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Caricom iew March 2014 CARICOM V

RETURN to Chaguaramas PAGE 1 ...the Future of CARICOM PAGE 13

CONTENTS PAGE

RETURN to REMEMBER THE REGIONAL INTEGRATION Chaguaramas Live Up To Vision of Process and the future of CARICOM PAGE 1 Forefathers PAGE 12 PAGE 6

RE-DEDICATION TO , IMPORTANCE AND The Principles of the FOURTH OF JULY DEVELOPMENT OF Treaty of Chaguaramas Sanctified In Regional History TRADE STATISTICS PAGE 3 PAGE 8 IN THE COMMUNITY (CARICOM) PERSIST, RALLY ON OUR COURSE RECOMMIT OURSELVES PAGE 25 PAGE 4 to Integrative Process PAGE 10 FROM COLGRAIN To Turkeyen PAGE 31 CARICOM VIEW www.CARICOM.ORG

RETURN to Chaguaramas Forty years to the ey travelled by sea and road Persad-Bissessar, Heads of Government of , date after the from Port-of- on 4 July , and and , 2013, to the northwestern respectively, recommitted to the integration founding Treaty of T peninsula area of Chaguaramas, to movement and to fulfilling the vision of the founding the integration the same building where, four decades fathers. ey later joined the other Heads of movement was ago, the Community’s founding fathers - Government attending the irty-Fourth Meeting of the Hon. Errol Barrow, Prime Minister of the Conference of Heads of Government to affix their signed, Heads of Barbados, the Hon. Michael Manley, signatures to a commemorative document. Government Prime Minister of Jamaica, the Hon. Eric journeyed to Williams, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Prime Minister Stuart, who led the quartet in brief Tobago, and the Hon. Forbes Burnham, remarks, retraced the steps to the establishment of Chaguaramas, to Prime Minister of Guyana - signed the the Community, and acknowledged that commemorate Treaty of Chaguaramas, bringing into Chaguaramas was indelibly imprinted on CARICOM’s and celebrate at being the and history. Common Market. e Community, he said, was positioned between the cradle of the hope and history. While history could not be Caribbean Drum rolls and fanfares befitting such an reversed, it was the duty of current torchbearers to Community historic occasion, heralded the arrival of give flesh to the hope, to work closely together to the Heads of Government of CARICOM at consolidate our independence. Progress, he CARICOM. the beautifully decorated Chaguaramas underlined, was not going to happen by accident, but Convention Centre to celebrate the by conscious decision. Community. ere, the Hon. Freundel Stuart, the Most Hon Portia Punctuating her remarks with quotations from the Simpson-Miller, His Excellency Donald founding fathers, Prime Minister Simpson-Miller Ramotar, and the Hon. Kamla cautioned the Community to reacquaint itself with the context that informed the creation of CARICOM

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which she said was more than an of the four founding Prime Ministers, e integration movement was at an organization. It represented, she said, the President Ramotar pointed out that the important juncture of the evolution of the vision and aspiration of the founding need for integration was perhaps greater Community where “we either give up” or fathers for a strong integrated region to now than when the Treaty was signed 40 pursue the path of unity. e challenge, provide the best prospects for social and years ago. she told the Chaguaramas gathering, was economic development. not to be indecisive; not to turn around, “We either give up” or pursue the not to delay, but to persist towards the She said that the Community needed to path of unity. redirection of our destiny. be serious in its introspection in the ever-changing, dynamic international THE PRIME MINISTER e programme was interspersed with community, and had to have continuous OF TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, cultural presentations from Barbados, evaluation and renewal. THE HONOURABLE Jamaica, Guyana and Trinidad and KAMLA PERSAD-BISSESSAR, SC Tobago, following the remarks by the For President Ramotar, the needs of the respective Heads of Government. In word, people of the Caribbean were paramount. In her remarks, Prime Minister song, dance, drama and art, the culture of “As leaders, we must ask ourselves Persad-Bissessar lauded the vision of the the Community was showcased for the whether the people of the region have founding fathers and called for a positive appreciative gathering at the benefitted fully from this process,” he reflection, and incarnation of the spirit Chaguaramas Convention Centre. said. In praising the courage and foresight and intention of their vision.

Heads of Government at the Rededication Ceremony at the Chaguramas Convention Centre, Chaguaramas on 4 July 2013.

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RE-DEDICATION TO THE PRINCIPLES OF THE TREATY OF CHAGUARAMAS on the Occasion of the 40th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)

On the occasion of the fortieth social development in securing increased anniversary of the establish- global competitiveness for our respective ment of the Caribbean Commu- Member States and to secure a higher nityO (CARICOM), we, the Heads of State standard of living for all our peoples; and Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM): Undertake to recalibrate and fully implement the goals and objectives of our Remain dedicated to the ideals of our Community consistent with the best founders for the integration of our interests of the Community, including its and our people of the Carib- people; bean Region; Pledge to strengthen existing policies and Recognise the invaluable contributions embark on new initiatives aimed at made by CARICOM nationals over the secunng our common interests regionally years in numerous areas including , and internationally; education, health, security, Foreign Policy, Sports, Arts, Literature and Cultural Development, among others; In witness thereof, we have affixed our Are resolute in our determination to signatures: further enhance our tradition for united action as we strive to propel our Commu- 4th July 2013 nity to achieve sustained economic and Chaguaramas,

TREATY SIGNED

3 CARICOM VIEW A publication of the Caribbean Community Persist, rally on our course The Hon. Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Prime Minister, of Trinidad and Tobago, at Commemorative Event, Chaguaramas Convention Centre, Chaguaramas, July 4, 2013

t is with immense pleasure and a at sense of determination and deep sense of Caribbean patriotism consciousness continues to drive our that I welcome my sisters and Caribbean Community today, which is I brothers of the region to this most characterised by forty years of dialogue historic occasion. and unity.

Forty (40) years ago on this day, the However, after forty years, we find founding fathers of the region executed ourselves at an important juncture in the what is perhaps, the most significant evolution of our Caribbean Region. accord that would govern the relationship We must commit to either go forward of the nation-states which comprise the together or to succumb to the negativity Caribbean Community. and unconstructiveness of the naysayers who declare CARICOM to be irrelevant. ere can be no doubt that the historic signing of July 4th 1973, was preceded by I say we cannot, must not, let perish the long and meticulous study, debate and vision and hopes of our great leaders who articulation towards the final product; the stood right here 40 years ago, firm in the Treaty of Chaguaramas. belief that it was only through collective effort that the ambitions of the peoples of ere is no doubt that the framers of that the Caribbean could be materialised. celebrated Treaty would have toiled to ensure that it reflected the composite is morning through sound and views of the many men, women, children movement; art and drama, we showcase and governments who helped mould and our “Caribbean-ness”, testimony to our crystallise its formulation. creativity and innovation and our unbridled ability to rise above any And whilst there is never an Agreement challenge we may have to face. that can represent the aims, ambitions and aspirations of a people with exacti- Let this re-enactment today be not just a tude, we can safely say that forty years physical dramatization of our past, but a ago our political forefathers were on the tangible rededication to the future. right track. Let today be a day for positive reflection. In the very Preamble to that momentous declaration, the signatories pledged, inter Let it be the reincarnation of the spirit alia, to be “Determined to consolidate and and intendment of the Charter of July strengthen the bonds which have 4th 1973. historically existed amongst their peoples”....and to be “Conscious that Let today become our moment for new these objectives can most rapidly be resolve. attained by the optimum utilisation of available human and natural resources of Let it be the moment for rejuvenated the Region”. determination and consciousness; watchwords so passionately inscribed in

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the Preamble to the Caribbean’s most famous document.

e task before us is clear.

Our challenge is not to be indecisive, not to hesitate, not to reverse, not to turn around.

Our challenge is not to delay and loiter over hardship, adversity or difficulty, but to persist and to rally on our course towards the realisation of the destiny that our forefathers have set for us.

I thank you. PAUL KEENS DOUGLAS AT CHAGUARAMAS

This morning through sound and movement; art and drama, we showcase our “Caribbean-ness”, testimony to our creativity and innovation and our unbridled ability to rise above any challenge we may have to face.

The Hon. Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Prime Minister, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago

JAMAICAN DANCERS AT CHAGUARAMAS

5 CARICOM VIEW A publication of the Caribbean Community Remember live up to Among the many things we the people of for the benefit of all our peoples. the Caribbean have in common is the warm and welcoming . Its In their wisdom, they established a foamy crests embrace all our coastlines. structure built on partnership; they visionof Our homes are set like tiny jewels created an institution that embraced our FOREFATHERS

amidst its crystal blue waters. Yet each common and cultures of the Most Hon. jewel is different – rare and precious – community. ey called it the Caribbean distinctive and diverse. As Caribbean Community, CARICOM. Portia Simpson-Miller peoples, our similarities and our differ- Forty years ago, in 1973, the Treaty of ences have origins in unique experiences Chaguaramas was signed in this of altered histories. CARICOM Member State of Trinidad and PRIME MINISTER OF JAMAICA Tobago, formalizing the intent of our AT THE COMMEMORATIVE Forty years ago, our forefathers and community of nations. Today, 4th July EVENT AT THE CHAGUARAMAS mothers decided that it was prudent to 2013, we celebrate the 40th Anniversary embrace both that which we had in of this bold and historic step. CONVENTION CENTRE, common and that which gave us our CHAGUARAMAS distinct flavours to move towards a It is an honour for me to participate, this common goal. It was the visionary morning, in the symbolic signing leadership from Barbados, Guyana, ceremony to mark the 40thyear since the 4 July 2013 Trinidad and Tobago and our very own signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas, late Prime Minister of Jamaica, the Right signifying Jamaica’s recommitment to the Honourable Michael Manley, that insisted letter and principles entrenched in the that we should pool our collective efforts Revised Treaty governing this important

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family of nations. e late Errol Barrow, former Prime Minister of Barbados, pointed to two e theme we have chosen to mark this experiences which informed his passion significant milestone, `Forty (40) years of for Caribbean integration and unity. One Integration is a process Integration: Celebration and Renewal’, was the West Indian Students Union in not an event. We the causes us to cast our eyes in retrospect London in the 1940s, which staged the Caribbean are great even as we move steadily forward. It first public meeting on Caribbean reminds us that the CARICOM construct, integration in London. e other, on July peoples whose spirits as envisaged forty years ago, is rooted in 4, 1965, when he and former Prime continue to infuse the our history, geography, culture and many Minister of Guyana, Forbes Burnham, world with music, colour, other commonalities which remain met to discuss the possibility of establish- fundamental to its existence and survival. ing a free trade area between the two spice, vibrancy and countries, in the first instance, and the excitement. No challenge Madam Chair, Caribbean integration rest of the Caribbean “at such time as can daunt a people who predates the formal establishment of they were willing to follow their CARICOM. at journey towards the examples”. created the technology formulation of CARICOM causes me to that makes sweet music pause to recall the sentiment of the four Mr. Burnham believed that the Caribbean from steel pans. No founding Prime Ministers who spoke at must view its resources in totality and the Special Conference of Heads of that they should be developed for problem can stop a Government of the Independent individual countries, for region and people whose reggae Commonwealth Caribbean at Chaguar- equitably distributed. He reminded us music has inspired mas, Trinidad and Tobago, July 4, 1973. that we cannot cower, paralysed in the corner of caution in this time of human revolutionary change Ladies and gentlemen; An entire genera- affairs; that we should be careful, exact in across the world. What tion of Caribbean peoples has emerged our occasions and in what we propose to can deter peoples whose since then. is is one reason why it is do; but that the care and the exactness, important that we reacquaint ourselves must be exercised on the high road of athletic prowess defies with the context which informed the action. the laws of physics and creation of CARICOM. Your Excellencies, whose depth of thought is Ladies and Gentlemen, CARICOM is more e commemoration of this important than an organisation or mechanism. It milestone provides us with an opportu- seen in distinguished represents the vision and aspiration of nity to celebrate our achievements and scholarship? our forefathers for a strong integrated reflect upon the various challenges over Nothing can stop a region which would provide the best the years, as we seek to predict, strategize prospects for economic and social and respond to the current and rapidly united . development. changing international environment. We are from the crests of CARICOM, despite its challenges, remains the blue mountains to the It is our responsibility, not only to one of the most highly developed remember their vision, but importantly, integration movements in the world. glassy waters of Grand to live up to it. We must bring that vision erefore, as a Community, we have much Anse… we are from the to life in this generation and the next for to be proud of. deep forests of Guyana the benefit of all Caribbean people. e great regionalist, Norman Washington Of course, we must do serious introspec- and . We Manley said, we have to do so “with a tion in this ever changing dynamic celebrate the beautiful fixity of purpose and continuity of effort”. international community. We must bays of St. Vincent, the ensure continuous evaluation and renewal e then Host Prime Minister, Dr Eric to ensure the capacity of the movement hot sulpher springs of Williams, said, among other things forty to achieve objectives of the Revised and years ago: ‘After having placed the Treaty. . traditional emphasis on links [with the] metropolitan rather than our own individual economies, we have learnt the importance of close ties with one another at economic and other levels - whether higher education or health, labour or shipping, examinations, financial matters or mass communica- tions.

