(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) His Excellency Edwin Carrington, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary-General yesterday signalled the Community’s commitment, in the long term, towards Haiti’s recovery and reconstruction.

Speaking at the CARICOM Secretariat’s Georgetown, Guyana headquarters on Wednesday, 1 February at the Thirteenth Meeting of the Budget Committee, Secretary-General Carrington said that the Secretariat had moved to establish a “dedicated unit to co-ordinate the short and medium term involvement of the Community in the recovery, reconstruction and development of Haiti.” That mandate was handed down by the Bureau of Heads of Government, which met in Paramaribo, Suriname on Friday, January 29.

Mr. Carrington said that this decision by the Bureau was an indication of the Community’s “commitment and engagement” towards Haiti as it emerged out of the ruins of the January 12 disaster.

“We are fully seized not only of the financial and economic challenges facing our Member States, but also of the implications of our short, medium and long term involvement in the rehabilitation and development of Haiti as indeed of all our Member States,” the Secretary-General stated.

In that process, he added, the spirit of eagerness of the Youth – avidly demonstrated at the just concluded CARICOM Summit on Youth Development – was the Community’s greatest asset.

Secretary-General Carrington said that he took “great heart” and felt “great hope” during the Summit on Youth with the determination of the Haitian Youth who participated in the Forum.

“The determination of the Haitians to be there and to participate fully mirrored that of their peers in the Community,” whom he said exhibited tremendous interest in the future of CARICOM,” Mr. Carrington said.

He noted that the spirit of enthusiasm and urgency of the youth of the Community must be “recognised and reflected” in the decisions of the CARICOM Heads of Government with respect to the governance of the Community at their upcoming inter-sessional meeting in Dominica.

CONTACT: piu@caricom.org