(11 March 2010) The Twenty-third Session of the Caribbean Development Cooperation Committee (CDCC), will be convened by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (EClAC) Subregional Headquarters for
the Caribbean, and hosted and chaired by the Government of Grenada, on the 15 and 17 March, 2010 in St. Georges, Grenada.

The Meeting will occur within the context of the global environment in which the vulnerabilities of small States have been heightened. This heightened vulnerability is marked by a number of negative impacts such as rising unemployment, the fall in tourist arrivals, and the slowing of exports of key commodity groups, such as energy, mineral and agricultural products.

The broad objective of the session is to undertake an assessment of current development trends for the Caribbean and to define the strategic role of ECLAC in support of regional integration and national development aspirations. The meeting will be informed of the results of a recent review of ECLAC?s work in the Caribbean and the development of a strategic response based on the recommendations emerging.

This Session of the CDCC will be attended by Mrs. Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary of ECLAC, and will also review preparations for the implementation of the programme of work  for the current biennium
2010-2011 and the proposed programme of work for the 2012-2013 biennium.

The results of this meeting will feed into the Thirty-third Session of ECLAC to be held in Brazil in May 2010.

The Meeting will be held jointly with the Caribbean Regional Preparatory Meeting of the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (MSI+5).

For more information, contact ECLAC Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean.
E-mail: registry@eclacpos.org; Tel: (868) 623-5595; Fax: (868) 623-8485;
Website: www.eclacpos.org

PRESS RELEASE