The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is working to ensure a smooth transition of the former Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM) into  the Caribbean Community Secretariat as a Specialised Department in keeping with a decision at the 20th Inter-sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in Belize in March 2009.

Henry Gill

At the opening of the 27th Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) last Thursday in Guyana, Secretary–General Edwin Carrington noted  the  critical nature of trade negotiations with Third States to the development of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), a press release from the CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, stated.

And he gave the assurance that the skills “garnered and honed over the years by our negotiators in multilateral and bilateral fora, will in large measure continue to be utilized in the best interests of the Community.”

The Secretary-General also expressed gratitude to Ambassador Henry Gill, Head of the RNM, for his “outstanding contribution to the Community through his involvement in, and latterly, leadership of the region’s negotiating process.  While his departure is cause for regret, I hope that his vast experience will not be lost to the region.”