Dr. The Honourable Denzil Douglas, Chairman,
Other Fellow Heads of Government Ag. Secretary General Honourable Ministers Members of the Diplomatic Corps Members of Delegations Members of the Media Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen Our CARICOM Family
I wish to congratulate the Hon Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis on his assumption of leadership of the CARICOM for the next six months. We have gathered here for what some have described as an annual pilgrimage to continue to find ways and means of co-operating so as to bring benefit to the people of the Caribbean Region. As we do so there continues to be a raging debate as to the future of CARICOM and further whether CARICOM has achieved or not achieved at this point. The debate about the commitment of individual countries to Regional integration is also very much alive. Let me at the onset categorically indicate that Trinidad and Tobago is for CARICOM and for Regional integration. Let me also indicate that Trinidad and Tobago understands its role in CARICOM and its responsibility to the Region and is committed to cooperation.
It is indeed a pleasure to be here with you today and to have the opportunity, once again, to exchange views and determine how we can take our Community forward in the interest of all our peoples.
I note that this 32nd Regular Meeting of the Conference – the Supreme Authority of our Community – is taking place on the occasion of its 38th birthday. I note also that as far as integration groupings go, this makes our Community perhaps the oldest among the countries of the developing world. Indeed, generally we are perhaps second only to the European Union among all integration groupings. This must signify some degree of maturity of our Community and judging from what we have been able to achieve thus far, I would say, it is a credit to its founding fathers and those who have been charged with the responsibility of taking the process into the future.
After all, despite some contrary opinion and upheavals in the International landscape that impact us directly, I am of the view that CARICOM has made substantial progress.
For one, we have been able to develop a working Free Trade Regime to the benefit of our member states. And we have been able to establish a single market which includes the free trade in goods, the free trade in services, free movement of capital and free movement in skilled labour. We must all agree that there has been significant progress in a number of other areas involving the establishment of the Caribbean Court of Justice, Competition Commission, a Development Fund, a Standards and Quality Organisation, the Climate Change Centre and the Caribbean Aviation Safety Security and Oversight System (CASSOS). We are also about to establish an integrated Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA). We have also been able to collaborate in the matter of Regional Security through IMPACS and indeed other forms of bi-lateral cooperation.
With such achievements, this 38th birthday should therefore be a time for celebration, yet it does not seem to have generated that level of contentment which accompanies such attainment.
I believe there may be reasons for this, some of which are institutional, unduly high expectations, implementation issues and the perennial inadequate resources. The recent global economic and financial meltdown which began in 2008 and is continuing for some of us has been a major setback. But we could have weathered the economic storm with a stronger element of togetherness.
Even without that however, one of the reasons may well be that while the area of economic cooperation is indeed of critical importance in improving the quality of life of our people – which is after all the ultimate vision of our Community – we seem to have over-emphasized that aspect of our cooperation.
And we have placed a lesser degree of importance and value on some other vital areas as human and social development, health and education.
With such a public mindset, as we encounter difficulties like the global economic and financial downturn and thus a slowdown in our progress in the economic sphere, it conveys the strong impression that CARICOM as a whole has not been progressing. Ironically, even in the field of economic cooperation, we have not always, realistically and adequately assessed our progress. I have been advised for example, that while the European Union which took 35 years to achieve single market status from 1957 to 1992, we did it in 33. Not bad, I would think, if we effectively implement it.
Critically, as we move forward, allow me to suggest that the age of adulthood should lead us to seriously examine if the obsession with survival and with making it through from day to day have not become an overwhelming inhibition to the kind of leap that is required to play a significant role in the world. I believe Mr. Chairman, Colleague Heads that we need to inject new life and fresh passion, more intense commitment to a CARICOM agenda of locating the Caribbean people in the world space. We must ask and answer what space we wish to occupy in the global village in the future.
I firmly believe that there is need for revolutionary thinking in that regard because we live in a ICT driven world; and operate in an interconnected global community.