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Fourth of July sanctified in Regional History The Hon. Freundel Stuart, Prime Minister, Barbados at Commemorative Event, Chaguaramas Convention Centre, Chaguaramas, July 4, 2013

oday is the 4th day of July, in Barbados in that meeting between Barrow the year of our Lord 2013. Forty and Burnham that the decision was taken years ago at this place, the to establish a Caribbean Free Trade T Treaty of Chaguaramas was Association. Of course, the fourth of July signed. Today, we try to re-enact what was also the birthday of that distin- happened forty years ago. guished Jamaican patriarch, the late Norman Washington Manley, who did so Now history does not repeat itself. much in his time to promote the integra- Historians repeat themselves, but history tion of this region. does not repeat itself. But it helps us to understand what happened on the fourth After Barrow and Burnham agreed, they of July 1973. If I remind you that after were to discover that the then Head of the collapse of the Federation in 1962 Government of , Vere Cornwall attempts were made to redeem the Bird was similarly disposed and, there- reputation of this region by attempts at a fore, in 1965 at Dickenson Bay in small federation in the Eastern Caribbean Antigua, the CARIFTA agreement was - the so called, Little Eight effort. Most of formally signed. Two years elapsed and those negotiations took place in Barbados then at a conference held in Barbados in and when it became clear to the then 1967, all the other English-speaking premier of Barbados, Mr. Errol Walton CARICOM Member States, committed Barrow, that those negotiations were themselves to this Caribbean Free Trade going nowhere, he wrote them off and Association and, therefore, CARIFTA ended the attempt at a Little Eight became an authentic and living reality. Federation. By 1972, Chaguaramas, which has so On the 27 June 1965, Barrow wrote the much been a history of Trinidad and then premier of Guyana, Linden Forbes Tobago reclaimed, as I seem to recall, if Sampson Burnham, a letter inviting him my history is not deceiving me, by the to come to Barbados to discuss the then leader of Trinidad and Tobago, the possibility of establishing a Caribbean late Dr. Eric Williams, in an event which Free Trade Association. has gone down in history as the march in the rain, but at Chaguaramas in1972, e 27th of June 1965 was a Sunday, and Barrow, Burnham, Dr. Eric Williams and Burnham travelled to Barbados the Michael Manley met and took the historic following Sunday which would be Sunday, decision to affirm this region’s maturity, July 4, to have those discussions with the committing themselves to diplomatic premier of Barbados. relations with . at was a historic step in itself and wrote Chaguaramas Now you know why the date, the fourth further into the history of this region. of July is sanctified in our regional history. Because it was on that day in

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One year later, it was here at Chaguara- It is not going to happen by accident. It is mas, that the same four Caribbean going to happen by our consciously leaders, Dr Eric Eustace Williams, Michael deciding to make our history within the Norman Manley, Linden Forbes Sampson constraints, of course, that our concrete Burnham and Errol Walton Barrow met circumstances allow. and signed the Treaty of Chaguaramas. We’re not going to consolidate that “Seeing that we are ey had one simple mission - and it was independence if we keep our gaze fixed to bring this region and its peoples more beyond the perimeters of this region and compassed about by so closely knit together, and as I said last if we continue to invest in Madison great a cloud of evening, I need no persuasion at all that Avenue tastes and lifestyles. We must witnesses, let us lay aside forty years later the people of this region look inward; draw on the strengths and are more closely united than at any other on the resources of this region; affirm our every weight and the time in the history of the Caribbean. faith in what this region produces; what it distractions that so easily creates; what it believes; and daily, beset us and let us as We have been colonials for much longer minutely remind ourselves that we have a than we have been independent states. unique contribution to make to the Caribbean people run And rolling back the tide of history, and treasury of human civilization. with patience the race the consciousness which that history that is set before us. imposes will take a little time, but I don’t ere are those who have gone before think that as a region we have anything to who have pointed us in that direction Looking always to Him be ashamed about. We have shown the already, but we need to remind ourselves whose glory the heavens world that we have come together, we and those whom we meet that this region continue to declare as work together and try to realise the is special and has its own contribution to dreams and aspirations of the people of make to the unfolding drama of mankind. the author and finisher of this region. our regional faith!”

So, today, as we meet to re-enact the So, I’m very pleased to be here today to be events of forty years ago, we stand, do we part of this effort. Very pleased to see so Thank you very much! not, positioned between hope and history. many people turn out today. I conclude by History we cannot reverse, we cannot saying this now- theologians still dispute unmake, but to hope we can give flesh who wrote the book of Hebrews, and that and authentic living expression. is not a dispute to which I intend to add my voice today. I seem to recall that it We need to consolidate the independence was in that book of Hebrews that it was for which we fought in this region. And written, and I close with this, of course, we can only consolidate that indepen- by way of paraphrase. dence by working more closely together.

9 CARICOM VIEW A publication of the Caribbean Community Recommit ourselves to integrative process His Excellency Donald Ramotar , President, Republic of Guyana at Commemorative Event, Chaguaramas Convention Centre, Chaguaramas, July 4, 2013

wish to express my gratitude for the is occasion, while it calls for celebra- arrangements put in place today to tion, is also one for reflection, bring us to Chaguaramas to mark self-evaluation on whether we have been I this important milestone in our effective enough in our integrative efforts. Community's history; 40 years since the As leaders we must ask ourselves whether momentous and courageous step was the peoples of the Region have benefitted taken by our founding fathers to sign the fully from this process. Much talk about Treaty of Chaguaramas. the implementation deficit is widely spoken about. We must ask ourselves and Forty years ago, the Region was just we must ensure that there is no commit- emerging from and the then ment deficit. Let us recommit to reducing leaders recognized that to survive and if not eradicating the deficit that we have prosper in an international environment seen in our region. that was not always sympathetic and they knew that from the history of colonialism is should therefore be an opportune in the region time for us as a Community to recommit that they needed to integrate the region. ourselves to an integrative process that is ey obviously recognized that we had always adaptable to the changing good conditions to embark on that circumstances. Optimal utilization of our course. We have a common history, a productive capacity in this Region will common culture in many ways and a remain elusive in the absence of strong common desire of our peoples to live and meaningful integration. We must together in unity. never forget that our people must see and feel the benefits of integration. As the Shortly after the signing of this Treaty late President of our country Cheddi that brought forth CARICOM, the world Jagan said in October 1992 at a Special was struck by the first crisis, the oil crisis Session of Caribbean Heads of Govern- which exposed the extreme vulnerabilities ment “We have to work as a collective and of our individual Member States and consult our respective constituencies so served to vindicate the decision that was that we march, not ahead or behind but taken to integrate. together with our people”, and I submit that our people want us to march Today, even though much has changed together. ose sentiments are even more and we have made some progress, the relevant today. need for integration is probably greater now than it was when this Treaty was ere is no doubt that the Region has signed 40 years ago. made great progress. We have established several institutions which we need to e financial and economic crises that strengthen and we have taken many began in and North America have decisions. It is time for us to move the impacted heavily on our Region and process forward with more vigor and clearly the need for us to have greater more purposefully. integration has become more urgent.

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Clearly too we the areas and the ideas, we resolved lest we find ourselves guilty of a commitment to its preservation and have the decisions, we have studies all of commitment deficit. further consolidation for the ultimate which we have done in the past. We know benefit of the peoples of our Region. that these measures will redound to the It is therefore my hope that the Reform interest of the region and positively process currently engaging the Region’s Let me end by paying tribute to the four impact on the lives of our people. For attention will result in a mechanism that founding leaders who displayed courage example, we have studies on transporta- is more proactive. It is only with more and foresight, qualities which this tion, we have the Regional Financial dynamism that the Community would generation must adopt in realizing the Architecture, we have the Jagdeo best be able to respond to the fast dream of a united, peaceful and prosper- Initiative on Agriculture, the free changing global environment that we find ous Caribbean. movement of people and hassle free travel ourselves in. is vital and very important in helping us I thank you for your attention. to strengthen our integration movement. Guyana remains proud to be the seat of is implementation deficit needs to be this great Community and I reiterate our

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The Regional Integration Process and the Future of CARICOM AMBASSADOR IRWIN LaROCQUE SECRETARY-GENERAL CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY Distinguished Lecture delivered at University of the Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago | 3 October 2013

NTRODUCTION e nexus between this institution and is so needed to integrate this Region. For I am honoured to be here with you the regional integration process was make no mistake, to integrate small states this afternoon at the invitation of cemented when in 1963, trying to salvage such as ours, united and divided by the I Professor Sankat the wreck of the Federation, the then Caribbean Sea, with to deliver this lecture disparities of capacity, and begin the series of in different stages of Distinguished Lectures economic development, on our integration jealous of their sover- movement. It is a eignty, and among some discourse that is much of the youngest nation needed and if my states in the world, understanding is correct, requires fortitude, I look forward to hearing patience and vision. from some of the AMBASSADOR IRWIN Indeed, one of the most Region’s iconic figures LaROCQUE ardent devotees of on this theme. SECRETARY-GENERAL regional integration, Sir ere can hardly be a CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY Shridath Ramphal stated better place for such a in a speech in 1975: “e conversation, given the natural state of our long involvement and Caribbean is fragmenta- prominent role of the tion: without constant University of the West effort; without unrelent- Indies in integration. ing perseverance and e intellectual founda- discipline in suppressing tion for the modern instincts born of movement emanated tradition and environ- from this institution and some of its Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, ment, it is to our natural state of disunity leading academics have continued in that Dr Eric Williams, called for a meeting of that we shall return.” tradition by contributing their thoughts, his colleague Heads of Government in the views and in many cases their time and Anglophone Caribbean to discuss the No surprise therefore that regional energy towards furthering the integration future of common services. Chief among integration has had a long history of process. e alumni of this institution these was UWI, which was viewed as gradualism, moving, some will argue, at have been providing leadership in all indispensable to the integration move- the pace of the slowest. Of course, it can fields in the Region and abroad and many ment. Fifty years later, that characterisa- also be argued that such a steady of those who have passed through the tion still holds true. approach has resulted in the Caribbean halls have confessed that their grounding Community being the longest surviving in and support for regional integration e experiences and the knowledge that economic integration movement among found its genesis at the University. e so many gained from their stint at the developing countries and indeed second Region owes a debt to UWI. More now institution doubtlessly would have both only to the European Union, globally, in than ever, the tradition must continue. encouraged and fortified the “regional longevity. at “unrelenting persever- nationalism” that existed at the time and ance” of which Sir Shridath spoke, fuelled

