Above: Port-au-Prince (CJ Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The Fifth Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Association of Caribbean States began in Haiti on Tuesday.

The summit officially began Tuesday at the Karibe Hotel in Petion-Ville.

The ACS, one of several similar bodies including the Organization of American States and the recently-formed Community of Latin Americana and Caribbean States, was formed in 1994.

The previous Heads of Government summit was held in Panama City in 2005.

In a statement, the ACS said Haiti President Michel Martelly suggested hosting the next conference in Haiti on the day he was sworn into office in May 2011.

This year’s summit will focus on “public policies aimed at enhancing human dignity and ensuring sustainable development.”

“The main areas of work of the ACS, namely sustainable tourism, air and maritime transport within the region to unite the Caribbean by air and sea, trade and investment development, as well as disaster risk reduction will also be discussed based on a new vision,” the organization said.

The meeting, which follows the CARICOM Heads of Government (also at the Karibe) in February, is hosting regional leaders including Ecaudor President Rafael Correa.