According to the Treaty of Chaguaramas, of the Caribbean Community shall be open to any other State or Territory of the Caribbean Region that is, in the opinion of The Conference, able and willing to exercise the rights and assume the obligations of.
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27 November 2019 / 0
Honourable Annick Girardin, French Minister of Overseas Departments; Mr. Rodolphe Alexandre, President of the Territorial Collectivity of Guyane Mr. Alfred Marie-Jeanne, President of the Territorial Collectivity of Martinique Mr. Daniel Gibbs, President of the Territorial Collectivity of Saint-Martin Madame Micheline Jacques, Vice President of the Territorial Collectivity of Saint-Barthélemy Ms. Diana Perran, Vice President of the Regional Council of...
04 November 2019 / 0
His Excellency Mr. David Comissiong, Ambassador of Barbados to CARICOM;Ms. Andrea Power, Coordinator, Regional Cooperation and Integration of the Caribbean Development Bank;Assistant Secretary General, Trade and Economic Integration, Mr. Joseph Cox and other CARICOM Secretariat staff;Honourable Vance Amory, Senior Minister, St Kitts and Nevis;Mr. Wayne Wesley, Registrar of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC)Representatives of Regional Organisations and Institutions;...15 October 2019 / 0
Remarks by CARICOM Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, at the opening ceremony of the Caribbean Congress on Adolescent and Youth Health, Trinidad and Tobago, 15 October 2019As always it is a pleasure for me to be here in Trinidad and Tobago but even more so this evening given that it is an event dedicated to our Region’s Youth.I must congratulate Dr. Pemberton and her Planning Committee for having the vision to organise this first Caribbean Congress on Adolescent and Youth...
16 July 2019 / 1598
Honourable Dr. Nicolette Henry, Minister of Education, Co-operative Republic of Guyana; Ms. Holly Greaves, General Manager, National Insurance Scheme and Chairperson of the Thirtieth Meeting of Heads of CARICOM Social Security Organisations; Directors, CARICOM Social Security Organisations; Ms. Milka Mungunda, Vice-President, International Social Security Association; Mr. Reginald Thomas, Director, Inter-American Centre for Social Security Studies; Ms. Claudia Coenjaerts, Director,...
04 July 2019 / 1279
Sir Emmanuel Neville Cenac, Governor General of Saint Lucia; Honourable Allen Chastanet, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia and Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community; Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government of the Caribbean Community. Let me at the outset express my sincere appreciation to the Prime Minister of Saint Lucia and Chair of the Caribbean Community, the Honourable Allen Chastanet, his Government and people, for the generous hospitality and...
04 July 2019 / 1389
Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen, all protocol observed, It is privilege to be with you in Saint Lucia. I thank the Caribbean Community and the Prime Minister and Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government, Allen Chastanet, and Secretary-General Irwin LaRocque for the invitation to join you. It is no surprise that just the way from the airport to this room with a short stop between the two Pitons was an enchanting experience. As Derek Walcott, one of Saint Lucia’s two Nobel...03 May 2019 / 1747
Colleagues, we meet here today as we are deeply concerned about the level of crime in the Community and the need to strengthen our cooperation in security.When the decision was taken to make Security Cooperation the fourth pillar of our integration movement it was in recognition that a regional solution was needed for a regional problem. It gave us the foundation upon which we could build regional responses to national threats and threats to the Community. It also helped us to construct...crop__300x195.jpg "Dr. the Hon. Keith Rowley (f,l) arrives for the Nineteenth Special Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government, 3 May 2019, Trinidad and Tobago")
03 May 2019 / 298
Your Excellencies Colleague Heads of State and Government; Other Heads of Delegation Chairman of the Caribbean Community, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis; Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, CARICOM Secretary-General; Delegates; Members of the local and international mediaGood morning….On behalf of the Government and people of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, I extend, as Lead Head of Government for Crime and Security in the CARICOM...
26 February 2019 / 1422
On behalf of my Delegation, I must first, express deepest appreciation to the Government and people of St. Kitts and Nevis for the warm welcome and hospitality, and for the gracious arrangements that have been made for our stay in your beautiful country. As outgoing Chairman, I wish to also thank my colleague Heads of Government for their support and assistance during my tenure. They have given of their advice and expertise and have been ever ready to help in the service of our great Region. I...
26 February 2019 / 1522
Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis and Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community; Most Honourable Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica and Out-going Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community; Other Heads of Government; Honourable Ministers of the Caribbean Community; Heads of Regional Institutions; Members of the...
26 February 2019 / 320
OPENING Remarks BY Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris Prime Minister ofSt. Kitts and Nevis and Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean community (CARICOM) AT THE Opening of the Thirtieth Inter-Sessional Meeting Of the Conference of Heads of Government Of the Caribbean community Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis 26 february 2019 Your Excellencies, Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community; Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, Secretary-General of...07 September 2018 / 1839
Caribbean Wellness Day 2018 Promotes Health at Work: A Basic Human RightThe United Nations (UN), The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) state that every individual has a right to healthy and safe work and to a work environment that enables him or her to live a socially and economically productive life. In keeping with this basic human right to health at work, Caribbean Wellness Day 2018, bears the theme, Healthy Communities: Preserving the...
