By: Dr Carla Barnett
July 30, 2024
I extend a very warm welcome to this re-scheduled Forty-Seventh Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
In a demonstration of remarkable resilience and courage, we are being ably and graciously hosted by the Government and People of Grenada, who for the past four weeks, have been fully occupied with the extensive assessment, recovery and rebuilding necessitated by the devastation caused by Hurricane Beryl on Monday, 1 July.
On behalf of the Community, we offer condolences to all Grenadians who lost family members and possessions. We also extend our sympathies to the wider CARICOM family in Barbados, Jamaica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, who were also heavily impacted by the hurricane. The Community stands with you as efforts continue to return to normalcy.
Prime Minister Mitchell, I voice our deep appreciation for the warm hospitality with which we have been received, and for the exceptional arrangements in place for our engagements over the next two days. Grenada is of historic significance to CARICOM. It is here, in the Spice Isle, that the Grand Anse Declaration and Work Programme for the Advancement of the Integration Movement was signed in 1989.
That occasion stamped our commitment to “work expeditiously together to deepen the integration process and strengthen the Caribbean Community”. Thirty-five years later, our movement is still vibrant and influential, a testament to the strength of the resolve that was shown at Grand Anse and before that, at Chaguaramas.
It is, therefore, with great pleasure that I welcome Prime Minister Mitchell to the Chairmanship of the Conference. Since he joined the Conference in June 2022 as Grenada’s newly elected Leader, he has shown his deep commitment to the integration process, and his attention to Science and Technology, including Information and Communications Technology, for which he has lead responsibility in the Quasi-Cabinet of CARICOM Heads of Government.
Chair, we are assured that under your astute guidance, this Forty-Seventh Regular Meeting and, for the next six months, the business of the Community, will be ably directed. I also extend congratulations to you and all Grenadians as you mark your golden jubilee of Independence. And, even as our celebrations of CARICOM’s 50th anniversary end, we acknowledge our Member States, namely, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines – who mark 50 years of CARICOM membership this year.
Excellencies,
Since we last met face to face in Guyana in February 2024, the Community has been guided with decisiveness, determination and energy by our Outgoing Chair, His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. There have been notable results under his Chairmanship, including increased engagement with Africa and the Middle East, advancements on initiatives to increase the Region’s food and nutrition security, and arrangements to widen the membership of CARICOM.
Importantly, there have been landmark advancements in managing the multi-faceted crises in our sister Member State, Haiti. A governance structure, comprising a Transitional Presidential Council and a Prime Minister, has been established, and through which a new Cabinet has been appointed. We must note the critical role played by CARICOM Heads of Government and the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) in bringing Haiti to the point of a transitional government represented at this Meeting by Senator Edgard Leblanc Fils, head of the Transitional Presidential Council. The coming months are crucial to Haiti’s future stability, and CARICOM remains ready to continue its support, as needed.
I also acknowledge our distinguished Special Guest at this Forty-Seventh Regular Meeting, the Right Honourable Patricia Scotland, KC, daughter of Dominican and Antiguan soil, and a staunch advocate of the value of collective action to deepen integration and advance development. Regrettably she is unable to join us physically for this rescheduled Meeting, but we look forward to her virtual participation.
Two CARICOM stalwarts will be recognised with the Region’s highest honour, the Order of the Caribbean Community, in this evening’s Opening Ceremony. West Indian Cricketer extraordinaire, Sir Clive Lloyd of Guyana, and former CARICOM Secretary-General, Mr. Roderick Rainford of Jamaica, will join the pantheon of Awardees previously recognised for their phenomenal contributions and legacy to Regional Integration and identity. I congratulate them both and express our appreciation for exemplifying the best of our Region.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Our integration movement has entered the second half of its journey to a century. As we celebrated our 50th Anniversary during the last year, we took stock of our achievements and evaluated our faithfulness to the ideals of our integration movement. Even as we acknowledge there is still much work to be done, there is no denying that there are many noteworthy successes.
CARICOM has led, or supported, critical hemispheric and global issues that have influenced the thinking of some of the major countries of the world. Our relentless voice regarding the crises in Haiti; our call for the activation of the loss and damage fund for our vulnerable Small Island and Low-lying Coastal Developing States (SIDS); recognition by all independent Member States of the Region of the State of Palestine; advocacy for a two-state solution to resolve the longstanding conflict with Israel; and our call for an end to the ongoing war in Gaza, have signaled our perspicacity, courage, and unity to the global community.
Our growing impact and stature have led to an increasing number of expressions of interest from countries in the hemisphere to participate more fully in CARICOM. In 1973, four founding Member States signed the Original Treaty of Chaguaramas. Today, we comprise a vibrant membership of fifteen Member States and five Associate Members, with Curaçao set to be formally installed as our sixth Associate Member today. I warmly welcome His Excellency Gilmar Pisas, Prime Minister of Curaçao, and his delegation, and look forward to Curaçao’s active engagement as the newest member of the CARICOM family.
Excellencies, Delegates and Guests,
I have a steadfast belief in the potential of CARICOM to be a force for good for every Caribbean man, woman and child. Our dynamic interplay in economic coordination, functional cooperation, foreign policy coordination, security cooperation, tourism, education, agriculture, and health is one of the hallmarks of our success, truly exemplifying the theme of this Meeting, “One People, One Journey, One Future”.
However, while we share a common ancestry, history and heritage, our countries are known for their diversity. Blending these distinct and sometimes dissimilar characteristics is no easy feat. It is testament to our respect for each other, and our vision and love for our Region and its people, that our integration movement continues to deepen, thrive, and make a difference.
I note in particular the important role played by our Regional Institutions in solidifying our integration. This was especially evident recently following Hurricane Beryl where the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) provided critical support to our assessment and relief efforts.
We have taken notable steps towards realising some of the main tenets of the Grand Anse Declaration signed on this soil in July 1989 – the free movement of nationals in the Community, the provision of a reliable and cost-effective regional transportation system; establishment of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME); economic and political cooperation; and common market instruments. As our countries reinforce resilience and growth, it is critical that this Forty-Seventh Regular Meeting advances these, and other discussions and decisions intrinsic to the objectives of CARICOM integration.
The staff of the Secretariat remain committed to giving our usual support to Member States and their programmes. We have been intentionally engaging the private sector, civil society, indigenous peoples, women, and especially young people, who are the future of our Region. Inter-generational views benefit the Community with fresh, innovative perspectives, and we will continue to leverage these as together, as one People, we journey into our collective future.
My hope is that we will rise from this Forty-Seventh Meeting more aware, more confident of our strength, and more focused on the tangible outputs – food, health, shelter, education, social interaction and social justice – that will ensure the development and prosperity of our Caribbean Community.
Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.
(The author is the Secretary General of the CARICOM)
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