…as he assumes office
New CARICOM Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque yesterday gave a commitment to working to realise the goals of the Caribbean community, but said this will involve all and that there must be resources and focus to make this a success.
“Today, I begin my task as the Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community, with a mix of excitement and awe, given the challenges of the moment. I wish, at the outset, to express my appreciation to you, Mr. Chairman, and your colleague Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community, for the confidence reposed in me as Secretary-General of our Community,” said LaRocque, speaking at a ceremony at the CARICOM Secretariat yesterday.
In his remarks, he paid tribute to Ambassador Lolita Applewhaite, who, for the past seven and a half months, had acted as Secretary-General, “and fulfilled her responsibilities with great skill and fortitude at a difficult time in the life of the Community and its Secretariat.”
He also recognised what he called the tremendous contribution of his predecessor, Sir Edwin Carrington, to the building of the Community. “Under his watch, much has been achieved in advancing the architecture of our integration,” LaRocque said.
“I am also grateful for the many congratulatory messages and warm expressions of goodwill I have received since my selection on the 21st of July. That those wishes came not only from across the Region, but also from far distant shores, testifies to the reach and significance of our Caribbean Community,” the Secretary-General said.
He said that at airports across the Region, and further afield, strangers walked up to him and expressed their views about the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), about the movement of people in the Community, the treatment meted out to them at points of entry, and the perceived difficulty of travelling throughout the Region.
He said also that people raised concerns about the need for jobs, about crime, about cricket, about the CARICOM Secretariat, “and many other issues of concern to the citizens of our Caribbean Community.”
LaRocque said that while there was cynicism in some cases, “a common thread in almost all of these messages and encounters was a commitment and belief in our integration movement, as well as hope for change.”
He said, “I assume the position of Secretary-General at a most testing time, a period when our Region is still feeling the effects of the recent global financial and economic crisis; a time when forecasters are predicting that we may be heading into another global recession that would no doubt impact on our small vulnerable economies, and for which our cohesiveness becomes even more imperative; a time when the commitment of our Leaders to integration is being questioned by some; a time when some suggest that our people seem to be losing faith in integration as a means of improving their lives;  a time when we are grappling with rising fuel and food prices that are at unprecedented high levels; a time when our member states are challenged by fiscal constraints; a time when the budget of the Secretariat has been reduced; and at a time when expectations by our member states and the people of the Region are high.”
He said the Conference of Heads of Government has mandated a review of the CARICOM Secretariat which will be concluded within a few months. “They have also mandated a review of other regional institutions. I eagerly await the findings of both reviews, since I am firmly of the view that the architecture and governance of our integration arrangements must be reformed if we are to be more effective and accountable in the discharge of our duties and functions,” he said.
“The message from all quarters is loud and clear: it cannot be business as usual; and I take these words to apply not just to the CARICOM Secretariat, but to all aspects of our integration, including member states and regional institutions,” he said.
“I begin my tenure as Secretary-General with no illusions about the journey before me. While I pledge to do my best to justify the trust and belief that the Heads of Government have placed in me, I acknowledge that I cannot do all that I want to do, indeed all that I must do, alone. The entire Community must make this journey with me. I cannot make the strides we have to, without the total involvement of member states and the people of the Region,” he said.
However, he said a critical element in going forward will be a clear understanding that under the current conditions, “the Secretariat can no longer be all things to all persons, if we are to be more effective. We must be focused and adequately resourced, if we are to play the role envisaged by our Heads of Government.”
CARICOM Chairman, Dr. Denzil Douglas, speaking at the event through teleconferencing from the Barbados Consulate in New York, charged the new Secretary-General with making the Secretariat more effective and dispelling myths about its ineffectiveness.
“I wish to extend my deepest respect and profound congratulations to you on behalf of my colleague Heads who have reposed confidence in you to carry the mantle of leadership of this noble institution in the midst of [global uncertainty],” he said.
The St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister said a new chapter in the history of the community “has begun today,” after months of transition of the management of the CARICOM Secretariat.
He said that there is a diverse perception of the Secretariat and its effectiveness, and he charged LaRocque with giving momentum to the efforts that give relevance to the Secretariat.
He said the transformation of the Secretariat must be the first order of business. He said improved focus must be placed on employment creation for social and economic benefits of the people of the region. Focus, he said, must also be placed on tourism, agriculture and trade, so as to allow the region to become more competitive.
“You have been bequeathed an institution with a very ambitious agenda,” Douglas charged the new Secretary General.