Your Excellency Ambassador Amalia Mai, Plenipotentiary Representative to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
Deputy Secretary General
Assistant Secretar(ies)-General and other Members of Staff of the Secretariat
Members of the Media
Other Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen

Excellency

It is a pleasure to welcome you to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat on the occasion of your accreditation as Plenipotentiary Representative of Belize to the Caribbean Community. Your Government, through your appointment, is once again demonstrating its desire to preserve and enhance Belize’s relationship with and within the Community. And indeed, having worked with you, I have every confidence that this desire will be satisfied.

The year 2006 was indeed a significant milestone for your country – the attainment of twenty-five years of independence. I had the privilege of representing the Community at the independence celebrations which were celebrated under the theme “A Nation Alive; A People with Pride; Belize at 25”. The celebrations highlighted the great achievements of the Belizean people during their first quarter century of independence as well as the formidable challenges facing them as they embark on the next quarter of a century. The large turnout that I witnessed at the various events, leaves no doubt that Belizeans are indeed a people with pride in their country and that they will continue to strive for its advancement.

As a valuable member of the Caribbean Community since 1974 - and in fact a Member of CARIFTA before that – and also a member of the Central American Integration System (SICA) since 2000, Belize is in a unique position as a link between CARICOM and its Central American neighbours – a bridge between communities. CARICOM, as a group, endorsed Belize’s membership in SICA, certain that its membership in that regional grouping would serve to enhance relations between the two groupings of small and vulnerable states while nurturing the historical and close relationship which Belize enjoys with its CARICOM colleagues. In fact, Article 80 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas specifically charged Belize with the safeguarding – one may even say nurturing - of the Community’s trade interests with groupings such as SICA.

The assumption of Belize to the Pro Tempore Presidency of SICA on 1 January therefore certainly augurs well for the advancement of CARICOM-Central American relations. To this end, our Trade Ministers have agreed to meet with SICA Trade Ministers later this month to strengthen the trade relationship between our two groupings. I myself, as Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community, intend to be there in person. Most significantly, on that occasion I anticipate having the honour of signing the CARICOM-SICA Plan of Action.

This Plan of Action will allow for cooperation between the two groupings in the areas of human development, health, housing, poverty eradication, environment and natural disasters, foreign relations and international trade policy coordination, trade and investment, crime and security, anti-corruption, air transport and tourism, and cultural exchanges.

Ambassador Mai, at this critical time in our Community’s development efforts, Belize holds the Chairmanship of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED). The Community recognises the vital role therefore that Belize will be playing, particularly within the context of bilateral, hemispheric and international trade relations.

As of the next meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR), Belize will assume the Chairmanship of that Council for a year. It will be doing so at a time of heightened political, trade and economic challenges to our Regional movement, and when significant attention is being paid to the movement both from within CARICOM and in the wider international community. Under Belize’s leadership, these and other matters, including the strengthening of the Community’s relations with third countries, will be discussed at that upcoming Tenth Meeting of the COFCOR to be held in your country in May.

At that time, the COFCOR also expects to meet with Central American Ministers responsible for Foreign Affairs to discuss matters of interest both on the regional and international agenda. This encounter is aimed at strengthening relations with the countries of Latin America and will provide the building blocks for the foundation of our future relations with Central America.

Given the strengthening links between both regions, Belize’s leadership of the COTED, the COFCOR and in SICA at this time, will therefore provide the Region with the opportunity for increased dialogue with its Central American neighbours. Even after its chairmanship of the various Councils and Groupings has ended, Belize will no doubt continue to play a pivotal role in ensuring that the foundation stones which are being built, are so well designed that a practical and lasting edifice will be wrought.

Belize is also home to two very important Regional Institutions – one which seeks to preserve and enhance a vital economic resource to the Community, and the other which serves to monitor and advise on the increasingly globally critical issue of climate change. I refer here to the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) and the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC). Both will be playing determining roles in the future sustainable development of our Community. Most harmoniously for our Community, this coincides with the fact that the Honourable Prime Minister of Belize holds the position of Lead Head of Government for Sustainable Development including Environment and Disaster Management.

It is therefore clear that Belize is an integral part of our Community, physical distance notwithstanding. It is one of the threads in the rich tapestry of CARICOM.

Excellency, it is with these thoughts and sentiments that I extend my best wishes to the Government and People of Belize and look forward to the continued dedication of your country in supporting the work of the Community. Against, that background, I receive, with pleasure, your Credentials as the Plenipotentiary Representative of Belize to the Caribbean Community.