(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) An assessment of the progress made to date in the implementation of the Caribbean Regional Strategic Framework on HIV/AIDS, specifically as it relates to such projects as the Global Fund, World Bank and CIDA will come under the microscope in Saint Lucia this week.

The occasion is the Fourth Meeting of the Regional Coordinating Mechanism (RCM) of the Pan Caribbean Partnership (PANCAP) Against HIV/AIDS which will take place on 11-12 March 2005, under the chairmanship of Dr. Edward Greene, Assistant Secretary-General, Human and Social Development, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat.

Other agenda items include an update on PANCAP's activities, including the policy issues arising out of the Fourth Annual General Meeting held in October 2004, resource mobilisation and capacity building. The meeting will also receive several reports including those from the CARICOM/UK Champions for Change Conference; the Regional Coalition for Gender and HIV/AIDS and the Advocacy Workshop.

The RCM has overall responsibility for the implementation of PANCAP's Annual Work Programme and provides general guidance on programme delivery. It comprises the core members of PANCAP, representatives of six Member Countries of PANCAP, one multilateral and one bilateral institution, civil society, the private sector, the Chair of the Caribbean Coalition of National AIDS Programme Coordinators, a representative of the CARICOM Youth Ambassadors, and the CARICOM/GFATM Representative and an Alternate.