Fellow Citizens of the Caribbean Community, it is indeed an honour and privilege for me, as Secretary-General of CARICOM, to greet you as we celebrate today, 4 July, CARICOM Day 2001, the Twenty-Eighth Anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas, establishing the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). As we celebrate this Anniversary and prepare for the future, we look back on our past achievements and draw strength from them, to meet the challenges we currently face with confidence. Without doubt, our Community is progressing. This is most evident from the fact, for example, that we are now much closer to the completion of the arrangements for the establishment of our Single Market and Economy and that the Agreement establishing the Caribbean Court of Justice has been signed by all CARICOM Member States. Also, we have continued through collective engagement in external negotiations to strive for the rules-based international trading system which is the World Trade Organisation (WTO), to take into account the interests of small, vulnerable economies, such as those which comprise the Caribbean Community. Generally our efforts for arrangements which will contribute to the sustainable growth and development of our countries and peoples, have met with some measure of success. But the challenges we face do not relate only to economics and trade. Our Region has not been spared the deadly scourge of HIV/AIDS which has impacted most severely on our vulnerable groups, particularly our youth. Cognisant of the debilitating effect of this pandemic, our leaders have put in place the Pan-Caribbean Partnership to combat HIV/AIDS with invaluable support from the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation and UNAIDS, and members of the donor community. This is a true partnership, with governments and social partners working together to save lives and secure the well-being of all our citizens. In so doing, we cannot emphasise too much that The Health of Our Region is the Wealth of Our Region. In our development, it is the people who drive the process. Increasingly, the citizens of the Community are making their voices heard in the councils of the Region. In recognition of this essential contribution, arrangements are underway for a regional Civil Society Conference, under the theme, “Forward Together“, in which more sectors of Caribbean civil society will be afforded the opportunity of making their unique contribution to their own future development. We recognise the need to transform our Region’s economies not only by strengthening traditional sectors, but particularly by developing new ones. In this regard, the Regional Tourism Summit which is expected to be convened later this year, is critical, and is being planned and will be executed with, the full involvement of, and contributions from major actors in the tourism sector. While the international environment has become more complex and challenging for small states such as ours, the advances in information technology have in many respects made the our world smaller. To ensure that the countries of our Community secure a viable place in that evolving global community, our education system and skills training must be transformed and refocused, to ensure that we can take widespread advantage of the developments in information technology for the continued advancement of our countries and our peoples. Fellow Citizens of the Caribbean Community, it is evident that these challenges, and the many others which lie ahead require the urgent attention, the involvement and the commitment of us all. It is not a matter just for politicians, public servants, businessmen and trade unionists. Every man, every woman and every child has a contribution to make. I am confident that together, in the spirit of community which has brought us this far, we can and we will overcome. By so doing, a better future will be assured for all, especially for our children and our children’s children. It is with this confidence that I wish you all a happy and blessed CARICOM Day 2001! |
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