On 29 March 1999, CARICOM learnt with surprise of the decision of the Costa Rican candidate for the position of Secretary-General of the Organisation of American States (OAS), to withdraw his candidacy for the elections due in June 1999.

CARICOM had received representation from the Government of Costa Rica at the Tenth Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government on 5 March, and from Central America at the Central America/CARICOM Foreign Ministers Meeting in Guyana on 22 March. At the latter meeting, those CARICOM Foreign Ministers present indicated that CARICOM was in the final stages of its process of consultations and that an announcement which was likely to be advantageous to the candidate of Costa Rica would be made in a matter of days. Subsequent discussions between the candidate and the CARICOM Secretary-General on Tuesday, 23 March left little doubt that the candidate was in a position to marshall enough votes to be able to mount a viable campaign.

The announcement of the withdrawal came less than a week after that assurance and in the midst of those final consultations.

CARICOM wishes to emphasize that the process of consultations is critical to its adoption of a united position. It regrets therefore and considers misleading, any impression that CARICOM was tardy by not announcing in its discussion in March, its position for the elections due to be held three months later i.e in June 1999. Equally, it denies that it was not in a position to arrive at a consensual if not unanimous position.

Having regard to the above, CARICOM is therefore concerned as to the circumstances which led to the withdrawal of the candidature.