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On the Occasion of the 40th meeting of the Authority of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Tortola, the British Virgin Islands November 10, 2004 I am deeply honoured to be afforded this opportunity to address you this evening, and to update you on the current state of affairs in Grenada, roughly two months after Hurricane Ivan brought widespread devastation to our fair Spice Isle. Colleagues, permit me to invite you to stand and observe a one minute silence for those victims of Hurricane Ivan, in Jamaica, Haiti, the Cayman Islands and my own fair Grenada. Ladies and gentlemen, I have reflected quite often on that fateful day, some two months ago when my island was devastated by Hurricane Ivan and relived perhaps a thousand times, the sense of isolation and despair that my people and I felt at the time; But in every such reflection, I am reminded too of the overwhelming sense of gratitude that we all felt as Grenadians for the unexpected expressions of support, charitableness, and concern demonstrated by the Members of our CARICOM family and, indeed, from our many friends and well-wishers around the world. Having said this, I know that the people of Grenada would wish me to convey to you colleague Heads of the OECS, their very deepest appreciation for the actions of your Governments and your people in sustaining them, particularly in the critical days after the devastation wrath by Hurricane Ivan. They would wish me to say, as well, that Grenada will not soon forget the early visit of Prime Ministers Gonzales and Anthony, whose open expressions of support, solidarity and identification with our country and our tragic circumstance, gave us strength, hope and courage. Nor colleagues, will we in Grenada, soon forget the sacrifices of the Dominican people, led by Prime Minister Skerrit, and I know that they would wish me to say to you Prime Minister - that it has not escaped us that Dominica, a country with its own difficult economic circumstances, would still find it possible to make both monetary and critical relief contributions to Grenada in its time of need. Colleagues, we have been fortified by your collective generosity. We are inspired by the faith. We draw purpose from your strength and courage from your solidarity. Indeed Colleagues, we are humbled by your grace. Today the insecurities and uncertainties which we harbored as a result of our devastating losses are quickly being replaced by hope and a renewed vision for the building of a New Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique.
With 90 percent of our homes damaged, of which 50 percent were totally demolished; But as Ivan destroyed houses, businesses, schools, public buildings, equipment and other critical infrastructure, so too the Hurricane also invoked a spirit of unity and togetherness among the Members of the OECS family and in the wider CARICOM and Caribbean region. Indeed, it has instilled in the private sector, the major catalyst for socio-economic development and reconstruction in our country, a new determination to succeed and appears to has awakened within them, new creative models of cooperation and collaboration with their regional counterparts and partners. Such cooperation is already paying rich dividends to the people of Grenada, through improving the supplies of goods in the several Grenadian stores and businesses that have already reopened and through the record restoration of utility and other services. Chairman, you would permit me to single out the instance of the utility companies, where the manpower and physical resources of Grenada’s own GRENLEC are being augmented by resources from VINLEC, DOMLEC, T&TEC, and LUCELEC to name just a few. Colleagues the sub-region has not been so alive with intra-OECS travel and technical and functional cooperation exchanges, perhaps since the 1950’s. I wish to seize this opportunity to highlight the role being played by our own sons and daughters of the Regional Security System (RSS) and to applaud their hard work in restoring law and order in our country. The prompt response of the OECS Secretariat, the ECCB and other regional institutions in assisting Grenada to prepare a comprehensive Assessment Report, Post-Ivan, for presentation at the recently concluded Donor’s Meeting in Washington in October, was a meaningful achievement for our sub-region. Director General, we are indeed grateful to you and your staff for this effort. I also wish to use this opportunity to acknowledge the efforts of the Secretary General and staff of the CARICOM Secretariat, along with the timely support by officials from the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, the Governor and staff of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, USAID, Smith Warner International, the CARANA Corporation, and the United Nations Development Programme for the Eastern Caribbean, in supporting us at technical level in the period immediately following the Hurricane is deeply appreciated. Colleagues, with respect to the overall recovery process, we are establishing an Agency for Reconstruction and Development, which has the support of many stakeholders locally, regionally and internationally. The Agency will be headed by the eminent Grenadian and Caribbean statesman, Sir Allister McIntyre and will focus on economic, social and infrastructural recovery. The Agency will be supported by a National Council for Reconstruction and Development which will serve as an advisory body to Cabinet, as well as a forum for policy dialogue on important issues which arise during the course of implementation of the reconstruction and development programme. Cabinet will continue to give broad based policy direction to the implementation of the reconstruction and development programmes, based on the advice received from the Council and from other sources. The operations and performance of the Agency will be financed with donor funds and will be reported on through Parliament.
