Barbados PM to hold press conference
CARICOM Heads of Government are expected to arrive in Georgetown today ahead of the official opening of the 30th regular meeting, to caucus on agenda matters.
Tomorrow’s official opening ceremony is slated for the National Cultural Centre and will be broadcast live on state-owned National Communications Network (NCN) and across the region via the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).
Government co-ordinators Kwame McKoy and Michael Gordon yesterday could not confirm whether all the Heads will be here by today nor were they able to confirm whether the caucus at which Heads decide on priority issues obligates them to be present.
However in light of the ongoing debate on the Barbadian immigration policy, the issue is bound to be discussed in the context of regional integration.
Meanwhile Barbadian PM David Thompson is expected to meet with the media for a special press conference today at which he intends to clarify any misconceptions about his government’s policy and field questions from the media.
At the weekend Thompson blasted reports on the issue saying he is bewildered and disgusted at the reckless and grossly unfair generalizations and slurs levelled against his island’s public officers on the issue of unchecked migration. He had said too that he felt there was need for public education on the issue.
Following reports of allegations of ill treatment being meted out to undocumented Guyanese in Barbados, President Bharrat Jagdeo had promised to bring the issue to the attention of his counterpart.
Jagdeo had met with the media and delivered this promise days before the 20th Inter-sessional Meeting of Heads which was held in Belize City, Belize.
On his return Jagdeo told reporters that he had raised the concerns with Thompson. His concerns surrounded reports that the homes of Guyanese were being raided and Guyanese were being taken off buses and deported.
“He said he didn’t know of any such case and that this was not the intention of his government and that he is willing to meet with the honorary consul to discuss and investigate any such case,” Jagdeo quoted Thompson as saying. He also noted that Thompson insisted that he was only dealing with the undocumented.
However Thompson has since acknowledged the early morning raids but said only four Guyanese have been deported. Local immigration figures have contrasted sharply with his declaration.
Jagdeo has since argued for decent treatment for Guyanese, undocumented or not.
Meanwhile, the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on external trade is also to meet today ahead of the Summit. A statement from CARICOM last evening said that among the matters to be addressed is the incorporation of the Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM) into the CARICOM Secretariat as a specialised department. The absorption of the CRNM into the Secretariat was endorsed at the 20th Intersessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government, Belize, 12-13 March 2009 and came after the controversy over the way negotiations with the European Commission were conducted for the Economic Partnership Agreement.
The Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on External Negotiations will also assess preparations for the commencement of the CARICOM-Canada Negotiations for a Trade and Development Agreement.
The implementation of Caribbean Forum of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (CARIFORUM)-European Community (EC) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) signed in October 2008 is also to come up.
The statement said that in February 2009 the CARICOM Secretariat had established a Unit to coordinate the implementation of the Agreement, in keeping with a mandate by the Heads of Government. The provisional application of the EPA became effective on December 29, 2008.
At the 29th Meeting of Heads which was held in Antigua and Barbuda last year, Secretary-General Dr. Edwin Carrington had said that both the external and internal challenges facing the Community were difficult “but times like these call for depth of vision and resolute commitment to the integration process.”
The communiqué coming out of that meeting also said that Heads agreed that there should be a review of the implementation of the free movement of skilled Community nationals with a view to determining its reaffirmation or modification.
According to that document too, the 2008 meeting saw CARICOM Heads reiterating that the right to a six-month stay in Member States participating in the Single Market should not be limited to holders of CARICOM passports, but should also apply to CARICOM citizens of Member States that have not yet issued CARICOM passports. Heads of Government also welcomed Jamaica’s introduction of the six-month stay.
In March this year at the Inter-sessional meeting in Belize, Heads also reiterated their commitment to the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) and its implementation and effective functioning, paying particular attention to free movement of persons, accreditation and standardisation mechanisms.
They also emphasised that the CSME was a critical platform for meeting the challenges resulting from the current global financial and economic crisis and for CARICOM’s successful insertion into the world economy.
The meeting concludes on Sunday and aside from a welcome reception to be hosted by President Jagdeo at Princess Buddy’s International Hotel, Heads are also slated for a visit to Baganara Island Resort in the Essequibo River.
