It is my pleasure to open the batting this afternoon, (the West Indies can do with a change!) at this Media Clinic and hope that I score more runs that the West Indies openers did in the Test Match that ended on Sunday! Seriously though this clinic has become an annual feature of the preparations for the July Meeting of Heads of Government and seeks to give the media in particular in-depth information on some of the issues which the Heads of Government will be discussing at the meeting. In so doing there is an explicit recognition of the role and importance of the media in transmitting to the public at large information about regional issues and views on matters that affect their daily lives.

It is always a pleasure to be in Jamaica, a country with special significance for me. That we’ll soon be here for the 31st Meeting of the CARICOM Heads of Government in Montego Bay which can be truly said to be the cradle of the modern Caribbean integration movement adds a special spice to the occasion. Many may not remember that in was in Montego Bay in 1947 that a number of prominent figures of the then British Caribbean colonies gathered to discuss closer association laying the ground work for regional togetherness and bringing us to where we are today - a Single Market aiming to become a Single Economy, a process which however is proving to be more difficult than was anticipated.

Jamaica’s contribution has always been pivotal to the integration process and indeed it was here at Mona that I got my own groundings in “West Indianhood”, as it were, as a young student.

Representatives of the media, this 31st Regular Meeting of the CARICOM Leaders comes against the background of the global struggle to recover from the economic and financial crisis which has been with us for about two years. The Member States of CARICOM have not been immune. There has been a major negative effect on the tourism industry and in relation to remittances arising from the reduction in disposable income in the region’s major markets. Merchandise exports (bauxite etcetera) investment has also been negatively affected. Also this state of affairs cannot be separated from our continuing major social problems related to crime and security.

The year began on a particularly catastrophic note with the devastating earthquake in our Member State of Haiti. The reconstruction of that country’s capital and surrounding districts and the opportunity to rebuild the country itself has been the focus of attention and demands that we all pitch in to bolster the efforts of the Haitian people. (In this regard we are extremely pleased and grateful that the Community has been gifted the services of the distinguished former Prime Minister of Jamaica the Most Honourable PJ Patterson in the role of Special Representative of the CARICOM Heads of Government to Haiti.)

The imminent great fear is the arrival of the hurricane and rainy seasons both of which are upon us. Given the effects of climate change, their intensity deepens our concerns. The outcome of the Copenhagen Conference leads to COP 16 in Mexico next November being of determining significance. Every step must be taken by the Region to prepare for that meeting to ensure that the results, in particular the maximum rise in global temperature does not exceed 1.5⁰, the Region’s mantra of 1.5 to stay alive is not a mere slogan for our islands and low lying coastal states. Its achievement is vital for our very survival.

But all in our region is not doom and gloom. Belize earlier this month became the third country to accept the Caribbean Court of Justice as its final court of appeal and indeed just this morning, the Jamaican law professor, now Mr Justice Winston Anderson was sworn in as the latest judge of the Caribbean Court of Justice. A CARICOM resolution calling for a United Nations Summit on Non Communicable Diseases was resoundingly accepted at the UN which is scheduled for 2011. The region is enjoying wide exposure and popularity at the World Expo Shanghai 2010 now taking place in China. We are expecting greater attendance by the people of the Region for the duration of the Expo which ends in October. As Commissioner General for the Region I will be leaving soon after the Heads of Government Meeting to participate. I expect a number of Heads of Government to do likewise and in particular to mark CARICOM Day which is designated as July 17 in Shanghai.

Within the hemisphere a number of critical developments are also taking place the most notable being the strengthening of the relationship between CARICOM and its Latin American neighbours with the intensification of relations with Brazil and participation in the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CALC). These initiatives join the earlier (Latin American Bolivarian Alternative) ALBA and UNASUR. While these new developments are taking place there are efforts aimed at reinforcing the traditional relations with Europe and North America.

So at Montego Bay on 4 July- the 37th Anniversary of CARICOM – until 7 July, we will be seeking to put all those matters into perspective as we embark on the second decade of the new millennium. It is timely therefore that as a Community we look at where we are in this contemporary world and seek means to confront the challenges and seize the opportunities to guide us towards a viable, prosperous and secure Community for All.

This brief statement was intended to give an overview of the Regional scenario. The various specific matters can be expanded on during our discussions. Members of the Executive Management of the Secretariat, my colleagues the Vice Chancellor of the University and the President of the CDB are all here to disseminate information on critical topics on the agenda of the upcoming meeting.

CONTACT: piu@caricom.org