this month for the New York Conference on the Caribbean.

The New York Conference on the Caribbean under the theme `A 20/20 Vision Continued’ on 19-20 June 2008, will include discussions on trade, investment and education, and high level meetings between Heads of Government and key officials including Congressman Charles Rangel, Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee of the House of Representatives; Mr. David Paterson, New York Governor; Mr. Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York; and Mr. Marty Markowitz, Brooklyn Borough President.

CARICOM Heads of Government, Ministers of Education and leading education authorities will gather on the first day of the Conference for a symposium on education at the Medgar Evers College. The symposium is themed `Strengthening Collaborative ties between New York and CARICOM Higher Education Institutions’. It will highlight benefits of existing collaborative models and discuss the role of the Diaspora in expanding ties between educational institutions in CARICOM and North America.

The Diaspora’s participation in the development of the Region and investment opportunities available in the Region under the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) will be among issues to be discussed at a Diaspora Forum at York College, CUNY, in Queens. The Forum on Friday 20 June will be open to the public and will include an interactive question and answer segment.

The visiting delegation from the Caribbean will also tour Harlem during the Conference.