(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) -- Outgoing Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Dr. the Honourable Ralph Gonsalves Tuesday evening underlined the vital nature of political leadership in the quest for integration, as well as the necessity to “love and care for CARICOM”.
The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister’s statements were contained in a speech titled “CARICOM’s possibilities, limitations and unevenness of outcomes” that he delivered during the Opening Ceremony of the Thirty-Fifth Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in Antigua and Barbuda. His was one of three addresses delivered as the Conference got underway at the Sandals Grande Antigua Resort and Spa. Incoming Chair of the Community, newly-elected Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, the Hon Gaston Browne, and Secretary-General of CARICOM, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, also addressed the Opening Ceremony.
In his address, Prime Minister Gonsalves rallied the Community to shed its doubts, and to dig deep into the recesses of “our Caribbean civilization” to find “what was good and sensible in us as we go forward”. In spite of what he characterized as “the design limitations of CARICOM”, he pointed to the achievements that the Region had recorded under its four pillars: functional cooperation, economic integration including trade, the coordination of foreign policy; and the combining of regional security initiatives.” But he cautioned that there was still much work to be done.
“In this venture, political leadership is vital; our doubts must no longer detain us; and we must ever more love and care for CARICOM for without it, despite its many false starts and disappointments, our people would be diminished in their quest to enhance, in their own interest, their capacity to address, most optimally, the internal and exogenous challenges which beset them. In all these reflections, we must never forget CARICOM’s accomplishments which constitute a part of the permanent landscape of our Region’s political economy,” Prime Minister Gonsalves said.
The absence of a “dramatic forward-movement” in affairs of the Community ought not to invite “unwarranted criticism or a paralysing cynicism”, he cautioned. Neither, he added, must the Community fall prey to a “smug satisfaction about consolidation and progress in the face of foot-dragging in some critical issues and an unacceptable implementation deficit on items upon which we have solemnly agreed”.
Giving account of his stewardship, Prime Minister Gonsalves said that consolidation and progress were evident on several `integration’ fronts, including in freedom of movement of persons. He also listed among the achievements over the past six months, progress on the continued utilization by the Regional private sector of the right of establishment to facilitate enhanced regional investment, job and wealth creation; the improved coordination of the regional security apparatuses and those between them and other friendly nations who have vested interests in the Region and hemisphere in fighting crime; the continued coordination of foreign policy; and advancement in areas of functional cooperation.
*************************
DISCLAIMER
This article was posted in its entirety as received by SKNVibes.com. This media house does not correct any spelling or grammatical error within press releases and commentaries. The views expressed therein are not necessarily those of SKNVibes.com, its sponsors or advertisers
Antigua News