06 July 2018 / 3380
Your Excellency the Most Honourable Sir Patrick Allen, Governor General of Jamaica, and Lady Allen; Your Excellency Jovenel Moise, President of Haiti and outgoing Chairman of Conference; the Honourable Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica and incoming Chairman; colleague Heads of Government; Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, Secretary General of CARICOM; distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen:I cannot begin to tell you how good it feels to be back in Jamaica, a country which, I openly...
05 July 2018 / 2451
Today, fourth of July, is CARICOM day. Forty-five years ago on this date, four countries signed the Treaty of Chaguaramas. Happy CARICOM Day As we open this Thirty-Ninth Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), I must at the outset express my profound appreciation to the Government and people of Jamaica for the excellent hospitality extended to all of us. The arrangements put in place for the conduct of the Meeting ensure an atmosphere conducive to...
05 July 2018 / 2205
• Your Excellencies the Most Honourable Sir Patrick Allen, Governor General and the Most Honourable Lady Allen;• Your Excellencies Colleague Heads of State and Government;• Dr. Peter Phillips, Leader of the Opposition and Mrs. Phillips• Chief Ministers and Ministers of Government• Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, CARICOM Secretary-General• Newly installed President of the CCJ Justice Saunders• Members of the Jamaican Judiciary• I wish to...
05 July 2018 / 1858
Your Excellency the President of Haiti, Jovenel Moïse, Outgoing Chairman of CARICOM The Most Honourable Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness, Incumbent Chairman of CARICOM; Other distinguished Heads of State and Government; The Secretary-General of CARICOM, His Excellency Irwin LaRocque; Honourable Ministers of Government of member countries of CARICOM; Your Excellencies of the Diplomatic Corps; Esteemed invited guests; Ladies, gentlemen and the people of our Caribbean Community. I...
05 July 2018 / 2459
Ladies and Gentlemen, Heads of State and of Government, Ladies and Gentlemen, Heads of Delegation, Mr. Secretary General, Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to address this august assembly, as outgoing President of the Conference of Heads of State and of Government of our organization. I am particularly pleased to visit, for the first time as Head of State, the land of Norman Manley, the person whose efforts have led to the creation of a new society that guarantees universal suffrage. I am also...
12 June 2018 / 2134
It is appropriate to remind ourselves that it is now almost 30 years since the Grande Anse Declaration of 1989 in which member states committed themselves to transforming the Caribbean Community into a Single Market and Economy. The report of the most recent review of the CSME prepared by the Secretariat provides a useful frame of reference for these consultations. We have been here before……many times before. The plethora of reports highlighting the crawling pace of...
12 June 2018 / 2016
Salutations Good Morning All: It is indeed a great pleasure to be with you today and tomorrow as we discuss this very important topic of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME). We are particularly happy at the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) to support these discussions. At this this point in time the CSME is critical for our Region. We recently published a working paper entitled the Blueprint for the Caribbean Economy (it is available online). In this report we set out the challenges...
16 May 2018 / 2340
Colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, there are many ongoing international, regional and domestic issues that will impact the work programme and the agenda of the Council. However, in the face of all these issues, the Council must find an appropriate mix of methodologies and strategies to address the ever expanding agenda of the Council.I am pleased to note that the Rules of Procedures governing the operations of the Council will be discussed over the next two days. As Chair, it is my hope that...
27 February 2018 / 2284
His Excellency Jovenel Moise, President of the Republic of Haiti and Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community; Other Heads of State and Government; Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, Secretary-General, CARICOM; Other Heads of Delegation; Representatives of the Media; People of the Caribbean Community.I am truly pleased to be here in the Republic of Haiti, aptly described in the words of Professor Hillary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor...
26 February 2018 / 1324
His Excellency Jovenel Moise, President of the Republic of Haiti and Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community;First Lady Madame Martine MoiseDr. the Rt. Honourable Keith Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada and Out-going Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government;Other Heads of State and Government;Honourable Ministers of the Caribbean Community;President of the Senate;Speaker of the House of Deputies;President of the Supreme Court;...06 February 2018 / 2112
It is truly an honour and a privilege for me today to address this Inauguration Ceremony marking the Second Term of Office of this distinguished daughter of the Caribbean and of Dominica. As a fellow Dominican, I note with pride that the achievements of Dr. Carissa Etienne over the first five years of her tenure as Director of the Hemisphere’s premier Health Agency have earned her re-election to a second term. It is clear, Dr. Etienne, that the reward for good work is more hard work!...30 January 2018 / 1081
Secretary General Colleague Ministers and other Heads of Delegations; Distinguished Delegates; Representatives of the Media; Ladies and GentlemenAllow me, as Chairman of the Community Council of Ministers, the second highest organ in the Community, to commence in the customary manner by extending a warm welcome to all, those of you here in Guyana and those joining the meeting via video-conference, my best wishes for a successful 2017.Secretary General, Colleague Ministers, delegates, I wish...18 January 2018 / 1439
Her Excellency Daniela Tramacere, Head of EU Delegation, Barbados, and Ambassador Accredited to CARICOM;Captain Errington Shurland, Executive Director of the Regional Security System;Mr Francis McBarnette, OAS Representative in Barbados;Mr Wilmot St Cyr, thanks for your moving testimonial and yes a life of crime is not worth it;Ms Germania Melo Velazquez Representative of Consejo Nacional de Drogas of the Dominican Republic;Ms Myrna Bernard Director Human and Social Development...
