In his opening address, he also announced that the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV/AIDS was moving to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies for the acquisition of free anti retroviral drugs (ARVs) to all HIV/AIDS infected mothers to prevent mother to child transmission (MTCT) of the virus.

The session was held at Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel ahead of the main COHSOD meeting opening today.

Greene said the council was taking measures aimed at ensuring a Caribbean that is fit for children, as regional officials move to craft a regional response to the United Nations Special Session on Children.

The main purpose of the meeting was to provide an opportunity for the region to examine the "regional framework" for the implementation of Children's Rights and Human Development in the Caribbean.

Greene noted a concurrence with the issues which formed the focus of yesterday's session, and the theme approved at COHSOD IV (2000) for the work of the directorate of Human and Social Development (HSD): "Investing in Human Resources with Equity",

He said that since then, every effort has been made to adopt an inter-sectoral approach to the activities undertaken on crime and security, while demanding a reduction in mainstreaming gender into the core programme areas such as health, education and labour in their approach at developing a regional strategy for human and social development.

He referred to the Caribbean Task Force Report on Crime and Security, mandated by Heads of Government and coordinated by the HSD Directorate in which it was noted that: "Crime linked to drugs and illicit arms prove the main pillars of destruction to lives."

"It (drug related crime) is the cause for increasing fear in the community, as well as a disincentive to economic investment and ultimately growth," the CARICOM official reiterated.

He stressed that while the causes of crime are variable, and are no doubt related to poverty, unemployment and a series of social and economic ills, the connection between drugs and crime is "a plague".

"...it is the source of lawlessness, as well as corruption that permeates all levels of society, and indeed in some Caribbean countries, it is getting out of hand", he said.

"But of direct relevance to this special session," he said, "is the extent to which it (drug related crime) affects the child whose young father, older brother or even innocent mother - or all of them, are the victims of this social malady."

Greene said that the Task Force has made several recommendations on the way forward that will be the focus of the discussion at the main session of COHSOD.

He also pointed to the existing response to HIV/AIDS by CARICOM's Pan Caribbean Partnership coordinated by the Regional Secretariat, and which places a high premium on the Reduction of MTCT.

He said the most recent development by the Pan Caribbean Partnership following negotiations with pharmaceutical companies for cheaper ARVs, was further lobbying for free ARVs for all HIV/AIDS infected mothers.

"What is important in the package is the provision for the acquisition of free drugs to all HIV/AIDS mothers to prevent MTCT," Greene announced. Another move outlined was negotiations for a further reduction in the cost of other ARVs through the use of generics.

He pointed out that the area of generics will be of special interest to Guyana which has embarked on a process designed to produce cheaper ARVs.

Whatever is achieved in reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS overall would also have positive effects in saving the lives of many of the region's children, as well as to avert the trend of the increasing number of orphans whose parents have succumbed to this dreaded disease, he said.

Guyana's Minister within the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security, Ms. Bibi Shadick, in her welcome address, noted that children are our most valuable resource, "especially in the current climate that exists in the Caribbean and the rest of the world."

She called on her colleague ministers to pay special attention to the issue of marginalisation of boys in the classroom - an issue which is becoming increasingly prevalent in the region.

Observing the trend in Guyana where males are greatly outnumbered by females at schools and universities, she strongly urged that something be done "about the boys who are dropping out of school".

And recognising the political will of Caribbean governments to comply with the commitments made since the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1993, Deputy Regional Director General of UNICEF, Mr. Alfredo Missair cited the social policy initiatives in the region that addressed the reduction of infant mortality, improvements in health and nutritional status of children, and the provision of near universal primary education, and expansion of secondary schooling.

He recommended new efforts in integrated early childhood development, stating, "it is important that within our understanding of democratic education and citizenship development, we open clear and positive channels for child and adolescent participation in the decisions that would impact on their future."