(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Haiti will be at the centre of Caribbean activity from 15-19 October 2007. The 15th Meeting of Ministers of CARIFORUM the Caribbean Forum of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States takes place during that week in Port-au-Prince and the Caribbean Community will re-open its Representation Office in Haiti on 19 October.

It will be the first time that Haiti will be the venue for a CARIFORUM Ministerial meeting since the return to democratic rule in 2006. CARIFORUM consists of the 14 Independent Member States of CARICOM and the Dominican Republic who are signatories to the ACP-European Union (Cotonou) Partnership Agreement which governs trade and aid relations between the two groupings. Cuba is also a member of CARIFORUM but is not a signatory to the Cotonou Agreement.

The meeting is particularly critical coming as it does one week after the Special Meeting of the Heads of State and Government of CARIFORUM in Montego Bay, Jamaica during which the Leaders met with European Commissioners for Trade and for Development and Humanitarian Aid, to discuss the on-going negotiations for an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between CARIFORUM and the EU.

The status of the EPA negotiations is one of the items on the agenda of the Ministerial Meeting as is a Report of the Regional Preparatory Task Force on the negotiations. The Task Force is recommending specific capacity-building measures designed to ensure that CARIFORUM Member States can take advantage of an EPA.

Ministers will also review the status of the 9th European Development Fund (EDF) programmes while looking forward to the 10th EDF Programme through their consideration of a Regional Strategy Paper and the Regional Indicative Programme (RIP) for the 10th EDF. That latter programme is valued at about Euro €165 million or US$225 million and will finance regional cooperation programmes and projects in CARIFORUM during the period 2008-2013.

In addition, Ministers will consider the future of the CARIFORUM Cultural Support Programme which was established in 2001 to promote the development of cultural exchanges and industries among the Member States.

The Meeting will also have before it applications from Martinique and Guadeloupe for Associate Membership in CARIFORUM.

The meeting ends on 19 October and on that same evening the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will hold a function to mark the re-opening of its Representation Office in Port-au-Prince which was closed in 2004 following the forced departure from office of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The office will be headed by Ambassador Earl Huntley of Saint Lucia as the Community seeks to facilitate Haiti’s integration into its operations, in particular the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).

The CARICOM Secretary-General is expected to officiate at the Opening.

Contact: piu@caricom.org