The mission will include representatives of both Government and the Private Sector as a means of familiarising key Community stakeholders with Haiti. Heads of Government at the July 2002 Meeting in Georgetown agreed that the Chairman should visit Haiti to mark its accession to the Community. Haiti’s accession to the movement was formalised during the July meeting.

The Chairman also indicated that he would accept an invitation from the Cuban President to attend ceremonies in Havana to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Cuba and CARICOM. The ceremonies are scheduled for December 7-8 and all CARICOM leaders and the Secretary General have been invited.

"President Jagdeo's tenure as Chairman of CARICOM ends on December 31 this year and he will be succeeded by Prime Minister Pierre Charles of Dominica. At the Bureau meeting, the President took the opportunity to review with his colleagues some of the major issues, which he saw as critical to the advancement of the Community. These included, the formulation of a Community agricultural policy including a common fisheries regime, a review of the functioning of regional institutions, the promotion of greater accountability in democratic governance as well as greater involvement of civil society," said a statement from the 15th Meeting of the Bureau of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM.

The statement added that Members of the Bureau expressed disappointment at the continuing difficulty of CARICOM nationals to travel without hassles throughout the Community. Particular concern was raised over the treatment of Guyanese in this regard and the Bureau emphatically stated that such treatment was unacceptable both in the law and the spirit of the Community.

A report on progress towards the financing of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) was presented by the President of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) in which he requested further direction from the Heads of Government to speed up the process.