(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) It is my pleasure to add my voice of welcome to this the Seventh UK-Caribbean Forum.
The tenacity exercised by the Caribbean and the UK in seeing this Meeting convened after two postponements is testimony to the importance placed by both sides on this Forum. But equally important is the context of this Forum. It is taking place against a background of historic geo-political and economic events that have affected both developed and developing countries. These events speak to the urgent need for development partners, governments and regions to recalibrate policies and pursue strategies that focus on the kind of results that accrue concrete benefits to countries, communities and people.
Over the next two days, we will discuss a number of issues which are of critical importance to us. Undoubtedly, crime and security is one of those. This is threatening to destroy the very social fabric of our communities, our countries and our Regions. There is consensus that the issue of crime and security must be addressed as a matter of priority and from a multi-disciplinary perspective with strong cooperation and collaboration from all our partners. The Community’s response to this problem is seriously hampered by the vulnerabilities of our borders, inadequate resources – human and otherwise – and limited access to cutting edge technology necessary to build our intelligence capacity.
We will also be addressing the issue of our economic resilience. Several of our economies depend heavily on tourism and linkage industries for growth. Anything that negatively affects the tourism sector will have repercussions for the entire regional economy. In this regard I refer to the UK Air Passenger Duty (APD) which has placed the Caribbean at a distinct disadvantage in relation to other tourism destinations. This continues to be of grave concern to the Caribbean. We continue to urge that the discriminatory element of the APD be addressed.
Another matter which we will discuss within the context of economic resilience is that of the Economic Partnership Agreement. We take pride in noting that the Caribbean Region has been the first to successfully conclude an EPA with the European Union. However, the real test of this success is to be able to take full advantage of the opportunities which the EPA provides, especially in some critical areas including services, cultural industries and attracting investments. We acknowledge and welcome the assistance which DFID has provided. However the reality is that it will take a sustained effort to address the magnitude of the capacity constraints that we face.
Therefore, ladies and gentlemen, our discussions over the next two days must of necessity produce decisive outcomes on these issues. We must come away with the sense that the Plan of Action articulates areas of mutual interest and a resolve to pursue a symbiotic relationship going forward – a strong partnership that will help us to realize the kind of results that redound to the benefit of our citizenry.
Our discussion then must have a new tone and dynamism that speaks to our readiness to rise to the next level of partnership. This Forum also presents an opportunity to re-examine critically, the nature of the political engagement between both sides.
We have been friends and partners for a long time and are intimately familiar with each other’s’ challenges. This must count for something as we go to this new level in our relations, even in the context of a radically changed world.
We look forward to a more robust partnership which places greater emphasis on the social, environmental and economic realities of the Caribbean, and sustains the relevance of the forum.
I wish us all productive and fruitful deliberations.
