​It gives me much pleasure to welcome you to this Thirty-Fifth Special Meting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED), which is devoted to Energy. This is indeed a special COTED as there has not been a Meeting of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Energy Ministers for a long time – our records show that this has not happened in more than two decades.
Lolita Applewhaite
​It is a pleasure and honour for me to welcome everyone to this ceremony of the presentation of credentials accrediting you, Excellency, as the Kingdom of Spain’s Plenipotentiary Representative to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
​Mr. Chairman, Honourable Tillman Thomas, Prime Minister of Grenada
Your Excellencies, the Presidents of Guyana and Suriname Other Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community Honourable Ministers Delegates Representatives of the Media Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
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Chair of COTED Honourable Clifford Marica, Minister of Trade and Industry of Suriname Hon Carolyn Rodrigues-Berkett, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Guyana Other Hon. Ministers of Government Their Excellencies/Ambassadors to the Caribbean Community Other Heads of Delegation Representatives of Regional and International organizations |
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As Secretary-General I want to welcome you to the headquarters of the CARICOM Secretariat, in particular those of you who may be here for the first time. |
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Salutations.
It is an honour to be here at the opening of the Thirty-fourth Meeting of the Standing Committee of Caribbean Statisticians (34th SCCS), the Seventeenth Meeting of the Regional Census Coordinating Committee (17th RCCC) and the Second Regional Statistical Research Seminar. |
Representatives of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and United Nations Family Planning Association (UNFPA)
Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, Asst. Secretary General, Trade and Economic Integration
Dr. Philomen Harrison, Project Director, Regional Statistics, and other Colleagues of the Secretariat
Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, Asst. Secretary General, Trade and Economic Integration
Dr. Philomen Harrison, Project Director, Regional Statistics, and other Colleagues of the Secretariat
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The services sector is the largest and fastest growing sector of the world economy, providing more than 60% of the GDP in many countries and an even larger percentage of employment. For example, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council, tourism is the world's largest employer, accounting for one in ten workers worldwide. Figures show that in 2000 services trade represented over one third of total trade in goods and services. |
It is my pleasure to address this distinguished gathering, on behalf of the Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community, and to offer congratulations on this historic occasion of the Twentieth Anniversary of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU).