KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Inaugural Caribbean Conference of Mayors started early this morning at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Regional Headquarters in Kingston.

The mayors from Trinidad, Guyana, St Lucia, Barbados, the United States as well as local mayors will convene today through to Wednesday to share in knowledge and best practices.

Mayor of Kingston, Senator Delroy Williams, in his opening remarks, highlighted that the conference is the first step in a long journey towards a united approach among Caribbean cities and the common problems they face.

Underscoring this sentiment, Minister of Local Government Desmond McKenzie used the platform to announce that Jamaica will host a regional summit on disaster preparedness and emergency response later this year.

The Caribbean region’s vulnerability to climate change was echoed by differing presenters and is expected to be one of the focal points of discussion for the summit.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Kamina Johnson Smith and State Minister in the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sports Alando Terrelonge were also in attendance for the launch and brought greetings.