05 July 2017 / 1833
TWELFTH CARICOM TRIENNIAL AWARD FOR WOMENSHIRLEY LEE PRYCE ACCEPTANCE SPEECHOPENING CEREMONY OF THETHIRTY-EIGHTH MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OFHEADS OF GOVERNMENTGRENADA, 4 JULY 2017 Governor General, Her Excellency Cecile La Grenade; Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government, Dr. the Honourable Keith Mitchell Heads of Government of CARICOM Member States and Associate Members Ministers of Government Secretary-General...
05 July 2017 / 4993
CITATION IN HONOUR OF MS. SHIRLEY LEE PRYCEON THE OCCASION OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE TWELFTH CARICOM TRIENNIAL AWARD FOR WOMEN AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE THIRTY-EIGHTH MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF HEADS OF GOVERNMENT OF THE CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY GRENADA, 4 July 2017 Shirley Lee Pryce is a remarkable woman, Jamaican by birth and today, a true Caribbean and global citizen by virtue of her passion and advocacy for a cause which...07 March 2017 / 3160
Ambassadors to CARICOM, representatives of Member States, representatives of Regional Institutions, experts from Baastel, representatives from Directorates of the Secretariat, ladies and gentlemen, good morning.I have the distinct honour and pleasure to welcome you to the Secretariat, to Guyana and especially to this workshop. I also thank you for your presence here over the next three days, as I know that you all have very busy schedules in your substantive roles. ...
18 February 2017 / 2919
Remarks By The Secretary-General Caribbean Community (Caricom) Ambassador Irwin Larocque At The Opening Of The Twenty-eighth Inter-sessional Meeting Of The Conference Of Heads Of Government Of The Caribbean Community Georgetown, Guyana, February 16-17, 2017 His Excellency Brigadier (Retired) David Granger, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community;Honourable Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of...
16 February 2017 / 3155
Address of His Excellency Brigadier David Granger President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana to the Twenty-eighth Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean CommunityThe four founding fathers – Barbados’s Errol Barrow, Guyana’s Forbes Burnham, Jamaica’s Michael Manley and Trinidad and Tobago’s Eric Williams – who brought forth the Caribbean Community forty-four years ago, were men of discernment and...
26 October 2016 Reference Number: 156/2016 / 2350
His Excellency Franz Manderson, Acting Governor of the Cayman Islands Honourable Alden McLaughlin Premier, Cayman Islands; Honourable Ministers of the Caribbean Community Members of the Legislative Assembly Honourable Matai Seremaiah Nawalu - Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry, Fisheries and Biosecurity, Vanuatu; Mr. Victor Villalobos – Director-General, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA); Mr....
14 October 2016 / 3701
It is with great pleasure that I deliver this message on the occasion of Caribbean Statistics Day 2016.The significant role of Statistics in the development of the Community is well recognised. The performance of Member States with respect to the real growth rate of GDP, exports and imports of trade in goods and services, the size, health status and economic well-being of the population, the state of the environment and the degree of penetration and use of technology cannot be reliably...
19 September 2016 / 2886
SalutationsMy fellow citizens and residents, congratulations on our thirty-third Independence Anniversary. This year we celebrate our Independence under the theme “Promoting Prosperity through Sustainability and National Unity.”This theme was chosen specifically to encapsulate how only a stable nation in unity can thrive and prosper, for the betterment of all of its citizens and residents.Our land has seen struggles, hardships and battles for power going over many centuries....
08 July 2016 Reference Number: 106/2016 / 4779
Let me thank my fellow Heads of Government for their warm welcome as the new Prime Minister of Saint Lucia. The numerous congratulatory messages received from the entire region speaks to the profound respect given to this new designation, which the people of my beautiful country have bestowed on me and my Government. I am indeed honoured to stand here to represent my country. As the newest head of state I look forward to meeting with each of you to discuss...
05 July 2016 / 3370
I am honoured to join colleagues here in our beautiful sister state of Guyana, at this, the Opening Ceremony of the Thirty-seventh Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government.I thank you President Granger, Secretary General LaRocque and the Government and people of Guyana for the warm hospitality extended to my delegation since our arrival . I certainly appreciate the efforts made to facilitate this important meeting and look forward to a successful outcome.May I congratulate...
05 July 2016 Reference Number: 96/2016 / 3978
It is with a degree of conviction, that we are on the right track, and with optimism for the future, that I assume Chairmanship of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). It is also at a time when the Conference of Heads of Government is being infused with new blood.In welcoming the Most Honourable Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica and the Honourable Allen Chastanet, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia to the Conference, I note that in the last two years, six of the 15 members of this Conference...
05 July 2016 / 3562
Normally I would begin by welcoming you all to the Thirty-Seventh Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). However, I believe it is only fitting that at the outset, we should pay tribute to a true champion of CARICOM, the late Mr. Patrick Manning, former Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, who passed away last Saturday.Mr. Manning was a Member of the Conference for a total of 13 years, and, in that time, he...
