Press Releases

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) It is with a profound sense of loss that the Secretary – General and staff of the CARICOM Secretariat learnt of the death of Byron Aloysius St. Elmo Lee, a national of Jamaica and Citizen of the Caribbean.

His death at the age of 73 brings to an end just over half a century of unmatched contribution of a unique genre of music which he composed and shared with appreciative Caribbean and global audiences. To the people of the Caribbean, Byron Lee was “Community property,” embraced, appreciated, and beloved.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Since our first meeting in 1992, I have held David De Caires in high esteem; a fact so well known that my staff contacted me with the news of his passing, even though I was away from Headquarters on official travel.

Salutations

It is my pleasure to chair this opening session of the Seventh Meeting of the Council for National Security and Law Enforcement (CONSLE). I am sure that you will have no reservation endorsing my request for this CONSLE to join President Bharrat Jagdeo of the Republic of Guyana, the Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community and other CARICOM leaders in acknowledging one of the most historic events in modern times and offering our warmest congratulations to President-elect of the USA, Senator Barack Obama.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Seventh Meeting of the Council of Ministers Responsible for National Security and Law Enforcement (CONSLE) opened this morning (Wednesday, 5 November, 2008) with leaders agreeing that law enforcement and crime prevention necessitated multidisciplinary solutions.

Mr. Chairman
Other distinguished members of the CARICOM-Dominican Republic Task Force
Staff of the CARICOM Secretariat

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) In an effort to forge stronger ties with the Dominican Republic, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has established a Task Force which held its first meeting today (Tuesday, 4 November 2008) at the CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Jamaican diplomat Ambassador Lorne T McDonnough has been appointed the first Chief Executive Officer of the recently launched CARICOM Development Fund (CDF). Ambassador McDonnough assumed his post on 1 November 2008 at the CDF Headquarters in Bridgetown, Barbados. He is responsible for the overall administration, coordination of activities and programmes of the Fund.

I am happy to have this opportunity to offer a warm welcome to Commissioners of Police and Military Chiefs from around our Region and to express appreciation for your many years of loyal service and commitment to law enforcement.  We are all hopeful that the results of your meeting will assist us in better responding to the challenges that crime continues to present in each of our countries and across our Region.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) A Resources Consortium in Support of the 2010 Population and Housing Censuses in the Caribbean Community was launched on Monday 27 October at a Meeting of Caribbean Statisticians and the Regional Census Coordinating Committee held in Barbados.

This Consortium will be a clearing-house for CARICOM Member States, Associate Members and international agencies and will assist with coordinating resources to support the conduct of the 2010 Population and Housing Censuses.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana)  CARICOM Deputy Secretary-General, Ambassador Lolita Applewhaite has told the Standing Committee of Caribbean Statisticians that despite the general lack of appreciation for statistics as a strategic resource for decision-making, good governance, planning, accountability and management, it is still a vital tool for development, the business of government, and to keep individual citizens informed about what government is doing.