Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States and Chairman of the CARICOM CAUCUS of Ambassadors Private Sector and Experts Working Group Professor Gordon Shirley says the Conference on the Caribbean set for June 19-21, 2007 in Washington DC will serve to strengthen and deepen the relationship between the Governments of the US and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and build on the people to people relationship between the United States and CARICOM.


In giving the overview at the 7th Diaspora Dialogue on the Conference on the Caribbean at the Kelly Chapel United Methodist Church in Decatur, Georgia on Saturday April 28th, Ambassador Shirley disclosed that the major highlight of the Conference will be a meeting between the President of the United States and the Heads of State/Government of the Caribbean Community. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will meet with CARICOM Foreign Ministers and other meetings are planned with Secretaries of Commerce, Education and Treasury. According to Ambassador Shirley, these meetings will serve to cement the relationship between the Governments of the region and the US Administration.


Ambassador Shirley said that meetings have been planned with Members of Congress on Capitol Hill, which will discuss a number of issues which are important to the Caribbean Diaspora.


The people to people dialogue, Ambassador Shirley pointed out will comprise three components – an Experts Forum, Private Sector Forum and Diaspora Forum. The Experts Forum will feature meetings between, some of the leading experts out of the Caribbean and the United States which will focus on the future of the Caribbean. “Experts will look not just at the relationship between the US and the Caribbean that exists today but how that relationship is going to evolve over the next couple of decades in the external environment in which we have to compete with the opening up of China and India and other economic giants; as well as how the Caribbean will evolve over that period and how can the US and the Caribbean collaborate to ensure that the hemisphere is not only safe but a high growth one going into the future.”


Ambassador Shirley emphasized the importance of the social infrastructure in underpinning the growth of the Caribbean. Hence the Conference will be looking at health, education, personal and national security as well as the physical infrastructure for growth, housing, telecommunications, roads and energy that will be necessary for the Caribbean to grow over the next couple of decades.


Over 200 Caribbean nationals who attended the meeting suggested that the Conference address the matters related to immigration and deportation, security, human rights, education, trade and economic development, as well as youth exchange and voting in Caribbean home countries.


The Meeting was also addressed by Ambassador of Guyana and Co-Chair of the CARICOM Caucus of Ambassador Working Group Logistics Bayney Karran, Ambassador of Barbados and Chair of the CARICOM Caucus of Ambassadors Working Gorup on the Diaspora Forum and Dialogue, Michael King, Ambassador of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Chair of the CARICOM Caucus of Ambassadors, Ellsworth John, Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of the Commonwealth of Bahamas, Rhoda M. Jackson and Ms. Fay Housty, Executive Director, Foreign and Community Relations, CARICOM Secretariat.


Jamaica’s Honorary Consul to Atlanta, Vin Martin, in his remarks said “ the Atlanta Caribbean Community is truly excited to be part of the tour that is sensitizing the Caribbean community on the upcoming meeting of the Caribbean leaders with the US Administration. I think this is the first time that we have anyone at the Ambassadorial level in such large numbers focusing on input by members of the diaspora in such a high level conference. We are truly pleased and excited to be having this meeting so we can help to shape the tone of the discussions that will take place at the Conference on the Caribbean.”


The Conference on the Caribbean is the largest and most significant event to be staged in recent memory focusing on the future of the CARICOM States which form the “third border” with the United States of America.


The Caribbean Communities in Los Angeles and Chicago will have an opportunity to make their contribution to the Diaspora Dialogue on Saturday 5th May and Saturday 26th May, 2007.


JIS, Washington, DC
Derrick A. Scott