Speech by His Excellency Bharrat Jagdeo President of the Republic of Guyana
At the Reception to mark CARICOM Day 2003

Mr. Edwin Carrington, Secretary General of the Caribbean Community, Honourable Prime Minister and Mrs. Hinds, Ministers of the Government, Leader of the Opposition and Mrs. Corbin, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Deputy Secretary-General, Assistant Secretaries-General, Members of Staff of the CARICOM Secretariat, Special Invited Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is with great pleasure that I join with you in the observance of CARICOM Day marking thirty years in the life of the Caribbean Community. Three decades ago the historic Treaty of Chaguaramas was signed formally bringing the Community into existence. We can now reflect with tremendous satisfaction on the impressive strides made by our membership to expand cooperation and to forge a common identity. Addmittedly, there have been many obstacles that have hindered, and indeed continue to hinder, the integration process. Nonetheless, we are compelled not only by economic necessity but also by our common history and heritage to persevere in our search for Regional unity. The theme chosen for the anniversary celebration INTEGRATION – OUR KEY TO PROSPERITY is very apt. For as small economies, we must come together to optimize our prospects development. There are many tasks before us – the finalization of the CSME and the CCJ, and in the wider arena, our involvement in the negotiating theatres of the FTAA, the WTO and the ACP-Cotonou Agreement. By pooling our resources, both financial and human, we will maximize our effectiveness and in the process the benefits for our peoples. In terms of Agriculture for which I hold the lead responsibility, I feel that the time is right for the Community to advance its work towards the formulation of a better coordinated agriculture policy. Through greater productivity, the Region will be able not only to achieve greater food security but also to make our exports to world markets non competitive. In this regard, I welcome the support which we continue to receive from the Food and Agriculture Organisation. Our immediate priority remains the creation of the Single Market and Economy.
With the establishment of the Caribbean Court of Justice, the CSME will be able to function on a solid legal basis. A number of other institutions and instruments will have to be fashioned in order to facilitate both inter and intra-regional trade and economic activities. Very importantly, Member States will have to harmonise their laws to allow for the smooth performance of the Regional economy. Time is not on our side. All of this must be done before much too long if the CSME is to get off the ground.
We must endeavour to ensure that the administrative arms of Government adapt their functions to effectively implement regional decisions. We can no longer, for example, talk of hassle free travel and at the same time discriminate against the nationals of CARICOM states. Our immigration and customs officials must learn to treat our traveling public with courtesy and respect. The CARICOM Single Market and Economy cannot succeed without the full involvement of the peoples of the Region.
Unfortunately, however, the concept of the CSME and indeed the vision of regional unity are yet to fully permeate the consciousness of the Caribbean people. For many, integration is still a vague and illusive goal since they cannot see or appreciate how it touches their lives. There has to be greater communication with our peoples so that they can understand what the Community is all about. For without their blessing and support, we will achieve very little. It is imperative therefore that they be fully sensitized to the importance of our endeavours and thus become fully involved as stakeholders in the process. In this regard, our young people have a crucial role to play – they must be involved in the decision making process and in the crystalisation of the Community’s goals and objectives. As we are all painfully aware, our efforts at economic integration and development have been seriously threatened by increasing crime and insecurity in most of our countries. Arms, drug trafficking and organized crime are now wreaking havoc on our economies and our societies. We cannot allow these negative forces to undermine our Community. As stated in the Rosehall Declaration, we must now seek to quickly implement the decisions of the Regional Task Force on Crime and Security and put in place collective systems to provide greater safety for our countries and to restore the international image of the Caribbean as a haven of peaceand tranquility. We continue to be faced with other impediments that threaten our development process such as the HIV/AIDS pandemic. We appreciate the assistance which friendly Governments have extended in particular, the United States Administration to support the Community’s efforts in combating this threat. We are faced also with the continued migration of our skilled labour to developed countries. A common approach is needed in treating with these issue.
Our recent meeting in Montego Bay, Jamaica, did much I believe to galvanise our Community with a sense of urgency to collective action. Not only did it take necessary decisions in virtually all areas of Community life but it also agreed on the need for the establishment of a follow-up mechanism for implementation. Hopefully we will now see more swift and practical results that improve the quality of life of our peoples and build their faith in the Community’s future. For its part, Guyana remains fully committed to Community building. We are persuaded of the benefits of working together with other sister States of CARICOM to promote the economic and social progress of our peoples. The new Secretariat building which will be completed next year, will stand as a symbol to our renewed and revitalized efforts to strengthen CARICOM. On this happy occasion of CARICOM Day 2003 and of the thirtieth birthday of our Community I wish to propose a toast to you Secretary General, to your efficient staff and to the Governments and peoples of the Region with whom we celebrate the achievements recorded thus far.

July 23, 2003