(Ministry of the Presidency, February 26, 2016) The Ministry of the Presidency hereby clarifies that Guyana will be co-hosting the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government Summit in July 2016, and not co-chairing as was previously reported. The Ministry at this time regrets the misinformation.
According to the Communiqué released by the CARICOM Secretariat at the conclusion of the Twenty-Seventh Inter-sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community, which was held in Placencia, Belize, last week, the Thirty-Seventh Regular Meeting of the Conference will be held from July 4-6, 2016 under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister of Dominica, the Honourable Roosevelt Skerrit and will be co-hosted by the CARICOM Secretariat and the Government of Guyana.
Guyana will co-host the meeting since Dominica cannot, at this time, undertake the responsibility as host country.
The Caribbean island suffered significant damage after Tropical Storm Erika battered it for five hours last August. Prime Minister Skerrit had declared a national disaster after noting the loss of life and physical damage to the island.
Guyana will assume Chairmanship from January 1 to June 30, 2017, according to the Rotation Schedule for the Chairmanship of the Conference.