He was speaking at the Summit of Latin America and the Caribbean on Integration and Development in Salvador, Bahía, Brazil.
Golding noted that the Rio Group, which first met 20 years ago, now includes all 33 countries in the region and is best placed to be the vehicle for negotiating with other global economic blocs.
Underscoring that the region's greatest potential was its population of 500 million, Golding said the time had come to give more opportunities to the peoples of the region and not to look for opportunities outside of the region.
Areas of consensus
He said that, despite the disputes and unresolved issues that exist between countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, there were a number of areas of consensus among them.
Golding suggested that, if it were equipped with the necessary technical and administrative capacity, the Rio Group could be a vehicle for development. He noted that, if an effective plan of action were devised and implemented, governments could be enabled to achieve goals that would lead to a better quality of life for their people.