(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) - It is an honour to deliver remarks at this Colloquium to mark the Thirtieth Anniversary of the creation of the Association of Caribbean States. The theme “Convergence and Cooperation in the Caribbean” is, to say the least, timely. Not enough can be said, indeed, not enough can be done, to underscore the significance of cooperation in the fight for sustainable development in the Caribbean.
This strategic position of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in the globe is strengthening as the international community seeks opportunities for engagement, providing platforms for greater attention to CARICOM’s interests and concerns.
Given their size and limited choices for economic expansion, small island States like Saint Lucia have looked to the more advanced economies for innovative means of economic development, the tiny country’s Prime Minister told the United Nations today, among many speakers from the region who said they now find themselves being penalised as tax havens by the very architects of such strategies.