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CARICOM Summit | Grenadian PM calls for colleagues to be more accountable

Published:Thursday | July 5, 2018 | 10:38 AMBrian Walker
From left: CARICOM Secretary- General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, (centre) Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness greets Dr. Keith Mitchell, the Prime Minister of Grenada.

Prime Minister of Grenada Dr Keith Mitchell has called for his Caribbean Community (CARICOM) colleagues to foster a higher level of accountability in the activation of plans and policies.

Mitchell was addressing the opening ceremony for the Heads of Government summit last night at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St James.

“Over the next few days of discussions, one of our objectives must be not only to focus on a results-oriented approach but to hold each other accountable for the implementation of the decisions that we take,” said Mitchell.

He argued that CARICOM heads need to leverage this opportunity to improve regional integration and build a firmer and more resilient grouping or risk becoming globally irrelevant.

He continued, “Let us not leave here, hiding behind phrases such as: ‘We agree in principle', knowing fully well that we intend to afford ourselves the political room to manoeuvre when it comes to the implementation of key actions and decisions. … My friends, I believe the deficit between CARICOM's relevance and influence, between opportunity and promise, between plans and delivery on the ground, should be at the heart of our deliberations at this 39th Conference”.

Today’s roster includes the 24th meeting of the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on External Trade Negotiations, the first plenary session, a working lunch in honour of the Cuba President Miguel Díaz-Canel and a caucus session.

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