Greater Georgetown, Guyana – Amidst the challenges faced by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) from internal and external forces, the regional integration process remains on course with the people at its heart, said His Excellency Edwin Carrington, Secretary-General of CARICOM.
He gave this assurance at his annual End-of-Year media briefing via video conference from the CARICOM Secretariat’s Georgetown, Guyana headquarters during which he addressed critical issues that engaged the Community for the year 2008. Secretary-General Carrington said that he had “a certain measure of pride” with the accomplishments of the Community.
He noted that throughout the year, considerable work had been done to advance the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), which was “at the heart of the integration process.”
Edwin Carrington, Secretary-General of CARICOM
The Secretary General said that in spite of some challenges, work was progressing on the development of a Protocol on Contingent Rights linked to the Free Movement of Skills within the CSME arrangement. He noted that the Free Movement of Skills within the Region was a benchmark by which the integration process was judged, therefore, it was important to ensure that this dimension of the Single Market worked well.
With regard to advances in the Single Market, the Secretary-General highlighted the launch of the CARICOM Competition Commission which was inaugurated on January 19, 2008 in Paramaribo, Suriname, where its Commissioners were sworn in.
Another significant achievement by the Community which the Secretary-General cited was the launch of the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF) in St. John’s Antigua, in July 2008, at the 29th Heads of Government Conference of CARICOM.
Secretary-General Carrington disclosed that the CDF was launched with a start-up of US$67 million. Economic Advisor to the Secretary-General, Dr. Maurice Odle said that so far, some Member States had made requests to access resources from the fund. He disclosed that those requests were being reviewed, and it was projected that mid 2009 would see the disbursement of funds.
Further, the Secretary-General said that the CARICOM Investment Code and the CARICOM Financial Services had been drafted and were before the CARICOM Heads of Government for their consideration and approval.
According to the CARICOM Secretary-General, considerable work was done in 2008 to advance the Single Economy. “In order to gave concerted expression to the Single Economy and a single development vision, the process continued for a strategic plan for regional development,” Secretary-General Carrington said.
Secretary-General said that regional stakeholders were looking at fiscal policy harmonisation which he described as “crucial” to the convergence of regional economies. He disclosed that the Committee of Central Bank Governments was engaged in fine tuning an approach for monetary cooperation and integration, another critical pillar in building the Single Economy.
With those steps in train, Secretary-General Carrington said that it was anticipated that work in sectoral cooperation would be advanced, particularly in agriculture, tourism and energy; sectors he described as “critical economic drivers for transforming the regional economy”.
The development of the Region’s tourism sector was of particular interest to the CARICOM Heads, the Secretary-General noted. He said that their 29th Meeting in July 2008, they agreed to a Regional Marketing Plan, to prepare a brand that would advance the Regional Tourism package to be viable against a prevailing global economic downturn.
Among the other matters the Secretary-General reviewed at the Press Conference were the advancement of the Region’s Climate Change Agenda, achievements in the area of Human and Social Development, including the establishment of Universal Compulsory Education for children aged four and efforts for the establishment of the Caribbean Public Health Agency in 2010– an Agency that will build on the priority functions for health, which are currently performed by a multiplicity of Agencies.
Also in focus at the Press Conference was the inaugural Caribbean Wellness Day, in September, the marked successes by Caribbean Athletes at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and Guyana’s successful hosting of CARIFESTA X, in August.