04 July 2016 / 4641
As Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government prepare to receive an overview on the CARICOM Single Market and Economic (CSME), Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque stated that it remained the only workable option for economic growth.Our Member States remain resolute that it is the only viable option for sustained economic growth. While we have made progress, there is no denying that we could have been further ahead, although challenges remain in some areas. We must do what...
04 July 2016 / 3270
Mr Chairman, allow me first to congratulate you on taking over the helm of our Community for the next six months and to thank the Government of Guyana for the warm welcome and excellent arrangements made for my delegation in Georgetown. It is indeed a singular honour and distinct pleasure for me to deliver my inaugural address to you on a day that commemorates the signing of the original Treaty of Chaguaramas on July 4, 1973. The efforts which have been made to align our meetings on or...
28 June 2016 Reference Number: 89/2016 / 3854
Thank you for inviting me to be here with you this morning to share a few thoughts. I believe that it is the first time I have interacted with you but I am confident it will not be the last. May I congratulate you on the occasion of your 25th Anniversary and that milestone emphasises the relevance of your work. I want to associate myself with the view of putting people at the centre of development. It has been central to my thinking since I assumed office in August 2011 and is at the...
29 April 2016 / 4288
Opening Remarks Deputy Secretary General, Caricom Amb. Dr. Manorma Soeknandan At The Workshop To Mark ‘girls In Ict Day’ 28 April 2016 Arthur Chung Conference Centre GuyanaHon. Catherine Hughes, Minister of Public Telecommunications and Tourism Hon. Nicolette Henry, Minister with responsibility for Youth, Sport and Culture Special Invitees Representatives of the Ministry of Education, Department of Culture , University of Guyana Staff of the CARICOM Secretariat Vice – Dean...
22 April 2016 / 4814
The Office of the Prime Minister rejects the version of events in the statement by President Jimmy Morales made to the Guatemalan public on 21st April, 2016 regarding the incident in Belize’s Cebada area of the Chiquibul National Park.Belize has a long history and tradition as a peace loving country, respectful of international law, human rights, and with a strong democratic culture where the rule of law has always prevailed. The Government and people of Belize always abide by these...
21 April 2016 / 3685
Honourable Honourable Karl Samuda, Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries of Jamaica; Ministers and other Heads of Delegations; Distinguished Delegates; Representatives of the Media; Ladies and Gentlemen. It is my pleasure to welcome you all to the 42nd Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED). In so doing, I extend a special welcome to the Honourable Karl Samuda, Minister of Industry, Commerce,...
03 April 2016 / 3016
I want to thank the almighty, because without him nothing is possible. We have a pastor in the team in Andre Fletcher, he keeps on praying. We are a praying team. I’m really happy for this win and it’s something we are going to cherish for a long time. I’ve said we have 15 match-winners. Nobody gave us a chance but every game somebody stepped up and took responsibility. To see Carlos [Brathwaite] play like that in his debut World Cup, it’s just tremendous. It...
17 March 2016 Reference Number: 46/2016 / 2456
In welcoming you all to this Meeting of the Council of Ministers of CARIFORUM, allow me to extend a special greeting to those Ministers attending their first meeting of this Council.Included among them is today’s Chairman, the Honourable Jean Max Bellerive of Haiti. Also attending their first Meeting of this Council are the Honourable Paul Greene, Minister of Trade, Industry, Commerce, Sports, Culture and National Festivals of Antigua and Barbuda; Honourable Cynthia Vera Hope- Strachan,...
29 February 2016 / 3302
Honourable Khemraj Ramjattan, Vice President and Minister of Public Security, Co-operative Republic of Guyana Chair, Dr Douglas Slater, Assistant Secretary General, Human and Social Development, CARICOM Secretariat His Excellency, José Maria Fernandez Lopez de Turiso, Plenipotentiary Representative of Spain to CARICOM Ministers of Government of CARICOMMembers of the Diplomatic CorpsDr Martin Baptiste, Operations Officer, Education, Caribbean Development...
27 February 2016 / 4610
It is a real pleasure to be here with you today and deliver some opening remarks at this Preparatory meeting to the CARIFORUM Civil Society Consultative Committee. The text of the EU-CARIFORUM Economic Partnership Agreement is extremely clear in reserving a fundamental role to the Consultative Committee. The overall objective is to promote dialogue and ensure that the voice of the...
18 February 2016 / 4616
- Mr. Remwick Rose, Chairman of the CARIFORUM Representatives of Civil Society;- Ambassador Mikael Barfod, Head of the EU Delegation to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean;- Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen On behalf of the Director-General of the CARIFORUM Directorate, Mr. Percival Marie, I would like to thank CARIFORUM Civil Society for inviting the CARIFORUM Directorate to this important event. Unfortunately, Mr. Marie is unable to attend this Meeting, but he extends his best...
19 January 2016 / 4187
I am delighted to welcome you to the launch of the 2015 Human Development Report. UNDP expresses its profound gratitude to Ethiopia for hosting this launch, and for His Excellency the Prime Minister’s presence here with us today to give the keynote speech and launch the report.There can be no doubt that history will judge 2015 to be a remarkably important year for setting global development-related agendas.In July, here in Addis Ababa, a new global agenda for financing development was...25 November 2015 / 0
It is really a pleasure for me to participate in this Ceremony, which is a clear indication of the strong ties between the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the United States.These Regional Development Objective Agreements are rendering assistance in areas that have been identified as critical to the well-being of our citizens. They have been structured based on consultations between the Community, both at the regional and national level, and the United States Agency for International...
