-time for a new SG
PRIME MINISTER of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves told his colleagues Heads of Government at the official opening of their 32nd Annual Conference in St Kitts and Nevis on Thursday evening that notwithstanding the challenges haunting the Community, the ensuing six months in the life of the Community could not be business as usual.

Dr. Gonsalves spoke against the backdrop of the recognition of the incoming Chairman of the Conference, Dr. Denzil Douglas, Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, noting that the new chairman, would guide the Community with safe, reassuring and innovative hands, but he would also need the staunch support of the CARICOM Secretary-General.
In this regard therefore, he stated his expectations that the 32nd Conference of Heads of Government would decide on the person to hold the office of Secretary General.
“On this there can be no further delay, no further temporising, no further provisional or ‘ad hoc’ leadership at the helm,” he warned.
He applauded the efforts of the acting Secretary General, noting that she has held the fort well but hastened to add that there was urgency for renewal now.
Prime Minister Gonsalves urged Member States to pull together, asserting that the new CARICOM Chairman and the new Secretary General would require focused support from all concerned, especially from the Heads of Government and Member States.
“Like Issachar, one of the leaders of the ancient Twelve Tribes, whose outstanding merit was that “he knew the times and knew what was good for Israel,” we must know our times and what is good for the Caribbean.  And like Daniel in the Old Testament we leaders must endeavour always to act with an “excellent spirit. Let’s really try,” he urged.
Prime Minister Gonsalves in commenting on the CSME, reaffirmed the strengths of the integration movement, which he stated, resided in pillars of functional cooperation; coordination of foreign policy; trade and economic integration; and a coherent rationalisation of regional security.
“In each of these four bundles of integration activities, there have been, and there are, significant achievements which ought never to be belittled. Indeed, it is our duty to build upon them creatively and optimally,” he opined.
Despite this however, the St Vincent and Grenadines Prime Minister, who is one of the longest serving Heads of Government of the regional integration movement deplored a thorny issue relating to the Free Movement of Persons regime: At practically every port of entry in CARICOM, he lamented “we simply do not treat our CARICOM brothers and sisters as well as we should. In some cases, the treatment is wholly unacceptable.”

Pointing to immigration officers at points of entry, Dr. Gonsalves stated that in their enforcement of the laws, there were clear strictures laid down in addition to a wide ambit of discretion. “Surely, it is not beyond our civilised regimes to accommodate visitors in a manner which is not dehumanising, insulting, belittling or embarrassing.”
He was adamant that each nation-state must resolve to lift its game in that regard and that the CARICOM Secretariat should be empowered to monitor their performance.  (CARICOM Secretariat)