Secretary-General of the United Nation, Antonio Guterres is expected to arrive in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) this afternoon (Thursday) to attend Friday’s Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) at Buccament Bay.
Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the Secretary-General, said on Wednesday that at the opening of the summit, Guterres will highlight the importance of solidarity in the region to find solutions to common problems such as armed conflict and organized crime, getting countries back on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, and addressing the climate emergency.
The secretary-general is also expected to meet with the Prime Minister of SVG, Ralph Gonsalves, who is pro tempore president of CELAC, as well as other leaders attending the one-day summit.
“He will also visit an area impacted by the eruption of the La Soufriere and see some of the ongoing reconstruction efforts including on infrastructure, housing and reforestation,” Dujarric said.
Meanwhile, also on Wednesday, the Agency for Public Information in Kingstown said that Gonsalves and Guterres will hold a bilateral meeting at Argyle International Airport this afternoon and will brief the media after the meeting.
Then on Saturday morning, Gonsalves and Guterres will “conduct a tour of government projects in the North Windward community,” the API said.
The government has said that over 33 delegations are expected to attend the summit.