(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The new Plenipotentiary Representative of Barbados to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), pledged his country’s “unwavering commitment” to the goals of CARICOM.

His Excellency John Williams presented his credentials to Deputy Secretary-General of CARICOM Ambassador Lolita Applewhaite on Thursday 18 May at the CARICOM Secretariat Headquarters in Georgetown. At the ceremony Ambassador Williams gave assurances of contributing to Barbados’s ongoing discharge of its functions toward meeting the Community’s development goals through the integration process, to which he said his country was “deeply committed.”

The Deputy Secretary-General in her remarks noted that Barbados’s excellent stewardship of the CARICOM Single Market, which came into being on 1 January, 2006 was recognised by the Community. She added that Barbados continued to play a meaningful role in CARICOM, including its promotion of the small states agenda internationally, starting with its hosting of the 1994 UN Global Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

Ambassador Williams said, “The CSME is, unquestionably, at this juncture the principal focus of the Community. Its implementation represents the best way of maximising the Region’s productive capacities and consequently, the best way of managing the sometimes stressful impacts of increased economic globalisation and liberalisation.” He also underscored the importance of the regional Development Fund to addressing imbalances in the Single Market between and within Member States.

He also stressed the importance of the Region’s collective stance on the international stage particularly with respect to presenting a coordinated policy position for the benefit of the people of the Region.

Prior to taking up his current appointment, Ambassador Williams served as Minister of State of Barbados. He succeeded Mr. Nigel Barrow, whom he acknowledged for his contribution to the work of CARICOM, including his role in the Inter-Governmental Task Force which supervised the revision of the Treaty of Chaguaramas.(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The new Plenipotentiary Representative of Barbados to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), pledged his country’s “unwavering commitment” to the goals of CARICOM.

His Excellency John Williams presented his credentials to Deputy Secretary-General of CARICOM Ambassador Lolita Applewhaite on Thursday 18 May at the CARICOM Secretariat Headquarters in Georgetown. At the ceremony Ambassador Williams gave assurances of contributing to Barbados’s ongoing discharge of its functions toward meeting the Community’s development goals through the integration process, to which he said his country was “deeply committed.”

The Deputy Secretary-General in her remarks noted that Barbados’s excellent stewardship of the CARICOM Single Market, which came into being on 1 January, 2006 was recognised by the Community. She added that Barbados continued to play a meaningful role in CARICOM, including its promotion of the small states agenda internationally, starting with its hosting of the 1994 UN Global Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

Ambassador Williams said, “The CSME is, unquestionably, at this juncture the principal focus of the Community. Its implementation represents the best way of maximising the Region’s productive capacities and consequently, the best way of managing the sometimes stressful impacts of increased economic globalisation and liberalisation.” He also underscored the importance of the regional Development Fund to addressing imbalances in the Single Market between and within Member States.

He also stressed the importance of the Region’s collective stance on the international stage particularly with respect to presenting a coordinated policy position for the benefit of the people of the Region.

Prior to taking up his current appointment, Ambassador Williams served as Minister of State of Barbados. He succeeded Mr. Nigel Barrow, whom he acknowledged for his contribution to the work of CARICOM, including his role in the Inter-Governmental Task Force which supervised the revision of the Treaty of Chaguaramas.