The next Commonwealth Secretary General will be from the Caribbean.
This was disclosed by Prime Minister Freundel Stuart, as he spoke last Friday with members of the media at the close of the 35th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) at the Sandals Grand Resort in Antigua.
He noted that selecting a Commonwealth Secretary General would be a very important decision because the last occasion on which CARICOM had a chance to choose a Commonwealth Secretary General was in 1975, when Sir Shridath Ramphal, who served three terms, was selected.
He indicated that there were three nominees, one each from Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica and Antigua. Describing the nominees as ???strong and credible candidates???, he said that the Heads of Government would come to a decision on the preferred choice ???in the fullness of time???.
Mr. Stuart pointed out that it would be another 40 years before the region had another opportunity to choose a Secretary General. ???Therefore, we have to choose wisely,??? he said.
Kamalesh Sharma of India is the fifth and present Commonwealth Secretary General.??Members of the Commonwealth are united by language, history, culture and their shared values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
cathy.lashley@barbados.gov.bb