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Caricom's crucial role in Haiti
Mr Patterson says Caricom has a serious role in Haiti's recovery
St Kitts and Nevis' Prime Minister Denzil Douglas has accused some members of the international community of excluding the Caribbean from reconstruction efforts in Haiti, following the January earthquake.
The Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, was levelled by the 7.0 magnitude tremblor on 12 January, that left over 220,000 dead.
Continued assistance to Haiti is one of the top agenda items at the Inter-sessional summit of Caribbean Community (Caricom) leaders meeting in Dominica over the next two days.
The United States has been leading international relief efforts in the damaged country.
But Dr Douglas said Thursday that Caricom can provide the voice that Haiti itself does not have, in its time of crisis.
"Caricom wants to use this Inter-sessional to impress upon the minds of those who are leading the international financial institutions that the Caribbeabn Community has a voice on behalf of Haiti and nothing should take place in terms of Haiti's future development unless we are the centre of those activities," Dr Douglas said.
A former Prime Minister of Jamaica, PJ Patterson, echoed similar sentiments earlier this week.
Delivering a lecture in St Lucia, Mr Patterson said that Caricom is no longer 'just simply another regional grouping', but a community of 14 sovereign nations with Haiti as its most recent member.
"We are not going to become mere passengers on any bus taking Haiti in whatever direction others may choose," he said.
"Caricom must be the column for the steering wheel, while Haiti must be in the driving seat, and we cannot and will not abdicate our responsibility to our kith and kin in this hour of need."
The Haitian leader, Rene Preval, will join his colleagues in Roseau on Friday, after meeting with US President Barack Obama on Wednesday to discuss continued aid for his country.
Mr Obama described the current situation in Port-au-Prince as 'dire', and added that with the approach of the rainy season, the challenge was to prevent a second disaster.
He also said Washington would continue to help Haiti through the long reconstruction process.
Mr Patterson says Caricom has a serious role in Haiti's recovery
St Kitts and Nevis' Prime Minister Denzil Douglas has accused some members of the international community of excluding the Caribbean from reconstruction efforts in Haiti, following the January earthquake.
The Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, was levelled by the 7.0 magnitude tremblor on 12 January, that left over 220,000 dead.
Continued assistance to Haiti is one of the top agenda items at the Inter-sessional summit of Caribbean Community (Caricom) leaders meeting in Dominica over the next two days.
The United States has been leading international relief efforts in the damaged country.
But Dr Douglas said Thursday that Caricom can provide the voice that Haiti itself does not have, in its time of crisis.
"Caricom wants to use this Inter-sessional to impress upon the minds of those who are leading the international financial institutions that the Caribbeabn Community has a voice on behalf of Haiti and nothing should take place in terms of Haiti's future development unless we are the centre of those activities," Dr Douglas said.
A former Prime Minister of Jamaica, PJ Patterson, echoed similar sentiments earlier this week.
Delivering a lecture in St Lucia, Mr Patterson said that Caricom is no longer 'just simply another regional grouping', but a community of 14 sovereign nations with Haiti as its most recent member.
"We are not going to become mere passengers on any bus taking Haiti in whatever direction others may choose," he said.
"Caricom must be the column for the steering wheel, while Haiti must be in the driving seat, and we cannot and will not abdicate our responsibility to our kith and kin in this hour of need."
The Haitian leader, Rene Preval, will join his colleagues in Roseau on Friday, after meeting with US President Barack Obama on Wednesday to discuss continued aid for his country.
Mr Obama described the current situation in Port-au-Prince as 'dire', and added that with the approach of the rainy season, the challenge was to prevent a second disaster.
He also said Washington would continue to help Haiti through the long reconstruction process.
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