Today, fourth of July, is CARICOM day. Forty-five years ago on this date, four countries signed the Treaty of Chaguaramas.
Happy CARICOM Day
• Your Excellencies the Most Honourable Sir Patrick Allen, Governor General and the Most Honourable Lady Allen;
• Your Excellencies Colleague Heads of State and Government;
• Dr. Peter Phillips, Leader of the Opposition and Mrs. Phillips
• Chief Ministers and Ministers of Government
• Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, CARICOM Secretary-General
• Newly installed President of the CCJ Justice Saunders
• Members of the Jamaican Judiciary
Your Excellency the President of Haiti, Jovenel Moïse, Outgoing Chairman of CARICOM
The Most Honourable Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness, Incumbent Chairman of CARICOM;
Other distinguished Heads of State and Government;
The Secretary-General of CARICOM, His Excellency Irwin LaRocque;
Honourable Ministers of Government of member countries of CARICOM;
Your Excellencies of the Diplomatic Corps;
Esteemed invited guests; Ladies, gentlemen and the people of our Caribbean Community.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Heads of State and of Government,
Ladies and Gentlemen, Heads of Delegation,
Mr. Secretary General,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I am pleased to address this august assembly, as outgoing President of the Conference of Heads of State and of Government of our organization. I am particularly pleased to visit, for the first time as Head of State, the land of Norman Manley, the person whose efforts have led to the creation of a new society that guarantees universal suffrage.
It is appropriate to remind ourselves that it is now almost 30 years since the Grande Anse Declaration of 1989 in which member states committed themselves to transforming the Caribbean Community into a Single Market and Economy. The report of the most recent review of the CSME prepared by the Secretariat provides a useful frame of reference for these consultations.
Salutations
Good Morning All:
It is indeed a great pleasure to be with you today and tomorrow as we discuss this very important topic of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME). We are particularly happy at the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) to support these discussions.
At this this point in time the CSME is critical for our Region.
We recently published a working paper entitled the Blueprint for the Caribbean Economy (it is available online). In this report we set out the challenges that the Caribbean face and we have categorised these challenges under:
His Excellency Jovenel Moise, President of the Republic of Haiti and Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community;
Other Heads of State and Government;
Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, Secretary-General, CARICOM;
Other Heads of Delegation;
Representatives of the Media;
People of the Caribbean Community.
It is truly an honour and a privilege for me today to address this Inauguration Ceremony marking the Second Term of Office of this distinguished daughter of the Caribbean and of Dominica.
As a fellow Dominican, I note with pride that the achievements of Dr. Carissa Etienne over the first five years of her tenure as Director of the Hemisphere’s premier Health Agency have earned her re-election to a second term.
It is clear, Dr. Etienne, that the reward for good work is more hard work! Your accomplishments are to be applauded.
Secretary General
Colleague Ministers and other Heads of Delegations;
Distinguished Delegates;
Representatives of the Media;
Ladies and Gentlemen
Allow me, as Chairman of the Community Council of Ministers, the second highest organ in the Community, to commence in the customary manner by extending a warm welcome to all, those of you here in Guyana and those joining the meeting via video-conference, my best wishes for a successful 2017.
Her Excellency Daniela Tramacere, Head of EU Delegation, Barbados, and Ambassador Accredited to CARICOM;
Captain Errington Shurland, Executive Director of the Regional Security System;
Mr Francis McBarnette, OAS Representative in Barbados;
Mr Wilmot St Cyr, thanks for your moving testimonial and yes a life of crime is not worth it;
Ms Germania Melo Velazquez Representative of Consejo Nacional de Drogas of the Dominican Republic;
Ms Myrna Bernard Director Human and Social Development at the CARICOM Secretariat;