Contact:
Prime Minister's Press Secretary
Tuesday, July
4, 2006 - In keeping with an established tradition, representatives of the
Social Partners in Saint Lucia are part of this country’s delegation to the
CARICOM Heads of Government Summit currently taking place in Saint Kitts and
Nevis.
Prime Minister Dr Kenny D. Anthony is leading the island’s delegation, which
includes External Affairs Minister Senator Petrus Compton and Ambassador to
CARICOM, His Excellency Mr. Anthony Severin.
But also on the delegation are representatives of the Private Sector and the
Trade Unions, who have accompanied the political and diplomatic representatives
to the meeting of the region’s highest decision makers.
The Presidents of the Saint Lucia Chamber of Commerce, the Saint Lucia
Manufacturers Association and the Saint Lucia Trade Union Federation are all on
the Saint Lucia delegation in Basseterre.
Prime Minister Anthony says he “established the practice of including the Social
Partners on official delegations” to CARICOM summits “because that will offer
them a better understanding of the issues and how they are seen and handled at
the regional level.”
He explained that “in this case, the summit will be discussing and taking
decisions relating to the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) and these
issues will inevitably be of interest to the Social Partners.”
The Saint Kitts
meeting will discuss, among other issues, the next step in the process of the
smaller member-states of the OECS sub-regional grouping’s accession to the
CARICOM Single Market (CSM).
Several other issues of regional and national importance are on the agenda for
the Heads of Government gathered in the twin island federation.
Prime Minister Anthony, in his capacity as Lead Prime Minister on matters of
Justice and Governance in CARICOM, will lead discussions on matters relating to
the return of Haiti to the CARICOM fold after the recent democratic elections in
that populous but troubled Caribbean state.
PM Anthony will also lead discussions on the upcoming general elections in
Guyana, which have had to be postponed due to logistical problems.
The summit in Saint Kitts and Nevis follows the recent celebration there of the
25th anniversary of the establishment of the OECS and the unveiling of the
sub-regional group’s new flag, the competition for which was won by a Saint
Lucian artistic company.
