The Secretariats of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) move on to new levels of relationships.
The Secretaries-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), Mr Edwin Carrington and Dr. Norman Girvan respectively, today stressed the importance of cooperation as both organisations strive to meet the needs of their respective constituencies.
Mr. Carrington and Dr. Girvan were addressing the opening of the inaugural inter-agency meeting between the CARICOM and the ACS Secretariats at the Georgetown Headquarters of CARICOM.
The ACS Secretary-General drew attention to the mission of the respective nation groupings and observed that while the ACS aims to build a zone of cooperation, CARICOM is spear-heading the integration process, and he underscored the importance of networking and collaboration between the exective bodies of the two organisations.
Speaking on behalf of CARICOM, Mr Carrington pointed to the elements of the Convention which established the ACS, which spells out its relationship with CARICOM, and which, he emphasised, sought to ensure that that body is not seen as a CARICOM instrument, but as two organisations working together.
Continuing, he observed that “in the development of the Convention, the weight of this task was recognised, thus the inclusion of Article 15 which urges the ACS Secretariat to ensure the participation of the Founding Observers and other institutions in the execution of the Work Programme of the ACS”. “We are by your visit here today, giving substance to the intention of that provision,” said the CARICOM Secretary-General.
Dr. Girvan added that he and his colleagues were pleased to be welcomed by the CARICOM team and stressed that it was particularly gratifying to see the new level of relationship between the CARICOM and the ACS Secretariats. Dr. Girvan said that under the umbrella of the ACS, the common interest of the Caribbean Basin are brought together for networking and cooperation. A key part of this activity, he emphasised, is collaboration between the Secretariats of CARICOM and the ACS.
The deliberations were directed at areas in their respective Work Programmes where activities can be jointly pursued, or where the two Secretariats can support each other.
“As organisations comprising, for the most part, small, developing economies, the concerns of the smaller economies must undoubtedly form a central pillar of our thinking, our strategy and our designs,” Mr Carrington offered. He added that Dr. Girvan’s predecessor, Dr Molina Duarte, concretised the establishment of the ACS, by ensuring that all prospective Members of the Association had signed and ratified the Convention by the end of his term in office. He described the initiative as being “a mammoth task,” while taking note of the circumstances of the various constitutional processes which had to be undertaken.
Continuing, Mr. Carrington sees the task of the new ACS Secretary-General over the next four years as focusing much more on “giving substance to the ACS, so that the countries which comprise its membership will see the benefits to be derived from the process of regional cooperation among the wider Caribbean family.”
The ACS Secretary-General in response noted that membership of the ACS was of such that it covers English, Spanish and French speaking countries of the Caribbean Basin, while observing that this meant that the organisation had to work on satisfying the interest of its wide ranging membership. “There has to be a special effort in building bridges among the different language groups of the ACS,” Dr. Girvan stressed. He added that the ACS was a fitting institution under which the Caribbean Basin can come together, in collaboration with the CARICOM Secretariat in the interest of the entire Region.
Dr. Girvan was accompanied by Dr. Ryad Insanally and Mr Miguel Ceara Hatton, a senior professional and Director, respectively, with the ACS.
The CARICOM delegation, which was led by the Secretary-General, also included the Deputy Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett, Assistant Secretary General, Foreign and Community Relations, Ambassador Albert Ramdin, and a number of senior officers.
