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U
N I T E D N A T I O N S  N
A T I O N S U N I E S
THE
SECRETARY-GENERAL
--
MESSAGE TO THE 24TH REGULAR MEETING
OF THE CARICOM HEADS OF GOVERNMENT
Montego
Bay, Jamaica, 2 July 2003
Delivered by Mr. Anwarul K. Chowdhury, Under-Secretary-General
and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries,
Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States
It
gives me great pleasure to send my greetings to the Heads of Government
gathered in Montego Bay, and to congratulate you on a milestone
in the history of the Caribbean Community and Common Market.
For
30 years, CARICOM has sought to provide dynamic leadership and service
in pursuit of regional peace and development. It has strengthened
links among Governments, civil society organizations and other actors
working to improve the region's standards of living. It has embarked
on an ambitious programme of regional integration through the establishment
of a Single Market and Economy, as well as of the Caribbean Court
of Justice.
This
long tradition of cooperation and partnership should serve you well
as you face the challenges ahead and work together to achieve the
Millennium Development Goals. Many Caribbean countries rank high
on the human development index created by the UN Development Programme,
but many remain mired in poverty and underdevelopment.
As
CARICOM members are Small Island Developing States and face specific
constraints in their development efforts, the full implementation
of the Barbados Programme of Action of 1994 is important. The Barbados+10
review, scheduled to be undertaken in Mauritius in August next year,
will provide an opportunity to take stock of achievements made and
challenges still to be met.
A particular
concern is the slow progress of international trade negotiations
in areas of special interest to developing countries, such as eliminating
the unfair competition faced by farmers and producers in poor countries,
opening developed-country markets to developing-country goods, and
giving poor people better access to affordable life-saving medicines.
Ten weeks before the WTO ministerial meeting in Cancun, the time
has come for all parties to show more flexibility, and give priority
to the global interest.
Another
challenge that demands urgent attention is HIV/AIDS. In the past
decade, the CARICOM region has experienced a dramatic increase in
adult prevalence rates. My recently named Special Representative
for HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean will do his utmost to garner greater
global support for the efforts of Caribbean countries to address
the pandemic.
In
these and other efforts -- from protecting the environment to fighting
organized crime and seizing the opportunities of information technologies
-- the United Nations and CARICOM will continue to work as close
partners. The UN system has a strong presence in the region, helping
people in their daily lives, assisting Governments in improving
administration and governance, and working closely with the CARICOM
Secretariat itself. Issues of concern to the region should also
gain a higher profile in the international arena with the election
of Saint Lucia's Minister of External Affairs Julian Hunte as President
of the forthcoming 58th session of the General Assembly. For my
part, I look forward to working closely with you across a broad
spectrum of issues, to strengthen the United Nations and to achieve
our shared goals. Thank you for your support, and please accept
my best wishes for a successful meeting.
*****
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