UNITED NATIONS (CMC):

The global economic crisis, climate change and transnational crime are expected to be the dominant themes this week when Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders address the 64th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) beginning in New York today.

According to the UN's provisional list of speakers, CARICOM leaders will begin their presentations on Thursday, with the leaders of Guyana and Haiti addressing the world body.

The leaders of Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, Suriname and The Bahamas will follow on Friday, while the prime ministers of Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, St Kitts and Nevis and Grenada will speak on Saturday.

But it will not be until next Monday that the prime ministers of Belize, Barbados, St Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines will address the assembly.

St Vincent and the Grenadines' UN Ambassador, Camillo Gonsalves told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) Monday, that the financial crisis is of top priority for regional governments.

"The region will debate how it's affecting CARICOM and the need for a more equitable financial system. We will also be arguing for more funds for adoption to climate change because it is already affecting us.

"CARICOM will be calling for an arms-trade-treaty to regulate the flow of small and light weapons. That's going to be a major issue," he told CMC.

A number of CARICOM leaders attended Monday's meeting of the Alliance for Small Island States, as well as Tuesday's Special UN Summit on Climate Change.

These include the leaders of Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, St Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago.

The host

"Trinidad and Tobago's participation in this UNGA is particularly significant as we will play host to the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) Summit in November," a Trinidad and Tobago government statement said.

"The prime minister will meet with Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma while in New York, to discuss matters pertinent to the meeting, in addition to which many of the participating Commonwealth states will be represented at the UNGA, providing the opportunity for crucial bilateral meetings to take place prior to the CHOGM," it added.

In addition, regional leaders will hold talks with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and other global leaders.

The gatherings come against the backdrop of a new UN report which warns that the global economic crisis continues to push millions of the world's most vulnerable people into poverty, hunger and early death.

The report said the "green shoots" of recovery are not being felt by the poor in the developing world.

Estimates suggest that the worldwide recession has pushed 100 million more people below the poverty line and 61 million people have been added to the number of jobless over the last two years, the UN said.