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);
Heads of Government were informed that experts from the Pan American Institute of Geography and History (PAIGH) have determined the precise coordinates of the reference markers at Gracias a Dios, Garbutt's Falls and at the Mexican frontier in the north, the three points referred to in the 1859 "Convention between Great Britain and Guatemala relative to the Boundary of British Honduras"; and that they have drawn a line between these points on a map to show the line that divides the two countries.
Introduction
Salutation
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."
Mr. Chairman, I believe that it is fitting that at this the first Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Community in this new millennium, taking place here in Barbados that we are recognising the contributions of three outstanding citizens of the Community to the process of regional integration. I salute the Rt. Hon. George Price of Belize; Sir George Alleyne of Barbados; and Dr. Slinger Francisco, the Mighty Sparrow of Trinidad and Tobago. I extend to them the heartiest congratulations of the Government and people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.