COMMENTS BY CONRAD ALEONG, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF BWIA WEST INDIES AIRWAYS ON THE SIGNING OF THE AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING THE CARIBBEAN COURT OF JUSTICE, 14 FEBRUARY 2001, ST. MICHAEL, BARBADOS

As a Caribbean man, born, bred and brought up a Caribbean man, I know that I speak on behalf of all fellow Caribbean people, especially the business community and businesses like BWIA with a broad Caribbean raison d'etre, when I say that we are indeed proud, delighted and appreciative that our Caribbean leaders have agreed to bring a Caribbean Court of Justice into being.

This is truly historic. There is no better word for it. In time we will wonder why we didn't create this a long time ago. It will be so much a part of our every day life and our ability to function that we will take it for granted, just like the University of the West Indies and BWIA.

We know that we have talented, bright, industrious and honest people in various fields of endeavour in the Caribbean. The legal and justice system is no exception. We will now be able to bring the best legal minds and judiciary to a higher purpose, serving the people of the Caribbean.

As a businessperson running a very Caribbean business, I know that this Caribbean Court of Justice will facilitate honest, entrepreneurial activities involving trade in goods and services. Not only will we be able to have confidence in the delivery of justice with respect to civil and criminal proceedings, and so on, but as businesspeople, we know how vitally important it is for such mundane things as contracts, to be governed by a system which ensures that the parties to the contracts and agreements receive justice.

Even more important as business persons, we are pleased to see the integration movement take a tangible and significant step forward. This is a strong and deliberate stepping stone towards a single market and economy. The business sector of the Caribbean wholeheartedly endorses that objective.

So ladies and gentlemen, the business community in general and BWIA in particular are proud, delighted and appreciative of this significant step forward in the history of the Caribbean and its peoples.