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by our innate desire to come together, has e end of the Federation in 1962 give up some sovereignty. However, ensured that this year we celebrate 40 brought a close to this phase and to this decisions were largely unenforceable and years as the Caribbean Community approach to integration. In many ways, dispute settlement arrangements were (CARICOM). And I am confident that however, the end of the Federation led to weak. Trade barriers among members CARICOM will be here to celebrate its the beginning of another chapter in the were also rampant and many of the achievements in another 40 years. integration process which would evolve provisions of the Treaty were best into the Caribbean Community. e need endeavour clauses. In sharing my thoughts with you this to maintain and possibly expand the evening I will briefly trace the evolution Common Services that existed during the Sixteen years later, the watershed of the integration movement, give a sense Federation was the catalyst for that meeting of Heads of Government at of where we are today, point to the major (1963) Common Services Conference Grand Anse, in 1989, set the challenges and look to the future. which I mentioned earlier. e UWI and Region on course towards the CARICOM the Regional Shipping Service along with Single Market and Economy (CSME). HISTORY the Caribbean Meteorological Service, Grand Anse was a bold response to the Ladies and Gentlemen, in real terms our which began one year later, kept the circumstances of the day. e Commu- integration process can be regarded as embers of integration glowing along with nity was faced with a changing global beginning eighty one years ago, given that the so-called Little 8, comprising the economic environment while the it was in 1932 that the first concrete Windward and Leeward and performance of the regional economy was proposals for Caribbean unity were put Barbados which stayed together after the sluggish. e traditional market for our forward at a meeting of Caribbean labour dissolution of the Federation. commodities was threatened with the leaders in Roseau, Dominica. e Little 8 folded in 1965 and later that advent of the European Single Market, year, the Premiers of Barbados and British and discussions continued on the global It was the labour movement which Guiana and the Chief Minister of Antigua trading arrangements. Both of these championed and pioneered integration as and Barbuda Messrs Barrow, Burnham developments would result in preference a means of self-governance for the West and Bird respectively, agreed to establish erosion for the commodities the Region Indian territories. At congresses in the the Caribbean Free Trade Association had come to rely on so heavily. Grant late 1920s and 1930s, Caribbean labour (CARIFTA). It was the first attempt to assistance was also declining. Our leaders went from discussion of the idea integrate through trade. e other Leaders recognized that we needed to to actually drafting a constitution for the territories joined this initiative and become more self-reliant for our develop- unified territories, aided in large measure CARIFTA was launched in 1968 along ment. A deeper form of integration was by a young economist from Saint Lucia, with the Commonwealth Caribbean the logical answer to those challenges. Arthur Lewis, who later distinguished Regional Secretariat, which became the himself and the Region as our first Nobel CARICOM Secretariat. To accommodate this even deeper form of Laureate. integration, the Treaty was revised During that period, “regional nationalism” significantly and was signed in 2001. at Progress stalled with the intervention of was alive and well. It was a nationalism revision of the Treaty set out the the Second World War but shortly after born out of the common desire and objectives for the Community, including its end in 1945, momentum was regained recognition of the imperative to forge our the Single Market and Economy. ese towards independence as a unit. is was individual nationalism within a regional include improved standards of living and the main theme of a landmark meeting context. ere was a political chemistry work; full employment of labour and which took place in 1947 at Montego Bay, among our Leaders. other factors of production; accelerated, Jamaica. Out of that meeting, the process co-ordinated and sustained economic began towards the West Indies Federa- Eight years later, recognizing that development and convergence; enhanced tion. is Federation would eventually CARIFTA could only carry us thus far, our co-ordination of Member States' foreign involve the British colonies, with the Leaders felt confident enough to move on policies; and enhanced functional exception of then British Guiana and to a Common Market and Community co-operation. at last objective recog- British , and came into being in and deepened the integration arrange- nized the need for more efficient opera- 1958. Its goal was Independence and ments on the basis of three pillars: tion of common services and intensified some services were established to support economic integration; foreign policy activities in areas such as health, educa- the West Indian nation, including a co-ordination and functional tion, transportation and telecommunica- Supreme Court and a shipping line. In co-operation. e Treaty of Chaguaramas tions. preparing for Independence, a plan for a formalising this new arrangement was Customs Union was drawn up but during signed in 1973. at Treaty which In 2006, five years after the signing of the the four years of the Federation’s reflected the aspirations of the time could Revised Treaty, the Single Market was existence free trade was not introduced only carry us so far. It included a ushered in. Twelve of our fifteen Member among the islands. Common External Tariff (CET) which States form the Single Market, while incidentally requires Member States to and are working towards putting it into place.

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In the midst of these various transitions certain Institutions of our Community ese constraints have been exacerbated in the wider Region, the Organisation of such as the CCJ, the CARICOM Competi- by the effects of the global economic and Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), whose tion Commission, the CARICOM Develop- financial crises on Caribbean economies. Members are either Member States or ment Fund, CROSQ and CAHFSA, e impact on CARICOM States is Associate Members of CARICOM, have CARICOM’s integration architecture is represented by continuing sluggish also been strengthening their integration not limited to those and consists of some growth prospects and the challenges of – arrangements which were first codified 20 institutions. e Caribbean Develop- with the Treaty of Basseterre in 1981. In ment Bank and, as I mentioned before, a) Rising food prices; many ways the OECS has moved beyond UWI, are an integral part of our Commu- CARICOM with the Revised Treaty of nity. All of these institutions have an b) A slump in demand for traditional Basseterre Establishing the OECS important function in delivering on the commodity exports; Economic Union, signed in 2010, which objectives of our Community. among other things has granted free c) Increasing unemployment rates, movement of persons within the Member Ladies and Gentlemen, these progressive especially among the youth; States. is is an integration group that steps in regional integration have been has had its own single currency and taken against a background of an d) A slowdown in foreign direct institutions, such as its Central Bank, international system that has undergone investment flows; Supreme Court and Stock Exchange. ere a number of profound changes over the is much to be learnt from the progress last two decades spawned by the process e) Unpredictable remittance flows; being made at the level of the OECS of globalization, itself fuelled by free which could assist the wider integration trade, market liberalization and the f) Rising debt and the inability to effort. Information and Communications effectively service the debt; and Technology (ICT) revolution. ese WHERE ARE WE NOW systemic changes have resulted in g) Rising fiscal deficits. e framers of the revised Treaty in significant modifications to the contours crafting the elements of the CSME, also and functioning of the international Globally, several countries have sought to address some of the short system and in fundamental shifts in the responded to the deteriorating economic comings of the 1973 Treaty. An attempt global balance of power. ese transfor- environment by introducing counter- was made to move away from unanimity mative changes pose challenges to the cyclical fiscal policies. However, the ability in decision making; to establish a continuing development of the Commu- of CARICOM countries to apply such rules-based system; the dispute settle- nity. ey also create opportunities that policy measures is constrained by the lack ment mechanism was strengthened and can be exploited to our benefit. of fiscal space exacerbated by a severe the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) was debt burden. CARICOM’s debt stock established as a means of ensuring the For CARICOM, enhancing currently stands at approximately US$19 rights and obligations under the Treaty competitiveness and expanding billion, while the debt to GDP ratio ranges are observed. trade are crucial for improving the from 60 to 144 per cent for our Member welfare of the Region. However, States. e Caribbean Community rests on four small developing economies like Debt servicing, particularly of external pillars, economic integration, human and ours have structural and institutional social development, security co-operation debt which accounts for a major percent- characteristics, which affect the age of the total public sector debt, and foreign policy co-ordination. All four process of economic growth, pillars are important elements within our continues to deprive CARICOM countries constrain their ability to compete integration arrangements although the of resources that could otherwise be Treaty focusses heavily on the creation of internationally, increase their directed towards productive activities. a CARICOM Single Market and Economy vulnerability to external events, and and even more so, on the market limit their capacity for adjustment. is debt situation is aggravated by the dimensions of the CSME. e important These include small population, diminution of the Region’s access to dimension of the services sector was geographical dispersal, minimal concessionary financing because Interna- tional Financial Institutions and the added. is was a clear recognition that export diversification and the regional economy is being oriented Donor Community have insisted on using dependency upon very few export GDP per capita as the sole criterion to more towards services while not minimis- markets, inadequate infrastructure, ing the continued importance of agricul- determine whether or not a country low competitiveness, economic ture and other sectors. In that regard, qualifies for development support. human resource development is crucial in rigidity with high adjustment costs, rough this concept of "graduation" or the exploitation of new opportunities high transport and transit costs, and "differentiation", most CARICOM arising in the services sector. difficulties in attracting foreign Member States, categorised as middle While the Treaty creates or gives rise to investment. income countries, are increasingly denied access to concessionary funding and ...Continued on Pg 17 14 CARICOM VIEW www.CARICOM.ORG

The melting pot of Regional culture was on display at the Rededication Ceremony at the Chaguramas Convention Centre, Chaguaramas on 4 July 2013.

Culinary Art at CARIFESTA 2013 in Suriname.

Performers at CARIFESTA 2013 in Suriname.

Dancers at CARIFESTA held in Suriname, August 2013

15 CARICOM VIEW A publication of the Caribbean Community

The 34th Meeting of the Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government, which coincided with the observance of the 40th anniversary of the Community underway in Trinidad and Tobago, July 2013.

CARICOM Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque and General Counsel, CARICOM Secretariat, Ms. Safiya Ali, in discussion during the 34th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government.

The Hon. Baldwin Spencer, Prime Minister of , the Hon. Freundel Stuart, Prime Minister of Barbados, His Excellency Donald Ramotar, President of Guyana, the Hon. Ashni Singh, Minister of Finance of Guyana, and the Hon. Robeson Benn, Minister of Public Works of Guyana, in conversation during the Retreat of Heads of Government in Trinidad and Tobago during the 34th Regular Summit in July 2013.

