MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica — The Thirty-Ninth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will take place at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, Montego Bay, Jamaica July 4 – 6, 2018, under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Hon. Andrew Holness. An opening ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday beginning at 4 p.m.
The Bahamas’ delegation is headed by Prime Minister the Hon. Dr. Hubert Minnis and includes Joshua Sears, Senior Policy Advisor; the Hon. Darren Henfield, Minister of Foreign Affairs; the Hon. Jeffrey Lloyd, Minister of Education; His Excellency Reuben Rahming, High Commissioner of The Bahamas to CARICOM; Pakesia Parker-Edgecombe, Parliamentary Secretary, Office of the Prime Minister; Viana Gardiner, Chief Operating Officer, Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit; Michael Guy, Foreign Service Officer; Kemico Sands, Protocol Officer, Office of the Prime Minister; Inspector Livingstone Barr, Aide to the Prime Minister; Sgt. Kirk Bastian, Aide to the Prime Minister; Yontalay Bowe, Personal Assistant/Photographer; Lindsay Thompson, BIS Senior Information Officer; Kent Minnis, BIS Senior Digital Visuals Editor; Altovise Munnings, ZNS Reporter; and Philip Marche, ZNS Cameraman.
The Conference will welcome its newest Member, the Prime Minister of Barbados, Hon. Mia Mottley, who was elected to office following the country’s May 24 General Elections.
The Conference will also welcome back Prime Ministers the Hon. Dr. Keith Mitchell of Grenada and the Hon. Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda, who were reelected to office following general elections held on March 13 and March 21, respectively.
These Heads will address the Opening Ceremony along with the outgoing Chairman of the Conference, President Jovenel Moise of Haiti; the incoming Chairman, Prime Minister Holness; and CARICOM Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque.
Heads of Government will meet in Plenary and Caucus on July 5 – 6 to deliberate on matters of importance to the Caribbean Community, including measures impacting the implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), Crime and Security in the Region and emerging geo-political developments that can have an impact on the Region’s growth prospects.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has 15 Member States: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago, and five Associate Members – Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
