The advice of a Technical Working group on Governance was at the top of a list of priorities for the 18th Caricom Council of Ministers meeting which opened yesterday at the Caricom Headquarters, Liliendaal.

Caricom Secretary-General Edwin Carrington, addressing delegates, said the committee was mandated by the Conference of Heads of Government to present the options for implementing the recommendations of the prime ministerial expert group which had examined the Rose Hall Declaration on regional governance adopted by the conference in July 2003.

“The group had been asked by the heads to pay particular attention to the establishment and functioning of a commission, the automaticity of financing of the new governance arrangements arising out of the established Caricom Single Market and Economy and to the role and functions of the Assembly of Caribbean Community Parliamentarians,” Carrington said.

He said the working group’s report was of particular importance to the council since the core of its recommendations goes “to the heart of one of the key areas of responsibilities outlined above that is promoting and monitoring the implementation of community decisions.”

This year’s chairman of the forum is Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Commerce and Trade of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Louis Straker.

He supported the sentiments of Carrington and alluded too to the fact that the recommendations flowing from the working group had far-reaching implications and would need the most careful consideration.

Additionally, he said the forum proposed to examine the latest development with respect to the operation of the CSME with particular emphasis on human resources and their proper accreditation.

In relation to the region’s hosting of the Cricket World Cup this year, Straker informed delegates that Deputy Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley was working assiduously along with the local organizing committees and cricket World Cup West Indies 2007 to put in place all that was necessary for a successful event.

Also among the items on the meeting’s agenda was the approval of the budget for the secretariat. The meeting concluded yesterday.