CARICOM has taken the strategic decision that the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) would be an important vehicle towards Member States achieving their long term development goals of improving the quality of life of the people of the Caribbean Community. This development vision is being forged within the context of a dynamic global environment where small countries run the risk of being marginalized unless specific initiatives are taken to address the challenges which they face and where space is provided to enable them to identify and make use of new opportunities.

While it is expected that the CSME will better equip the fifteen small states and five associated Members of the Caribbean Community, with a population of about fifteen million persons, to take their place in the global economy, the relationship with the major global partners is an important element in the achievement of the Region’s development goals.

The United States is the Region’s closest developed country neighbour, its major trading partner and the home of the largest number of migrants from the Region. The policies adopted by the Region could be buttressed by policies taken by the United States but at the same time policy decisions taken by the United States to address its domestic and foreign policy agendas can have severe effects on the Caribbean economies.

Similarly at the people to people level, the relationships between our private sectors are important factors in the construct of the economic engine for growth in the Caribbean economies.

The Caribbean Diaspora has made significant contributions in many fields within their host country while many have still kept links with their individual home countries. The President of the United States acknowledged this contribution by designating June 2006 as Caribbean American Heritage Month.

This Conference is being scheduled during June 2007 to again direct the attention of the people of the United States to the future of the Caribbean and its peoples.

At a regional level, CARICOM has recognized the important role the Diaspora could play in the Region’s efforts now and in the future and is prepared to take steps to encourage this relationship.

This conference is therefore structured in such a way that there is Government to Government , People to People and the interaction between the Governments and the People. This will be the first time where the policy makers, the International Financial Agency, academic community, private sectors, and people of the Caribbean and the United States will interface in one Conference to examine the growth and development of the Caribbean Community from a regional perspective. It is expected that by the end of the Conference the following major objectives would have been achieved:

• The strengthening of the relationship between the United States and CARICOM by addressing the priority areas for the future Caribbean growth and development including issues related to trade, competitiveness and investment in mutually beneficial and reinforcing ways.

• The deepening and broadening of the dialogue between the Governments and People of CARICOM and the Government and People of the United States of America which should result in the renewed appreciation of the policy makers for the potential of the Caribbean.

• The strengthening of the relationship among the Caribbean Diaspora in the United States as well as the energizing of the Diaspora and friends of the Caribbean in support of the Region’s Development.

• The enhancement of the image of the Caribbean in the United States.