Long serving staff and perhaps Godfather of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) movement, Mr. Byron Blake has called it a day after completing thirty years of yeoman service with CARICOM Secretariat.

Blake, dubbed "Mr. CARICOM" was instrumental in the creation and sustainability of a number of initiatives including the crafting of the Regional integration movement.

At the close of the final day of their Twenty-fifth Regular Meeting in Grand Anse, Grenada, CARICOM Heads paid glowing tributes to Blake and many cited him as the engine in the machinery that moved the integration process forward.

CARICOM Secretary-General, Mr. Edwin Carrington reflected in what he termed Blake's "dependable support" described his contributions to the Secretariat as remarkable. Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Honourable Patrick Manning posited that Blake has always demonstrated competence in his service to the Community and represents one of the Region's "tremendous human resources".

Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. Denzil Douglas expressed the view that the outgoing Assistant Secretary-General is the Architect behind the pillars and foundation of Regional Integration. Outgoing Chairman of CARICOM, Honourable Baldwin Spencer, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda said in his capacity as a Trade Unionist during his encounters with Blake he exemplified a passion for Regional Integration.

Responding to the tributes, Blake said his rewards are etched in his service to the Region and the progress recorded since the establishment of the Caribbean grouping. He issued sound advice to the CARICOM Leaders urging them never to compare each other's economies and achievements or utilise each other's political platforms.

The retiring CARICOM official also stressed the importance of the leaders settling their differences privately and exhausting their internal human resource base before recruiting expertise outside of the Region.

He expressed confidence that the movement is headed in the right direction and urged that the media accentuate the positives. Noting that the integration movement is not in the CARICOM Secretariat, Blake purported that leaders must ensure their countries play a part in the fabric of integration.

Blake joined the then CARIFTA on 12 September 1970 as a Research Assistant and moved up to the rank of Assistant Secretary-General, Regional Trade and Economic Integration in 1994 until his retirement.