MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF PANAMA TO HOST 18TH MINISTERIAL COUNCIL MEETING OF THE ACS
Panama City, Panama (February 15th, 2013) – The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Panama, Hon. Rómulo Roux will convene the 18th Ordinary Meeting of the Ministerial Council of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) on February 22nd 2013 in Panama City, Panama.
The Ministerial Council comprises of representatives of Member States and is the principal Organ for policy-making and direction of the Association whose purpose is to identify and promote the implementation of its policies and programmes.
The Hon. Richard-Pierre Casimir, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Haiti, is scheduled to address the meeting on the subject of the 5th Summit of Heads of State and/or Government which will be hosted by his country. Among other activities, delegates will review the annual reports of the Secretary General, the Chairman of the Ministerial Council and the Chairmen of the Special Committees and Council of the Special Fund, sign and ratify ACS legal instruments and approve Ministerial agreements.
Other major highlights of the Meeting will be the elections of new Directors of Trade and External Relations, of Sustainable Tourism, and of Transport and Disaster Risk Reduction, who will be appointed for the period 2013-2016, as well as the appointment of the Executive Boards of the Special Committees.
Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica, Colombia, Mexico and Honduras have confirmed attendance. Other participants of the Ministerial Meeting will include representatives of the Member States, Associate Members, Founding Observers, Observer Countries and Social Actors. The Meeting will be preceded by a two-day Preparatory session.
The Association of Caribbean States is the organization for consultation, cooperation and concerted action in trade, transport, sustainable tourism and natural disasters in the Greater Caribbean. Its Member States are Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and Venezuela. Its Associate Members are Aruba, Curaçao, and France on behalf of Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin.