Good morning.

I am very pleased to make these brief remarks on behalf of the Secretary General of CARICOM, H. E. Mr. Edwin Carrington, who sent his deepest regrets that he was unable to join us for the Opening of this Youth Exchange Programme today.

It is a joy to see young people from so many Member States coming together in Haiti for this important activity, and I am confident that the next few days will be productive and meaningful for all the participants. I wish to also warmly welcome you to this Exchange, and say that I am really looking forward to getting to know each of you during the time we are together.

I wish to thank the Government of Haiti, and in particular Minister Lescouflair, Director General Mr. Daniel Pierre Charles, Director of Youth, Mr. Ormeus and the rest of the team from the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Civic Action, for so readily agreeing to host this Youth Exchange programme. We really appreciate the time, the effort and the enthusiasm with which the excellent arrangements for this Exchange were made.

The staff of the youth programme at the CARICOM Secretariat have always been very warmly welcomed to Haiti by the staff of the Ministry of Youth, and I’m sure you can tell by the frequent visits of some members of our staff, that we have all fallen in love with your beautiful country, your wonderful people, your rich history and culture, and we are very happy to be here again to collaborate with you in organizing this programme.

I would also like to acknowledge and thank most sincerely, the Government of Spain, through the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AECID), for making this Exchange possible by providing very generous funding for the programme. It would not have been possible without their support and for this we are very grateful.

We are here to participate in this Youth Exchange programme with the objectives of promoting our Caribbean culture and identity; heightening our awareness of regional integration and the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME); and sensitizing participants to the research findings of the CARICOM Commission on Youth Development. We are here because of our commitment to realising the dream of Caribbean unity and Caribbean integration.

The CARICOM Member States embarked some 20 years ago with the Grand Anse Declaration of 1989, on a very ambitious and challenging mission to create a CARICOM Single Market and Economy. We believe that this approach is vital to our survival as small states, critical to our development within the prevailing global economic system, and central to our strategy to improve the quality of life of our people. The CSME also represents our shared vision and aspirations as Caribbean people, built on a foundation of a common history and a shared culture.

I think that our most recent recipient of the Order of the Caribbean Community, our highest honour – The Most Hon. Percival James Patterson, ON, PC, QC, OCC, OE, former Prime Minister of Jamaica, distinguished statesman, shrewd negotiator and outstanding integrationist, summed it up excellently when he said in accepting the honour at the Thirtieth Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government held in Guyana last week, “We can either swim ashore together, or drown separately in the Caribbean Sea.”

We are also here, because we know that youth are critical to making this dream real. We know that people to people contact within the Community is the only way to make the CSME a lived reality for all of us. For although it is essential that our governments put in place the legal and administrative arrangements to facilitate the free movement of people, of services, goods and capital within the Community; and establish regional institutions like the Caribbean Court of Justice, as well as facilitate the right of establishment for businesses, it also true that we cannot legislate our unity. It is the people of the Region who have to agree to pursue a shared future.

And Caribbean youth like those of you who are gathered here today, have an important role to play in breaking down the barriers and the stereotypes that exist among us; in developing new and strong networks; in showing the way and articulating a new vision of what a unified Caribbean can be. You have a tremendous transformative power which is important to our regional movement.

Later this year, the Conference of Heads of Government will convene a special session to receive the report of the CARICOM Commission on Youth Development which was mandated by our Heads of Government in 2006 “to provide a full scale analysis of the challenges and opportunities for youth in the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME); and to make recommendations on how to improve their well-being and empowerment.”

The Youth Commission has done a lot of research in most of our Member States over the past two years, with support from Ministries of Youth and national youth focal points, and have consulted approximately 4,500 Caribbean youth and representatives of regional organizations. This comprehensive report to our Heads of Government will highlight regional issues and trends regarding youth, with respect to governance and participation; education; health; their safety and well being; labour and employment; sports and recreation; the environment; migration; Caribbean culture and identity, and regional integration. I would like to acknowledge our youth Co-Chair of the Commission, Ms. Yldiz Beighle from Suriname, who has been doing an excellent job in leading the process, in collaboration with the other Co-chair of the Commission, Professor Barry Chevannes from Jamaica.

Our gracious host country – Haiti - is an important Member of the Caribbean Community, that has much to share, and much value to add to our movement. However, there are many misperceptions and a lack of knowledge and understanding of Haiti in the other Member States of the Community. So, I am very happy that this Exchange Programme is taking place here, so that we can take another step towards increasing our knowledge and understanding of Haiti, take advantage of the opportunity to experience their proud history and rich culture, make new friends and return home to play our part in educating others about our positive experiences here in Haiti. And we know that our Haitian friends will also learn a lot from us, and benefit equally from the Exchange programme.

In closing I would like to acknowledge some more persons who made this Youth Exchange Programme possible – the hardworking staff of both the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Civic Action in Haiti, and of the staff of the CARICOM Secretariat, and our CARICOM Representation Office in Haiti. Your efforts are very much appreciated.

I’m sure you are all looking forward as much as I am to the next few days where we will focus on and experience “Youth – Making the Caribbean!”

Thank-you.