Haiti President Michel Martelly has begun his six-month term as Chairman of the Caribbean Community’s Conference of Heads of State and Government, vowing to contribute to Caricom‘s strengthening and to “accelerate” Haiti’s inclusion in the regional integration movement, the Caricom Secretariat has said.
This marks the first time that Haiti has assumed the Caricom Chairmanship. Martelly, who succeeds St Lucia Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony in the post, said Haiti would promote sustainable development policies based on an effective cooperation strategy.
In his message Tuesday, Haiti’s President said over the last forty years, “there is ample evidence that the Community constitutes a useful mechanism to facilitate integration within the region. As small vulnerable States in a competitive economic environment, our task is to ensure that Caricom constitutes a bulwark that will protect its Member States in this formidable global environment.”
“As I said in my maiden speech at the Thirty-Second Regular Meeting of the Conference of Caricom Heads of State and Government in St Kitts and Nevis in July 2011: “The true strength of the Caribbean resides in its plural and multidimensional culture.” We must be prepared to leverage that strength with all our development partners to create a common platform from which our Member States can co-operate.”
“It is also in unity, regional integration, that all Member States of the Community can overcome serious economic, environmental, and social challenges affecting the region,” said Martelly.
Martelly also welcomed his colleagues to discuss the future of the Community at the upcoming 24th Inter-sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of State and Government in Haiti in February.
January 1st, 2013 also marks the 209th anniversary of the Independence of Haiti, under the banner of freedom and unity.