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development assistance. e Community administrative practices. I am not suggesting that we set targets has been lobbying actively for quite some that allow for a leisurely pace. e world time against “graduation” solely based on To date, a lot of attention has focussed on is not waiting on us. I am suggesting that our relatively high per capita income the Single Market aspect of the CSME, we set targets which take into account not while ignoring the vulnerabilities which perhaps since one can readily discern only the necessity and urgency of face small economies such as ours. rights and obligations enshrined in the achieving the goal but equally important, Treaty and because it is the easier part of what it takes to get there, and the It is clear that faced with those realities, creating a Single Market and Economy. resources and capacity of the entire there is an imperative to come together, However, on the macro economic issues Community to do so. rather than looking inward, to be better of the Single Economy, at best, the Treaty able to meet those challenges. Our path to points to best endeavours. As we move is is not to say that we have not made regional development is premised on the along the integration continuum from progress in our economic integration commitment by our Member States, to Single Market to Single Economy – an arrangements. All of the core regimes promote initiatives aimed at achieving a artificial distinction for purposes of under the Single Market are operating, coordinated and strategic approach implementation – it impinges more and although work still needs to be done in through the pursuit of increasingly more on national sovereignty and brings some areas. Additionally, regional policies coordinated policies and the combined into question governance issues and have been approved or are in progress in use of the resources and capacities of the possibly some sort of political integration. areas such as, agriculture and food and Region. Regional integration is the vehicle nutrition security, energy, industry, ICT that the Community has chosen to take e Single Development Vision adopted and security. Work has also commenced us along this path with the CSME as the in 2007, envisioned the completion of the on a policy with respect to small and engine. Single Economy by 2015. Once again the medium sized enterprises. We are fairly Community had overreached in its well advanced on a regulatory framework e ultimate goal of the CSME is the ambitions just as it had done at Grand for Financial Services and an Investment creation of a single economic space Anse in 1989, which had put the opera- Code. ese policies, once implemented encompassing all Member States. It has tion date of the CSME at 1993. e fact is by Member States, will contribute to the the following core regimes: free move- that the Revised Treaty was completed development of the respective sectors and ment of skills, goods, services, and and signed 12 years after Grand Anse and to improving their competitiveness. capital, and the right of establishment. It the Single Market took a further five years also includes abolition of exchange before becoming operational in 2006. We However, the true test of the CSME is if it controls, free convertibility of currencies, set ourselves overambitious and unrealis- has helped in solving the economic an integrated capital market, convergence tic targets, which by their very nature, problems of the Member States. of macro-economic policies, and harmon- doom us to apparent failure when they ised company legislation. A critical are not met. “I am not suggesting that we set element is the harmonisation of laws and targets that allow for a leisurely pace. The world is not waiting on us. I am suggesting that we set targets which take into account not only the necessity and urgency of achieving the goal but equally important, what it takes to get there, and the resources and capacity of the entire Community to do so.”

We have begun a discussion on whether the construct of the CSME addresses the immediate concerns of Member States and do we need to recalibrate and focus more on the productive sector and making our economies more competitive. I am of the view that we do. We probably have adopted a too theoretical model of economic integration. Our regional economists have long called for us to focus on production integration and on the competitiveness of our economies.

17 CARICOM VIEW A publication of the Caribbean Community

Production integration can only be being considered by the reconstituted Community Institutions established to achieved through the full involvement of Inter Governmental Task Force which is assist in the development of the Commu- a competitive private sector. To facilitate working towards making recommenda- nity. the private sector involvement we must tions for further Revising the Treaty. Two address the ease of doing business across of the areas are Governance of the Already in place to ensure certainty in the borders and within the CSME, as a whole. Caribbean Community and Related Issues interpretation and application of the ere is also an urgent need to strengthen and the Working Methods of the Various Treaty’s provisions is the Caribbean Court the institutional capacity of private sector Organs and Bodies of the Caribbean of Justice (CCJ) in its original jurisdic- support organisations. ese institutions Community. What we are seeking to do is tion. e Court, in its early judgements, are vital to give the private sector a build the regional architecture for has cemented the Community’s rules- cohesive voice at the table of decision- integration to ensure that it helps in the based system, engendered a level of making in matters of interest to their growth and development of Member confidence and occasioned a shift in the members. States and has an impact on the lives of way business is done in the Region’s our citizens. Councils. In the final analysis, focus must be on increasing production in order to generate e bedrock of our governance arrange- ACHIEVEMENTS AND WORK IN income and address the standard of living ments is that we are a Community of PROGRESS in our various Member States. Key to Sovereign States, as stated a decade ago in Ladies and Gentlemen, one of the increasing production is agriculture, the Rose Hall Declaration of 2003. With unintended side effects of the concentra- export services and manufacturing. e that in mind, the fundamental issue is tion on trade and economic aspects of our success of these sectors is of course how to balance that reality against the integration movement has been the underpinned by affordable energy and need for an effective system of gover- tendency to judge the success of the affordable and reliable transportation nance to allow for efficient and timely entire movement by the efforts in those services. implementation of decisions. areas. Indeed in some quarters, the effectiveness of CARICOM is judged on Ladies and Gentlemen as we forge ahead, Over the years, ideas have surfaced in this issues related to the movement of what has emerged over these first seven regard, particularly after the 1992 report persons or merchandise trade balances. years of the operations of the CSME is of the West Indian Commission, “Time is view is at odds even with the that the Treaty, as it now exists, may be For Action”. at report suggested a economic reality, given the important limited as a tool to advance the integra- system of Commissioners empowered to contribution that trade in services is tion movement and thus pass the test enforce decisions. Latterly, the idea of a making to the Region. While these issues mentioned above. e Treaty is basically Permanent Committee of CARICOM need to be addressed, it is unfortunate trade-based with insufficient attention Ambassadors, comprising individuals of that these are the criteria often used in paid to the Single Economy. Whereas sufficient rank and influence to drive the the court of public opinion, since so much there are clear obligations under the implementation process at the national else has been achieved in the past 40 Treaty with respect to the Single Market, level, has been put forward. years. It has also had the effect of for the most part, the provisions relative minimising the important role of human to the Single Economy can ideally be at concept envisages each Member and social development in our societies. described as best endeavours. State establishing a Regional Integration ere have been several notable achieve- Unit, headed by an Ambassador who ments in this area. Further, the governing arrangements for would be the country’s representative on the CSME have become bureaucratic, the Committee. e OECS Commission is In recognition of the importance of unwieldy and lethargic and we spend fashioned broadly along similar lines and Health to the development of our more time and resources discussing the presents an opportunity for us to observe Community, the Heads of Government same issues rather than making decisions the workings of such an arrangement. set up the Caribbean Commission on we can effectively implement. ere is Health and Development under the need for more care and attention in the While the Committee of Ambassadors leadership of the Chancellor of this decision-making process, including an may not be the ideal option, it is the best University, the Honourable Sir George effective consultative mechanism. we can possibly achieve in the short term Alleyne, OCC. e Commission’s report in under the current circumstances. 2007, made the point that “a healthy I believe we have reached the stage where However, the issue of some form of population is an essential prerequisite for we must ask fundamental questions about supranational authority must be kept the economic growth and stability of the the efficacy of the governance structures alive. Caribbean” and stressed the importance outlined in the Treaty and of the Treaty of health to achieving the goals of itself. In that context, key to the functioning of economic development as enunciated in any such authority is the role of the our Treaty. is issue is among the areas of priority Secretary-General, the Secretariat and

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e serious implications of standards and to provide our artisans and interest and action among youth, and to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) were tradespersons with a qualification increase livelihood opportunities and pointed out by the Commission which recognised throughout the Community. employability for economically and identified one Member State in which the In order to better position the Region to socially marginalized youth. combined cost of dealing with diabetes be more competitive, emphasis is placed and hypertension, two of the NCDs, on developing quality human resources amounted to more than US$58 million through the provision of technical and annually, an indication of the economic vocational training to provide the burden that these diseases place on our requisite skills that would satisfy the countries. It was due to leadership by demands of the workplace. e CVQ has CARICOM, that the ravages of the NCDs the potential to ensure that the Commu- commanded global attention and action, nity has available to it, a regional pool of prompting a UN High Level Forum on the certified skilled persons. issue in 2011. It puts the opportunities of the CSME In order to efficiently address the public within reach of many, given its inclusion health concerns of the Region, five in the free movement of skills regime in regional agencies were amalgamated to certain specified fields. It gives the lie to form the Caribbean Public Health Agency those who contend that the movement of (CARPHA). CARPHA will, among other skills is reserved for the elite. things, address the surveillance and management of communicable and Ladies and Gentlemen, the Youth of our Non-Communicable Diseases and public Community deserve special attention. health response to disasters,. is week, Following the Report of a CARICOM the Agency is facing its first test with the Commission on Youth Development in outbreak of H1N1 in at least three 2010, a five-year CARICOM Youth countries. Development Action Plan (CYDAP) has been created to give expression to the six Faced with the threat posed by HIV/Aids CARICOM Youth Development Goals to our Region, and the youth population which underpin the Paramaribo Declara- in particular, the Pan Caribbean Partner- tion on the future of youth in the ship against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP), Community. e Commission on Youth Musicians at CARPHA launch established by CARICOM in 2001, has Development was established by Heads of made a critical impact on reversing and Government, and following consultations stabilizing the spread of the AIDS with youths throughout the Community, epidemic in the Caribbean. e Caribbean provided a full scale analysis of the e Youth of our Region is making a also stands to be the first region in the challenges and opportunities for youth in significant contribution in the areas of world to eliminate mother-to-child the CSME and made recommendations on sports, music and culture in particular, all transmission of HIV by 2015. is is how to improve their well-being and of which contribute to employment and largely due to its unique governance empowerment. development of our regional economy. arrangements, for which it was designated a UN Best Practice in 2004. e Action Plan spans the areas of: e Region does have a comparative education and economic empowerment; advantage in culture, due to our acknowl- e Caribbean Examinations Council universal access to secondary education edged creativity for which we are known (CXC), an institution of our Community, by 2016; reshaping of national education and respected internationally. Culture is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, policies to reflect the life cycle approach central to the promotion of regional continues to provide regionally and to learning; and the establishment of identity and unity, and an important internationally recognised examinations integrated programmes providing component in the regional integration and curricula relevant to the needs of the employability skills, transition skills and construct. One way that the people of the Region, among a raft of education entrepreneurial skills for youth in and out Region will feel connected and “intensely services. Some of their innovative of school. Caribbean,” with a strong sense of methods have been studied and community and identity, is by unleashing introduced in third countries. e Secretariat is collaborating with the creative and cultural appreciation, CARICOM Youth Ambassadors and imagination and production. Beyond academics, the Community has Development Partners to engage, developed the Caribbean Vocational motivate and inspire entrepreneurial Qualification (CVQ) to establish

19 CARICOM VIEW A publication of the Caribbean Community

e diversification of Caribbean In response to the increasing frequency created the first multi-country disaster economies through these innovative, and intensity of natural disasters in our insurance scheme in the world, through indigenous industries should be viewed as Community, we established a mechanism the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance an indispensable component of any to co-ordinate preparedness for and relief Facility (CCRIF). is is a not-for-profit development strategy to assist Member in the event of a natural disaster, through entity, owned, operated and registered in States to make the necessary adjustments the Caribbean Disaster Emergency the Caribbean for Caribbean govern- to survive in this globalised environment. Management Agency (CDEMA). eir ments. It has been able to limit the e cultural and creative industries Comprehensive Disaster Management financial impact of some catastrophic therefore present significant opportunity System has proven its value both in the natural disasters to Caribbean govern- for building competitive export industries preparation for disasters and in the ments, by quickly providing short-term using local talents and resources. We now aftermath with its co-ordination of relief liquidity when a policy is triggered. have a Regional Development Strategy efforts. and Action Plan for the Cultural Indus- Well before climate change became a tries. To strengthen relief efforts we have also global issue, our Community began to

(from left): CARICOM Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, The Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and and Lead Head of Government with responsibility for Human Resource Development, Health and HIV/AIDS, and Dr. James Hospedales, Executive Director of CARPHA at the launch of CARPHA.

