Pull Quote: ‘Whatever I have done or is said that I have done, has been with one objective in mind – to improve the quality of life of the people of this Region’ – Sir Edward
SIR EDWIN Carrington’s long and illustrious career as a Caribbean man was lauded at an ‘Evening of Appreciation’ held in honour of him and Lady Patricia Carrington Friday evening. Sir Edwin, Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), demits office on 31 December 2010. The event at the Pegasus Hotel saw tributes being paid to him by Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM and Prime Minister of Jamaica, Bruce Golding; Prime Minister Sam Hinds; CARICOM Deputy Secretary-General, Ambassador Lolita Applewhaite; and Ms. Jennifer Britton, President of the CARICOM Secretariat Staff Association.
Musical renditions by staff members of the CARICOM Secretariat, and Dave Martins, a reading and the presentation of a gift to the Secretary-General were also part of the evening’s programme.
In a recorded message aired at the function, Prime Minister Golding hailed the Secretary-General’s service to the region, and pointed out that Sir Edwin had focused his energies on bringing the benefits of integration to the people of the region, a point to which Secretary-General Carrington himself alluded in his response to the tributes.
Prime Minister Hinds said he was struck by the thought that Sir Edwin “was the Secretary-General of CARICOM that I always knew”.
“Sir Edwin served for an unprecedented period of eighteen years. It is therefore not surprising that with his official residence being in Georgetown, he has become a distinctive part of the Guyana scene. Of course, he is more often than not out of, rather than in Guyana, on his missions abroad, but somehow he managed to be seen and heard around our capital – enough for Guyana and Guyanese to get to know him well,”  PM Hinds said.
He spoke of the challenging role of the Secretary-General, as laid out in the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, and pointed out that the Secretary-General had to represent the Community in various fora, see to the implementation of its decisions, monitor and report on its progress, initiate or develop proposals for the consideration of the membership, undertake relevant studies and reports, mobilise resources for the Community and, “as specified in the customary catch-all clause, fulfil such other functions as assigned by the Conference or other competent organs.”
The Secretary-General, he noted, performed very well the arduous task of promoting Caribbean interests for almost four decades in the various offices he held, but also pointed to the disappointments that the Secretary-General himself referred to which included the lack of implementation of some of the decisions taken at the Community level.
“I would hope, as he also does, that our search for more successful forms of governance will lead to new arrangements and structures which will overcome the present difficulties and provide better service to member states,” Prime Minister Hinds said.
In her tribute, Deputy Secretary-General Applewhaite said that during his time at the Secretariat, Sir Edwin was the “embodiment of selfless commitment and dedication to the cause of building a Caribbean Community in which our citizens, their children and their children’s children can aspire to a better quality of life.”
She referred to the dedication to duty, the enthusiasm, perseverance and stamina, vision and diplomatic finesse that he brought to “the arduous and sometimes seemingly thankless task of Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community.”
“As leader and Chief Executive Officer of the CARICOM Secretariat, Sir Edwin’s dedication to duty has been second to none. He led by example and was meticulous in carrying out his responsibilities to the region. The enthusiasm, perseverance and stamina which he displayed were inspirational to staff at all levels. The anecdotes are legion about working for several hours along with the SG to ensure that every aspect of a paper, a speech, a tribute, preparation for negotiations and meetings, was just right. He pushed himself to the limit – even beyond the limit, in the estimation of most of us – in the pursuit of perfection,” she said.
Ms. Britton, in her remarks, spoke of the Secretary-General’s politeness, his inspiration, his quiet power “which kept us all in check even when he was absent from the building,” and his love for his family, sports and reading.
“There are many more insights that could be shared… suffice to say, he was a visionary, a risk-taker, a problem-solver, a change agent, a decision-maker, comrade, and to some, a friend,” Ms. Britton said.
In response to the tributes, Sir Edwin expressed his gratitude for the kind sentiments.
“Whatever I have done or is said that I have done, has been with one objective in mind – to improve the quality of life of the people of this region,” he told the gathering of diplomats, special invitees, staff members, and friends.
“I will always treasure the tremendous hospitality of the Government and people of Guyana. I have lived here for the better part of 25 years in two tranches split by my service in Brussels, Belgium, at the African Caribbean and Pacific Group of Countries (ACP). At no time have I felt any other way than at home… To the government and people of Guyana, I say a heart felt thanks and I will carry with me always a love for your country.
“To the many Heads of Government whom I have served during my tenure, I can only hope that the service rendered was of the quality desired and in so saying I want to thank you for the honour and privilege that you granted me to serve four terms as Secretary-General. Your support has been crucial to whatever I have been able to achieve in these 18 years,” Sir Edwin said.
For “greatest thanks,” he singled out his wife Lady Patricia Carrington “whose quiet (and at times not so quiet!) forbearance has enabled me to survive these gruelling years of public service away from home and family. Hers has been the greatest sacrifice and I pay tribute to her tonight for her tremendous support to me and ask you to show your appreciation symbolically with a rousing round of applause.
“I have singled out my wife but the sacrifice and support of my children have also been crucial to me and to them I owe a debt of gratitude. I am looking forward now as I re-enter their lives on a more permanent basis to share the comforts of family life and love,” the Secretary-General said.
He also extended gratitude to the staff members of the CARICOM Secretariat.
“We have shared joy, sorrow, heartbreak and all in between because of your commitment to the regional integration project. The hours are long, the rewards may not be what it should be materially but the dedication in ensuring that the member states and associate members get the best service that we can provide has been a source of pride for me as head of the organisation. You have been asked to perform miracles many times and as the British army says the difficult you do now, the impossible you do later. From the bottom of my heart a deep and sincere thank you to all of you who have served and continue to serve the governments and peoples of the Caribbean Community,” he said.