As Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community, I wish to extend to the Government and People of St Kitts and Nevis hearty congratulations on the success of one of its great sons, Mr. Kim Collins in winning the 100 metres event at the World Track and Field Championships in Paris, France.
Member
It is my pleasure to bring you greetings on behalf of the Secretary-General and staff of the Caribbean Community Secretariat and indeed the entire CARICOM family.
SALUTATIONS!
I am proud today as Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community to welcome you all to CARIFESTA VIII in Suriname. This pride is heightened by the fact that this is the first time since my assumption of office in 1992 that this major Community event is being held in a non-English speaking country. Indeed it is only the second time in its 31-year history that CARIFESTA is being staged outside the English speaking Caribbean, having been held in Cuba in 1979.
When CARIFESTA VIII – the Caribbean’s premier cultural event - winds down on August 30th in Suriname, organisers hope they would have found the answer to one of the most important questions_ “where do we go from here.”
CARIFESTA is returning to the mainland in August 2003, in a year when both host country –Suriname- and its CARICOM sister states have a lot to commemorate - CARICOM marked its 30th anniversary and Suriname commemorated the 140th anniversary of slavery abolishment, 150 years of Chinese immigration, 130 years of Indian immigration and 115 years of Indonesian immigration, the cultural richness of the Caribbean will fall in the spotlight.
Twenty-eight countries will take part in one of the most diverse Caribbean Festival of the Arts ever, which gets underway in Paramaribo, Suriname on Sunday 24 August.
CARICOM Secretary-General Edwin Carrington was among 35 members of staff of the CARICOM Secretariat who received awards at a ceremony on 23 July 2003 at Le Meridien Pegasus in Georgetown, Guyana.
It was an extraordinary occasion for the Secretary-General who received two other awards apart from one for 10 years of service. The first was a Special Award for being the “longest serving Secretary-General” having begun his tenure in 1992. Roderick Rainford, his immediate predecessor had served for nine years and was the previous longest serving Secretary-General.
Your Excellency Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community
Members of Staff of the CARICOM Secretariat
Colleague Members of Staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Media
I feel deeply honoured today to present to you, Secretary-General, the letters which accredit me as Guyana's Ambassador to the Caribbean Community.
Most Honourable P.J. Patterson, Prime Minister of Jamaica and Chairperson of CARICOM,
Distinguished Heads of State and Government of CARICOM
Your Excellencies_ Ministers, Ambassadors and High Commissioners,
Delegates and friends
On behalf of the African Union and your brothers and sisters in Africa, I would like to thank you most sincerely for the privilege and opportunity you have given us to attend this 24th Regular Meeting of CARICOM, as well as join you as you celebrate the 30th Anniversary of CARICOM.
Governor General of Jamaica
Colleague Heads of Government
Your Excellency President of South Africa
Ministers of Government
Members of the Diplomatic Corp
Secretary General of the Caribbean Community
Excellences
Ladies and Gentlemen_
I am happy to be part of the formal opening today, of this 24th Meeting of the Conference of Heads in which we will celebrate one of the great moments for Caribbean Integration; our 30th anniversary of CARICOM.