Castries, March 17th, 2019; The Caribbean Forum of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (CARIFORUM) was established to manage and coordinate relations between the Caribbean States which are signatory to the Lomé (New Cotonou) Convention.  Its remit includes programming and managing implementation of regional resources made available to the Caribbean region by the European Union (EU) through the European Development Fund (EDF).  Its remit also includes coordinating the implementation of the CARIFORUM-European Union Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), managing CARIFORUM-EU Political Dialogue and promoting Intra-CARIFORUM Cooperation.

The Government of Saint Lucia currently occupies the Chair of CARIFORUM and is therefore responsible for chairing meetings of the Council of Ministers of CARIFORUM and Meetings of CARIFORUM attended by Heads of State and Government, as well as any other ministerial meetings.  The Council of Ministers is usually convened twice yearly: a Special Meeting and an Annual Meeting.

As the Chair of CARIFORUM, Saint Lucia will host the Twenty-Fifth Meeting of the Council of Ministers of CARIFORUM on 21st and 22nd of March, 2019 at the Hilton Harbor Club.

Further, in preparation for this Twenty-Fifth Meeting, a Preparatory Meeting of Senior Officials of CARIFORUM will be held from 18th-19th of March, 2019 at the Hilton Harbor Club.

A number of developments/issues requiring urgent attention are scheduled to be discussed at these meetings which include:

(i)    BREXIT

(ii)   Post-Cotonou Negotiations

(iii)  CARIFORUM/FCOR/OCT Relations

(iv)  Implementation of the CARIFORUM-European Union Economic Partnership Agreement.

For further information kindly contact Mrs. Lisa Louis Philip - EPA Coordinator, International Trade Unit at 468-4573/285-7978 or email lisa.philip@govt.lc.