The Secretary General of the Caribbean Community, Mr Edwin Carrington has embarked on a series of overseas meetings that will place on the international stage a range of issues facing the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

Chief among these are issues arising from the US-Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) which are expected to have a major impact on the Caribbean Basin beneficiaries (Caribbean and Central American countries). The CBTPA is part of the US Trade and Development Act 2000 recently approved by the US Congress.

The Caribbean Community's first assessment of the Act was put forward at an Inter American Development Bank (IDB) Conference in Washington DC on Monday 11 September 2000, entitled 'The United States Trade and Development Act 2000: A Window of Opportunity for the Caribbean Basin Countries'.

In addition to Secretary General Carrington, the Caribbean representatives included high profile representatives from Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica and Guyana.

It was unanimously acknowledged that although posing a number of difficulties, the Act does provide significant trade opportunities for the beneficiary countries.

From Washington DC, Mr Carrington will journey to New York for a series of meetings with Heads of International Organisations, including the Secretaries General of the Commonwealth, the Central American Integration System and the Andean Community.

On Saturday 16 September 2000, the Secretary General will also attend the Informal Consultations of CARICOM's Council for Foreign and Community Relations, which comprises CARICOM's Ministers of Foreign Affairs.

Among the issues that will engage the attention of the Foreign Ministers will be those relating to areas of collaboration among CARICOM Member States within the United Nations System. The Foreign Ministers are also expected to meet with US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in an informal session.

Later that day the Secretary General will depart the United States for Hanover, Germany, where he will represent the Region at the CARICOM National Day celebrations at EXPO 2000 on Sunday 17 . On Tuesday 19 he will meet with the Director General and staff of the World Trade Organisation in Geneva, where he will discuss a number of issues of concern to the Caribbean Community.