Caribbean Net News

Reprinted from Caribbean Net News
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Caribbean leaders and US House members to meet in USVI next month

Thursday, October 20, 2005

NEW YORK, USA: Two Caricom leaders, a Foreign Minister, a Governor and several members of the US House of Representatives are to meet next month in the US Virgin Islands.

During the closed door session, Charles Turnbull, Governor of the US Virgin Islands, Dr Kenny Anthony, St Lucia's Prime Minister, Dr Denzil Douglas, the leader of St Kitts-Nevis, Dame Billie Miller, Barbados' Foreign Minister and a dozen members of the Congressional Black Caucus in Washington D.C., including US Representatives Charles Rangel of New York, Dr Donna Christensen of the US Virgin Islands, Donald Payne of New Jersey, Stephanie Tubbs-Jones of Ohio, Danny Davis of Illinois, Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, and Maxine Waters of California are to discuss such issues as US-Caribbean relations, debt, disaster management and rehabilitation, the Caribbean Single Market and Economy, trade, immigration, health, education and economic and social development in the Caribbean.

"We in Congress look forward to the exchange of ideas on key policies issues confronting the Caribbean countries as they relate to the United States," said Congressman Rangel who has participated in every annual session since they were started 19 years ago when the annual Caribbean Multi-National Business Conference was inaugurated. "Next month's meeting is particularly important because it will help us to focus attention on the Caribbean Single Market and Economy which is to be launched in January. It's also crucial too because it would enable us to consider proposals for a Western Hemisphere disaster relief and rehabilitation Fund that was first proposed by Congressman Danny Davis, one of our Caucus colleagues at last year's Conference in St. Kitts-Nevis."

Representative Christensen, another member of the House, agreed, "The sessions are vital because they give us a chance to hear directly from Caribbean leaders how their governments and the region are dealing with the economic and social challenges now confronting their nations and territories at a time when Washington and the larger international community are paying scant attention to the needs of middle-income Caribbean nations," said Dr. Christensen, a physician and Chairman of the Black Caucus' panel on health. "I am particularly keen on education and health matters in a region of which the U.S. Virgin Islands is a part."

The conference, now in its 10th year, is to be held at the Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort, November 10-13 in St. Thomas.

Jamaica, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Croix, Grenada, St. Maarten, the Bahamas, and St. Kitts-Nevis have hosted the meeting, which is attended by more than 300 corporate executives, small business owners and entrepreneurs from some of the largest corporations in the U.S. and the Caribbean, top government officials and federal, state and local government elected representatives.

Travel and tourism, corporate diversity and accountability, health, entrepreneurship in the Diaspora, sustainable use of the Caribbean's marine resources, the role of technology in development and the impact of globalization on the region are among the issues on the agenda.

"The dialogue between the Congressional Black Caucus and Caribbean leaders has served us well by broadening the channels of information and cooperation and has led to beneficial action by the Caucus on Capitol Hill," said Karl Rodney, New York Carib News publisher. "It has promoted greater understanding of Caribbean priorities and closer collaboration between the Caucus and governments in the region. We are all looking forward to the valuable exchange of ideas and information."

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