INTER-GOVERNMENTAL COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS APPOINTED BY HEADS OF GOVERNMENT CONFERENCE

The Third Plenary Session of the Sixth Heads of Government Conference of Commonwealth Caribbean Countries this afternoon (Wednesday) agreed to the appointment of an Inter-Governmental Committee of Experts to enquire into all matters affecting the competitive position of the Tourist Industry in the Commonwealth Caribbean, including an examination of air fares, hotel rates and other matters ancillary to this industry.

The Conference adopted a resolution that the Committee should also review air freight rates and fares charged for travel by nationals of the area, within the area and between the area and the outside.

The Committee considered and adopted the reports of the Legal and General Committee and the Budgetary and Economic Committee. The first Committee report dealt with, among other matters, the Establishment of a Caribbean Examinations Council, the Oils and Fats Agreement, the Report of the West Indies Shipping Council, the Report of the Meeting of Information and Public Relations Officers and a Regional Approach to Territorial Waters, Legal Regime of the Sea-Bed and Ocean Floor and Fishing Interests.

Recommendations of the second Committee which were at Plenary Session were Proposals for a Statistical Co-ordinating and Advisory Committee, Inter-American Development Bank Seminar on Economic Integration, Eighth Conference of Commonwealth Statisticians, Work Programme of the Commonwealth Caribbean Regional Secretariat for 1970, Budgetary Proposals for the Secretariat for 1970, ECLA Programme on Caribbean Integration for 1970, ECLA Proposal for Work on Human Resources Development in the Caribbean and a Commonwealth Caribbean Technical Assistance Programme.

The Conference also adopted the Report of the Special Meeting of the CARIFTA Council of Ministers which considered the Report of the Meeting of Officials of CARIFTA Countries in relation to an Expanded European Economic Community.

The Conference resumes tomorrow (Thursday).