20 CARICOM VIEW www.CARICOM.ORG

address the need to mitigate the effects of threatened regions. We have seen the fruits of such an and adapt to this phenomenon. rough approach in recent times through the the work of the Caribbean Community In the area of Foreign Policy promotion of NCDs and the plight of Climate Change Centre (CCCCC), the co-ordination, CARICOM has demon- Small Highly Indebted Middle Income Community has become very influential strated that its influence in international Countries among others, put on the table in the global response to climate change, affairs has far exceeded its size. Our by CARICOM, as major components for including in the formation of the Climate experience has shown that when we act in consideration in the Post 2015 Develop- Fund. e work of the Centre in providing concert, our collective voice in the ment Agenda. e leading role played by climate change-related policy advice and international community is greater than CARICOM in advocating for the Arms guidelines to CARICOM Member States the sum of its parts. Another element of Trade Treaty at the UN, was because of has been outstanding, so much so that this co-ordination is securing the election our deep concern about the prevalent use the Centre has also been identified as a of CARICOM candidates for positions in of firearms by criminals in our society. best practice internationally and now international organisations in order to lends advice and assistance to other influence the international agenda. It was also CARICOM which led the way

“The Youth of our Region is making a significant contribution in the areas of sports, music and culture in particular, all of which contribute to employment and development of our regional economy.”

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for the recognition of small and vulner- THE CHALLENGES ment agreed in March 2012 that since able economies as a group within the Ladies and Gentlemen, notwithstanding ‘form followed function’, it was necessary World Trade Organisation. our achievements, of which I am proud, to re-examine the future direction of the and plans, there are serious challenges Community and the arrangements for Additionally, the Community used its which need to be addressed if we are to carrying this forward. is includes the leverage to have the International Civil move the integration process forward and role and function of the CARICOM Aviation Organisation adopt the commu- make it more meaningful to the people of Secretariat and the Institutions of the nity of interest principle under which a our Community. Some of these Community. country belonging to a grouping such as challenges include, CARICOM, and which has no airline of its A Change Facilitation Team has been own, could designate an airline of another • sustainable economic growth; recruited to assist me with this process of member of the grouping to use its route • transportation; change. e Team is currently undertak- rights in the conclusion of air services • hassle free travel; ing consultations in Member States on agreements. at has been of inestimable • the high cost of energy; and the first ever Strategic Plan for the value to airlines based in the Region. • equitable distribution of the benefits Community. ese country Consultations We are therefore seeing that our foreign of integration, which if not adequately provide an opportunity for nationals of policy co-ordination can be used to addressed could lead to discontent. each Member State and Associate address regional and national problems. Member to influence the strategic As we move to address those challenges, direction of the Community, their Our increasing co-ordination in foreign we must reach to the realisation that our Community, our Community. e five policy has resulted in the recognition of national growth and development is year Strategic Plan will set out a common CARICOM as an international actor. is inextricably tied to regional growth and vision and identify our priority areas of recognition has led to an increasing development. Regional policies and focus over the period. number of states seeking closer ties with national policies must be so intertwined the Community. Last May was the latest as to be almost indiscernible. It is in that Critically, it will also address issues of example of this reality when, within the actualisation that our citizens will feel implementability including the roles and space of a week, the President of China most acutely, that sense of being part of a responsibilities of all participants in the and the Vice President of the United Community. Community architecture: namely the States both came to Trinidad and Tobago Conference of Heads of Government; the to meet with regional leaders. THE FUTURE Ministerial Councils; the Bodies, such as the Committee of Central Bank Governors To make optimum use of such opportuni- A major realisation in going forward is and the Budget Committee; the ties, the Community has established and that the current and future situation CARICOM Secretariat; and the Institu- identified the basic principles as well as demand that we change our modus tions; as well as issues of governance, the operational modalities to inform the operandi and crucially, the way we think institutional and operational arrange- conduct of its foreign policy coordination. about integration. Once again we are at ments and monitoring and evaluation One of the fundamental principles is that another juncture in the progression of our mechanisms. the pursuit of our development goals and regional integration movement. interests must shape our external e Consultations on the Strategic Plan outreach. Also of importance, is that in Our capacity to respond to the various are not starting with a blank slate. ey today’s fast paced and globalized world, challenges and to exploit such opportuni- are drawing on approved policies and foreign relations are no longer the ties as they may bring, depend in programmes as a starting point. ese preserve of Foreign Ministries. Commu- significant measure, on the extent to include the 2007 Single Development nity foreign policy coordination therefore which our arrangements can be strength- Vision; the Strategic Plan for Regional requires the harmonisation of messages ened. It will require first of all consistent Economic Development, on which there and policies at the national level between and positive engagement in the areas was close collaboration between the Foreign Ministries and line ministries. selected for priority action; secondly, Secretariat and UWI; the priorities effective decision-making machinery; and articulated by Heads of Government I have taken time to illustrate some of the thirdly, the capacity to deliver. themselves at their retreat held in Guyana achievements and some of the issues that in May 2011; and approved policies and we are working on as a Community. ey Instituting change is never easy and is action plans in a range of areas, such as show that he pooling of our skills and more difficult if it is attempted in the face agriculture, energy, industry, security, resources to bring about improvements in of entrenched attitudes and structures. health, youth, ICT and Climate Change, our circumstances and the lives of our at notwithstanding, the Community is to name a few. ese policies and citizens stands as testimony to the engaged in a three year reform process programmes are then taken in the context benefits of integration. that encompasses every facet of its of the rapidly changing global environ- operations. In short we are changing the ment that impacts our Member States, to way we do business. Heads of Govern- chart the way forward.

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With eight consultations complete, focussed and effective manner to the provisions and decisions? What are the common themes are emerging. Included people of the Community. most appropriate governance arrange- among these are: ments which we must put in place in order for us to realise our full potential as • The need to address economic a Community? And what would be the recovery and growth as a core strategy This reform process is central implications for such governance over the next five years; to the future of the integration arrangements in a widened Community? movement and Prime Minister • The need to strengthen governance ese questions and others must form and decision-making arrangements, Anthony’s call for a “big part of the introspection that admittedly beginning with the Heads of Govern- conversation” could not be has as its fundamental premise, that ment Conference, to secure a more more timely. It would be, he regional integration is the basis for effective Community; said, an opportunity to chart a national development. new paradigm for growth, • The need to solve the challenges with VISION review the role and inter-regional transport, the free Ladies and Gentlemen, two years and six performance of our regional movement of persons including hassle weeks ago, I assumed the position of free travel, as critical success factors institutions to determine how Secretary-General of the Caribbean for regional integration; they can help in these times Community expressing in my inaugural and better assist us to restore statement that “while there was cynicism • The need to secure the Region’s growth to our economies.” in some cases, a common thread was a future through targeted interventions commitment and belief in our integration in agriculture for food security, energy movement, as well as hope for change.” I security, education, health and ICT; said then, it was a hope as Secretary- General I would strive to fuel. at hope • The need to re-ignite the fire of at big conversation has begun and as a is what guides my long term vision for regionalism among our Caribbean former Prime Minister of this country our Community. It is also guided by the people, through shared understanding said in calling for the establishment of optimism and enthusiasm for CARICOM, and building of a sense of Community; the West Indian Commission, “let all by our youth in particular. It has been ideas contend.” It affords an opportunity, heartening and humbling to experience, • The need to communicate fully and for example, for a new generation of at first hand, in my interaction with the consistently with the people on the intellectuals from UWI, and other young people in every Member State that issues of integration; and universities and organisations in the I have visited, their desire for integration Region, to offer their views and prescrip- and their impatience for it to become a • The need to embrace and optimise the tions. lived experience. I have witnessed at first diversity of the people and Member hand, what Prime Minister Anthony States that lend to our strength as a In such a conversation, voices from our referred to, as the integrating power of unified Region. civil society must be heard as the call for the people across our Region. participatory governance in the consulta- As indicated, some of the sectoral issues tions is a clear sign that the top down Primarily, it would be a Community in had already been identified by Heads of form of integration will not be accepted which all are involved. ere would be a Government as critical areas and appear by our people. system of meaningful consultations from in some form in the national plans of which a free flow of ideas emanate, most Member States. In joining that conversation we must be allowing for the distillation of the best It is clear from the consultations, that the prepared to examine every aspect, and most practical. is would help to people of CARICOM remain committed to principle and underlying philosophy that capture the imagination and interest of all realising the potential of our integration has guided this integration movement. and allow the people to seize a stake in movement, our single but diversified Should we seek to widen our fold and the integration process - allowing for the space, and even eventually our “United embrace more of our Caribbean neigh- sense of being Caribbean to take prece- States of the Caribbean” as it has been bours or should we concentrate on dence over all else. described in some of the consultations. deepening our arrangements? Can we achieve both at the same time? What are It would also lead to more efficient On the basis of the Strategic Plan, the the implications for the Single Market as implementation of decisions having had review and restructuring of the Secre- we forge ahead, as we must, with trade the benefit of the widest possible input. tariat, and indeed Organs and Institutions arrangements with ird States? Should of CARICOM, will be addressed to enable sanctions be introduced as a means of It would be a Community in which the construct to deliver in a much more enforcing compliance with Treaty regional plans and policies are harmon-

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ised with national plans and policies. e is would mean being able to travel I would like to see a single national would become regional and the freely, change their currency and have the CARICOM ICT Space, in regional national. families who move, treated to all intents which a telephone call from and purposes, as citizens of their adopted Port of Spain to Kingston is a We would have deepened the integration country. local call and broadband is process, with a single economic space a reality, and a closer convergence of To achieve such goals we must frankly ubiquitous and easily economic policies. discuss and resolve the concerns of all accessible to all. Ideally those issues that are important to Member States. ese concerns are real as the people of the Community would have it relates to free movement in particular. I would like to see a been resolved. I speak here of hassle free community that has achieved travel, free movement, currency convert- I would like to see our foreign policy sustainable growth and ibility, and contingent rights. We have to co-ordination strengthened as a means of development, where there is create a Community in which the people achieving our development goals. confidence and belief in have tangible proof that integration is where we can go, and what working for them and that their domestic I would like to see the CCJ embraced by space extends from in the west to all Member States, in both its jurisdic- we can achieve together, Barbados in the east, from Suriname in tions, as a step towards completing the where its institutions are seen the south to e Bahamas in the north circle of sovereignty for the Region. as reliant and integral to and all in between. achieving our goal of a Community for all.

I intend to deliver a Secretariat that is strategic in outlook and efficient, effective and responsive in serving the needs of its Member States and providing leadership to the integration arrangements.

I would like to see, a Community therefore, that makes maximum use of its human resources, technology, international relations and secures the commitment of all its citizens to the integration process.

The task is ours to make this integration movement so much a lived experience that our natural state becomes one of unity. It is a task to which I have dedicated myself and invite you to join me.

