CARICOM Foreign Ministers look at ways to strengthen co-ordination

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Council for Foreign and Community Relations(COFCOR) will be seeking ways to strengthen co-co-ordination of foreign policy among the Community’s Member States.

The Council, comprising of the Community’s Foreign Ministers, holds its Fifteenth Meeting on 3-4 May, 2012 in Paramaribo, Suriname. Foreign Policy Co-ordination is one of the four pillars of CARICOM along with Economic Integration, Human and Social Development and Security Co-operation.

The Council will also be seeking to finalise the Community’s preparations for a number of upcoming interactions with the international community including the CARICOM-Mexico Summit in Barbados on 21 May, the Rio+ 20 Summit in Brazil, next June and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties18 (COP 18) scheduled for Qatar later this year. The Ministers would also be addressing issues and development engaging the attention of the United Nations and the Organisation of American States. The latter body stages its General Assembly in Cochabamba, Boliviaon 3-5 June 2012.

The Council will also receive high level visitors including the Special Representative of the Prime Minister of Australia, the Honourable Richard Marles MP, Foreign Ministers of Brazil and Finland, Their Excellencies Antonio de Aguiar Patriota, and ErkkiTuomioja, respectively and His Excellency Willy Claes, Minister in the Royal Council of Belgium.

Domestically, the Council will be receiving updates on developments in Haiti, Anguilla and the Turks and Caicos Islands.