(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana)Unity of purpose and action was essential not only in the quest to maximize the Community benefits for its citizens, but also to surmount the serious threat crime posed to regional societies, Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) H.E. Edwin Carrington said on Friday.
Delivering opening remarks at the Nineteenth Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM at the Sheraton Cable Beach Hotel, Nassau, The Bahamas, the Secretary-General stressed that time was not on the Region’s side, particularly with regard to safeguarding the security of the Community and to achieving the goal of a Single Market and Economy in the agreed timeframe.
Recalling the unity that was evident among Member States in the successful staging of Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2007 in the Region, Mr. Carrington charged Heads of State and Government “and all of us to put our shoulders to the wheel and redouble our efforts and to take our integration arrangements to a higher level. And time is not on our side.”
Some of the key agenda items of the Meeting are recommendations on the operationalisation of the CARICOM Development Fund (RDF) and the Regional Development Agency (RDA), proposals on the alleviation of the high and rising cost of living, and suggestions on the way forward regarding future external trade negotiations.
Mr. Carrington said that he hoped the lessons learnt from the recently concluded negotiations for the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between CARIFORUM and the EC would strengthen the Region as it moves towards upcoming new negotiations.
In his remarks, the Secretary-General also specially welcomed the Conference of Heads of Government the Hon David Thompson, Prime Minister of Barbados and the Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister of Belize.
“Their thoughts, perspectives and contribution to the Way Forward are eagerly awaited, especially given the lead responsibilities they will be required to carry, given the critical areas of Community endeavours assigned to their two countries – Barbados, The CARICOM Single Market and Economy and Belize – Sustainable Development including the Environment. Welcome, Prime Ministers.
Ladies and Gentlemen, in welcoming these new Heads of Government, I would like, at the same time, to express the gratitude of the Community for the significant contribution to the integration movement made by their predecessors, the Rt. Honourable Owen Arthur and the Honourable Said Musa,” the Secretary-General said.
The Nineteenth Inter-Sessional caps a week of important Community Meetings including the Twenty-Fourth Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) and the Twelfth Meeting of the Council for Finance and Planning (COFAP) both also convened in Nassau. A meeting in Kingston, Jamaica, of the Reflections Group that reviewed CARICOM’s experience and its approach to future external trade negotiations, preceded those fora.
