Around 20 countries have gathered in the South American country for the event hosted by the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA).

George Norton, the country's Minister of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sports joined the Guyana and Suriname representative of the United Nations Children’s Fund, Sylvie Fouet, as guest speakers.

CGF President Louise Martin was also due to attend the two-day event, which started with a workshop at the GOA’s new headquarters in Liliendaal this morning.

The group focused on and discussed partnerships with other sports bodies, governance and received an overview of the CGF's plans through to 2022.

The meetings will also give those in attendance a chance to hear from the Regional Anti-Doping Agency and from representatives from Gold Coast, the host of next year’s Commonwealth Games.

Some countries, including Dominica, the British Virgin Islands and Anguilla, have been forced to miss the meetings as they continue to recover from the devastation caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

"Some delegates are not likely to be here because of the hurricane, but most of the other delegates have already started to arrive and everyone else will be here by the time we’re ready to start," K. Juman-Yassin, President of the GOA, told the Guyana Chronicle.

More than 80 people are thought to have been killed as a result of Hurricane Irma, which swept through the Caribbean earlier this month before hitting Florida in the United States, while Maria has claimed more than 30 lives across the region.