Hon. K.D. Knight, Min of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Jamaica
Hon. Julian Hunte, President of the UNGA and Minister of External Affairs and International Trade and Civil Aviation of Saint Lucia
Other Ministers
Distinguished Delegates
Staff of the Secretariat
Ladies and Gentlemen:
As Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community it gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to the Thirteenth Meeting of the Community Council of Ministers. I must at the very outset thank the Government and People of Belize for being gracious and hospitable hosts to their brothers and sisters of the Caribbean for the past seven days.
I feel certain that those who have been here for the entire period have not only benefited from the excellent arrangements for the meeting but also must now agree with the Honourable Prime Minister that their stay has been “unbelizeable”.
Mr. Chairman, Hon. Ministers, we gather here today with the Community facing some of its most serious challenges in the thirty years of its existence, as recent events in our newest Member State, Haiti, so clearly demonstrate. At such times more than ever, it is vital that key Community institutions which are vested with the trust and capacity to safeguard, preserve and advance its interest fully discharge their responsibilities.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Community Council is one such institution of the Caribbean Community. Article 13 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas establishes this Community Council of Ministers and gives it a critical role. It is one of only two Principal Organs of the Community, the other being the Conference of Heads of Government. That fact alone points to the Council’s importance in the functioning of CARICOM.
Under the Treaty and I quote “The Community Council shall, in accordance with the policy directions established by the Conference, have primary responsibility for the development of Community strategic planning and co-ordination in the areas of economic integration, functional co-operation and external relations.”
It is this Council which also has the responsibility in the exercise of its mandate to approve the programmes of the Community on the basis of proposals emanating from, among other things, other Community Organs.
For the purposes of today’s meeting, I will mention only two of the specific responsibilities of the Council. It functions as a preparatory body for meetings of the Conference of Heads of Government and as well it approves the budget for the Secretariat. These two areas are among the agenda items down for discussion at today’s meeting. Given its standing among the Community’s institutions however, a number of other issues must be brought to its attention even if at times only for information. Today’s Agenda also fulfills this responsibility.
It is therefore clear from the above that an enormous responsibility lies on this Organ of the Community. Indeed it will be fair to say the efficient running of the Community depends significantly on the full and effective functioning of this Council. And therefore as the Community moves to restructure itself to meet the challenges of the 21st century, not only the technical and administrative, but each element of the political fulcrum around which it swings must take a hard look at itself. This Council should be no exception.
After 12 sessions, it is fair to ask whether the Community Council has had the impact that it was designed to have on Community affairs. A significant body of informed opinion is likely to say “no”. Whatever the true answer to that question, there is no doubt that there should be greater resolve on your part to shape the direction in which the Community should go. In this regard, it may be useful to consider calling a special retreat of the Community Council, as has been done so successfully by the Council for Foreign and Community Relations, to examine how best to strengthen its functioning.
If such a route were to be followed this Council must strive to be a vigorous and dynamic pacesetter for all other Organs to follow, one which ensures that the best advice goes to the Conference and which imparts to the other Ministerial Councils the strategic direction, which will help to ensure that the people of the Community, benefit to the fullest extent from the integration process.
Today can herald the start of such a new era with a commitment to take a dedicated look at the Council’s mandate, participation, method of functioning and at its results and achievements. We are aware of the special limitations of today’s proceedings, limitations of time, of representation and of preparation. These notwithstanding, the Agenda calls on this Meeting to clear the preparations for the upcoming Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government, now to be held in St. Kitts and Nevis on 25 and 26 March as well as to approve the budget of the Secretariat.
Mr. Chairman, first of all we must convey our appreciation to the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis for agreeing at this late hour to step in and fill the void which Antigua and Barbuda’s later-than- expected-election date created. That is in the true spirit of the Community. And as you would observe, a number of issues key to the very survival of the Community are on the Provisional Agenda of the Heads of Government for your consideration and clearance.
Equally important and urgent on the Agenda Hon. Ministers, to covert the ambition for a meeting into reality, the Secretariat urgently needs a budget as already the end of the first quarter of the year fast approaches.
Hon. Ministers, many of the other items on the Agenda even where they are categorized as being “for information” at this meeting, are of critical importance to our Community. The issue of the situation in Haiti being prime among these.
But to survive, Hon. Ministers, the Community must grow and develop and therefore the CSME and its central pillar the CCJ must maintain its position – centre stage in our deliberations.
And so Hon. Ministers, even though time and other resources are scarce – certain inescapable critical tasks fall to you. We must therefore use our limited resources economically and judiciously today to cover these many key issues and yet to hopefully conclude by 1.00 p.m.
This is the challenge that I throw out to you and am confident that you can rise to it, given the leadership with which we are blessed today. It is with these few words and strong conviction that I now invite the Hon. K.D. Knight, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica and Chairman of the Community Council of Ministers, to address you.
