The Twelfth Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community was held at the Sherbourne Conference Centre, Barbados from 14 to16 February 2001.
At the Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in Georgetown, Guyana in July 1986, the then Prime Minister of Barbados, the Rt Hon Errol Barrow, asserted that it was the "collective wisdom" of the Caribbean people that would make for unity and integration within the Community. He was however, adamant that_
"the promise of the regional integration movement, even in the area of trade, cannot be realised unless we find new ways of communicating to our people the meaning and purpose of all our regional institutions"
As a Caribbean man, born, bred and brought up a Caribbean man, I know that I speak on behalf of all fellow Caribbean people, especially the business community and businesses like BWIA with a broad Caribbean raison d'etre, when I say that we are indeed proud, delighted and appreciative that our Caribbean leaders have agreed to bring a Caribbean Court of Justice into being.
Mr. Chairman
His Excellency Governor General Sir Clifford Husbands
Colleague Prime Ministers
Cabinet Ministers
Members of Parliament
Secretary-General of CARICOM, Mr. Edwin Carrington
Other Distinguished GuestsLadies and Gentlemen
Mr. Chairman, I wish to express my gratitude for the warm welcome that you have extended to me at this, my first meeting, of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community.
Belize and Guatemala have made progress in dealing with the illegal Guatemalan settlements in Belize but the two countries still have a long way to go in resolving their 150-year-old territorial dispute.
"We have made progress in dealing with illegal Guatemalan settlements in Belizean territory, but there are elements in Guatemala that are still talking about the recovery of Belize," said Prime Minister Said Musa.
This evening marks a momentous occasion in Caribbean legal history. We are gathered here to take a giant step towards the completion of psychological, political and judicial independence.
The Agreement establishing the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is now ready for signature by Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community. It is in the nature of a Treaty.
Colleague Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community;
Honourable Ministers of Government of the Community;
Your Excellency Dr Edwin Carrington;
Sir Shridath Ramphal, CARICOM's Chief Negotiator;
Other Heads of Delegations;
Distinguished guests;
Ladies and gentlemen_
There is a particular privilege that comes with speaking last. I can refrain from saying what I intended to say, since that would be to repeat what the Heads who have preceded me have said already.
Chairman,
The cultural history of the Caribbean reveals that its artists are usually the main repositories of its dreams and so, it is only fitting that the words of Saint Lucian poet Kendel Hippolyte should preface my remarks to you today.
"Island in the sun
my father's hand
stained with your soil
has never owned you
so, I am claiming you now
acre by acre
dream after dream."
The Twelfth Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community was held at the Sherbourne Conference Centre, Barbados from 14 to16 February 2001.
The Conference_
Having engaged in deep and wide-ranging exchange of views with His Excellency Jean-Bertrand Aristide, newly-elected President of Haiti on political developments in that country;
Having been assured by His Excellency of his commitment to take such action, as lies within his authority, to address certain concerns arising from the 21 May 2000 elections, especially regarding the election of Senators, and, having also been assured of his determination to establish a new Conseil Electoral Provisoire (CEP);