ST. JOHN’S, Antigua & Barbuda – 9th April, 2014…….Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda and Chairman of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, the Hon. W. Baldwin Spencer has paid tribute to the life and work of former Prime Minister and President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, ANR Robinson who passed away on Wednesday following a period of illness.
The full text of Prime Minister Spencer’s tribute follows:
I am extremely saddened by his passing even though he had been hospitalised it still came as a shock. The Caribbean Community has lost one of its truly great sons who will always be remembered for his historic role at the landmark Grand Anse Meeting in 1989, where the decision was taken to significantly deepen our integration. To his family, and the Government and people of Trinidad and Tobago, I convey my deepest condolences.
Excellency, it is my pleasure to receive today your Letters of Credence, accrediting you as Cuba’s Fourth Plenipotentiary Representative to the Caribbean Community.
Excellency, it is my pleasure to receive today your Letters of Credence, accrediting you as Cuba’s Fourth Plenipotentiary Representative to the Caribbean Community.
It is my great pleasure, Excellency, to welcome you to the Caribbean Community Secretariat and to extend to you congratulations on your appointment as the United Kingdom’s Plenipotentiary Representative to our Caribbean Community. CARICOM’s relationship with the United Kingdom is a historically important, strong and strategic one that is always evolving, as the best relationships tend to do. Your role is a key one, facilitating as it does the fluid exchanges that maintain those relations.
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the fourteen Member States of the Caribbean Community on the priority theme: “Challenges and achievements in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals for women and girls”. CARICOM associates itself with the statements delivered by the distinguished representatives of Bolivia on behalf of the G77 and China, and Costa Rica on behalf of CELAC.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) commemorated and celebrated its fortieth anniversary last year. During those forty years, CARICOM has chalked up a wide range of achievements, some of which are impressive, others modest. Of course, there have also been setbacks, disappointments and failures particularly around freedom of movement of persons, good governance and implementation issues.
I take great pleasure today in formally passing Chairmanship of the Conference of the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to Dr The Honourable Ralph Gonzalves, Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines.
I congratulate him and express my sincerest hope that his tenure will be rewarding and productive, and pledge every possible support that he will need.
My tenure as Chairman came as a source of great honour and pride for Trinidad & Tobago, as it coincided with the celebration of the 40th anniversary of CARICOM.
The Secretariat is honoured and privileged to salute the women and girls of the Caribbean Community on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2014. This year’s United Nation’s theme ‘Equality for Women is Progress for All’, is one that we can all embrace as we examine our progress toward meeting the 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and, in particular, Goals 3 and 5 relating to gender equality and maternal health respectively.