Former CARICOM Secretary General Edwin Carrington has been appointed as Trinidad and Tobago’s ambassador extraordinaire and plenipotentiary to CARICOM.
Carrington received his instrument of appointment recently from Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar at the Office of the Prime Minister, St. Clair, Port of Spain.
A statement issued by the Office of the Prime Minister said Carrington is a Trinidad and Tobago citizen and the longest serving CARICOM secretary general. He held that position from August, 1992 to December, 2010, making his the longest serving secretary-general of the Caribbean Community.
Carrington also served as secretary general of the African, Caribbean and Pacific-Group of States (ACP) from l985 to l990.
He is the only Caribbean national to have held this position to date, and Carrington Hall at the ACP Secretariat (Brussels) is named in his honor.
In 2005, Carrington was awarded T&T’s highest honor at the time, the Trinity Cross (which has since been changed to the Order of the Republic of TT). He also received T&T’s second highest honor the Chaconia Medal (gold) in 1987.
Carrington has been honored by other Caribbean countries.
Recognition of Carrington’s contribution to the Caribbean was expressed by the Caribbean Diaspora, through the conferring in 2001 of the Pinnacle Award by the National Coalition of Caribbean Affairs.