St Vincent. Photo: Caribbean Journal

The conference, which will be hosted on the island of St Vincent, will focus on information and communication technology, human resource development and sustainable development in the region, according to a statement released by CARICOM.

“It would be terribly remiss of us if we do not daily, constantly seek ways in which to move ICT to the place of key enabler and catalyst for all we seek to accomplish as a region and as a people,” said CARICOM Secretary General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, who has pushed for ICT development in the Caribbean region.
The two-day summit, which begins March 10, will follow a meeting of the Council for Finance and Planning; the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on the CARICOM Single Market will also hold talks on Sunday.

The Caribbean Community said the former’s meeting would discuss a preliminary report from the Commission on the Economy. That committee was set up after the Heads of Government Meeting in Port of Spain last summer.

“The Commission’s focus is on fiscal sustainability including the management of debt, stimulation of the private sector and the business regulatory environment, the transition to sustainable growth, and resource mobilization,” CARICOM said.

St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves is the current chairman of CARICOM.