We are among 32 Small Islands in the 54 nation Commonwealth and exist within 84 Small States with individual populations of less than 3 million. We need to utilise our numbers as well as our uniqueness as small island states to inform not only an intellectual thrust, but also leverage it in multilateral institutions to our advantage. Whilst introspection is good, we must concentrate more on a future that is coming at us at the speed of light, as well as the changing context of the world of today and its implications for tomorrow. We need to sincerely and effectively engage our respective publics and communicate regularly, the decisions of the progress of implementation in the various fora.
To this end, we need to ensure that we put in place appropriate structures and mechanisms to achieve the desired results. We must do more than give LIP Service to consultations. We must take the people into our confidence and let their collective voices be a part of the new journey upon which we shall embark. Part of this journey will include the stark reality that we will be expected to take care of ourselves. We will have to make an instantaneous leap that takes us from seeing ourselves in any form as dependents and underdeveloped to a paradigm of viewing ourselves as independent and behaving with a developed status mentality. In this way we will find our niche and become innovative and competitive.
It is imperative that the people of the Caribbean, particularly young people, be invited to be part of the future and to participate in creating the future. It is noteworthy that there is an increasing level of youth restlessness in all parts of the world including our Region. We must not ignore this phenomenon. This restlessness is a sign of a growing impatience with the ability of governments worldwide to efficiently, effectively and speedily deliver an acceptable quality of life, provide opportunities for employment and the fulfilment of potential and ensure citizen security.
As a Region and as nations in CARICOM, we have to as a matter of urgency address this issue. A failure to so do can be disastrous for our economies and for social stability.
Further I would like to raise the plight of women in the Caribbean and make a plea to join me in efforts to lift the economic, educational and social status of women, particularly single mothers and poor families. Towards this end I have appointed two special women as my envoys to visit and speak with Caribbean organizations and individuals involved in development of women and girls. I seek your cooperation in this endeavour.
However relevant the comparisons with the progress of other groupings and challenges to our deadlines may be, the contributions of other areas of co-operation such as the coordination of foreign policy and the most recent pillar, that of security cooperation, for which Trinidad and Tobago has lead responsibility, are as critical as any other aspect of our cooperation.
A review of the results of our cooperation in the UN, the OAS, the Commonwealth and similar bodies confirm our strength as a united bloc. In the OAS for example when we vote as a bloc we can change the outcome of many an election. WE are strong when we stick together. These factors must therefore also be taken into account in assessing the true progress of the integration enterprise.
Having said this, we must face up to a major deficiency of which I believe we are all guilty and that is inadequate implementation of that upon which we have agreed.
Regrettably, this “implementation deficit” as our outgoing Chairman terms it is itself not always due to lack of capacity, but perhaps sometime to lack of adequate commitment and this points to the urgent need to reassessing our institutional structure. The current review of the Secretariat and the work of the Inter-Governmental Task Force on the revised treaty are two important initiatives in that regard.
Notwithstanding these observations, Dear Colleague Heads, it is the view of my Government that whilst this 38th Birthday calls for some celebration, more importantly it requires in-depth reflection and even though it was not possible for me to be amongst you at the recent retreat in Guyana, from the report which I have seen, I must commend you on the outcome of your deliberations and moreover express my endorsement of most of the areas of emphasis which are proposed therein to be pursued.
Distinguished Heads, I wish to make special reference to our sister country of Haiti to whose new president His Excellency MICHEL MARTELLY, I too extend a very special warm CARICOM welcome. Here is a very unique member of our Community to which we must pay particular attention and I look forward to the opportunity to visit and support the spirit of the Haitian people and further contribute to the revitalization of your historical country.
As a new government, we hold firmly to the view that a strong Trinidad and Tobago is not only of benefit to its own population, but also to our sisters and brothers throughout the Community. Likewise, a weak Trinidad and Tobago benefits no one, neither its own population nor its sisters and brothers throughout the Region. I have said and I say it again. We rise together or we shall fall together. We must be ready to sacrifice for each other. This will take a greater spirit of magnanimity than we have perhaps exhibited before, but I know that it is not outside our capability. Our strength as a Region will be defined by how we strategically utilise our unity to effectively implement projects to benefit the quality of lives of our citizens.
