(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) His Excellency Edwin Carrington, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary-General, on Friday July 24 urged the Community to commit to the achievement of the tenets of the regional integration movement with a sense of vision and determination.
Delivering a toast at his Reception hosted at the CARICOM Secretariat to mark the 36th Anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas, Mr. Carrington said that the journey towards the achievement of the Single Economy will require “greater resolve and commitment by us all,” as will the “ultimate dream of the creation of a Community for All”.
He said that in reflecting on the thirty-six years of the integration movement – the longest surviving among developing countries and arguably second only to the European Union in its ambitions – he shared a measure of pride in its achievements and excitement for its future.
“Today, thanks to the Herculean efforts of many, we are living the reality of a Single Market, albeit in its infancy. That achievement has been accompanied by the creation of a number of supporting institutions, most notably the Caribbean Court of Justice,” Mr. Carrington stated.
In addition, he noted that the Region had seen marked advancements through increased functional cooperation, in key areas such as education, health, security and the environment.
However, the Secretary-General stated, that those achievements, by no means signalled that all was well with the state of the integration movement. Rather, he said, “critical aspects still remain to be finalised and we must pursue them with vision and determination.”
“But let us celebrate the accomplishments of our Community; let us enjoy the hopes which it embodies; and let us pledge our continuing commitment to the struggle of regional integration and development, not only for ourselves but for the generations to come,” he stated.
Secretary-General Carrington applauded the diversity of the regional integration movement, stating that in addition to the original English-speaking Members, CARICOM included the full participation of Dutch-speaking Suriname and French-speaking Haiti as Member States and of Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands as Associate Members, and possibly, Spanish-speaking Dominican Republic, sometime in the future.
Mr. Carrington expressed appreciation to the Governments and Peoples of the Community; the Community Institutions and agencies; and staff of the CARICOM Secretariat for the commitment they had demonstrated towards the regional integration movement.
He urged them to “continue to strive with dedication and commitment in building and in serving a Community for All.”
