The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] have signed an agreement which will provide US$300 000 to support the work towards the establishment of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). The funds will come from the Government of Japan through its Human Resource Development Fund (JHRDF) channeled to the Community which is administered by the UNDP. Signing the Agreement were CARICOM's Deputy-Secretary-General, Dr Carla Barnett, UNDP's Deputy Resident Representative in Guyana, Mr. Thomas Gass and Japan's Ambassador to Venezuela, Suriname and Guyana, His Excellency Masateru Ito

In signing the Agreement Dr. Barnett noted that the creation of the CCJ has been recognized as one of the most dynamic steps being made by Member States of the Caribbean Community in "advancing the realization of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy, securing sovereignty and deepening the regional integration movement"

She added: "It represents a significant turning point in the development of the institutional infrastructure of the integration movement particularly in respect of judicial institutional development. In fact, the CCJ is expected to contribute in a unique way to the development of a truly indigenous body of Caribbean law as the Region proceeds through the twenty-first century."

Mr. Gass remarked that the UNDP has had a long association with CARICOM, recalling the agency's contribution to the process of revising the Treaty of Chaguaramas to create the Single Market and Economy.

He stressed that the UNDP commended CARICOM governments for their "political will to ensure the CCJ's legitimacy and accountability within its powers and operational rules."

"The Region is counting on the success of the Single Market for its long term prosperity. Therefore, a very favourable environment that enables free movement of capital, people, goods and services, and enterprise is essential." Mr Gass added.

Ambassador Ito said his Government was pleased to be associated with the move towards the establishment of the CCJ, adding that Japan has been collaborating with the Community and its individual States on a number of projects and programmes.

He remarked that the strengthening of the Single Market and Economy, to which the CCJ will contribute, speaks volumes for regional integration. He added that the establishment of the CCJ was a great step for judicial independence.

The US$300 000 from the Government of Japan will go towards such activity as Judicial education, sensitisation of national judicial establishments, Implementation of information systems and facilitation of legal research.