(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) It is always a singular pleasure to accredit plenipotentiary representatives of Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). One has the comfortable feeling that one is welcoming a close relative home to talk about family matters, and Barbados, a founding father, is undoubtedly a very integral part of the CARICOM family.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) is operating at about sixty-four percent (64%) overall level of compliance. This is based on the findings of studies commissioned by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat. The five core CSME regimes are functioning but not at the level of effectiveness contemplated by the Community. The studies were carried out over the last three years.

​(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) As I said last night, it is a great pleasure to be here and I am grateful to our hosts, the Government and people of Grenada. It is a pleasure to speak alongside my co-chair today, the Foreign Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Hon Sam Condor.

Indeed I look forward to hearing from all of you – and to getting a clear sense of how you think our cooperation can develop.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) which started its operations this month under Interim Director, Dr. Jerome Walcott, former Minister of Health, Barbados was a subject of discussion at the Council of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, held during the Market Place Conference in Nassau The Bahamas on 22 January 2012

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) opened talks with the United Kingdom on Saturday morning IN Grenada with further calls for stronger partnerships to mitigate what it described as “the insidious global challenges confronting the Community.”