The first regional training course in book development organized by the Commonwealth Secretariat was held in Guyana from 25 July - 2 September 1977 for participants from 11 Commonwealth Caribbean countries. Its origins dated from the Sixth Commonwealth Education Conference, held in Jamaica in 1974, which agreed that the Commonwealth Secretariat “should explore further the promotion of training opportunities for key personnel at both regional and Commonwealth level”, and noted the offer made by Guyana to host a regional course for the Caribbean. Further support was given by the third of the Commonwealth Secretariat's regional book development seminars, held in Nigeria in February 1975, at which a paper on “Training Courses in Textbook Publishing” was presented by Mr. Abul Hasan, Special Officer (Books) in the Indian Ministry of Education and Social Welfare.