Jamaica’s Ambassador Is New Chair of CARICOM Caucus in Washington

By Derrick Scott

Washington, DC – As Jamaica assumes the leadership of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the country’s Ambassador to the United States and Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States (OAS), Her Excellency Audrey Marks assumed the chairmanship of the CARICOM Caucus of Ambassadors in Washington, D.C. , on Wednesday, July 18.

Ambassador Marks’ assumption took place at a special sitting of the 14-member Caucus, held at OAS headquarters.

In passing her the baton, the outgoing chairman, Ambassador Leon Charles, Haiti’s Permanent Representative to the OAS, congratulated his Jamaican colleague on her elevation to the new role.  He lauded Jamaica for the important role the nation continues to play in CARICOM, adding that he had no doubt that Ambassador Marks would perform an excellent job at the helm of the grouping of the region’s ambassadors.

For her part, the incoming Caucus Chair said she was honoured to serve in this new role at this very important juncture in Caribbean history.  She went on to note that there were several important issues that the body will tackle over the next six months, identifying trade, security, energy and immigration as key among those critical matters.

As it relates to immigration, the Ambassador pointed out that very shortly, the Embassy of Jamaica would host state-wide town hall meeting, given the huge importance this topic held for the Jamaican Diaspora particularly. “There are many changes relating to immigration that members of the Jamaican Diaspora need to be aware of.”

The newly-installed CARICOM Caucus Chair used the opportunity to invite her colleague Ambassadors from the Caribbean to join with Jamaica at the town hall meetings being planned, as these immigration changes will not only affect Jamaicans but all Caribbean nationals.

Ambassador Marks will occupy the chair for six months, concurrently with Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness holding the CARICOM chairmanship, in which he was installed two weeks ago at the CARICOM of Government Conference in Montego Bay.