(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The CARICOM Secretariat is facilitating a national consultation on Contingent Rights in St. Lucia today, 21 September 2011. The session focuses on those rights which the principal beneficiary, spouse and dependents are entitled to once they have exercised one of the primary rights under the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). A draft protocol has been prepared on Contingent Rights and this will be discussed by the CARICOM Inter-Governmental Task Force which is charged with revising the 2001 Treaty of Chaquaramas.

The Mission to St. Lucia is being facilitated with the assistance of the 9th European Development Fund, Caribbean Integration Support Programme.

A team from the CARICOM Secretariat is this week in St. Lucia carrying out a number of workshops and consultations on the CSME in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Consumer Affairs.

Other activities include sessions with Public Sector Officials, the Private Sector, the Saint Lucia Coalition of Services, and a live online broadcast to all Secondary Schools from the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College.

The CARICOM Secretariat team is led by the Programme Manager CSME, Mr. Ivor Carryl and includes the Specialist Free Movement of Skills, Mr. Steven MacAndrew; the Specialist Communications, Mr. Salas Hamilton and the Coordinator Technical Action Services Unit, Mr. Melbour Philip.

CONTACT: salas@csmeunit.org