Secretary-General LaRocque with youths in Suriname

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DEVELOPMENT OF TRADE STATISTICS IN CARICOM by Dr. Philomen Harrison, Project Director, Regional Statistics

“… Trade is after all the ‘bread and butter’ of the Common Market and it is vital for proper understanding of the working and development of the Common Market that accurate and up-to-date information be available on the transactions taking place between Member Countries…”

he above quotation by a former • Diversifying trade – expanding the digest (1960 to1974) was to provide a Secretary-General of the Carib- variety of goods and services available for long enough series before and after the bean Community, Sir Alister trade; establishment of CARIFTA in 1968. While T McIntyre provides the backdrop the stated purpose of this first digest was to the historical context and importance In addition to providing for free trade the to present trade statistics on intra- of trade statistics in CARICOM. e need CARIFTA Agreement also sought to CARICOM trade, in fact there were tables for trade statistics has its basis in the ensure that the benefits of free trade were on Total trade for the period 1960-1974 efforts at economic integration in its equitably distributed; promoting indus- for CARICOM countries including: different forms with a key aim being to trial development in the LDCs; the Balance of Trade, Imports and Domestic improve intra-CARICOM trade flows. In development of the coconut industry, Exports by Country, by SITC Section and what follows the story of trade statistics which was significant in many Less by selected Trading Partners; Percentage is depicted within the context of the Developed Countries (LDCs); and Distribution of Imports and Exports by economic integration agenda, starting providing for a longer period for the country and by SITC Section. Total Trade with the Caribbean Free Trade Associa- phasing out of Customs duty on certain data (disaggregated) for individual tion (CARIFTA)-1968-72; the Caribbean products that were important revenue countries were also provided including by Community and Common Market from earners to LDCs. The monitoring of SITC Section. ere were similar tables for 1973-2005 and the CARICOM Single CARIFTA therefore required statistics and intra-CARICOM including, in this case, a Market and Economy (CSME) from 2006 in particular trade data. Production data matrix or network of imports (exports) to the present. on Oils and Fats also used to be among countries. monitored routinely by the CARICOM While the West Indian Federation was the Secretariat. It was noticeable then and now that first effort at establishing a union among Trinidad and Tobago was the dominant ten islands of the British Caribbean the 1960 to the 1970’s exporter in intra-CARICOM trade on focus then was more on a political rather e first digest of trade statistics of average for the period 1960-1970, the than an economic union and therefore the Member States of CARICOM, which was bulk of its exports being the same, issue of free trade was not explicitly produced in 1976, represented efforts by Mineral Fuels, Lubricants and related among its objectives. the Secretariat spanning several years, to materials. Guyana was the leading produce “estimates of the flow and intra-CARICOM importer on average for One of the earliest efforts aimed at pattern of intra-CARICOM” trade. e this same period followed by Jamaica and economic integration of the Common- time period for this first digest was 1960 Trinidad and Tobago. Intra-regional wealth Caribbean countries was the to 1974. It was stated that the informa- imports stood at 5.9 percent of total Caribbean Free Trade Area (CARIFTA) tion published in the first digest of trade imports and intra-regional exports which was established in 1968 with 11 statistics would have served to correct accounted for 6.8 percent of total exports countries. CARIFTA was therefore the misunderstandings about intra-CARICOM in 1960. early context for the compilation of trade trade performance. e sources of data data since specifically, CARIFTA was were the trade publications as well as Relative to total trade, the balance of intended to encourage balanced develop- unpublished data provided by the trade was always in deficit for all years at ment of the Region including: National Statistical Offices (NSOs) of the CARICOM level with our dominant Member States. trading partner for our imports changing • Increasing trade- buying and selling between the United Kingdom (UK) and more goods among the Member States; e choice of time period of the first the United States of America for the

25 CARICOM VIEW A publication of the Caribbean Community

period of data, and with the Latin requirements of compiling a regional data submitted to the Regional office by American Free Trade Area running a close trade report. ere were many interven- Member States. third for some years. On the exports side, tions made in meetings including at the the USA and the UK also dominated. highest level of the Community on the 1984 to the early 1990s Apart from 1960 when machinery and need to develop and improve trade e proposed system for monitoring trade transport equipment were the major statistics in order to enable improvement flows and its implications for customs commodities imported overall for in the availability of trade statistics for administrations were examined by the CARICOM, in the period up to 1970, the monitoring of the economic integra- Ninth (9th) Meeting of the Customs mineral fuels, lubricants and related tion process. Committee in October 1984. It was materials were the principal commodities agreed that customs administrations imported followed by machinery, A lot of the data submitted by countries would pass to national statistical transport equipment and food in that were provisional and the task of collating authorities, copies of the Certificate of order. With regard to domestic exports, the report entailed the manual addition of Origin and supporting invoices. It was the dominant commodities were mineral the data across categories such as the also agreed that the customs administra- fuels, lubricants, food and crude materials sections of the Standard Industrial Trade tions would indicate on the shipping bills inedible except fuel. Classification (SITC), since, in many cases, for intra-regional exports those instances no totals were provided. In response to where the goods qualified for Common 1973 to the early 80’s the mandates given by the Conference of Market treatment. e Caribbean Community and Common Heads of Government and the Common Market came into effect in April 1973 in Market Council, proposals for a regional e national statistical offices also felt Georgetown, Guyana, starting with trade monitoring system were prepared that it was impossible to provide the data Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad by the Secretariat and the SCCS, which within the next week of the end of each and Tobago. e Accord which was agreed included the extraction of data at the month as recommended in the system to in April 1973 contained the draft most detailed level on imports, exports approved by Council and that a time lag treaty which is now known as the Treaty and re-exports from the administrative of one or two months was more feasible. of Chaguaramas. By 2002, the member- and legal documents of the Customs It was agreed that there was need for ship stood at fifteen with the last Member departments, identifying country of timely data to monitor intra-regional State to join being Haiti. One of the key origin, country of destination, description trade flows and delegates present objectives of the Community was and customs tariff classification number, re-iterated their commitment to produc- economic integration of the Member quantity and f.o.b. value for each item. ing such data. States by the establishment of the is was to be undertaken on a monthly Common Market. e objective on basis. Best Practice during the 80’s economic integration included the e sharing of the copies of the Certificate following aim in part: e CARICOM Secretariat was tasked of Origin/Shipping Bills and related with the preparation of Regional aggre- invoices can be described as a defining “…strengthening coordination and regulation gates based on data received by Member moment in the compilation of trade of the economic and trade relations among States and with dispatching these statistics. National Statistical Offices Member in order to promote their acceler- Regional aggregates to Member States (NSOs) need to obtain data from two ated, harmonious and balanced develop- within six weeks of the end of each main sources – statistical surveys and ment…” month. administrative data sources. Over the years, NSOs have experienced (and still In 1974, the Common Market Council With regard to the proposals presented do) difficulties in accessing the data from that came into being under the Treaty in on the statistical monitoring system for key administrative sources such as 1973, in turn established the Standing trade flows, it was recognised that the income tax data for the compilation of Committee of Caribbean Statisticians responsibility for producing timely National Accounts. e CARICOM (SCCS): information on intra-regional trade Secretariat has recently executed a project resided in the statistical offices. It was activity on a Common Framework for “…to foster increased recognition of the also noted that statistical offices required Statistics Production, a component of importance of statistical services to the additional resources if they were to which focused on the production of a countries of the region; to widen the scope administer the trade monitoring system. Model Statistics Bill to inform the and coverage of statistical data collection; Further, in the administration of the collection of data in an integrated and to improve the quality, comparability system at the national level, statistical statistical system. Funded by the and timeliness of statistics produced…” offices required the cooperation and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), assistance of the certifying authorities. one of the key inclusions in the Model Bill e CARICOM Secretariat continued us the arrangements for the system to pertained to access of information from collecting trade data on an annual basis monitor trade flows were conceptualised. government and other agencies for during the period of the 80’s from Amidst these efforts to improve the statistical purposes. e decision made so Member States in whatever formats the monitoring of trade flows, a second digest many years ago to share administrative Member States could supply- reports or of trade statistics for the period 1970 to data with the NSOs for statistical final tabulations, in order to fulfill the 1980 was produced in 1983, based on purposes can only be described as an

26 CARICOM VIEW www.CARICOM.ORG

outstanding practice in the history of 1990’s to the present had to be made to reconcile the discrepan- statistical data collection, since it meant Moving from the Common Market to the cies where possible or if not, to simply use that the Statistical agencies were able to CARICOM Single Market and Economy the totals obtained from collating the have access to copies of legal documents (CSME), the fundamental objective of the detailed data. for the purposes of compiling and CSME is to achieve a single economic e approach was to compile summary monitoring trade flows. space that will foster growth and will matrices by SITC Section, by Trading result in sustained development of the Partners for each country and year and Importance of Intra-regional Trade- standard of living of all Caribbean then to aggregate to show the picture for Challenges peoples. e Single Market was estab- CARICOM. is would have to be done for Intra-regional trade statistics remained lished in 2006 and comprises all Member Total trade as well as for Intra-CARICOM on the agenda of various Community States except e Bahamas, Montserrat trade. Tables called Network (matrix) Meetings for several years, including and Haiti. Key elements of the CSME are: showing for intra-CARICOM trade the meetings of the Conference of Heads of Free Movement of Capital, Labour, relationship of importing/exporting Government (1984); SCCS meetings (all) Goods, the Provision of Services and the countries of CARICOM were also and meetings of the Common Market Right of Establishment within Member prepared. Council at which a report on the perfor- States of the CSME. mance of intra-regional trade was Underscoring the functioning of the With the advent of IT and its use in consistently presented in the 80’s and CSME and improving of the standard of Member States and at the Secretariat, the 90’s. Meetings of Statisticians, Customs living of the peoples of the Community is system of compiling the data would have Officials and Trade Experts (STECO) also the vital role of statistical information in made use of the new technologies. had trade statistics on their agenda. guiding and monitoring the progress of However, the real impact of the use of IT At the irty-Seventh Meeting of the the integration movement. Given that the at the Secretariat in compiling a regional Common Market Council (Council), 1991, CSME is also about the free movement of trade information system was not felt Council noted the action taken by the goods, the analysis of the performance of until the early 90’s. In 1994/95, the intra-regional trade continues to be a Secretariat obtained the services of a Secretariat to improve the preparation and production of product level statistics critical element on which statistics are to Consultant to prepare a data processing in the Region. Further, at the irty- be collected and disseminated. system based on dBase IV for the Ninth Meeting of Council in 1993, the processing of trade data received from Secretariat presented a paper entitled Compilation of Trade Statistics at the Member States. is change enabled the Performance of Intra-regional Trade: Secretariat and data quality –then and submission of data on electronic media January to December 1991. e Meeting now based on the processing at the country was informed that the analysis of the e task involved in the compilation and level using in-house software packages or performance of intra-regional trade for dissemination of the first Regional trade Eurotrace software. Paper submissions the year 1991, as outlined in the paper, digest which was published in 1976, must were still made by countries in some was based on the trade data supplied to have been an enormous one given that it instances. the Secretariat by Member States, as well was in an era where the use of Informa- as estimates made by the Secretariat of tion Technology (IT) was mainly absent. A computerized system of processing of the trade for those Member States which Adding machines and calculators were the the submitted trade data at the Secre- had not yet produced their trade data for main means used by the Secretariat to tariat was therefore established. Gradu- the full year. collate the information received. What is ally, the electronic submission of data e Secretariat representative stressed known about the approach to the became more organized and a format was the limitations faced with respect to the compilation and the production of that established for the submission of the availability of the requisite data. It was report is that the sources of data were the data. However, it was the case that some also explained that the introduction of trade publications as well as unpublished countries did not adhere to the format the Common External Tariff (CET) by data provided by the National Statistical and time had to be spent to correct this eight Member States at different points in Offices (NSOs) of Member States. issue prior to the electronic processing of time during 1991, and the use throughout Some countries did not provide summary the data. Validation of the data was still that year of different versions of the tables and these had to be meticulously necessary with queries being referred to classification system by four Member compiled from detailed listings from the Member States. States which had not introduced the CET, trade reports and computer printouts. made comparability of the data at the is compilation was particularly required In the main, countries initially used item level particularly difficult. Council for collating the data on total/intra- in-house packages on mainframe comput- called upon Member States to ensure the CARICOM trade by SITC Section. It was ers to process and compile their trade timely submission of data to the Secre- also the case that the totals that were data, and it still entailed the printing of tariat at the detailed item level in respect manually collated by SITC Section within computer printouts of tabulations that of intra-regional and extra-regional trade. a country differed from the summary had to be verified. e system of data totals where these were available. Efforts capture by the Customs Department also

