Annual meeting of CARIFORUM to be held in Dominica

The Annual Meeting of CARIFORUM will be held in Dominica on November 25, 2011 at the Fort Young Hotel.

This ninetieth meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Caribbean Forum of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (ACP) will be chaired by Dominica’s Minister for Employment, Trade, Industry and Diaspora Affairs, Honourable Dr. John Collin McIntyre.

This CARIFORUM meeting is being held at a critical time in the EU-CARIFORUM relationship particularly, as the EU is currently looking at a new Aid Policy which inevitably will impact on a number of CARIFORUM states.  Against this background, the meeting will pay close attention to the success of the region as it relates to its programme under the 10th EDF.

The Council will also look closely at requests made by the EU for Political dialogue with CARIFORUM.  The issues which the CARIFORUM representatives would like to form part of any political dialogue with the EU will be thoroughly discussed as part of the internal discussions by the Council of Ministers.

Also forming part of the Ninetieth CARIFORUM Meeting will be the outcome of the Trade and Development Committee on review of the EPA between the EU and CARIFORUM.

All CARIFORUM Members States including Cuba and the Dominican Republic are expected to be represented at this high level meeting.  A two day meeting of Senior Officers held here in Dominica which preceded this Ninetieth CARIFORUM Meeting discussed proposals to be placed before the Council.