Two years ago, when I had the honor of addressing this august body for the second time, I committed the Caribbean to achieving universal access to HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support services by the year 2010. It was bold pronouncement on the part of the Caribbean considering the twin problems of a region with the second highest prevalence of HIV infection in the world and limited technical and financial resources that the region had to surmount in order to achieve this milestone.

St Kitts and Nevis has established its dominance at the Zonal Round of the CARICOM Regional Quiz Competition held this 13 June 2008, at the Anglican Pastoral Centre in St Vincent and the Grenadines, by not only beating both Guyana and Montserrat to hold on the other spot in the Semi-Finals of the quiz but also earning the highest scores in the first Zonal Round.

Saint Lucia has secured its place in the Semi-Finals of the first Zonal Round of  the CARICOM Regional Quiz Competition held;12 June 2008 at the Anglican Pastoral Centre in St Vincent and the Grenadines.
 
The Team, comprising Jasia King, Lena Taupier, JnClaude Gustave and Denise Fedee (Reserve) beat both Barbados and St Vincent and the Grenadines to claim the first spot in the Semi-finals slated for 30 June in Antigua and Barbuda.

The critical role of education in the development of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will be among the main issues participants of the New York Conference on the Caribbean will consider when they meet in an open session in Brooklyn, New York, USA, next week.

 
The New York Conference on the Caribbean, which coincides with events to mark Caribbean-American Heritage Month in the United States, is being held 19-20 June 2008.