CARICOM honours FOUR with Order of Caribbean Community at Suriname Meeting

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

July 6, 2022 – The Forty-Third Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, has officially opened. The opening ceremony was held on Sunday in Paramaribo, Suriname where Chairman of CARICOM John Briceno passed over the reins to President Chandrikapersad Santokhi of Suriname to serve as chairman.

The Conference Heads of Government  which consists of the Heads of Government of the Member States is the Supreme Organ of CARICOM and determines and provides its policy direction. It also has the final say in Treaties and foreign relations for CARICOM.

Premier Washington Misick and Minister of Immigration Arlington Musgrove are in attendance at the meeting representing the Turks and Caicos.

During the opening ceremony four CARICOM nationals were conferred with the Order of the Caribbean Community (OCC): Former CARICOM Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque; Calypsonian, Mr. David Rudder; Cricketer extraordinaire, Sir Vivian Richards and Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Barbados, Dame Billie Miller.

Over July 4-5th officials will discuss “a wide range of issues of importance to the Community”.

These issues include COVID-19 and its impact on the region including regional public health response and economic recovery measures.

Also to be discussed: Advancing regional food and nutrition security, actions to support CSME implementation and climate change and climate financing.