(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) I am pleased to be here at the official opening of these facilities that are now the new home of two sections of the CARICOM Secretariat and one Community Institution, all of which have critical functions in the advancement of the Community – the Secretariat’s Office of Trade Negotiations and the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) Unit, and the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF). For this generous accommodation, ladies and gentlemen, the Secretariat and the Community owe a great debt of gratitude to the Government and people of Barbados. We thank you most sincerely, Prime Minister.
The two CARICOM Secretariat sections and the CDF have had separate homes. However, over the years, the Government of Barbados has steadfastly worked to ensure that they have been equipped with the resources necessary to undertake their tasks while at the same time bringing to bear considerable energy in helping to acquire common and more permanent premises. The provision of these modern facilities is testament to the fruits of that labour.
And as we look upon these new surroundings, we are reminded further, not only of Barbados’ lead responsibility for the realisation of the Single Market and Economy, but of its firm commitment to Regional integration and development.
As staff settle fully and adapt to their well-appointed environs, we should all be reminded that the Secretariat and the Community face the challenge of adaptation in a time of change, and are called upon to alter very basic assumptions about the way we conduct our business. In these times, transformation and reform are inevitable, and necessary. Indeed, the people of the Region have demanded that the Secretariat and the Community transform the efficiency and effectiveness of our service delivery.
We have been compelled to confront the expectations of the people of the Region to make a real and meaningful impact on their lives. Whether it is through the implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy, the negotiation of trade agreements, or the provision of development support for the Less Developed Countries (LDC) of the Community, the main focus and beneficiaries of our efforts must be the people of our Community.
Let the opening of these facilities signal to all, that the Secretariat and the Community have begun that transformation and that we recognize the sense of urgency which we need to infuse into the integration process and our Region’s development. The consolidation of the Secretariat’s CSME Unit and Office of Trade Negotiations with the CARICOM Development Fund, in these shared facilities, is indicative of a wider initiative upon which we have embarked towards the improvement of the administration and governance of the Secretariat and all Community institutions. The newly arranged proximity of these sections of the Secretariat and the CDF, physical and otherwise, is intended to improve the linkages and coordination between them and to advance efficiencies in the discharge of their critically related tasks and responsibilities within the Community.
The CSME Unit continues to advance the building of the Single Market and Economy. For its part, the CARICOM Development Fund has begun the arduous task of managing the impact of integration, and mitigating the development of disparities among the Member States, in particular the LDCs, that arise from time to time, and which threaten the equity of the benefits to be derived from the Single Market and Economy. At the same time, the Region has not lost sight of the need to continue to engage in the global trading arena at the bilateral and multilateral levels. These important engagements are spearheaded by the Office of Trade Negotiation.
As the pressures of globalization bear down on this Region, the creation of the Single Market and Economy as a lived reality, is a necessary factor in engendering prospects for the significant growth and dynamic development of our Member States’ economies. That development would lead to enhanced Regional competitiveness and necessarily improve the ability of the Region to seize the opportunities presented by the trade agreements. Therein lies the imperative of the coordinated team effort of these Community Offices.
At the heart of this team effort resides the unwavering individual commitment and dedication of each member of staff. To my staff at the CSME Unit and the OTN and the staff of the CDF, I commend you on behalf of the entire Community.
The years ahead will come to test our ability to use our human, physical and financial resources efficiently to do what needs to be done to build a more prosperous Community. In that regard, we must be resilient, disciplined, vigilant and above all tireless. I can assure you, on this special day for the Secretariat and the Community, that I look forward to those days ahead, confident in our resolve to succeed.
I thank you.