In addition, to the general recovery which will be required to the social sectors, all Ministries have identified the need to address the psychological trauma being experienced throughout the country. It is clear that this psychological trauma is negatively affecting productivity. The Government of Grenada is convinced that a national recovery effort cannot afford to shirk this issue, if the infrastructural and other programmes are to succeed. In terms of sector recovery programmes, we have developed detailed plans for all economic and social sectors which will form the basis of our actions over the next several years. Agriculture’s recovery is anticipated to be more long term, though some short cycle production, largely vegetables, will begin within the next three (3) months. I have also appointed a second Minister to the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Forestry and Fisheries to assist in the management and redevelopment of the sector and the revival of our long-term Food Security Programme. The Financial Policy reform agenda of the Government is an important aspect of the recovery Programme. Colleagues, I now wish to turn my attention to another very important project that will serve to further unify our Region. This project is close to my heart, as it provides wonderful opportunities for realising the potential of our Caribbean people. As you are aware, the overall objective of the Caribbean Knowledge and Learning Network - CKLN - is to enhance our competitiveness by upgrading and diversifying the skills and knowledge of our people through greater regional collaboration and connectivity. The installation of satellite broad band connectivity and related service will allow the connection of all participating tertiary institutions in the Caribbean to share knowledge and access online courses developed both in the Caribbean and abroad. This is being achieved through E-links Americas, an initiative of the Institute for Connectivity of the Americas for the provision of connectivity for social development, which is supported by the OAS, the International Development and Research Council, CIDA and the World Bank. Since the Network was formally launched at the Meeting of CARICOM’s Heads of Government in Grenada in July, significant progress has been achieved. CKLM was registered as a Foundation in Grenada under the Companies Act on October 5 and space for the headquarters has been identified in St. George’s. I am happy to report that the Network’s financial plan has been completed and we have commitments for Two million Euros from the European Union, as well as further commitments from UNESCO and UNDP. We have also received $214,000 from the $1 million (US) commitment by the OAS. The CKLN is, indeed, one of the most promising initiatives to be undertaken with respect to realising the potential of our people. I, therefore, take this opportunity to express appreciation to the donor community for the assistance we have received thus far and the commitments for the future to ensure this revolutionary initiative is sustained. Colleague as Grenada advances along the road of reconstruction and recovery, I would wish to request your continuing support in the provision of scholarships and employment opportunities for our hotels and service employees who have been displaced as a consequence of the devastation to hotels, restaurants and other hospitality related infrastructure. I’m convinced that this is the sort of specific initiative which will ensure an enduring and lasting relationship among our OECS family. Indeed, as construction workers flow into Grenada in the next several months seeking employment, the facilitation of displaced Grenadians working in the Grenadines, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, and so on, is precisely the kind of prescription that will render our OECS arrangement relevant and enduring. Chairman, I wish to state that Grenada on account of the devastation caused by Ivan, shall be seeking the accommodations of the Revised Treaty in Relation to Article 48, Article 164 and Chapter 7. We consider these derogations central to the policy framework which will support the development and integration of our productive sectors into the CSME. We seek the support of the OECS in this regard. Colleague Heads, my friends in the international donor community and family members in the OECS, there is no denying that your help and understanding, is contributing tremendously to Grenada’s recovery. While we have started this journey, we do have a long way to go, and it will take an incredible amount of technical, financial and moral support to complete the recovery process. To this end, I invite you our friends in the international and regional donor community, to our Donor’s Conference to be held in St. George’s, Grenada on November 19th . Colleague Heads, be assured that it is your solidarity and that of your people, the support of the international donor institutions, your collective prayers and God’s guidance, integrated with the resilience, hard work and sacrifice of the people of my country, that will together shape and build a new, better Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique. |
