(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) 12 January 2010 will forever be etched on the minds and hearts of the people of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) as the day when their brothers and sisters in Haiti were devastated by a cataclysmic earthquake.

In remembering those who lost their lives, their families, their parents, their friends and those who suffered injuries, we will also remember those who risked their lives and spent sleepless days and nights in rescuing survivors from the rubble of the disaster. It is those first responders who epitomised the spirit of the Haitian people to rise above the trauma of the event and forge for themselves a future filled with hope.

It has been the role and thrust of the other Member States of the Caribbean Community since that fateful day to work to provide the fulfillment of that hope. The inspiration provided by the will and determination of the Haitian people has served to spur on the rest of the Community in its drive to ensure the reconstruction of Haiti. The Government and people of Haiti can be assured that their Caribbean Community will continue to demand from the international community that they honour their financial pledges made in various fora to rebuild the country.

For our part, the integration of Haiti into the CARICOM Single Market and Economy is a key element of the rebuilding process, offering as it does a ready duty-free market for Haiti’s products. Already there is agreement for a number of these products to enter the CARICOM Single market in a non-reciprocal basis for three years, an indication of the Community’s desire to assist in resuscitating the Haitian economy.

To you the people of Haiti, as Chairman of the Caribbean Community, I assure you that your brothers and sisters will not waver in their support and will stand side by side with you as together we move to rebuild and reconstruct Haiti to take its place in a viable, prosperous, secure and sustainable Caribbean Community.

11 January 2011

Contact: piu@caricom.org