Time is not on the side of the CARICOM region, particularly in relation to safeguarding the security of the Community and to achieving the goal of a Single Market and Economy in the agreed timeframe, Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community, Edwin Carrington said yesterday. The Secretary-General was delivering opening remarks at the 19th Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM at the Sheraton Cable Beach Hotel in Nassau, The Bahamas, said a press release from the CARICOM Sec-retariat at Turkeyen.
Carrington also underscored the theme of unity when he asserted that unity of purpose and action was essential not only in the quest to maximize Community benefits for its citizens, but also to surmount the serious threat that crime posed to regional societies.
And recalling the unity that was evident among member states in the successful staging of Cricket World Cup (CWC) in the region last year, Carrington called on 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.”
He also cautioned that “time is not on our side.”
The release said that some of the key agenda items of the meeting were recommendations on the operationalisation of the CARICOM Develop-ment 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.
Carrington said that he hoped the lessons learnt from the just-concluded negotiations for the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between CARIFORUM and the EC would strengthen the region as it moves towards upcoming new negotiations.
The Secretary-General also welcomed specially the newly-elected Heads of Government, Prime Minister of Barbados David Thompson and Prime Minister of Belize Dean Barrow.
“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 Develop-ment including the Environ-ment,” Carrington is quoted as saying.
He also expressed the gratitude of the Community for the significant contribution to the integration movement made by their predecessors, Owen Arthur and Said Musa.
The 19th Inter-Sessional caps a week of important Community meetings, including the 24th Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) and the 12th 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 had preceded those fora, the release added.
