President Bharrat Jagdeo has indicated that this issue is high on the agenda of the meeting to be held at Le Meridien Pegasus.

"One of the more important issues on the agenda will be the strengthening of multilateralism and more particularly, the reform and revitalisation of the United Nations to better serve the interests of member states," the President said at the recent farewell reception for outgoing British High Commissioner Stephen Hiscock.

Guyana has supported calls for the reformation of the UN Security Council to include wider representations of small states.

"It is our aim to achieve a greater democratisation in international relations generally so that developing countries may have a greater say in the decision making process in matters that concern them. Even though small, we can still play an important role in shaping the future of international relations," President Jagdeo said.

The Rio Group was created to consolidate political and economic cooperation and to foster a more systematic approach in securing solutions to the numerous problems faced by the group's members. Another of its objective is to 'fast-track' the regional integration process.

This is the first time a member State of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has held the prestigious Chairmanship of the Rio Group. Guyana is tasked during its Chairmanship with the coordination and representation of the Group's interest and activities.