Safiya Horne-Bique has been appointed Director of Trade and Sustainable Development (DTSD) of the ACS. Mrs. Horne-Bique was previously Advisor in the Directorate. Her appointment was approved at the Intersessional Meeting of the ACS Ministerial Council recently. From Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Mrs. Horne-Bique, a trade specialist, worked in the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines from 2008-2019. 

She replaces former Director Jose Miguel Rovira Gonzalez who was rotated with the arrival of new Secretary General Rodolfo Sabonge, who came to the ACS elected by the Non-aligned ACS countries (Panama, Cuba and Dominican Republic). Former Secretary General Dr. June Soomer was elected from among the CARICOM group.

“I am enthused at being appointed to such an important and critical position. I look forward to working for the benefit of the entire Greater Caribbean. The ACS is an organisation well poised to further meaningful Regional Integration and Cooperation among Member States, and I am honored to be a part of this process.” 

The Directorate of Trade and Sustainable Development implements the ACS work programme under the areas of Trade and External Economic Relations, and Sustainable Tourism. While working as Trade Advisor, she was one of the main people responsible for organising the 13th ACS Business Forum of the Greater Caribbean, which took place virtually for the first time.  

The three ACS Directors and Secretary General come from each of the four ACS sub-regional groupings: CARICOM, Group of Three (Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela), Central America and the Non-Aligned (Cuba, Dominican Republic and Panama).