(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The development of Foreign Policy Coordination Strategy by the Member States of the Caribbean Community must be regarded as one of the achievements of which CARICOM can be justly proud.
This approach to Foreign Policy is one of the pillars of the Community as enshrined in the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, and has put the Caribbean in good standing in the international arena. This approach has also seen the Caribbean taking leadership role in the diplomatic Community on issues such as relations with Cuba.
In her address to CARICOM diplomats today at the start of a two week training programme in Guyana, H.E Elizabeth Harper, Director General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Guyana, stressed that collective wisdom and advocacy in the context of the Community’s external relations need to be driven by the wisdom, experience and advocacy of the Region’s Foreign Service Officers.
Ambassador Harper said that the training would help in improving the capacity of their individual Ministries of Foreign Affairs and equip them as they built their diplomatic careers in service to both their countries and the Caribbean community.
“Apart from the focus of the workshop in meeting the capacity building needs of your respective Foreign Ministries to cope with the increasing global challenges, there is another important dimension to its purpose which is the deepening and strengthening of the Caribbean Community,” stressed Ambassador Harper.
She added that the founding fathers of the Community were guided by the philosophy and conviction that collective strength could make a significant difference as a Community and internationally.
‘The determination we have to make is what is best for the Community and what collective contributions in the external environment and indeed must be made to realize these objectives,” she said.
Ambassador Harper added that the ever changing global political and economic landscape would continue to pose a challenge for the Caribbean but there could be hope for survival and progress if Member States exerted leverage as a Community.