27 CARICOM VIEW A publication of the Caribbean Community

changed with the introduction of the Some (if not all) of the above challenges software implied that further upgrading Automated System of Customs Data still affect the compilation of Regional was required to eliminate some of the (ASYCUDA) around the early 1990’s. At trade statistics today and impact data “bugs” it contained. In addition, changes the same time countries of the OECS quality including timeliness. In the in the system of data capture by the sub-region had commenced the installa- mid-90s, some of the challenges experi- Customs Department, the main source of tion of the Eurotrace software for enced by countries included the following: data at the national level, may have processing the data received from the resulted in some problems relative to the Customs Department. For example, in the • Additional work required by NSOs smooth transfer of data into the New case of Dominica, Eurotrace was installed resulting from the CET (based on the Eurotrace system. Countries are in March 1992, with ASYCUDA being Harmonised Commodity and Description supported by the Secretariat or through installed one month earlier in the Coding System –HS); South-South co-operation in resolving Customs Department of that Member these challenges. State. • The implementation of the CET at varying points in times during the year However, further support through ere were several problems with the data rather than at the beginning of the year; technical assistance and training is that became available from the ASYCUDA planned under the Tenth European System including: the absence of data • Inadequate computer hardware and Development Fund (EDF) provided by the from out-stations (outside of the main software to process the data; European Union. While some countries in Customs office) and which therefore had the spirit of competition strive to be the to be entered; incorrect dates for these • Lack of adequate staff capability in most first to submit their trade data to the late/outside entries; inconsistencies in of the smaller statistical offices to cope Secretariat, there are still challenges in the identification of numbers entered in with the additional work load; the timeliness of the data submitted the automated system and that used to partly due to processing issues with the process the declaration; values entered for • Delays in adapting to the computerized New Eurotrace or compatibility issues of some elements were erroneous e.g. net system for processing the data collected the trade systems - Customs and the weight. Recommendations were made on based on revisions of the HS-based CET; NSOs consequent to the upgrading of the data integrity relative to the data entered former as explained above. in the ASYCUDA system as well as for • Effect of teething problems relative to training in specific software to allow for the implementation of the ASYCUDA and A key challenge in the past has been the the treatment of queries by the data Eurotrace systems. introduction of the Common External processing officer in order to improve the Tariff (CET) in the 90’s, relative to the data quality. In the early 1990s, therefore, Challenges with the production of trade slow pace of implementation which countries commenced submitting trade data by Member States continued implied that over the period of implemen- data on electronic devices. In fact, in throughout the years. At the end of 1996, tation, the data would not have been 1993, while many countries submitted only two countries, Barbados and Belize, comparable across countries, and, of reports or computer printouts with had full-year data for the previous year, course, the impact on the intended results tabulations, Barbados and St Kitts and 1995. However, there was marked of Regional integration. Additionally, the Nevis submitted their trade data on improvement in the availability of trade international Classification of the World diskettes. data at the end of 1997, with nine Customs Organisation, the Harmonised countries with full year data for 1996 by Commodity and Description Coding e difficulties identified in the produc- October 1997. Support to the develop- System (HS) - which is used by the tion of the first digest on trade statistics ment of trade data was provided by the Customs Department for trade data included differences in definitions, CARICOM Secretariat to four countries, capture - is subject to revisions over time coverage, and in the reliability and three of which were included in the nine which poses unique challenges relative to availability of up-to-date information. countries that were able to provide the the timing of implementation, even now. ere were also differences due to the 1996 trade data. Compared to today, in For analytical purposes, the SITC is often version of the international classification 2011, six countries submitted data at the the choice used or requested by users. (Standard Industrial Trade Classification- stated timeline (April) and by July 12, 13 Changes in the HS over time require that SITC) used across countries. Additionally, countries submitted their trade data. e the more detailed coding of commodities there were missing data for some country which did not submit was to enable application of the CET must countries for specific years which would experiencing problems due to issues also be changed to conform to the new have resulted in totals across time that pertaining to the updating of the system international standard. would not have been comparable, and of trade data capture by the Customs there were differences in the system of Department leading to errors in the data trade used - General versus the Special collected. system - with implications for coverage of trade data captured as imports/exports. e novelty of the New Eurotrace

28 CARICOM VIEW www.CARICOM.ORG

ere are several issues relative to the on dBase IV to a system based on SQL full suite of the New Eurotrace software changes in the HS which affect the trade Server was undertaken in 2002. is also including the processing, the dissemina- data. e timing of implementation of the involved the use of Microsoft Access at tion (Comext), production of indices HS-based CET at the national level is a the frontend. is was a first phase of a (Trade Indices module) and the Mirror major issue. If this is implemented at a planned programme to modernize the Statistics Module for data reconciliation time other than the beginning of the year, trade information system at the Secre- between countries. With the upgrading of it implies that the trade data would be tariat. Post this upgrading, funding Eurotrace to a Windows version, classified using different versions of the received from the IDB and the EU has countries migrated from the DOS to HS with implications for the comparabil- enabled improvements in the submission Windows version with the support of the ity of the data within a year and across of data from Member States to the EU project under the Ninth EDF executed counties. Harmonisation of statistics Secretariat, as well as improvement in the by the Secretariat. Data editing rules were therefore becomes a nightmare. processing of the data to produce the developed and installed in countries to regional trade information system improve data quality and to minimise With the change of the HS, there is also (Tradsys) and to enable its access via the manual checks. need to prepare, at the Regional level, an Internet. HS-SITC correlation table to reflect the Nowadays, many countries disseminate CET level of details and to enable analysis e IDB provided funds for two aspects of trade data through their websites and by SITC Section. ere are cases in which development of the trade systems in submit their trade data electronically via the changes in the HS results in structural Member States and at the Secretariat. e official email communication and breaks in the data. Additionally, the first related to the review and enhancing otherwise. In the case of the online upgrading of the SITC also can create of the trade information system to Regional trade information system challenges with the HS-SITC correlation, collect, process and manage the regional (Tradsys_online) on the website, users in terms of the past correspondence data and to produce a draft data submis- can access data at a specific level of which affect data comparability. Efforts sion protocol to be used by Member aggregation from this facility. It is have been made at the Regional level to States as a common format for the intended to further enhance the online create a correlation of the HS-based CET submission of data. In the course of Tradsys with funding available from the to the SITC grounded in the latest making these recommendations, an EU to enable better access to the trade existing HS, but it is not a perfect assessment of the systems in use in data through the internet. Countries solution to these classification issues such Member States in compiling trade data continue to perform appreciably relative as structural breaks in the data due to and submitting to the Secretariat was to the adherence to the data submission classification changes which may not have undertaken. e second component of the protocol and to the timeline for the a significant impact on the Section level project related to the design of an online submission of data to the Secretariat. data and may more affect certain items at trade information system which is now the very detailed level (again which may enabling users’ access to key data on However in some aspects, the more things not be significant). trade through the internet. change, the more they remain the same. e challenges that affect the availability One of the main challenges with the Two projects were executed with funding and timeliness of trade data in the early quality of the data overtime has been the support by the EU. e first project days of the development of a trade data on quantity of trade and this is related to the installation of the New monitoring system still occur today, thought to be mainly due to the preoccu- Eurotrace for Windows for the processing specifically that of more effective pation of the Customs Department with of trade data by those countries that were coordination between Customs and the the collection of revenue. Even though using the DOS version. e project NSOs in some countries. Effective this is the case, the quantity figures involved in-country technical assistance coordination at the national level can should have direct bearing on the revenue to upgrade the trade information system offset challenges due to changes in the to be collected. ere are obvious in Member States. It specifically targeted system of the former that may not take problems when comparisons of the unit the implementation of the New Eurotrace on board the needs of the NSOs. value of identical items are made. is Software Package, which included the Undoubtedly, there are marked improve- situation does not rule out the computa- development of a functioning domain, ments in the Regional trade monitoring tion of Trade Indices using Unit Value loading of historical data, provision of the system. since outlier analysis can be incorporated. relevant training, and the implementation of the Data Submission Protocol for the e importance of the data then and now Recent Developments in Trade Data transmission of data to the Secretariat. is still primarily to monitor the impact Production and Dissemination and achievements of the economic At the CARICOM Secretariat, using funds e second activity served to reinforce the integration agenda, but also for use by the from its Research and Advisory budget, work undertaken by enabling full private sector and public sector for the upgrading of the Trade Information implementation of the New Eurotrace for decision-making on policy formulation System from a DOS-based system based Windows. It also provided training in the and on manufacturing initiatives.

29 CARICOM VIEW A publication of the Caribbean Community

Invariably, there have been developments Community Member States CARICOM's Intra-Regional Trade- brought on by improvements in IT Volume II- Top 10 Commodities, 1998 - hardware and software. Data submission A digest of Trade Statistics of 1960 – 2001 can be said to have improved with 1976 occasional glitches posed by the CARICOM’s Trade – A Quick Reference to challenges. Over the years, other reports A digest of Trade Statistics 1970 -1980 Some Summary Data, 1996 – 2001 were produced, including a second digest with data for the period 1970 to 1980; CARICOM’s Trade – A Quick Reference to CARICOM’s Trade – A Quick Reference to Trade in Agricultural Commodities; Quick Some Summary Data, 1985 – 1992 Some Summary Data, 2001 – 2006 Reference to Summary Data; Intra- regional trade (Volumes 1 & 2). ese are CARICOM’s Trade – A Quick Reference to CARICOM'S Trade in Selected Agricultural listed below. Data are now distributed on Some Summary Data, 1980 – 1996 Commodities: 2000 - 2003 websites and are submitted through the internet and online access to key trade CARICOM'S Trade in Selected Agricultural CARICOM's Trade in Services: 1990-2000 data is available on our website: Commodities: 1995 - 1996 www.caricomstats.org. ere has been CARICOM's Trade in Services: 2000-2005 appreciable performance in intra-regional CARICOM’s Trade Aggregate and trade and the trends and profile in trade Principal Domestic exports 1985 – 1990 statistics of the past still exist today to a large extent. CARICOM Statistics Digest 1970 - 1981

List of Di erent Trade Reports CARICOM's Intra-Regional Trade - A digest of Trade Statistics of Caribbean Volume 1 , 1990 - 2000

30 CARICOM VIEW www.CARICOM.ORG

From COLGRAIN to TURKEYEN – Evolution of the Vast and Varied Responsibilities and Mandates of the CARICOM Secretariat By Mr. Byron Blake Former Assistant Secretary-General, Regional Trade and Economic Integration, CARICOM Secretariat

he Secretariat is the engine of 2. A distributed secretariat with centres in Trade Association (CARIFTA) but it was any integration arrangement. e different capitals with responsibility for left to the Council of Ministers to define size, structure, financing and specific areas of cooperation. e East its scope and development. It began as a T legal authority of the Secretariat African Community and the Southern small body to pave the way for a move- have significance for the overall effective- African Development Committee (SADC) ment of limited scope although there was ness of the integration movement. are examples of this form of arrangement. a sense that the objectives and member- Ideally, these should relate in a planned e last named has evolved and now has ship could expand in yet unspecified ways. manner to the objectives of the Agree- most of the functions centralised in ment and expectations of the parties. Gaborone. While not clearly separated, we can identify for purposes of this article, four ere are different models of secretariat 3. As stated earlier, CARICOM followed points or eras of the burgeoning of the arrangements. Two bear recognition here. the centralised model. e Secretariat mandates of the Secretariat. ese are: ese are: began as a small arrangement to serve the limited 11- member Caribbean Free Trade 1. e immediate pre-CARICOM period 1. e central secretariat, located in a Association (CARIFTA). It has evolved 1970-1972; Headquarters’ country or city with with the accretion of functions as the responsibility for administration and integration process widened and 2. CARICOM to Grand Anse (1989) policy and/or administration, policy and deepened into the complex Caribbean implementation. e European Union Community (CARICOM) including the 3. Grand Anse to the CSME 1989/05, (Brussels), e Andean Community or CARICOM Single Market and Economy and Andean Pact (Lima); the Central American (CSME). Common Market () and e 4. Post-CSME Caribbean Community (Georgetown) e Commonwealth Caribbean Regional adopted this centralised model. Secretariat (CCRS) was provided for in the Treaty Establishing the Caribbean Free

