ICT to be a priority at next Caricom intersessional

Caricom Secretary-General Irwin LaRocque has announced that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) will be one of the major topics on the agenda of the upcoming intersessional meeting in February.

LaRocque made this disclosure in his message at the Opening Ceremony of the 12th Caribbean Ministerial Strategic ICT Seminar, hosted in Jamaica on Tuesday. The ceremony marked the beginning of an ICT Week which started on December 2 and will end today, by the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) in collaboration with the Government of Jamaica, a press release from the Caricom Secretariat said.

The secretary-general also revealed that there would be a special meeting led by the Caricom Lead Head of Government for ICT, Prime Minister of Grenada Dr Keith Mitchell, on January 14 which would be preparatory for the Heads of Government discussions in February.

LaRocque also said that during the recent national consultations for the Community Strategic Plan, ICT emerged as a priority area for the Region in every member state. He said all governments of the Region have identified ICT as a key pillar and enabler for their country’s socio-economic transformation and development.

“It would be terribly remiss of us if we do not daily, constantly seek ways in which to move ICT to the place of key enabler and catalyst for all we seek to accomplish as a Region and as a people” LaRocque said.