My Government – just one year old – must ensure that it is capable of discharging its obligations at home, Regionally and internationally and let me say categorically that any perceived deficiency has not been a lack of commitment but more so, a lack of capacity. We are getting there. At the recent Caribbean Investment Forum which we held in Port of Spain at the beginning of June, to which all of you were invited, we were able to work towards creating an exciting and attractive environment for enhancing trade and investment not just for us in Trinidad and Tobago, but for the entire CARIFORUM Region.
Let me say that in recognition of the role which I know Trinidad and Tobago must play in advancing the cause of the peoples of our Region, I have made three appointments with CARICOM in mind. His Excellency Mr Mervyn Assam as Ambassador in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Communications with responsibility for Trade, His Excellency Sir Edwin Carrington as Ambassador to CARICOM and His Excellency Makandal Daaga as Ambassador to CARICOM for Cultural Relations, both also in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Communications. I take our relationship and responsibility to CARICOM very seriously.
In my opening statement to the 300 participants from the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and the Americas, I stressed, once again, the commitment of my Government to the Regional enterprise. I do so emphatically, again today. Let me further state that my government believes that strengthening the community by revitalising critical aspects of functional co-operation is a most prudent way to begin the process of inspiring change.
In this regard, let me say that our experiment with universal secondary and tertiary education is paying handsome dividends and so we are now vigorously pursuing the introduction of Universal Early Childhood education so that we cultivate from the very beginning, the mindset that is required to build a future of which we all can be proud. If we are to defeat the causes of our youth indiscipline and fall off from mainstream society we must start with early childhood education and more effective parenting. The problem child was not born in the school or on the street. The problem child was first nurtured in the home. Our society needs to re-emphasize the traditions and beliefs that promote healthy attitudes and human values.
In “walking the talk”, my government is willing, for all those who are so inclined, to assist with Early Childhood Education, the modalities of which will be worked out in due course. As you know Trinidad and Tobago is home to SERVOL which has been internationally recognized for its success at early childhood education.
Maybe our Ministers of Education should convene a meeting to discuss the matter of CARICOM as a Region being the first in the world to achieve Universal Early Childhood Education and the action we need to take to make this happen.
And as you know, I recently undertook an economic mission to Brazil during which the world famous Agricultural Research Centre EMBRAPA again re-emphasized its gift to CARICOM of a MODEL PILOT FARM.
It is my humble view here today that since the St. Augustine Campus of the UWI houses an already well developed Faculty of Agriculture, I am suggesting that the FARM be located there and Trinidad and Tobago will offer 15 scholarships in AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE for students within CARICOM with emphasis on Research and Development as designed by EMBRAPA. This will allow each country to benefit from the training and thus use that expertise in setting up FARMS throughout the Region. I urge us all to pursue this offer from EMBRAPA vigorously and to work with them since food security in the Region must be one of our priorities if not the priority.
My government is also willing to further our co-operation on CLIMATE CHANGE and the CREATIVE INDUSTRIES, two areas identified as critical during your Retreat in Guyana. Because, make no mistake, there is the urgent need to refocus attention and plan ahead for the fallouts in Tourism as a result of GLOBAL WARMING.
As you know, Scientists are now observing that the Seas around us are rising at a faster rate than anticipated 10 years ago. Assessments by the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (the IPCC) suggest that small island States are particularly vulnerable to sea level rise caused by both thermal expansion and ocean volume, all natural occurrences for which we must be prepared and for which ICT and alternative economic generation capacity are integral components.
Mr Chairman, the matter of reasonably priced energy has occupied the minds of our Region.
In this regard the proposed pipeline from Trinidad and Tobago to the Eastern Caribbean including Barbados is a project which will receive the support of my Government. This is a private sector initiative with gas being bought from Trinidad and Tobago.
The matter of sea transport has also been of great concern to the Region especially the islands in the southern part of the Caribbean. Again, Trinidad and Tobago will be willing to co-operate to see how best this need for transport particularly of cargo can be realized.
Mr. Chairman, Colleague Heads, as I conclude, let me say that because of the seriousness of these problems and the urgency that is required, my government is eager to work out with dispatch, the modalities that will inform these areas of functional co-operation. In thanking you for this opportunity and looking forward to these discussions, I wish the conference well in its deliberations and I wish CARICOM, a Happy 38th birthday.
I thank you and may GOD bless all our Nations.
