(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) I am pleased to join my distinguished colleagues, our Secretary General LaRocque and the other members of the CARICOM delegations who have all converged here in Suriname in conveying profound gratitude to Your Excellency, President Desi Bouterse, your Government and people of the Republic of Suriname for the unique hospitality extended to us here in your beautiful country.

​(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown) Thank you for this invitation to speak at your quarterly Luncheon. This Luncheon affords me the first opportunity, since assuming office as Secretary-General some six months ago, to address a forum in Guyana outside of the confines of Secretariat’s Headquarters or a Secretariat organized event. The time could not be more appropriate for me to address you, given the crossroads at which the Caribbean Community finds itself. As clichéd as this sounds, the fact is we are at a crucial juncture in our integration arrangements.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Coordinating Unit and Chairs of the Working Groups of the Caribbean Animal Health Network (CaribVET) met at the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat in Georgetown, Guyana, 14-15 February and revised the network’s Charter Document.

The revised Charter, which outlines the principles, organisation and functions of the Network, will be presented for ratification when CaribVET’s Steering Committee meets in Georgetown during May 2012.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Job creation and strengthening the capacity of the Haitian Government were the top two priorities laid out to the Bureau of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) during its two-day mission to Haiti.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Confidence in PANCAP’s ability to build on past successes to reverse or even eliminate the spread of AIDS was expressed by Professor Edward Greene, as he reiterated his support for the Partnership.