2023 has been a yr etched in our reminiscences, not only for the worldwide challenges we confronted, however for the unwavering spirit and collective motion that defines CARICOM. Time and time once more we rose to the event, so it’s only proper that we be part of now to acknowledge the numerous progress made throughout numerous fronts.”
● Dr. Carla Barnett, Secretary-Normal
● Excellencies,
● Distinguished girls and gents
Along with your go away I’ll undertake the protocols already established for this night’s ceremony.
As I stand earlier than you at present, concluding my time period as Chairman of CARICOM, I accomplish that with a coronary heart that’s crammed with immense pleasure and gratitude. As is all the time the case, it has been an immense privilege to serve this exceptional Group as Chair, and as I cross the torch, I accomplish that with a deep sense of accomplishment for what we’ve got achieved in the course of the course of my mandate.
I want to lengthen my honest gratitude to my fellow Heads of Authorities, the Secretary-Normal and workers of the CARICOM Secretariat, CARICOM Establishments, Organs and Our bodies, CARICOM’s worldwide companions, my crew in Dominica, and the residents of the Group, for his or her invaluable help.
2023 has been a yr etched in our reminiscences, not only for the worldwide challenges we confronted, however for the unwavering spirit and collective motion that defines CARICOM. Time and time once more we rose to the event, so it’s only proper that we be part of now to acknowledge the numerous progress made throughout numerous fronts.
Over the previous yr, we took concrete steps in direction of self-sufficiency via the continued implementation of the Group Agricultural Coverage (CAP), fostering innovation and collaboration amongst our farmers.
These embody elevated budgetary allocations to agriculture in Member States, introduction of recent crops, improved cross-border investments and collaborations, growth and implementation of recent agriculture commerce insurance policies and tips; and identification and settlement on doable insurance coverage merchandise to learn farmers within the Area. It signifies that we stay on track to fulfill our 25 by 2025 Meals Safety Initiative targets, with probably the most crucial one being to cut back our meals import invoice and advance meals and vitamin safety for the Group.
With the signing of a Double Taxation Settlement easing commerce and funding throughout the Group, we fortified our financial resilience and virtually instantly noticed optimistic indicators of restoration in our respective tourism sectors, an important pillar of our economies.
As a collective, our continued calls towards elevating Local weather Change consciousness reverberated on the worldwide stage. We advocated for bold local weather motion, championing the Caribbean Local weather Motion Plan which is able to safeguard our future from the devastating results of Local weather Change.
With this upcoming Hurricane season being projected to be extraordinarily energetic, I need us to proceed emphasising the vulnerabilities of our Area and the necessity to operationalise the Loss and Injury Fund.
l, subsequently, look ahead to the SIDS Convention in Antigua and Barbuda in Could this yr, the place we are able to proceed to focus on CARICOM’s distinctive wants and issues and advance collective motion.
On the worldwide relations entrance, we deepened engagement with worldwide companions and secured essential help for our growth priorities. However I wish to particularly single out the success of the first CARICOM-Saudi Arabia Summit held in Riyadh in November final yr.
The summit targeted closely on funding alternatives, with Saudi Arabia pledging to bolster our infrastructure, renewable power, tourism, and agriculture sectors.
Let me take this second to publicly thank His Excellency Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubier from Saudi Arabia, for becoming a member of us at this Forty-Sixth assembly as an illustration of his nation’s dedication to enhancing ties with CARICOM.
Women and gents, these achievements aren’t merely footnotes; they characterize the collective spirit of the Caribbean. They characterize the unwavering dedication of our governments, the dedication of our individuals, and the facility of regional collaboration.
It was our shared perception in collaboration that guided us to stay peaceable throughout a interval when different areas on this planet crumbled and resorted to unrest. Each household faces friction. However robust households navigate disagreements with respect and understanding. They prioritise open communication, energetic listening, and compromise, remembering the love and shared values that bind them.
My pals, once I started this deal with by talking of my immense pleasure, I did so with reminiscences nonetheless contemporary, of what we achieved as a gaggle once we met as a household in December in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, to maturely deal with the tensions between our two brothers.
We made the worldwide information, not for unrest, battle or violence, however for our internet hosting of mature, proactive deliberations that created a template that others on this planet would do nicely to comply with.
It’s subsequently becoming that with a robust sense of pleasure in our accomplishments, I cross the baton to His Excellency Dr. Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana, and guarantee him of my unstinting help.
On the finish of my Chairmanship, I’ve a fair increased regard for the spirit of Group that underpins our integration motion.
I’ve full religion that the Caribbean spirit of unity and dedication will proceed to information us. Now we have the expertise, the sources, and the collective will to beat any impediment. So allow us to proceed to work collectively, hand in hand, to construct a brighter future for our beloved Caribbean, a future the place each nation thrives, and each voice is heard.
Thanks. Lengthy reside CARICOM! Lengthy reside the Caribbean!
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