(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) His Excellency Edwin Carrington has stated that the Region was at the cusp of an exciting era having recorded major achievements in the past year.
Delivering remarks at the opening of the Nineteenth Meeting of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Council of Ministers in Georgetown, Guyana on Friday 19 January, Mr. Carrington listed some of the achievements including the coming to fruition of the CARICOM Single Market in January 2006; Haiti’s re-entry into the Councils of CARICOM; agreement on the CARICOM Development Fund; and a Single Domestic Space that had been created among 10 Member States to facilitate movement of people for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 which will be held in the Caribbean.
In emphasising the importance of the deliberations of the Community Council and the decisions arising from it as the second highest Organ of the Community, the Secretary-General said he looked forward to the ensuing discussions particularly on the report of the Technical Working Group on Governance (TWG). “The Working Group’s report is of particular importance to this Council since the core of its recommendations goes to the heart of one of the key areas of responsibility…. that is promoting and monitoring the implementation of Community decisions,” the Secretary-General said.
Mr. Carrington also urged that the Council, in fulfilling its mandate on the development and coordination of external relations, consider the latest proposals submitted by the Caucus of Ambassadors in Washington D.C, USA with regard to the upcoming Conference, on the Caribbean scheduled for that city in June under the theme `A 2020 Vision.’
Chairman of the Community Council, the Hon. Sir Louis Straker, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Commerce and Trade, St Vincent and the Grenadines, acknowledged that a full agenda was before the Council. Sir Louis noted that the TWG report stood out as major area for review by the meeting given that the recommendations outlined bore “far reaching implications for the work of the Council.”
As the Region seeks to finalise arrangements for the hosting of Cricket World Cup 2007, the Minister said, “As in any event of this magnitude, there will be concerns up until the last moment but I am confident that the people of the Caribbean will rise to the occasion and ensure that the Cricket World Cup 2007 is a success.” He informed that the Council, during the course of its deliberations, was anticipating an update from the CARICOM team currently engaged in finalising security and related arrangements for the CWC 2007.
As part of its mandate, the Community Council is also expected to review and approve the agenda for the Eighteenth Inter-Sessional Meeting of The Conference of Heads of Government of the CARICOM, scheduled for 12-14 February in St Vincent and the Grenadines.
