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REMARKS BY THE HON. MARGARET DYER-HOWE, CHAIRMAN OF COTED AND MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, LAND, HOUSING AND THE ENVIRONMENT, MONTSERRAT,  AT THE OPENING OF THE FOURTEENTH MEETING OF THE COUNCIL FOR TRADE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT,  31 JANUARY 2003, GEORGETOWN, GUYANA

Mr. Secretary-General, Honourable  Ministers, Other Distinguished Heads of Delegations of Member States and Regional Organisations, Officials, Members of the Media, Ladies and Gentlemen.

Welcome to the Fourteenth Ministerial Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED). I am most pleased to be with you for this crucial Meeting. It is good to be back in the fold, among my regional siblings.

The Agenda before us for the next two days indicates that there is a great deal of work to be done if we are to create an economic environment in which the livelihood of our people can be assured.  All items for discussion will impact on the economic well-being of our people . This list is long but not exhaustive, given the many challenges confronting the Region. However, let us not add to the list of Agenda Items but rather focus on those issues and policies that will re-ignite our economic machinery and keep us afloat in the new international economic environment. In particular, we need to introduce affirmative policies that will spark innovation and lead to more diversified economies.

The economic indicators for our Region, and might I add worldwide, are moving in the wrong direction and we must do more to foster creativity and innovation in our economies to reduce poverty, improve health and education and, particularly, address our food security.

Honourable Ministers, we meet at a critical moment in world events and following on the World Economic Forum that has just been completed in Davos, Switzerland. Once again, the real concerns of small Caribbean States have been sidelined. In fact, we were not even recognised as part of the world economic system. We meet at a time when there is a real threat of war forcing steep increases in oil prices, discouraging international travel and paralysing our tourist industry. You will read all about it in news papers and hear it on television broadcasts.

The case could never be clearer for greater efficiency and effectiveness in the use of our meager resources. In this current economic environment, we need to develop a new policy framework to guide national economic development efforts for the future in enhancing productivity, expanding  free enterprise and trade, increasing private sector involvement and investment and provide sustainable economic development in our rural communities and cities. Our Heads of Government, when they met in Special Session in Saint Lucia in August last year, determined that we needed a framework to stabilise and transform our regional economies. We, as the Ministers responsible for Economic Development, bear a heavy responsibility for giving effect to any such framework.

Our key challenges in the year ahead are to:

    stay focused, recognising our strengths;

    ensure efficiency of operations; and 

    be result oriented

At the end of the day there must be some measurable achievements and objectives for the future. We are fortunate that our leaders 30years ago recognised that we can only meet the internal and external challenges through cooperation. Our agenda reflects the range of issues, their inter-relatedness and complexities and the urgency for action. They are, however, challenges.  They are not beyond our combined ingenuity.

With these few words, Secretary-General, Colleague Ministers, I want to assure you that Montserrat, which has been challenged by both natural and economic factors, will do its part as a member of the Caribbean Community to ensure the economic survival of our people.

Thank you.

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