SAVINGRAM

FROM:            Secretary-General, Caribbean Community

TO:                  Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antigua and Barbuda

Minister of Foreign Affairs, The Bahamas

                        Minister of Foreign Affairs, Barbados

                        Minister of Foreign Affairs, Belize

                        Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dominica

                        Minister of Foreign Affairs, Grenada

                        Minister of Foreign Affairs, Guyana

                        Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jamaica

                        Hon. Chief Minister, Montserrat

                        Minister of Foreign Affairs, St Kitts and Nevis

                        Minister of External Affairs, Saint Lucia

                        Minister of Foreign Affairs, St Vincent and the Grenadines

                        Minister of Foreign Affairs, Suriname

                        Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trinidad and Tobago

COPIED:         Hon. Chief Minister, Anguilla

                        Hon. Premier, Bermuda

                        Hon. Chief Minister, British Virgin Islands

                        The Leader of Government Business, Cayman Islands

                        Hon. Chief Minister, Turks and Caicos Islands

                        Ministers with responsibility for CARICOM Affairs                 

                        Ambassadors of Member States accredited to CARICOM

                        High Commissioner for Jamaica to Trinidad and Tobago,  

                          Barbados, Guyana and  the Eastern Caribbean States

                          and Ambassador to Suriname

                        High Commissioner for Trinidad and Tobago to Jamaica

No.  516/2004                                                                                                                22 July 2004

TWENTY-NINTH MEETING OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF

CARIBBEAN STATISTICIANS (SCCS), 22 - 24 NOVEMBER 2004 

AND

TWELFTH MEETING OF THE REGIONAL CENSUS COORDINATING

COMMITTEE (RCCC),  25 NOVEMBER 2004,  HAMILTON, BERMUDA

(CONVENING)

                                                                                                                                                              /.

            TWENTY-NINTH MEETING OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF

CARIBBEAN STATISTICIANS (SCCS), 22 - 24 NOVEMBER 2004  

AND

TWELFTH MEETING OF THE REGIONAL CENSUS COORDINATING

COMMITTEE (RCCC), 25 NOVEMBER 2004, HAMILTON, BERMUDA

(CONVENING)

1.                  The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat wishes to advise Member States that it proposes to convene the Twenty-Ninth Meeting of the Standing Committee of Caribbean Statisticians (SCCS) and the Twelfth Meeting of the Regional Census Coordinating Committee (RCCC) on 22 to 24 November and 25 November 2004, respectively, in Hamilton, Bermuda.  The venue for the Meeting will be the Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel.

2.                  The Provisional Agenda for the Twenty-Ninth Meeting of the SCCS is attached. The Agenda for the Twelfth Meeting of the RCCC will be forwarded at a later date.  The Secretariat would be grateful to receive by 22 October 2004, a listing of any additional item(s) which Member States would wish to have included on the Agenda, for consideration by the SCCS Meeting.  This should be accompanied by an explanatory memorandum on the proposed item(s).  In addition, Member States can indicate to the Secretariat papers that they would like to present at the Meeting, based on the Agenda.

3.                  The Twenty-Ninth Meeting of the SCCS will once again provide a forum to discuss the progress, achievements and constraints faced by Member States in the production of statistics, and to suggest the next steps forward. The Meeting will serve as a means of information interchange for producers and users of statistics and donor organisations that can lead to the strengthening of Statistical Capacity and the production of demand-driven statistics, relevant to users and to the regional and international community, in general.  It is also another opportunity to review past approaches in the Region and to formulate or adjust strategies for the advancement of Statistics in the Region.

4.                  Included in the Agenda, will be a final draft of the presentation to be taken to the Community Council of Ministers, requesting Governments of the Region to invest more in Statistics; ongoing developmental work in the area of International Trade in Services; the status of Compilation of the Core Social/Gender Statistics and Indicators with specific focus on the Indicators that reflect the Millennium Development Goals and issues surrounding the analysis and dissemination of information on Poverty in the CARICOM Region.

5.                  The Secretariat wishes to request that Member States bring to the Meetings, 50 copies of each report indicated above, and/or papers to be presented at the Meetings. The Secretariat will be happy to receive electronic copies of all presentations for posting on its Website.

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6.                  Information about the Meeting and documents will be available and updated on www.caricomstats.org.

7.                  Accommodation for delegations to the Meeting has been arranged at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel at a rate of US$174.00 single occupancy and $189.00 double occupancy per night, inclusive of all taxes, but exclusive of meals.  Breakfast is available at an additional cost of US$22 plus 15% gratuities.  Persons interested in double occupancy must indicate such, at the time of booking.  Alternative accommodation can be made at the Fordham Hall Guest House, within 5 minutes walking distance to the Fairmont Princess Hotel.  The room rate is US$141.00 inclusive of taxes and a continental breakfast.  There are a limited number of rooms available at this Guest House, which will be given on a first booking basis.

8.                  In order to effect administrative arrangements and to obtain the guaranteed negotiated hotel rates, Member States are requested to forward, as early as possible, the name(s) and designation(s) of member(s) of their delegation(s), their estimated date(s) and time(s) of arrival in, and departure from Bermuda, and their hotel requirements, not later than 15 October 2004, after which time delegates will be responsible for their own accommodation arrangements.  Emphasis is being placed on the importance of booking flights early to Bermuda, due to the limited number of flights to the Island.  Because of the high demand for accommodation in Bermuda during the month of November, we would greatly appreciate if Member States can indicate their attendance as early as mid-September, so that firm accommodation bookings can be made. All information should be submitted to: 

Ms. Selina Williams

Administrative Assistant

            Bermuda Government

            Department of Statistics

            Tel. No.: 441-297-7761 ext, 1483

            Fax. No.:  441-295-8390

            Email:   cswilliams@gov.bm

and copied to the Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community, for the attention of:

                                                                                                                                      /.

            Dr Philomen Harrison

            Deputy Programme Manager, Statistics

            CARICOM Secretariat, Eddy Grant Building

            P O Box 10827

            Georgetown, Guyana

            Tel.  No.:          (592) 226-4977/226-9281-9

            Fax.  No.:         (592) 226-6091/226-7816/225-7341/225-8039

            E-mail:             harrison@caricom.org

                                    stats3@caricom.org

Yours sincerely

SECRETARY-GENERAL