A clear indication of the progress and direction of Caribbean integration can be gleaned from the fact that Suriname and Haiti both non-English speaking Members of the Community head vital institutions as the Region moves towards the new millennium
Suriname has assumed the Chairmanship of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) for the first time for the period January 1- June 30 1999 while Haiti, another relative newcomer, holds the Chairmanship of the Caribbean Forum of the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States (CARIFORUM) Council of Ministers and that of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS).
Surinamese President, H.E. Jules Wijdenbosch is the new Chairman of CARICOM and in that capacity presides over the Bureau of Heads of Government which comprises immediate past Chairman, Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Kenny Anthony of Saint Lucia, incoming Chairman, Prime Minister the Hon. Basdeo Panday of Trinidad and Tobago and Secretary-General, Edwin Carrington.
CARICOM Secretary-General, Mr. Edwin Carrington, who by virtue of that office is also Secretary-General of CARIFORUM will head out to Paramaribo next week for consultation with the new CARICOM Chairman.
Former Chairman Prime Minister Anthony who took over from Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Keith Mitchell of Grenada completed his busy term of office on 31 December 1998. He was faced with continuing the Community’s efforts to contribute to the solution of the Guyana Post-Election Political Impasse. He also led the Community’s participation in the first ever meeting of Caribbean Heads of Government outside of the Community in Santo Domingo in August 1998, and at the Non-Aligned Summit in South Africa in late August/early September 1998. He completed his term with a Goodwill Mission to Haiti following which there has been substantial improvement in that country’s political situation with the agreement on the choice of a Prime Minister, M. Jacques Alexis.
Suriname, in addition to being Chairman of CARICOM Heads of Government, is also Chairman of the newly established second highest body in the Community – the Community Council – as well as the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) – the first time any one country in CARICOM has held so many positions of leadership in the Community simultaneously.
Suriname, is scheduled to host the Tenth Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM on March 1-2, 1999 in Paramaribo. While Haiti, though not hosting the second summit of the ACS which will take place in the Dominican Republic in April 16-17, is expected to be host to the CARICOM Heads of Government who are to be invited to participate in the 250th anniversary of Port-au-Prince, that nation’s capital city.
CARICOM Heads of Government will be involved in two other Summit Meetings this year – the European Union/Latin American and Caribbean Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on June 28-29 and the Twentieth Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago on 4-7 July.
