The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) remains a well respected regional block in the international community.
That was one sentiment expressed by Prime Minster of Jamaica, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, during his remarks at the Opening Ceremony of the Thirty-Seventh Meeting of the Conference of the CARICOM Heads of Government on Monday in Georgetown, Guyana.
Prime Minister Holness said it was commendable that CARICOM had embarked on a reform process to improve its effectiveness, and stated that it was a step in the right direction. While recognising that a lot had been done by the Community, the Jamaican Prime Minister said that a lot more could be done and needed to be done.
He told the audience at the National Cultural Centre in Georgetown, that a Commission to assess the impact of CARICOM on Jamaica, which was the first of its kind, had been established and was being headed by Former Prime Minister of Jamaica Bruce Golding.
Speaking to the matter of Regional Integration, the Prime Minister said it was not an end in itself, but a means to achieve a much broader objective, the economic growth and development of CARICOM countries and the improvement of the lives of its people.