12 November 2015 Reference Number: 171/2015 / 2
I welcome you all to this Forty-First Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED).I am sure you will join me in extending a special welcome to the Her Excellency Sieglien Burleson, Minister of Trade and Industry of Suriname and the Honourable Paula Gopee-Scoon, Minister of Trade and Industry of Trinidad and Tobago. Minister Burleson, immediately as you join us you have been elevated to the Chair. I am sure your wide experience in matters of trade, within the...27 September 2015 / 3547
The recent devastation in Dominica on a national scale, left in the wake of the passage of Tropical Storm Erika, reminds us starkly of the serious recurring challenges that our small islands face, not only in the Caribbean, but also in the Pacific and elsewhere where Small Island States can be found.Barbados and other CARICOM countries are firmly of the view that the existential threat posed to SIDS by climate change can only be tackled by a comprehensive international effort grounded in the...
24 August 2015 / 3026
Chairperson, Honourable Suresh Algoe Minister of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry Fisheries, Chairperson of the Local Organizing Committee and Members of said Committee, President of the Caribbean Food Crop Society, Representatives of the University of Suriname, University of the West Indies, the Inter American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, University of Puerto Rico, the Food and Agriculture Organization, CACHE and other distinguished partners in sustainable...
30 July 2015 Reference Number: 132/2015 / 0
Your Excellency, it is a pleasure for me, on this historic occasion to accept your Credentials accrediting you as the first Plenipotentiary Representative and the Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The importance of the work of religious bodies in our countries is well known. The role that they have played in our development, particularly through education, is greatly appreciated. The Catholic Church has been a prominent factor in this regard,...
24 July 2015 Reference Number: 130/2015 / 998
It is my pleasure to welcome you all to the CARICOM Secretariat on the occasion of the Eighth General Meeting of the Caribbean Community, its Associate Institutions and the United Nations (UN) System. A look at the overview of our co-operation reveals an impressive range of areas covered to assist the Community in its development efforts. I want to thank the UN and its Agencies for their support and look forward to the strengthening of our co-operation. The evaluation of the...21 July 2015 Reference Number: 128/2015 / 0
Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of EthiopiaMinister of Finance of EthiopiaMr. Ban Ki-Moon, the United Nations Secretary-GeneralMr. Sam Kutesa, President of the UN General AssemblyDistinguished Heads, Ministers, ExcellencesDistinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. President,I stand before you as a representative of a small island state. Better than most, my people know that access to finance is one of the most significant obstacles to our...
17 July 2015 / 3383
Honourable Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Grenada and CARIFORUM High Representative,Honourable Ministers,Your Excellencies the Ambassadors and Other Representatives of CARIFORUM States,Distinguished Members of National Delegations,Distinguished Director General of CARIFORUM,Ladies and Gentlemen,It is my pleasure to be here in Georgetown, Guyana for the third meeting of the Joint CARIFORUM - EU EPA Council.I am much honoured to represent the EU side in this meeting...16 July 2015 / 3486
Cecilia Malmström, Commissioner for TradeMrs. Cecilia Malmström, Commissioner for Trade, European Commission: Opening Speech to the Third Meeting of the Joint CARIFORUM-EU CouncilCecilia Malmström, Commissioner for Trade 3rd meeting of the EU-CARIFORUM Joint EPA Council Ministers, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am delighted to be here with you in Georgetown, capital of Guyana. I'm happy to because it's my first chance to visit this fabulous part of the world. I'm...16 July 2015 / 2715
The Community recognises that the challenges of development are deep-seated. Significant resources and appropriate and mutually reinforcing policies at national, regional and international levels are required to address the difficulties facing developing countries. CARICOM Member States, therefore, continue to maintain their commitment to regional integration as the platform for securing inclusive sustainable growth. In this regard, the Caribbean Community endorses the goal of...
14 July 2015 Reference Number: 126/2015 / 2751
Allow me first to join previous speakers in expressing my sincere gratitude to the Government and people of Ethiopia for the warm hospitality my delegation and I have received since our arrival in this beautiful city of Addis Ababa. At home our brothers and sisters in locks dream of coming to this city. It looms large in their imagination. Mr. President,We are meeting at a moment when the world has embarked on an ambitious task of elaborating a new framework to promote...
06 July 2015 / 3361
[As prepared for delivery]I am very honoured to be at the University of the West Indies.I am delighted to see so many young people here and linked in via video. I look forward to hearing from you.Later today, I will sit down with CARICOM leaders. But in many ways, it is fitting that I meet with you first.I know you may be worried about the economy, about the job market, about the future.I also know you are full of energy, ideas and solutions.Reaching out to young people is...
04 July 2015 / 4827
Caribbean Launch of UNAIDS- Lancet Commission Report Defeating AIDS-Achieving sustainable health Address by Prime Minister St Kitts- Nevis, Hon Dr. Timothy Harris, CARICOM Lead Head for Human Resources Health and HIVThe UNAIDS-Lancet Report is indeed the high level analysis based on empirical evidence. It makes us deeply aware that this disease HIV and AIDS is far from over. At the same time it provides the options from grasping opportunities to end this...
