Members of the CARICOM Ministerial Sub-Committee for Resource Mobilisation for Crime and Security met with a UK Senior Level Team on Security Cooperation at the Hilton Hotel, Kingston Jamaica on 3 March 2004. The aim of the meeting was to follow up the discussions at the Breakfast meeting between UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and Prime Minister PJ Patterson, Chair of CARICOM and other CARICOM Heads of Government in London, December 2003.
Member
Rt. Hon. Said Musa, Prime Minister of Belize
Honourable Ministers
Distinguished Secretary General, Dr. Edwin Carrington
Director General of the CRNM
Assistant Secretary-General
Members of the Public and Private Sectors
Distinguished Delegates
Members of the Media
Ladies and Gentlemen
CARICOM Heads of Government met on 2 and 3 March 2004 in Kingston, Jamaica, in an emergency session to consider the situation in Haiti.
The Heads of Government expressed dismay and alarm over the events leading to the departure from office by President Aristide and the ongoing political upheaval and violence in Haiti. They called for the immediate return to democratic rule and respect for the Constitution of Haiti.
CARICOM Secretary-General Mr. Edwin Carrington has welcomed the introduction of legislation by the Government of Belize to change its constitution to allow for the establishment of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).
A bill was introduced in the Belize Parliament on Friday 6 February to replace the United Kingdom-based Privy Council with the CCJ as the Central American CARICOM Member State’s final court of appeal.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has been following with deep concern the reports out of Haiti that armed groups opposing the continued presidency of Mr. Jean Bertrand Aristide have taken control of several towns including Gonaïves and St Marc. The accompanying violence has caused the death of a number of persons including policemen.
Hon. Marcus Bethel, Minister of Health and the Environment
Hon. Ministers
Amb. Anwarul Chowdhury, Secretary-General of the Mauritius Conference
Distinguished Delegates
Ladies and Gentlemen
Permit me firstly, to join with the previous speakers in expressing sincere thanks and appreciation to the Government and People of The Bahamas, for hosting this meeting. There is no need for me to stress how important the subject of our deliberations is. My comments will be brief and to the point.
The Governments of the United States of America and of the Caribbean nations of Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the Commonwealth of Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, the Republic of Haiti, Jamaica, the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Republic of Suriname, and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago pledge to strengthen our cooperation in responding to global and hemispheric challenges in a spirit of partnership and mutual respect.
It is with mixed feelings that I take part in this very important ceremony today. Mixed feelings because as you all know earlier this week there was the unfortunate passing of the Honourable Pierre Charles, the late Prime Minister of Dominica, on Tuesday, 6 January. Mixed feelings because today, I have the privilege and honour to sign, on behalf of CARIFORUM, a Financing Agreement, which provides for financial support valued at 11.95 Million Euro for Air Access Improvement for Dominica.
CARICOM Secretary-General Mr. Edwin Carrington welcomed the news of the appointment of the Hon. Roosevelt Skerritt as Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica.
Mr. Skerritt, 31, was appointed on Thursday 8 January 2004 following the untimely passing two days earlier of the former Prime Minister the Hon. Pierre Charles.
CARICOM Chairman the Most Hon P.J. Patterson, Prime Minister of Jamaica has received the endorsement of the Haitian President, His Excellency Jean-Bertrand Aristide, for the latest CARICOM initiative to attenuate the political instability in that Member State. This endorsement is in response to proposals contained in a letter from Prime Minister Patterson to the Haitian President (copy attached). The initiative will commence with a fact-finding mission.