Prime Minister of Jamaica and Chairman of CARICOM the Most Honourable P. J. Patterson will deliver the feature address at the Opening Ceremony of a CARICOM 30th Anniversary Conference on “Regional Governance and Integrated Development” on Friday, October 17 at the Mona Visitors’ Lodge and Conference Centre, UWI Mona Campus from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The Conference which will run from October 17 – 19 is organized and sponsored by the Office of the Principal, UWI in collaboration with the Caribbean Development Bank and is designed to follow up on the decisions adopted at the twenty-fourth session of the CARICOM Heads of Government Conference held in Montego Bay, Jamaica from July 5 – 7, 2003. It will focus on the Proposal for the Establishment of a Commission or similar executive mechanism within CARICOM, production Integration (as is contemplated under article 52 of the revised Treaty of Chauguaramas), a review of the functioning of the organs of the community, the integration of the Caribbean in the international economic system and the promotion of multilateralism within the framework of the UN as the guiding principle of international relations.

The Conference will bring together over 30 presenters, drawn from the academic community, the Trade Union Movement, regional institutions as well as international organizations. Among the chairpersons and participants are the Hon. Burchell Whiteman, the Hon. Rudy Insanally, Senator Delano Franklyn, Senator Dwight Nelson, Sir Shridath Ramphal, Professor Compton Bourne, Byron Blake, Professor Trevor Munroe, Professor Neville Duncan, Ambassador Havelock Brewster, Ambassador Cuthbert Joseph, Professor Selwyn Ryan, Ambassador Courtney Blackman, Roderick Rainford, Professor Edwin Jones, Professor Alvin Wint, Lincoln Lewis, Professor Clive Thomas, Ambassador Richard Bernal, Ambassador Gail Mathurin, Professor Stephen Vasciannie, Ambassador Don Mills, Dr. Tyrone Ferguson, Dr. John Rapley and Dr. Christopher Hackett.

The main theme for day two of the Conference on Saturday, October 18 is “Regional Governance”. Discussions on this theme will be held at the Social Sciences Lecture Theatre and will include topics such as “New Conceptions of Regional Governance”, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.; “CARICOM: Reconciling Individual and Collective Exercise of Sovereignty”; from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.; “Possible Structure and Functions of a CARICOM Commission or other Executive Mechanism” from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and ”Rationalising the Functioning of the Organs of the Community including the Decentralisation of Decision Making” from 4:45 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Day three of the Conference will feature two main themes, “Integrated Development” and “The Community and the International Systems”. Topics to be covered include: “The CARICOM Single Market and Economy: Macro Economic Convergence, the Unification of Capital and Financial Markets and the Unrestricted Movement of People” from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.; Production Integration Revisited: Identification of Suitable Areas and Related Policy and Institutional Arrangements” from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.; “Strategies for the Economic Integration of the Caribbean Community in the International System” from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and “Promoting Multilateralism as the Guiding Principle in International Relations” form 4:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.

The public is invited to attend the conference which is free of cost. For more detailed information on the conference visit the conference website at http//www.mona.uwi.edu/conferences/caricom or call the Office of the Michael Manley Professor of Public Policy at 977-9376 or 970-1995.
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JUNE DEGIA (MRS.)
ASSISTANT PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER
MONA CAMPUS

OCTOBER 13, 2003