Distinguished Members of the Regional Task Force on Cultural Industries
Staff of the CARICOM Secretariat
Representatives of the Media

As Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community, it is such a great pleasure for me to welcome you to the Headquarters of the CARICOM Secretariat for the Launch and Inaugural Meeting of the Regional Task Force on Cultural Industries.

This Meeting is important because it responds to the persistent call by artists and cultural entrepreneurs in this Region, for their governments to address the developmental needs of this innovative sector. This clarion call was most audible during the recent CARIFESTA X.

The establishment of this Regional Task Force on Cultural Industries was mandated by both the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) and the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD), and the Report and recommendations of this Body, will be discussed and acted upon by both Ministerial Councils as well as by the Council Finance and Planning (COFAP) and the wider Caribbean Community.

I am especially pleased to see that this Task Force has come to life at this time. And not a moment too soon! You are no doubt aware of the enormity of the challenges we currently face in the global arena, which is more than ever, mired in economic uncertainty bordering on chaos.

More especially, for us in CARIFORUM, (that is, CARICOM, Cuba and the Dominican Republic) we have recently signed an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Community, which was justified to a great degree on the promise it brings for cooperation in Services and particularly, in regard to the Cultural Industries. This Task Force will be called upon to play a vital role in guiding our countries in exploiting the provisions of that Agreement in this sector.

Against this background, I am therefore most pleased to note that this Regional Task Force on Cultural Industries brings together representatives from a wide cross section of relevant sectors: culture, industry; government, trade and finance; educational institutions and the private sector. It noted also that the Task Force includes representatives of regional organizations including the OECS Secretariat, Caribbean Export, the CRNM and our own CARICOM Secretariat. This multi-sectoral, multi-organisational approach with experts and practitioners from the public and private sectors working together is not only highly commendable, but absolutely necessary. It will provide I’m sure, the vision, the strategy, the policy initiatives and the actions we need to stimulate the further development of the Region’s cultural industries.

I am therefore, deeply appreciative and thankful to you all for agreeing to serve in this vital domain of our regional development efforts.

I must place on record on behalf of Member States of the Community, our sincere appreciation for the financial support from the CARICOM Hubs and Spokes Project, which is funded by the European Union and administered by the Commonwealth Secretariat, in collaboration with the CARICOM Secretariat. This project seeks to facilitate the development of coherent trade policies in pursuit of achieving national and regional development goals in ACP States, and to further integrate this grouping into the multilateral trading system. We are very grateful to the Hubs and Spokes Project for making the convening of this Task Force Meeting possible.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have sufficient evidence from the many studies that have been done over the years, and from the many successful artists, writers, performers and festivals that our Region’s cultural products are competitive, important to the regional economy and central to our people’s identity and advancement. This Task Force has therefore been set up not to rehash what has been done before, but to make recommendations for actions on the part of our Member States to provide cultural entrepreneurs and artists in this Region with the incentives, financial support, the policies and the legislation necessary to enable the sector to grow and thrive.

We need cutting edge ideas and approaches from this Task Force – ideas and approaches that will launch many more success stories in music, art, craft, dance, literature, fashion, film and theatre. We need to ensure that new talent and new innovations are constantly encouraged and developed. We need a coordinated regional approach that will build on and energise and promote the development of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).

In closing, permit me to draw on the inspiration provided by our regional cultural icon, Professor the Hon. Rex Nettleford, OCC, in his book “Inward Stretch, Outward Reach: A Voice from the Caribbean”, in which he demonstrates that it is only by reaching deep into ourselves – that inward stretch - and coming to terms with who we are, and drawing on our inner strength, and our innate talents and abilities, that we will be able to make the “outward reach” beyond the confines of our Region and our many vulnerabilities, to gain maximum global impact and bring prosperity to our people. This is what our cultural industries represent to us.

I thank the Professor for his insight and for this charge, which is the charge I give to you, the Regional Task Force on Cultural Industries today. I wish to take this opportunity once again to welcome you and to wish you a very successful Meeting.

I HAVE THE DISTINCT HONOUR AND PLEASURE AS SECRETARY-GENERAL TO LAUNCH THIS REGIONAL TASK FORCE ON CULTURAL INDUSTRIES.

CONTACT: piu@caricom.org