GEORGETOWN, Guyana – Bermuda’s Premier, Dr. Ewart Brown has congratulated former Jamaican Prime Minister PJ Patterson on being awarded the Order of the Caribbean Community (OCC), the Caribbean region’s highest award.
Mr. Patterson received the award yesterday at the 30th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM in Georgetown, Guyana. Premier Brown is representing Bermuda at the CARICOM meeting.
Premier Brown said: “I have personally congratulated former Prime Minister Patterson on his receipt of the Order of the Caribbean Community award. He has many friends in Bermuda and freely provides sage advice to me and other CARICOM leaders. All over the region he is respected as a senior statesman of the highest order.”
According to CARICOM, the OCC was awarded to Mr. Patterson for his “outstanding contribution in the area of the Region’s External Trade Relations and in fostering relations with the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group (ACP) especially in his formative years.”
Mr. Patterson was Jamaica’s longest serving Prime Minster, holding office from 1992-2006. He began his Cabinet career as the Minister of Tourism in 1972 and rose to become Deputy Prime Minister before ascending to Prime Minister.
The current meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government is seen as critical among member nations. The region faces urgent economic issues, declining tourism and conflicting opinions on immigration.
“After 36 years CARICOM is sill a growing plant which we must nurture,” Mr. Patterson said in his acceptance remarks Thursday. “Unless we tend to the tree it will wither and eventually die.” He called the speculated collapse of CARICOM unacceptable.
The 30th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM began Thursday and will last four days. Tourism, the global economic crisis and immigration are among the items high on the agenda.
Mr. Patterson is scheduled to visit Bermuda next week.
