We must do better.
This call to action comes from Outgoing Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government and Prime Minister of Dominica Roosevelt Skerritt as he referred to some of the matters that were agreed upon by CARICOM Heads to be addressed but are still pending.
He was delivering remarks during the 28th Intersessional Meeting currently being held in Georgetown Guyana, where the outgoing chairman said: “Today many of these matters are still pending, as they languish in our Ministerial Councils, Committees, Commissions and Working Groups. Whether this is due to them being inquorate or Member States asking for time to consult, or even officials not being adequately prepared, the effect is the same – a hindrance to progress.”
Skerritt, while noting that the meeting will give Heads and update on the CSME, predicted that the update would give further evidence of a need to complete the tasks set by the Heads of Government.
“Of particular concern is the inability of the Legal Affairs Committee comprising our Attorneys-General to come together to deal with critical Agreements with respect to both the CSME and Regional Security. I am also concerned that our Council for Finance and Planning has not been able to meet for a considerable period of time. We can and must do better.”
He commended Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell and the Ministers with responsibility for Information and Communication Technology (ICT). “They accepted the mandate given last July to consider the ICT Road map and make recommendations to the Conference and at this meeting we have those recommendations before us for consideration.”
Skerritt warned those gathered that small states are under threat of the rising tide of nationalism across the globe. “Further, the concentrated attacks on our economies, whether through the withdrawal of correspondent banking services, listing our countries as non-cooperative tax jurisdictions or denigrating our citizenship by investment programmes, confirm that we are operating in an increasingly hostile international environment.”
“This is compounded by the fact that most of us have been graduated out of receiving concessional development financing; even though there has been some progress in mitigating the impact of this particular mechanism.”
It is with this background that the Prime Minister stated that the region has a better chance of combatting and surviving the challenges by working closely together.
“This is why, therefore, we must take the necessary action to pursue vigorously those issues that would advance our integration movement. It is in our individual interest to act collectively. The helping hand and solidarity which we so willingly share in adversity must in the same spirit be extended to all other aspects of our integration.”
“We must prepare ourselves to confront this era of uncertainty in global affairs with a flexibility and innovativeness built on the solid platform of integration, economic co-operation, human and social development, security co-operation and foreign policy coordination. To do less would be to deny the people of our Community the opportunity of living in a viable, prosperous and safe society,” he warned.
Skerritt used the opportunity to thank CARICOM Heads for their concern following the “rebellious acts” in Dominica two Tuesday ago. “The situation at home, I can assure you, is under control and I expect that a thorough investigation will be carried out into those disturbances, with a view to bringing the perpetrators of any and all unlawful behaviour, to justice,” he assured. (JH)