Thank you Mr. Chairman.

Secretary General, Luis Almagro,
Assistant Secretary General, Ambassador Nestor Mendez,
Colleague Ambassadors,

Good morning!
Mr. Chairman, I speak on behalf of the 14 Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

I take this opportunity to express our sincere condolences to the people of the United States on the tragic deaths of eleven (11) persons at a synagogue in Pittsburg, last Saturday. Our profound sympathy is extended particularly to the families and friends of the victims. We join in mourning their very sad loss.
 
Mr. Chairman, this Special General Assembly of the OAS is being held at a crucial juncture in the history of the Organization of American States; crucial within the context of the state of current political hemispheric affairs and crucial with respect to threats to the long-term sustainability of the Organization and the programmes, which over the last seventy (70) years have been a positive influence in the lives of many of our peoples throughout the hemisphere.

Mr. Chairman, our approach to this year’s budget negotiations was guided by our strong desire for improvements in fiscal prudence and responsibility, good governance and accountability, on all fronts of this Organization, formatted around the chief pillars of: Defending Human Rights, Ensuring a Multidimensional Approach to Security, Fostering Integral Development and Prosperity, while Promoting and Consolidating Democracy in the Hemisphere.  

CARICOM firmly believes that these principles must continue to be the guiding philosophies of this Organization, if it is to keep abreast of changing global realities, especially so, against the backdrop of its mantra to realize, “More Rights for More Peoples”, in the 21st century.

Mr. Chairman, CARICOM’s record on human rights speaks for itself.  We have an enviable record of adherence to democracy and the rule of law, and respect for human rights and for religious tolerance and non-discrimination on the basis of race or colour.  However, we continue to call for increased focus on the development pillar, which for us is of tremendous importance, especially in light of setbacks to our development efforts caused by natural disasters, including hurricanes and the debilitating effects of climate change - an increasing existential threat not only to our sub-region but also to the hemisphere, as evidenced by devastating events in recent years.

Not only have we witnessed an increase in the frequency and intensity of hurricanes, we are now experiencing increased tremors, which we cannot ignore, as with every occurrence, there is the likelihood that we will encounter serious challenges to infrastructure and other areas of our already fragile economies, in the near future. We must be prepared to respond to every eventuality and as such, our pursuit of the strengthening of this pillar is for the development of resilience capabilities and increased capacities, through an expanded role for the OAS, in its delivery of technical support which would undoubtedly assist in resuscitating crucial sectors, in the aftermath of disasters in countries throughout the hemisphere in the aftermath of such occurrences.

Among the crucial areas of our development priorities is the Scholarships and Training Programmes, which have suffered from severe underfunding in recent years. We are of the view that creative ways should be found to replenish the Scholarship Capital Fund, to ensure its viability and for it to realize the reason for its creation - a financial grant to assist recipients to fulfill their academic aspirations.

Mr. Chairman,

An important part of our development strategy includes the effective use of National Offices. It is our view that National Offices represent more than just the face of the OAS in Member States; they are pivotal in the delivery of OAS support, efficient and effective coordination and engaging national authorities in fulfilling development needs. These Offices require adequate staffing and budgetary support to continue to provide value for the Organization and local communities, where they exist. There is also urgent need for continued upgrading of systems to ensure optimum coordination of expertise, equipment and other resources, between Headquarters, Departments and the National Offices, as part of the overall wider objective of providing effective and efficient services to member states.

Mr. Chairman, we continue to support the work of the Organization in helping to build capacity in the very important areas of trade competitiveness, small business development, tourism, culture and most importantly, energy. In this regard, we look forward to the Ministerial Meeting of the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA) scheduled to be convened in Jamaica, this time next year.

Mr. Chairman,

A core part of CARICOM’s focus in the budgetary process is that of Multidimensional Security. We continue to maintain that the cross-cutting nature of Security requires multidimensional approaches to solutions, if we are to achieve sustainable growth and development in the vast majority of our member states. CARICOM welcomes all initiatives aimed at addressing old and new security threats, which confront the hemisphere. For our part, we look forward to working with the Secretariat for Multidimensional Security, as best as possible, as we seek to mitigate the effects of these threats.

Among the most important of our immediate concerns is that of Institutional Strengthening. As the current Chair of the Working Group, Guyana has provided able leadership in formulating incremental, workable recommendations to enhance coherence, coordination and communication. In particular, we welcome and support efforts to strengthen the role of the Permanent Council and of the relationship between the Permanent Council and the General Secretariat, fully cognizant of the fact that the Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Affairs continues to be the main mechanism for ensuring accountability, transparency and the efficient and effective functioning of the General Secretariat.

Mr. Chairman,

As we look towards the commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the OAS, it is also opportune to take stock of the Organization’s accomplishments and its deficiencies, particularly where the delivery of services could have enhanced outputs to achieve maximum benefits. Among the variables which must be examined is the investment in human capital. This cannot be overstated.  CARICOM believes that a vibrant OAS is one which attracts the best and the brightest from every corner of the hemisphere, while reflecting our cultural diversity. We look forward to the implementation of measures to correct this anomaly of under representation of many Member States, in the staff complement of the Secretariat.

Mr. Chairman,

CARICOM remains firmly committed to the principle of multilateralism and so, even as we confront efforts that would undermine our development, we remain committed to engaging with all others, to formulate effective solutions to our common problems, including the scourges of our time: climate change, transnational organized crime, narco-trafficking and the illegal trade in small arms and light weapons, corruption and the inequalities in the international financial system.

Finally, Mr. Chairman, I take this opportunity to express our sincere appreciation to the staff of the Secretariat for their significant contribution to the budget process. We also thank the interpreters and room attendants for their diligent services.

I thank you.