Senator Franklyn Urges Region to Capitalize on Current Single Space Platform

Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Delano Franklyn, has expressed confidence that the temporary single space arrangement that has been established across the region for the ICC Cricket World Cup, could be made permanent in the near future.
Presently, the region is operating as a single domestic space, in order to facilitate the effective staging of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 in nine CARICOM host venue countries. This arrangement will cease on May 15.
According to the Minister, CARICOM Heads of State should utilize the tremendous platform offered now, to further build and make the arrangements permanent. The creation of the single domestic space, he stated, was one of the lasting legacies of the hosting of the ICC CWC 2007, as it indicated that such an arrangement was indeed possible in the long term.
Addressing the recent launch of the Jamaica Cricket Legacy at Eden Gardens on Lady Musgrave Road, Senator Franklyn said that, “for a long time we have been clamouring about the point of entry and freedom of movement in the region and have been asking why is it that we cannot create a single domestic space in the Caribbean”.
Another lasting legacy for the region, he pointed out, was in the area of security, which has become a major focus with the staging of CWC 2007.
“Nobody knew in 1995 and 1996 when the team negotiated for the Caribbean to host CWC 2007 that security concerns would be what it is in 2007. Nobody could have predicted that the situation would be what it is,” he said.
“Today a lot of money has been spent in this particular area to train members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force to be up to speed in dealing with matters of an international nature, particularly in crisis management, and also to prevent certain unfortunate incidence that have taken place elsewhere during international competition, from happening here,” Minister Franklyn continued.
Furthermore, preparations in the area of security, has enabled Jamaica to interact and interface with its counterparts across the Caribbean, he said, adding that professional assistance was provided from countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. “We have all benefited significantly from their input in terms of putting our security arrangements together,” he disclosed.
The Foreign Affairs Minister however acknowledged that, one of the challenges would be for the leadership of CARICOM to ensure that what has been accomplished for the event, would continue in the future.
Senator Franklyn also highlighted another legacy that he anticipated could some day become a reality. “Out of the CWC 2007 we hope as a legacy that we will have in the very near future a West Indies team that will be able to not come into this competition as ranked fifth, but as number one, as they were in 1975 and 1979,” he said.