Jamaica’s Minister Of Industry, Investment and Commerce To Headline At Caribbean American Legislative Conference In Washington, DC

Caribbean Trade Policy – A Key Focus Of 17th Annual Caribbean American Legislative Forum & Advocacy Day On Capitol Hill June 23-25th

WASHINGTON, DC – Hon. Anthony Hylton, Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce of Jamaica will headline the high level dialogue on US-Caribbean Trade Policy – A Key Focus of the 17th Annual Caribbean American Legislative Forum and Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee, the Lead Sponsor of the Annual Caribbean American Legislative Forum held in commemoration of June as National Caribbean-American Heritage Month; and Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, who is a Co-sponsor of the Forum, and one of the five Caribbean Americans serving in Congress, are among the Congressional Representatives expected to attend the annual Capitol Hill “Summit”.

The Forum, which was first mounted in 1999 under the auspices of Congresswoman Donna Christensen (D-USVI), has become a flagship event for the Caribbean community.  At the one-day event, delegates and other individuals from various Caribbean diaspora community organizations,  Caribbean diplomats and friends of the Caribbean, come together with staff and Members of the US Congress to address critical national legislation affecting both the domestic and foreign policy landscape.  Issues to be addressed in this year’s Legislative Forum include: US Caribbean Trade Policy for the 21st Century and Hemispheric Security.   

This year’s Legislative Forum is seen as a critical step in engaging the legislative branch following President Obama’s meeting with the CARICOM Heads of Government, given the budget challenges before the US Congress.  Engaging more Caribbean voices in the advocacy process will assist the efforts of keeping eyes on America’s third border in this time of immense changes in the US -Western Hemisphere geo-political arrangements.

In addition to the Legislative Forum on Capitol Hill,  Minister Hylton, will be an Opening Speaker at the ground breaking Diaspora For Development Forum on Social Innovation and Impact Investment in the Caribbean, being organized in partnership with the  Inter-American Development Bank on Wednesday, June 24th. 

This event will span 8 countries as IDB Caribbean Offices in Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago bring Civil Society Consultative Groups together to dialogue with the Diaspora in a Virtual Summit. Other events taking place during the 2015 Caribbean-American Legislative Conference Week, June 22-26th in Washington DC, include a Faith Based Conference; the White House Briefing; a Census Department Briefing; and an OAS Briefing.

For registration to the event: www.whitehousebriefing2015.eventbrite.com

ADVERTISEMENT