Community owes debt of gratitude to Secretary-General, CARICOM Secretariat employees – PM Harris

By Michelle Nurse Last updated Mar 4, 2019

CARICOM Secretary-General. Amb. Irwin LaRocque and CARICOM Chair, Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris, PM of St. Kitts and Nevis share a light moment at the Opening Ceremony

Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, on Tuesday lauded the “outstanding work”of the CARICOM Secretary-General and members of staff of the CARICOM Secretariat.

Speaking at the Opening Ceremony of the 30th Intersessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM in Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis, Prime Minister Harris led delegates in a round of applause for the Secretary-General and his staff members.

“We the people of the Region owe a debt of gratitude to our CARICOM Secretariat, the Secretary-General and all its employees for sterling work for which they should be better rewarded and appreciated. They do outstanding work with their hearts full of love – love for our people and love for our Region. Let’s give our Secretary General and his support staff a round of applause,” the Prime Minister said.

Hussein Alli, Senior Computer Technician, Integrated Information Systems

Director, CARICOM Single Market and Sectoral Programmes, Dr. Richard Brown, and Officer-in-Charge, CARICOM Single Market and Economy Unit, Ms. Gladys Young

Director, Economic Policy and Development, Ms. Evelyn Wayne

Adviser, Communications, Office of the Secretary-General, Mr. Leonard Robertson; Adviser, Office of the Secretary-General, Mr. Neville Bissember; and Adviser, Single Market and Sectoral Programmes, Ms. Desiree Field-Ridley

Senior Project Officer, Conference Services, Ms. Lynda Drakes, and Project Officer, Conference Services, Ms. Kanesha Commodore

Programme Manager, Communications Unit, Mr. Kendol Morgan

Assistant Secretary-General, Trade and Economic Integration, Mr. Joseph Cox

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CARICOM members of staff who are providing support to the Meeting were on hand at the Opening Ceremony to hear his commendation.

PM Harris assumed the Chairmanship of the Community at the beginning of 2019, and shortly thereafter visited the Georgetown-headquartered CARICOM Secretariat. He succeeded Prime Minister of Jamaica, the Hon. Andrew Holness.

In his remarks at the Opening Ceremony, Prime Minister Holness also commended the “Secretary- General, Ambassador LaRocque and his team for their untiring professional support”.

Prime Minister Harris said that it had been a “busy introduction” to the Chairmanship that had strengthened his belief in the value of the CARICOM integration movement.

“It also made me better appreciate the role of the Chairman, the high investment of time and other resources which our integration efforts require,” he told delegates and special invitees at the Opening.

He was convinced that the power of “our unity” channelled with purpose to achieve an objective, could provide remarkable results.