Dr. Douglas Wilbert Slater assumed the position of Assistant Secretary-General, Directorate of Human and Social Development of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat on 1 October 2013. A national of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and a Medical Doctor by profession, Dr. Slater was the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Consumer Affairs of St. Vincent and the Grenadines from 2010-2013. In that capacity, he also served as representative of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to the ACP-EU Parliamentarians Group, and as alternate for the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance on the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) Authorities.

Dr. Slater served as Minister of Health and the Environment, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and was the CARICOM Minister of Health designated to negotiate the regional approach with the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM) during the establishment of the GF. He also served as Chairman of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)/Regional Coordination Mechanism (RCM). Dr. Slater was also honoured by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat as one of the CARICOM’s first Champion for Change.