United States of America

Mr. President,

The Caribbean Community deeply appreciates this opportunity to address the Security Council on the situation in Haiti.

One year ago, we were all gravely concerned about deteriorating political and security conditions in Haiti. With Haitian agreement and international support, the Caribbean Community launched a diplomatic initiative. Underpinned by the principles of democracy and good governance enshrined in the CARICOM Charter of Civil Society and the Inter-American Democratic Charter, the CARICOM initiative sought the following_

CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – The Director-General of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM), Ambassador Dr. Richard Bernal, called for an enhancement of the economic partnership between CARICOM and the United States, “based on interdependence and mutuality of benefits”. He made these remarks today at a forum organized and hosted by the Inter-American Economic Council (IAEC), in Miami.

Your Excellency

It is with great pleasure that I receive this letter from Secretary of State Colin Powell, designating you as Plenipotentiary Representative of the United States of America to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

Mr. Secretary-General, it is an honor for me to be here today to present my credentials as United States Plenipotentiary Representative to the Caribbean Community. The United States enjoys good relations with the countries of the Caribbean Community, so it is appropriate that the U.S. Government have direct representation with the CARICOM Secretariat.

The countries of CARICOM collectively constitute the third border of the United States, and they share strong cultural and historic ties with the U.S.

CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – Announced last year, leaders from thirty-four
countries in the Americas were called to focus and deliberate on three principal
topics, inter alia_ combating poverty, promoting social development, and
strengthening democratic governance, at a Special Summit in the city of Monterrey,
Nuevo León, Mexico, January 12 to 13, 2004. Caribbean leaders were amongst the
invited Heads of State.
The Special Summit’s purpose was slated as “advancing the implementation of

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.

MIAMI, UNITED STATES – Trade Ministers, from thirty-four countries, gathered at the Eighth Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) Ministerial Meeting, in Miami, endorsed a key Ministerial Declaration, November 20. The Ministerial, set to last two days, concluded a day early. The summit followed a meeting of Vice-Ministers, November 15 to 18. The Ministerial Meeting produced a ‘compromise’ Ministerial Declaration for the Americas-wide trade pact. It will serve as a pragmatic framework for the process to move forward.

MIAMI, UNITED STATES – “Deliberations, thus far, have been amicable and
constructive”. Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM) Director-General,
Ambassador Richard Bernal, made these remarks, November 17, two days into the
Sixteenth meeting of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) Trade Negotiations
Committee (TNC), convened in Miami, United States.
The four-day TNC, that got underway November 15, is striving to broker ‘balance’ to
respond to the sensitivities of the negotiating countries concerned.

MIAMI, UNITED STATES – “Deliberations, thus far, have been amicable and constructive”. Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM) Director-General, Ambassador Richard Bernal, made these remarks, November 17, two days into the Sixteenth meeting of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) Trade Negotiations Committee (TNC), convened in Miami, United States. The four-day TNC, that got underway November 15, is striving to broker ‘balance’ to respond to the sensitivities of the negotiating countries concerned.

Mr. President,
Distinguished delegates,

Mr President, we thank you for the opportunity to address this august chamber on a subject which spells life or death to the countries of our Region - the Caribbean.

Held as it was in Barbados - a founding Member State of the Caribbean Community - the 1994 SIDS Conference and the resultant Barbados Plan of Action are of particular significance to the Caribbean Community.