The Secretariat shall be the principal administrative organ of the Community. The headquarters of the Community shall be located in Georgetown, Guyana.
The Secretariat shall comprise a Secretary-General and such other staff as the Community may require. In the recruitment of such staff, consideration shall be given to securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, bearing in mind the principle of equitable geographical distribution.
The Secretary-General shall, in addition to the powers conferred by or under the Treaty, be the Chief Executive Officer of the Community and shall act in that capacity at all meetings of Community Organs and Bodies. He shall make an annual report to the Conference on the work of the Community.
In the performance of their duties the Secretary-General and staff shall neither seek nor receive instructions from any Government of the Member States or from any other authority external to the Community. They shall refrain from any action which might reflect adversely on their position as officials of the Community and shall be responsible only to the Community.
Member States undertake to respect the exclusively international character of the responsibilities of the Secretary-General and staff and shall not seek to influence them in the discharge of their responsibilities.
The Conference shall approve the Staff Regulations governing the operations of the Secretariat.
The Community Council shall approve the financial regulations governing the operations of the Secretariat.
The Secretary-General shall establish Staff Rules for the operation of the Secretariat.
