Address at the Inauguration Ceremony of the CARICOM Single Market

• Author: Rt. Hon. Owen Arthur
• Pages: 29-32

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Address by the Rt. Hon. Owen Arthur

It is common knowledge that I am perfectly happy to come to Jamaica

merely to engage in light pursuits. You will therefore appreciate how special

it feels to be here to be part of an occasion which holds the promise of

making such a significant difference to the future of our region and the lives

of its people.

I have today, on behalf of the Government and people of Barbados signed

the declaration marking the coming into being of the CARICOM Single

Market, very conscious of the extraordinary legacy of which I am proud to

be a part. A Barbadian National Hero was the only Prime Minister of the

West Indies Federation.

Another of our National Heroes, and a Prime Minister of Barbados, was

at the founding of both CARIFTA and CARICOM, and was in every respect

and moreso than any other Caribbean citizen the architect of economic

integration as we have come to know it in the Caribbean.

I regard it as being among my most important contributions as Prime

Minister of Barbados to have led our nation to end centuries of colonial

history and dependence by ending our relationship with the British Privy

Council, and accepting the jurisdiction of the Caribbean Court of Justice in

all of its aspects.

It is in this spirit that this evening I solemnly pledge Barbados’ complete

support to making the Caribbean Single Market and Economy successful.

I do so, conscious of the extraordinary obligation that rests upon us to

make Caribbean unity an effective instrument by which to achieve Caribbean

progress.

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3Address by the Rt. Hon. Owen Arthur,

Prime Minister of Barbados

At the Inauguration of the

CARICOM Single Market

January 30, 2006, Jamaica