REMARKS BY H.E. MR EDWIN CARRINGTON, SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY (CARICOM) ON THE OCCASION OF THE PRESENTATION OF CREDENTIALS OF H.E. MRS ELISABETH HARPER OF GUYANA AS AMBASSADOR TO CARICOM

Your Excellency Ambassador Elisabeth Harper
Deputy Secretary-General
Assistant Secretaries-General
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen 
Members of the Media

It is with great pleasure and delight that I welcome H.E. Mrs Elisabeth Harper to the Secretariat today to receive her Credentials accrediting her as Guyana’s Ambassador to the Caribbean Community. Not only is she not a stranger to the Secretariat but she represents a country that has had the closest working relationship with the Community – and she has been the main focal point in that regard.

Guyana occupies a unique position in the development of the Caribbean Community given its role as host country to the headquarters of the regional integration movement. Many of its talented sons and daughters have given yeoman service to the Community, either here at the Secretariat, or in many esteemed positions in the international arena bringing recognition to the Region and making us all proud in the process.

Coming immediately to mind is Sir Shridath Ramphal who has distinguished himself at the Commonwealth as that body’s Secretary-General and continues to be a major facilitator of the regional integration process.

There has also been Justice Mohammed Shahabuddeen who has had an outstanding international legal career including at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at the Hague; and your current Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable S.R. Insanally who served as President of the UNGA in the 1990s.

Many others continue to advance the ideals of the integration movement from within other important organizations critical to the development of our Member States.

At the highest level, Guyana continues to strengthen its ties internationally and is committed to South-South cooperation among the countries of the Group of 77 and the Non-Aligned Movement. Guyana has also resolutely pursued improved living conditions for the less fortunate world-wide through the promotion of a UN resolution, first tabled at the 55th Session of the UNGA, of a New Global Human Order. This idea was first raised by the late President Cheddi Jagan at the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1995 and continues to remain a priority for the governments of our Region.

It is noteworthy that in the Declaration of the South Summit held in Cuba in 2000, Heads of State and Government of the G-77 and China stressed inter alia “the need for a new global human order aimed at reversing the growing disparities between rich and poor, both among and within countries, through the promotion of growth with equity, the eradication of poverty, the expansion of productive employment and the promotion of gender equality and social integration.” CARICOM is proud to lend its support to Guyana in the promotion of this concept, which can only redound to the benefit of us all.

Closer to home, we in the Community have recently had the benefit of having H.E. the President of Guyana serve as Chairman of CARICOM for the latter half of 2002. Although no longer in the Chair, President Jagdeo continues to bring focus on issues which could be of great value to the Community and assistance in our overall progress. His insightful analysis on critical issues to be addressed by CARICOM was well received by CARICOM Heads of Government at the recently concluded 24th Meeting of the Conference for example. The Secretariat will work assiduously with the Government of Guyana in implementing the many proposals made by President Jagdeo in respect of: a review of regional institutions; the strengthening of democracy; the creation of multilateral regimes; connecting with the CARICOM citizenry; a common agricultural policy; involvement of civil society and the Diaspora in the development process; crime and security; joint representation; and a common Fisheries Regime.

Guyana’s commitment to and central position in the Caribbean Community, from 1973 to the present, has never wavered. The icing on the cake, as it were, will be its provision of the new headquarters building for the CARICOM Secretariat, which is well on course for completion by early 2004. On behalf of the Community, I wish to express deep appreciation to the Government and People of Guyana for walking steadfastly with the Community from infancy to its current age of thirty. It is only fitting therefore that at this stage of maturity, Guyana should accredit such a committed and experienced Caribbean integrationist to be its Ambassador to the Caribbean.

Excellency, it is my profound pleasure to receive you as such on behalf of the Caribbean Community.