Sponsored by Caribbean Latin American Action, this will be the 25th Anniversary Conference, with the theme "Free Trade and Integration: Implications for the Caribbean Basin.
Over the last two decades, the nations of the Caribbean and Latin America have sought a new, expanded trading relationship with the United States. Economies in the region are now more open and arrangements like NAFTA and MERCOSUR seem to have demonstrated that freer trade can make an important contribution to national development.
Underpinning the free trade process is the belief that regional integration is the best path to growth and effective competition in world markets. However, parts of the region challenge the assumptions underlying these policies, and are concerned about the future.
Businesses remain uncertain as to what free trade and integration will mean for them. The 25th Anniversary Conference on the Caribbean and Latin America will critically explore the progress to date towards regional integration and free trade and the prospects for the future.
The event is being held at the Hotel Inter-Continental Miami from December 4-7, 2001.