Guyana to discuss border dispute at Caricom conference

The 38th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) will take place in Grenada from 4th to 6th July 2017, under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister of Grenada Dr. Rt. Hon Keith Mitchell. Guyana’s President David Granger who happens to be the outgoing chairman of the conference will inform the other Caricom heads of state of the current state of affairs regarding the border dispute with Venezuela. It is still not clear if Suriname’s president Desi Bouterse will attend the conference.

The case has been presented to Antonio Guterres, secre- tary-general at the United Nations (UN) has made it clear that if parties have not settled the dispute by the end of this year, he will present the case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). At the 36th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) the Caricom heads of state expressed their support for Guyana and indicated that they deem the Essequibo region and the maritime zone as Guyanese territory. Oil has been detected at several locations within the sea region of Essequibo in the past two years. The 38th Regular Meeting is expected to include the presentation for approval by the Heads of a Human Resource Development 2030 Strategy and Implementation Plan to address the development of skills for the 21st century Caribbean economy and society. The Heads of Government are also expected to deliberate on outstanding matters related to the implementation of the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) following the comprehensive review of the CSME’s performance presented to then at the last Inter-Sessional Meeting in February. There is also expected to be an update on the preparations for Carifesta XIII to be staged in Barbados from 17th to 27th August under the theme ‘Asserting our Culture, celebrating ourselves’.

The work on the Commissions on Reparations and Marijuana is also expected to come under the spotlight. So too, the progress made with implementing the specified actions, agreed a decade ago, under the 2007 Port of Spain declaration to stop the epidemic of NonCommunicable Diseases (NDCs). Regional Security issues are also expected to receive attention. A highlight of the Opening Ceremony would be the presentation of the Triennial Award for Women to the latest recipient.