Edwin Wilberforce Carrington was born in Tobago and raised in the village of Parlatuvier. He is the holder of a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from London University, a Master’s Degree in Economics from the University of the West Indies and pursued further advanced studies in Economics at McGill University in Canada. Additionally, he is the recipient of Honorary Degrees, including a Degree of Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) from the University of the West Indies.

During his distinguished career, he held the position of Chief of Economics and Statistics and Director of Trade and Integration in the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA)/the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and later was the longest serving Secretary-General of CARICOM, holding that position from August 1992 to December 2010. His achievements in CARICOM include overseeing its enlargement to fifteen (15) Member States by the inclusion of Suriname and Haiti, the achievement of Single Market Status in 2006, the establishment of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) in 2005 and the creation of a number of institutions critical to Caribbean development, including the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (5Cs) and the CARICOM Regional Organization for Standards and Quality (CROSQ). Prior to that, he was also the Secretary-General of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP Group). 

Sir Edwin is the holder of many distinguished awards, including the Trinity Cross of Trinidad and Tobago, the Order of the Caribbean Community (OCC), National Awards from Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Belize and Suriname, as well as the Order of Civil Merit of Spain and the Condecoración from the countries of Central America (SICA). He was also knighted through the Government of Antigua and Barbuda. Most recently, Sir Edwin was named one of sixty (60) National Icons of Trinidad and Tobago. Sir Edwin currently serves as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Trinidad and Tobago to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).