03 July 2015 Reference Number: 113/2015 / 3314
I am pleased to be back in Barbados for this formal handing over ceremony of the Chair of the Caricom Community. It has been an honour and a privilege for The Bahamas and for me personally to have served as its Chair. I now pass the mantle onto the distinguished Prime Minister of Barbados. I am certain that the community will be in excellent and capable hands.I congratulate the new Heads of Government and Heads of State to this forum and join in welcoming them. I pledge to work...
03 July 2015 Reference Number: 107/2015 / 3277
It is indeed a great pleasure and an honour for me to address this distinguished gathering on behalf of the people of St.Kitts and Nevis. A strong spirit of fraternity and kinship has been fostered among Caribbean leadership for more than four decades, especially among the tiny group of officials, technocrats, experts and academicians who frequent our Caricom Summits and meetings.St.Kitts and NevisI commend the indefatigable spirits of those who have laboured selflessly over time...
03 July 2015 / 2904
Praising the Caribbean as a place of ideas, examples and solutions, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon on Thursday called on the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to be voices of the vulnerable in the Region and beyond. He was at the time delivering remarks at the opening ceremony of the 36th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the CARICOM now underway in Bridgetown, Barbados.I ask you to continue to be voices for vulnerable – not just in this Region but for the...
03 July 2015 Reference Number: 109/2015 / 2882
I recognize that protocols have been established, but please allow me to recognize our Host Governor General Sir Elliot Belgrave.The Highly distinguished Chair Hon Freundel Stuart, Prime Minister of BarbadosColleagues and friends from across the Caribbean.The UN Secretary General and the Commonwealth Secretary GeneralLet me express my heartfelt gratitude to be afforded the opportunity to give a few remarks here in one of the highly regarded centres of education, political...
03 July 2015 / 2908
Colleague Prime Ministers, Ministers of Cabinet, Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen: I am delighted to endorse the sentiment already exp ressed by Foreign Minister Maxine McClean and to welcome you once again to this High Level Strategic Dialogue, entitl ed "Vibrant Societies; Resilient Economies: A Partnership for Implementation".I am especially pleased to see a number of my fello w heads of government of CARICOM countries and to be able to welcome amongst us the...
03 July 2015 Reference Number: 108/2015 / 3061
Fifty years ago, in response to a letter from Errol Barrow received on the 27th day of June, 1965, the then Premier of British Guyana, Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, came to Barbados on the 4th day of July, 1965 and discussed with Mr. Barrow the formation of a Caribbean Free Trade Association.Barrow and Burnham subsequently interested the then head of Government of Antigua, Vere Cornwall Bird, in their project and at Dickenson Bay in Antigua, the agreement establishing Carifta was...
02 July 2015 Reference Number: 106/2015 / 3019
I am honoured to join fellow Heads of Government here in beautiful Barbados at this Thirty-Sixth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community. We wish to record our gratitude to our host, Prime Minister Freundel Stuart, to the government and to the friendly people of this island, for the gracious welcome extended to our delegation and for the excellent arrangements made for this Conference. I am happy to address this Conference this evening,...
02 July 2015 Reference Number: 104/2015 / 1818
Welcome to the Thirty-Sixth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community. The excellent arrangements for this evening’s Opening Ceremony is a fine example of how our hosts, the Government and people of Barbados, have organised this Meeting to create an atmosphere conducive to productive discussions. The CARICOM family and guests are all beneficiaries of your gracious and generous hospitality. It is my pleasure to extend a special...
09 June 2015 / 2804
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the fourteen member states of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), at this plenary meeting to review the implementation of the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS and the Political Declarations on HIV/AIDS. I would like to use this opportunity to express appreciation to the Secretary-General for his report contained in document A/69/856. CARICOM takes note of the extraordinary gains since 2000 of the global AIDS response which has...
03 June 2015 Reference Number: 88/2015 / 2595
(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) I welcome you all to this Inaugural Meeting of the CARICOM-India Joint Commission, and I extend a particularly warm welcome to you Vice Minister R. Swaminathan and your delegation who have travelled from India to be part of this occasion. This Meeting reaffirms the friendly and cooperative ties between the Caribbean Community and India and the commitment of the two sides to strengthening those ties. A...30 May 2015 / 3273
Secretary-General, His Excellency Irwin LaRocqueDeputy Secretary-General, Her Excellency Manorma SoeknandanOther members of the CARICOM Secretariat Executive Management TeamColleague AmbassadorsOfficials of the Secretariat and CARICOM Member States Good Morning, During the Twenty-Sixth Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government that was held in Nassau, The Bahamas on 26-27 February 2015, under the chairmanship of the Rt. Honourable Perry G....
21 May 2015 / 2948
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is diversifying and widening its foreign policy thrust in response to shifts in balance of powers as well as the dynamic and fluid changes taking place in the global environment.While it was both challenging and necessary, the Community has also acknowledged and responded accordingly to the management of shared problems in an interdependent world, in the formulation and coordination of its foreign policy.Those acknowledgements were shared Wednesday by...
