Making the disclosure on Monday, Director of Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), Mr. Indranauth Haralsingh, in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, said it will likely take place in the latter part of November on a date still to be agreed.

He said each of the eight member countries has appointed two persons on the committee and, in Guyana’s case, it is represented by him and GTA Administrative Manager, Mr. Ohene Koama.

Haralsingh said the committee members, basically, give technical advice to ACTO on matters pertaining to tourism, its development and so forth, within those countries.

“How we can all put our collective experiences to market and brand the Amazon,” he added.

Haralsingh said the important gathering will bring tremendous benefits to the host country because participants will have an opportunity to experience the beauty of Guyana, through tours that would help raise its profile as a destination.

He said Guyana was previously represented at technical meetings in Ecuador, Suriname, Peru and Brazil.

ACTO, an inter-governmental organisation that unites the eight countries of the Amazon Basin – Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela – was formed in Brazil in 2003, after being founded through the Amazon Cooperation Treaty (ACT) signed in 1978.

Its Permanent Secretariat (ACTO/PS) was established by the end of 2002 and its mission is to promote the integrated and sustainable development of the Amazon region.

The organisation is currently executing its 2004-2012 Strategic Plan, developed with inputs from the countries, international organisations, technical experts, civil society organisations and local communities, to pursue a number of approaches.