THE OPENING CEREMONY of the 36th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the CARICOM is underway at Hilton Barbados with several regional heads present.
The delegates have so far heard from United Nations secretary general Ban Ki Moon and some Caribbean leaders. Prime Minister Freundel Stuart also addressed the conference and gave the historic context of the regional community.
Ban, in his speech, touched on the human rights issue affecting Haitians in the Dominican Republic, which is expected to be a major topic during these discussions.
It and the financial blacklisting of some Caribbean countries by the European Union came up during speeches, particularly that of outgoing chairman of CARICOM and Prime Minister of The Bahamas, Perry G Christie. (AC)
