Scotland happy with CARICOM endorsement

With the overwhelming backing of CARICOM (Caribbean Community) for her second term as Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Baroness Patricia Scotland, says a second tenure will be all about following through on the groundwork laid over the last four years.

In an interview with Barbados TODAY this morning, Scotland, who has received push back from some heads of Commonwealth, said she was happy that her efforts to serve all 54 nations was recognised, even though it was not “done for the applause.”

“I will now continue to work assiduously on behalf of all 54 countries,” she said. “These countries are all independent sovereign nations who have committed themselves to the values of the Commonwealth charter. It has been my privilege, pleasure and great honour to serve all 54 of these countries equally. So of course, it was pleasurable to see that hard work that we have all been doing and engaged in to be applauded and appreciated, even though you don’t do things for applause and appreciation.”

In her interview, Scotland noted the Commonwealth had made several notable strides, including the advancement of climate change issues and the development of a common trade database, all of which were accomplished with limited resources.

“For the last four years I have listened to what our countries said that they needed and then to respond by trying to find the tools to do that which they hoped to do… When I first came, I was told that I was standing on a burning deck because of the limited financial resources and we were in need of quite drastic reform,” said Scotland.

She added, “This reform has not been easy, and it has at times been painful as we have tried to struggle with little money. I am pleased that we have gone from being marked a C-rated organisation to an A+ one. There is still a lot for us to do but I thank every single member state because without their collaboration, we would never have gotten there.”

In the post-summit press conference of the 31st intersessional Meeting of CARICOM, Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley revealed that the region had given their full-throated endorsement to Scotland’s second bid.

“Baroness Scotland is and has been the candidate proposed by Dominica, Antigua and Belize and I wish I was there because Barbados would have been one of the proposers too, let me state that for the record. We are happy with the work that she has done for the countries of the region. We are happy with the work she has done for countries in the Pacific and Africa. We believe that every other Commonwealth Secretary General, has performed perhaps not as much, had the benefit of a second term,” said Mottley

Some Commonwealth heads of government have already rejected calls to give Scotland an automatic second term of office when it comes up for renewal this year.

Britain is among some Commonwealth countries that suspended voluntary contribution to the Secretariat after Scotland was criticized by auditors for allegedly “circumventing” usual competitive tendering rules when she awarded a lucrative consultancy contract to a company run by a friend.

London has withheld its funding of £4.7 million (US$6.07 million), joining New Zealand and Australia in doing so until the Secretariat’s financial systems are tightened up and tested by external auditors. colvillemounsey@barbadostoday.bb