(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) His Excellency Edwin Carrington has described his visit to St. Maarten as a “Caribbean homecoming” given the warmth which he experienced during his first visit to the island.
The Secretary-General and the President of the Caribbean Association of Industry and Commerce (CAIC) Mr. Nigel John led a joint mission to the island of St. Maarten which is separated into the Dutch side Sint Maarten and the French side Saint Martin.
Speaking at press conference in Sint Maarten last Friday, the Secretary-General said he looked forward to more effective co-operation between CARICOM and Sint Maarten and other Dutch territories as CARICOM moved to make the Region A Community for All.
Members of the joint mission, which included CARICOM Assistant Secretary-General, Human and Social Development Dr. Edward Greene, Chef de Cabinet in the Office of the Secretary-General, Ms. Glenda Itiaba and other CARICOM Secretariat staff members, held discussions with the Executive Council of Sint Maarten led by the Governor the Honourable Franklyn Richards and Leader of Government, Commissioner Sarah Westcott-Williams and other Commissioners. The mission also met with the Chamber of Commerce of Sint Maarten and other members of the private sector. The private sector in Sint Maarten is active in the CAIC. The mission also toured the impressive harbour facility in Philipsburg, Sint Maarten where they met with representatives of the shipping sector.
The Netherlands Antilles is engaged in discussion with the Kingdom of the Netherlands with respect to establishing a new constitutional arrangement for its Caribbean territories which include Sint Maarten. The Secretary-General said the completion of this process was a pre-requisite for CARICOM to look at ways of facilitating closer ties between those territories and the Community – a process which could be enhanced through improved communication and information links.
The visit to Sint Maarten is the second in seven months by the Secretary-General to a Dutch Caribbean territory, having visited Curacao last September. Following that visit, the Netherlands Antilles was accepted last October as an Observer at the meetings of CARICOM’s Council for Human and Social Development.
Enhancement of investment and trade relations was discussed during a breakfast meeting with Sint Maarten Chamber of Commerce and was further highlighted during the tour of the Philipsburg Harbour Facility. The Philipsburg port is an important transhipment point for a number of neighbouring islands including some CARICOM Member States and Associate Members. It is also the site of a major cruise ship facility which sees 1.4 million passengers visiting annually.
Among the main items of discussion during the two-day visit was the possibility of increasing trade in agricultural products in particular to enhance Sint Maarten’s capacity to provide for its population as well as its significant tourist arrivals. This was viewed by both sides as one avenue of increasing trading and investment relations and Mr. John emphasised the need for more efficient and voluminous trade with Sint Maarten.
“We need to explore avenues for expansion into the wider Caribbean,” he said. “Integration would make no sense if it does not encompass other islands of the Caribbean even if not at the same level,” he added.
Sint Maarten indicated a willingness to attend the CARICOM Regional Agriculture Investment Forum which takes place in Guyana on 6-7 June 2008. The presence of a delegation from the island and indeed the wider Dutch Caribbean, the Secretary-General said, could lead to strengthening the relationship between the Community and these territories and a continuation of the dialogue.
Assistant Secretary-General Greene praised the island’s work on the prevention of HIV/AIDS and referred to the recent approval of a grant of 6 Million Euros from the European Commission for the English and Dutch Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT), including Sint Maarten, and the French Departement Outre Mer (DOM) for implementing their HIV/AIDS strategic plans including Social Marketing of prevention, care and treatment that are critical in the fight against the disease. Dr. Greene said further efforts would be made towards ensuring that Sint Maarten benefited from the US $50million allocation of United States Presidential Emergency Plan for HIV/Aids Relief (PEPFAR) to CARICOM/ PANCAP countries. Sint Maarten, which is a member of the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV/AIDS (PANCAP), faces an impediment in accessing grants from multilateral agencies primarily due to its constitutional status.
The joint CARICOM/CAIC team also met with officials of the Collectivitée of Saint Martin during which the team was briefed on the new constitutional status of Saint Martin.
A dinner was held in honour of the Secretary-General on the first night of the visit and Mr. Carrington also received a plaque during his meeting with the Executive Council, from Governor Richards in recognition of his contribution to Caribbean integration and development.