06 May 2015 Reference Number: 72/2015 / 2604
It is indeed a pleasure for me personally, as well as the CARICOM Secretariat, to be associated with this “one of a kind” event. This “Forum on The Future of the Caribbean” could not be more timely and relevant given the challenging regional and international circumstances.I am particularly heartened by the range of participants involved during these three days. I look forward to the practical outcomes and policy directions to be derived from this exercise in ‘disruptive thinking’...
29 April 2015 / 4773
In October 2011, a report commissioned by Commonwealth Heads of Government made the following compelling statement: At least 60 per cent of the Commonwealth’s population is under 30 years of age. That is significantly lower than the global average of 52%. Therefore the future of the Commonwealth – and of the world it shares – is inexorably tied to the future of these young people. The Report was entitled, “A Commonwealth of the People: Time for Urgent Reform”, and it was...
24 April 2015 / 3451
Call to Action on Security in the Western HemisphereThank you Prime Minister Simpson Miller for hosting this meeting between the United States and its CARICOM partners.Thank you also to our Chairman, Prime Minister Christie, for your leadership and vision for the social harmony and unified development agenda for CARICOM.And of course to our friend President Obama, we welcome you and thank you for this meeting.I must also add, on behalf of the people of the Caribbean region, our...
24 April 2015 / 4537
Mr. President,I should like to join those who have preceded me in warmly welcoming you once again to the Caribbean, on this occasion, for a short encounter with the Heads of Government of our CARICOM Region.We are pleased to be able to spare you a temporary respite from exposure to the asperities of the weather in the state from which you have for the last six (6) years presided over the destiny of your great nation, the United States of America.In the context of our discussions on...
23 April 2015 Reference Number: 65/2015 / 0
(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) I welcome you all to this Fortieth Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED). I extend a particularly warm welcome to our Chairman, Minister Claude Hogan who, while not a stranger to this Council, is attending his first COTED as Minister. Today’s welcome is special, given that Montserrat has received the requisite entrustment from the United Kingdom that will allow it to accede to the Revised...
13 April 2015 / 2420
First, I thank the Government of Panama and President Juan Carlos Varela for their warm hospitality. My delegation and I are honoured to participate in this historic conference in which the entire Americas is represented and certainly to include the delegation of Cuba headed by His Excellency Raul Castro Ruz.My visit to your beautiful country has been a kind of home coming.Of course, the relationship between Panama and countries of the Caribbean go back a very long way.Thousands of...10 April 2015 Reference Number: 62/2015 / 2403
(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Mr. President, I join my colleague and our host, the Prime Minister of Jamaica, in welcoming you to the Caribbean and this discussion with the Leaders of our Caribbean Community (CARICOM).This meeting is important because it reinforces the obvious, the symbiotic relationship which exists between the United States and the region: we are joined by history, by migration, by commerce and geography. We are...
10 April 2015 Reference Number: 61/2015 / 3799
(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Government and people of Jamaica are deeply honoured to host this CARICOM-USA Summit, in Kingston, and to again extend a warm Jamaican welcome to The Honourable Barack Obama, President of the United States of America, and to my colleague Heads of State and Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and their delegations. Mr. President, the Heads of Government of CARICOM attach great significance to this...
09 April 2015 / 4227
CARICOM Energy SituationA stark reality for CARICOM countries is that we are dependent on imported oil and petroleum products for more than 90% of our energy services.Though global oil prices are currently at a four‑year low, our importation of oil and oil products have been a major burden on our foreign exchange earnings and have tilted our balance of trade.High and generally unpredictable oil prices have consistently retarded the competitiveness of our region’s goods and...
08 March 2015 / 2693
STATEMENT by Dr. William Warren Smith President of the Caribbean Development Bank on International Women’s Day 2015Today March 8, 2015 we join the people of the region in commemorating International Women’s Day.This year marks significant milestones in the global development agenda, including the 20th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the adoption of a new sustainable development agenda to replace the existing Millennium Development Goals. ...
27 February 2015 / 3738
I thank Prime Minister Perry Christie and the people and government of The Bahamas for the warm welcome given to all the participants in this meeting. We have no doubt that under Prime Minister Christie’s chairmanship, the outcomes of this meeting will be beneficial to the people of the Caribbean Community who have entrusted us with a mandate to manage their regional affairs. As I formally hand-over the gavel of chairmanship of CARICOM, I would like to reflect briefly on the period of my...
26 February 2015 Reference Number: 30/2015 / 2407
It was a very proud moment for me to assume the role of Chairman of Conference of the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community for the period 1st January 2015 to 30th June 2015. It is also a very proud moment for me, my Government and the people of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas to have the honour of hosting this Twenty-Sixth Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community here in Nassau. In the words of an old Bahamian song: ...
23 February 2015 / 3748
Good morning ladies and gentlemen . All protocols observed. It is my pleasure to share some thoughts with you all this morning at the opening of this Special First Meeting of Directors of Gender Bureaux. The Bank is particularly encouraged to see the decisive steps being taken by the CARICOM Secretariat towards a Plan of Action on Gender Equality aligned with the transformative agenda for the region, agreed by the CARICOM Heads of Government.2015 is a very important year it marks significant...
