In her address at the Opening Ceremony of the Forty-Sixth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, the Secretary-General of CARICOM Dr. Carla Barnett expressed gratitude for the warm hospitality of Guyana, the seat of the CARICOM Secretariat. Reflecting on the significance of the occasion, she emphasized, “As we continue to celebrate our landmark 50th Anniversary year, it is fitting that we gather in the home of one of the four signatories to the Original Treaty of Chaguaramas, the framework and compass for our Regional Integration Movement.”
Dr. Barnett went on to highlight the importance of collective wisdom and collaboration in addressing the challenges facing the Caribbean region. She stated, “The matters before us at this 46th Regular Meeting will have significant impact on the direction of the Community. This will allow us to pool our collective wisdom and devise sustainable solutions to the threats and challenges that we face.”
Throughout her speech, Dr. Barnett underscored the need for strategic engagement with international partners and the vital role of CARICOM in advocating for regional interests on the global stage. She emphasized the thrust for full integration of the region’s economy as well as security measures. Acknowledging that the collective concern for the situation within Haiti is “multi-dimensional”, Barnett called for continued commitment from the Community to resolutions that protect the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace.
She also took a moment to affirm the “tangible results”, facilitated during the tenure of the outgoing Chairman Roosevelt Skerrit Of Dominica and congratulated Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, and St. Vincent respectively, on recent appointments to the role of leadership in international organizations.
Dr Barnett urged all in attendance to champion inclusivity.
“Let us welcome active participation from our youth, our women, civil society, labour organizations, the private sector, our indigenous peoples, our creatives, and our athletes,” she implored.
A seasoned economist and advocate for regional integration, Dr. Barnett assumed the role of Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on August 15, 2021.
As she aptly puts it, “My goal is to harness our collective potential and steer us toward a future of prosperity and resilience.”
Read full speech here:
Disclaimer: The comments posted do not necessarily reflect the views of DominicaNewsOnline.com and its parent company or any individual staff member. All comments are posted subject to approval by DominicaNewsOnline.com. We never censor based on political or ideological points of view, but we do try to maintain a sensible balance between free speech and responsible moderating.
We will delete comments that:
See our full comment/user policy/agreement.