(Jamaica Observer) Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller has reaffirmed her government’s commitment to regional integration.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the “50/50: Critical Reflections In a Time of Uncertainty” conference, hosted by the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute for Social and Economic Studies (SALISES), which ended at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston on Friday, Simpson Miller said that there was much more that needed to be done for regional integration and co-operation.
“Our approach should be to strengthen and build on those regional institutions which are already in place,” she suggested.
“At the same time, we should use the achievements of individual nations to benchmark best practices to which all countries in the region may aspire,” she added.
She said that there were isolated incidents which had stalled the regional efforts at co-operation and collaboration, but although problems will arise from time to time, the extent of their impact should be determined by the will and commitment to regional integration.
Describing herself as “a committed regionalist”, Simpson Miller said that she intended to do everything within her power to build on the achievements to date, “in order to make the next 50 years a period that will bring increasingly improved social and economic conditions for our Caribbean people”.
She suggested three concrete steps to regional integration, which Caribbean Com-munity (CARICOM) Govern-ments must take quickly to demonstrate their commitment to the effort:
They are:
* strengthening regional integration and collaboration in the area of air transportation so that, for example, regional entrepreneurs do not find it easier to meet in Miami to discuss business proposals than meeting in Jamaica;
* commit to action, and not just words, to the free movement of qualified professionals within the region; and
* commit to the ratification of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as the region’s final court of appeal.
Congratulating the UWI Mona-based SALISES, Simpson Miller said it had comprehensively covered a wide range of issues, including those she had raised, during the week-long conference, and she looked forward to the publication of the papers.
“I will mandate all my ministers and our policy advisers to read the publications. We must convert your useful ideas into positive actions: We must build our independence on solutions that cushion our peoples and systems against dependency and vulnerability,” she said.
The prime minister said that there was a need to empower the people of the region through entrepreneurship and enterprise, and to transform relationships on the basis of respect, trust and a spirit of community.
Guest speaker at the closing ceremony was the prime minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, who spoke on the theme “The Independence Experience of the OECS and Prospects for the Future”.