05 February 2015 Reference Number: 19/2015 / 4117
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to this, the Fifty‑Fourth Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) (Energy) and to the CARICOM Secretariat. This is the second Special Meeting of the COTED on Energy within the last twenty‑four months. When you met in March 2013, in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, you took the decision to approve the CARICOM Energy Policy and the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Roadmap and Strategy (C‑SERMS). Today,...
05 February 2015 Reference Number: 18/2015 / 3698
These meetings are being held even as world oil prices, having plummeted in the recent months, despite modest gains continue to hover at below US$50 per barrel. While this fortuitous development provides some temporary respite to those of us who are almost totally dependent on this source of imported energy, we must remain resolute in our efforts to diversify, conserve and exploit our abundant supply of clean, renewable, environmentally-friendly resources.So as we strategize and seek common...16 January 2015 Reference Number: 05/2015 / 1512
In welcoming you all to this first Ministerial Meeting for 2015, I wish you a Happy and Productive New Year.In extending that welcome, I do so especially to the Honourable Donville Inniss, Minister of Industry, International Business, Commerce and Small Business development of Barbados and the Honourable Francine Baron, Minister of Foreign Affairs and CARICOM Affairs of Dominica who are participating in this Council for the first time. We look forward to your active involvement...
12 January 2015 / 2345
n a message to mark the fifth anniversary of the 2010 devastating earthquake in Haiti, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) has called for reflection on the lessons learned and consideration of the positive steps taken to reduce vulnerability and exposure in the Region.We must also consider outstanding measures still to be implemented and where these exist, we must seek to urgently advance them. The importance of enhancing personal readiness and resilience to cope...
31 December 2014 Reference Number: 286/2014 / 2348
(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) We have come to the end of what has been an exacting year for most of our Member States and their citizens. The difficulties, with which governments and people have been confronted, demanded strength of character and resilience which, to our credit, we have demonstrated. The lingering effects of the global economic and financial crises, heavy debt burdens, high unemployment and low growth have had a...
22 December 2014 Reference Number: 284/2014 / 0
(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) As we come to the end of 2014, it must be marked as a milestone year for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). In July, Heads of Government approved the Community’s first Five-Year Strategic Plan which covers the years 2015-2019.The Plan seeks to ensure that our Community is in a position to withstand the effects of events such as the global economic and financial crises and provides the way forward...
08 December 2014 Reference Number: 274/2014 / 2667
This Fifth CARICOM-Cuba Summit is testimony to the solidarity and fraternal relationship that exist among us as Caribbean people. Forty-two years ago today, we began this journey when the four independent countries of CARICOM, acting in concert, came to Havana to establish diplomatic relations. This action broke a hemispheric diplomatic embargo. It was an expression of our solidarity with Cuba, our Caribbean sister nation, and of respect for the right to self-determination. Twelve...07 December 2014 / 2297
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM), at the invitation of the Government of Dominica, mounted a CARICOM Election Observation Mission to Dominica to observe the country’s General Election which is due to be held on Monday, 8 December 2014. The seven member Mission comprising members of several Member States of the Caribbean Community, and headed by Miss Lena Sahadeo of Trinidad and Tobago, arrived in Dominica on 4 December 2014.…The role of the Mission is to...
02 December 2014 / 2404
Monday on the occasion of World AIDS Day, Sophia Martelly, the First Lady of Haiti has issued a message of hope.Message from Sophia Martelly : "The World Day against AIDS is once again an opportunity to take stock of the HIV epidemic in Haiti and look it in the face, our achievements and challenges.As First Lady of the Republic, I got involved from the start to make a plea for health in our country so that there is a real transformation.I have to say that personally, my involvement in the...
30 November 2014 Reference Number: 263/2014 / 2980
(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) It has been over three decades since the first case of AIDS was recorded, leaving a trail of crippling fear that gripped the nations of the Caribbean. Though much work is still to be done, the fear is now abating. More governments have sought funding and technical support from international donors to reverse the spread of HIV (the virus) and the impact of AIDS. More has been done locally and regionally to...
30 November 2014 Reference Number: 261/2014 / 2820
(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The 2014 World AIDS Day theme is ‘Closing the Gap’. This theme challenges us as Policy makers, programme managers and implementers to identify and develop strategies and policies for closing the gap in resources to achieve universal access. For the Caribbean, removing the barriers that impede universal access by all members of our society is crucial. The epidemiology of HIV and AIDS in the Caribbean...
30 November 2014 Reference Number: 260/2014 / 2581
(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) This World AIDS Day brings with it the realization that in less than 400 days the Millennium Development Goals would have expired. It is clear that some targets would not have been achieved. Among them, are those associated with the response to HIV and AIDS. Yet there is much to celebrate. People with AIDS are living longer, many more are on antiretroviral treatment and there are greater techniques for...30 November 2014 Reference Number: 259/2014 / 2307
World AIDS Day provides an opportunity for reflection and resolution. Not long ago an affliction with HIV and AIDS was literally a death sentence. Today, thanks to scientific breakthroughs and access to treatment, people with HIV and AIDS are living longer and leading productive lives. Yet there are lingering challenges to overcome. Among them are the increases in new infections in young women and vulnerable populations. Only 50 percent of the people living with...