More sensitisation needed to be done among Regional border officials on the rules and procedures for the treatment of nationals as they travelled throughout the Community, CARICOM Deputy Secretary-General Ambassador Manorma Soeknandan, PhD., said Thursday.

Delivering remarks Thursday morning at the Opening Ceremony of the Forty-Second Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED), Amb. Soeknandan noted that the way CARICOM nationals were treated as they travelled regionally continued to generate discussion.

Trade Ministers currently meeting in at the Marriott Hotel in Georgetown, Guyana, will discuss the issue as part of their consideration of the implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).

It is clear that more sensitisation has to be done among our border officials in relation to the rules that are already in place and the procedures that should be followed. At this meeting, therefore, Ministers, you may wish to consider establishing a quick-response mechanism to resolve situations as they arise on the ground,” the Deputy Secretary-General said.

Referring to comments made by the CARICOM Secretary-General Amb. Irwin LaRoccque at another COTED Meeting , the Deputy Secretary-General reiterated that the average citizen judged CARICOM on the extent to which they were able to move freely throughout the Region and engage in their legitimate activities without being hassled at the borders.

In her remarks, she also reminded the Meeting of the necessity for COTED to remain vigilant to the need to protect the integrity of Treaty arrangements. She added that it was essential that the administrative structures required to give effect to the legal arrangements were functioning properly.

This is the only way to minimise or eliminate the obstacles that arise from time to time in the conduct of our integration affairs. The people of the Region have a right to expect consistent application of the rules governing our arrangements as they seek to enjoy the benefits of integration,” the Deputy Secretary-General said.