Ladies and Gentlemen:

On behalf of my Co-Chair and all the other members of the CARICOM Commission on Youth Development I wish to extend warm greetings to all you who by your presence here at this our third Meeting have signaled your support and friendship to what is one of the most important Commissions established by the Heads of Government of our Caribbean Community.

The importance of the Commission lies in the dreams and hopes that our leaders harbour for this Region - hopes that another generation can reach even higher heights than they have been able to. Our wise Heads, in establishing this Commission, made it clear that unless this generation of young leaders can, by rallying their peers in a common endeavour, make sense, meaning and purpose of this space that holds the distinction of being at the heart of the first globalization, by the hand of Europe and the blood and sweat of the Americas, Africa and Asia, the sacrifices they have made to build on the legacies of those who gave the world the true meaning of human freedom, following the leadership of Toussaint L’Ouverture and the Haitian people, will be in vain.

Its importance lies as well in its unique combination of the creative talent and energy of the very generation that must seize its own time - their eyes focused on the road ahead - and the wisdom and insights of those who, having traversed their own long and arduous roads, now offer the saving power of a rear-view vision.

Our Commission has come some way since it was established. We have battled many obstacles, which themselves mirror the challenges - distance, language and resource constraints - that face us as a Region. That we have been able to meet them as they come has been due to the indomitable support of the CARICOM Secretariat and the willing input of all of you who have made our objectives your own.

We are especially grateful to you, our hosts, the Government, youth and people of Haiti for your offer to host our meeting in this historic piece of the planet. Haiti has meaning for us beyond its membership in the Caribbean Community. You were our first hope, when all around us was in darkness.

And still, when you continue to bear the scourge of human unkindness and the terror of nature’s rage, your nobility of spirit remains as a true example of what this Region can achieve.

We look forward to these three days of hard work with confidence that we will deliver on the tasks we have committed ourselves to.

The more we deliberate, the more certain we are that there can be no development without youth development. Thank you very much.