PM and Delegation Off to Summit of the Americas

Prime Minister Bruce Golding left the island Thursday, as head of Jamaica’s delegation to the Fifth Summit of the Americas, which opens Friday in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
The Summit is being arranged by the Organisation of American States (OAS), and the working sessions start on Saturday (April 18) with bilateral discussions, to be followed by the First Plenary Session which will address the topic of ‘Human Prosperity’.
The region’s Heads will continue discussions over a working luncheon examining the topic of ‘Environmental Sustainability’.
Plenary Session Two will address ‘Energy Security’. This will be followed by Plenary Session Three, on ‘Democratic Governance and Public Security’. These agenda items were decided during the Summit follow-up in Mar- del -Plata, Argentina in 2005.
On Sunday, April 19, the Heads of State/Government will be in retreat, after which it is expected that the Declaration of Commitment for Port-of-Spain will be signed. The Summit will end on Sunday afternoon with a press conference at the Diplomatic Centre.
Prime Minister Golding will return to Jamaica on Sunday, April 19 to receive the Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, who will be on a working visit to Jamaica April 19-20.
Accompanying Prime Minister Golding to the Summit will be Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Dr Kenneth Baugh, and other officials from his Ministry; as well as Ambassador Anthony Johnson, who is also Jamaica’s Permanent Representative to the OAS; and other Government officials.
During Mr. Golding’s absence, Minister of Finance and the Public Service Audley Shaw, will be in charge of the Government.