31 CARICOM VIEW A publication of the Caribbean Community

THE PRE-CARICOM PERIOD 1968-69 (i) e generation of statistics and other • Labour. The trade unions had been in e first part of the period saw the small information to support policy develop- the forefront of the movement for cosy Secretariat under administrator Mr. ment in both maritime and air transpor- Caribbean integration. e Secretariat had Noel Venner and Secretary General Fred tation; to acquire and provide the capacity to Cozier, at Colgrain House. e main (ii) Support for negotiations with work with and draw on the experience functions then were to: international airlines and shipping and expertise of that sector; and companies and their cartel-type organisa- (1) put in place the administrative and tions such as the West Indies Trans- • With increasing activity, including the host-country arrangements; Atlantic Steamship Service (WITASS) on convening and servicing of regional levels for fares and rates as well as meetings, the administrative, including (2) put in place the arrangements, in services; finance, conference management and particular the Customs arrangements, for servicing capacity of the Secretariat had the operation of the Caribbean Free Trade (iii) Developing information on, and to be enhanced. Area; and providing technical support to regional bodies such as the Federal Shipping e above are illustration of the accretion (3) coordinate the work of some of Service which evolved into e West of functions even ahead of clear legal common services areas, such as education Indies Shipping Corporation (WISCO), authority for expansion. e initial which came down from the Federal e Schooner Owners success of the Free Trade arrangements, experiment. Association and later, Leeward Island Air growing enthusiasm in the Region among Transport (LIAT). the young and idealistic staff and signs of e second part of the pre-CARICOM tension from the polarisation of the period was ushered in with the arrival of (iv) Interfacing with international benefits from free trade led the Secre- the development economist and former transportation policy and regulatory tariat to publish in the first half of 1972, economic adviser to Prime Minister Eric bodies such as e International Civil a book, `From CARIFTA to Caribbean Williams of Trinidad and Tobago, William Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the Community’. is provided the intellec- Gilbert Demas in January 1970. Demas International Air Transport Association tual basis for the decision by the Seventh was a regionalist and expansionist with a (IATA) and the Inter-Governmental Conference of the Heads of Government keen sense of political timing. Maritime Consultative Organisation of the Commonwealth Caribbean in (IMCO) (now the International Maritime November 1972 to advance the integra- e movement of the Secretariat from Organisation (IMO)); and tion process. Colgrain to the Bank of Guyana Building – third floor – in the centre of Georgetown (v) e Regional Shipping Council (RSC). CARICOM TO GRAND ANSE gave the space and view to fuel his e Treaty of Chaguaramas specified the imagination. A two-person transportation unit was objectives, in an open-ended manner for established with technical support from the next phase of integration and A major expansion of functions and staff the Economic Commission for Latin accordingly, the mandates of the Secre- began in the second half of 1970. Key America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in tariat. Many of these were foreshadowed areas of expansion included: Trinidad and Tobago to deal with the in the developments between 1970 and range of transportation issues; 1972. e key objectives were: • Economic policy, research and statistics. • Health. This has been a major issue for 1. e economic integration of the • Agriculture to encompass not only the the Caribbean. Critical areas included Member States by the establishment of A marketing of the agricultural products Public Health, Health Policy; Control of Common Market Regime. ( is is the covered by the Agricultural Marketing Tropical Diseases; Management of Public broad arrangement set out in the Annex Protocol (AMP) but policies for agricul- Sector Health Services; Drug testing, to the Treaty); tural planning and development. Techni- formulation and procurement: training of cal capacity was required to advise on the health sector personnel, including nurses. 2. e coordination of the foreign policies rationalisation of agricultural production Facilitated by a Pan American Health of Member States; and in the Region and on marketing issues Organisation (PAHO)-provided expert relating to the major agricultural export who had served as Chief Medical Officer 3. Functional cooperation, including commodities of and bananas. in several Caribbean countries, a multi- million dollar programme was developed (a) e efficient operation of certain • Transportation – maritime and air. in all the key areas of need. e Secre- common services and activities; Important issues which had to be tariat was also required to service regular addressed included: meetings of ministers of Health, of nurses (b) e promotion of greater understand- and of other expert groups. ing among the people and the advance- ment of their social, cultural and techno-

32 CARICOM VIEW www.CARICOM.ORG

logical development; and were expected to meet at least once per Convention yoking the ACP on the one year. The Common Market Council was hand and the EEC on the other was the (c) Cooperation in activities in a number expected to meet quarterly. These result of the negotiations. It was a of fields. Areas were identified in the meetings could be in any Member State. path-breaking agreement between schedule to the Treaty but it was made developed and developing countries and clear that these were not exhaustive as Certain unforeseen regional and moreso went into implementation at the begin- the Conference of Heads of Government global developments in the five years ning of 1975. This could not have come could add to them at any time. immediately after the establishment of too soon. The CARICOM Secretariat Community had significant implications sacrificed its Director of Trade and In seeking a full appreciation of the work for the nature and intensity of the work Integration Division to become the and mandate implications of the Treaty of of the Community ad hence the Secre- Deputy Secretary-General of the new ACP Chaguaramas we must go, however, tariat. Important, but not in priority Secretariat but cut back on overall beyond the objectives and also consider: order were: engagement for the next two-and-a half years until the negotiating cycle for the • The intent in the preambular paragraphs 1. The need to establish a new relation- second five-year convention commenced. which are extremely broad, in particular ship with the United Kingdom as a new the third of the four paragraphs. This member of the European Economic 2. The international economic crisis, speaks, inter alia, to: Community (EEC), and hence with the which began to unfold with the first oil EEC and with the Commonwealth. This shock at about the same time as the (i) e optimum utilisation of human not only took the Region into uncharted conclusion of the negotiation of the and natural resources, waters, but into waters in which it had to Treaty of Chaguaramas, threw the Region take a leadership role, establish alliances, into crisis in its production and in its (ii) Accelerated, coordinated and create required structures and write the external trade and economic relations. sustained development, rules. Political leaders such as Shridath Several Member States came under 'Sonny" Ramphal of Guyana and P.J. pressure. (iii) Efficient operation of common Patterson of Jamaica and national services and functional cooperation in officials such as Brazanne Babb of The Secretariat was called upon to lead or social, cultural, educational and Barbados, who was stationed in Brussels coordinate work, inter alia to: technological fields; and for a period, played leading roles. The Secretariat was called upon, however, not • Monitor developments in areas such as (iv) Creation of a common front in only to coordinate technical studies and commodity - including - prices relation to the external world. other preparations but often had to and availability and assess the impact on accompany delegations across Europe, the Region and on individual Member Some of these are highlighted in the Africa, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific to States; objectives but the intent in the preamble advise, coordinate and ensure that there is much more fundamental and were records. The Deputy Secretary • Develop strategies and mechanisms to long-term. General, Mr Joseph Tyndall, was soon minimise potential adverse impacts on assigned full-time and stationed in the fledgling integration process and It is also important to appreciate that the Brussels while the Chief of Economic individual Member States. Areas of work two Organs – the Conference and The Policy and Research, later the Director for completed or advanced by the time of the Common Market Council – and the seven the Trade and Integration Division Special Heads of Government Conference ministerial Institutions, all had the power (DTID), Mr Edwin Carrington, was almost in April 1976 included: to issue instructions to the Secretariat. continuously with the regional team on its varied missions. Secretary-General (1) The creation of a CARICOM Multilat- The number of institutions, itself, was not William Demas and later Alister McIntyre eral Clearing and Payments Facility exhaustive as there was provision for were ubiquitous. Fortunately, Demas (CMCF) to minimise the foreign exchange Conference to add. The initial seven were hated flying but loved the telephone, so needed to facilitate intra-regional trade; for Health, Education, Labour, Foreign the Secretariat in Georgetown could have Affairs, Finance, Agriculture and Mines. his physical presence. (2) The creation of a multilateral balance The institutions had the authority to of payments support fund establish subsidiary committees, agencies Many other areas of the Secretariat, and other bodies they considered including Trade Policy and Customs (3) The promulgation of a Regional Food necessary for the efficient performance of Administration, Agriculture, in particular Plan and the establishment of a Regional their function. staff dealing with commodities, Economic Food Corporation to spearhead imple- Research and Statistics, Legal Services, mentation of the Regional Food Plan. The organs and institutions, with the Conference Services, and Transportation exception of the Common Market Council were significantly involved. The Lome 1 (4) The re-organisation of regional

33 CARICOM VIEW A publication of the Caribbean Community

agriculture research and the establish- reorganising the structures and rebuilding Among other things, CARICOM leaders ment of the Caribbean Agricultural the staff. agreed to: Research and Development Institute (CARDI); His ascendancy coincided with another • A policy of ideological plurality; period of internal and external pressures. (5) e convening of one meeting of the It was marked by the second oil shock and • A major and comprehensive Heads of the National Planning Agencies global recession; the re-emergence of programme to address all aspects of as provided for in Article 45 (2) of the internal trade imbalances between the the energy challenge. They were Treaty on Coordination of National Region’s oil exporting member and the facilitated by a five-year, US$5M grant Development Planning. other Member States; the emergence of from United States Agency for Interna- the doctrines of structural adjustment, tional Development (USAID). The CCS e coincidence of the bulging of the Washington consensus; and pressures and the CDB were able to set up energy mandates from the integration initiatives on social development activities which units to address the four major areas arising from the new Treaty of Chaguara- were significant in sustaining the of the challenge in a coordinated mas and the imperative to respond to the integration process in the preceding manner; shocks and potential dislocation from the period. international crisis placed major demands on the relatively small Secretariat. e demands were met through a combina- tion of initiatives including the expansion of the core staff, the use of technical working groups drawing on the expertise of national administrations and regional institutions including the University of the West Indies (UWI) and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB); and the use of short- and medium-term experts financed under technical assistance arrangements. Secretary-General William Demas (with At the same time, from the integration sunglasses) engages the media. He is perspective, a number of factors slowed flanked by Edwin Carrington, who later the positive energy of the movement became the longest serving between 1976 and 1979. e organisation Secretary-General, and Mr. Byron Blake, lost staff. Relationships among the former Assistant Secretary-General, Trade Member States deteriorated. e capacity of several States to bear their share of the and Economic Integration. cost of supporting integration weakened, e Conference failed to meet between April 1976 and November 1982 to give ere was also the Grenadian revolution direction and impetus to the process and of March, 1979, when the Peoples • A major health sector management provide mandates for the Secretariat. Revolutionary Government (PRG) under and training programme. This also And, to crown the situation, there was no seized power in Grenada. benefited from a USAID grant and the Secretary-General in office for two years. is opened a rift between the socialist Secretariat was able to put in place the ese might have reduced the pressure on leaning and the West-bending members capacity to mange it; and the Secretariat from increased mandates of the Movement. All of these develop- but increased the pressure to maintain ments placed pressure on the technical • Develop a Caribbean response to the spirit in an increasingly negative and leadership capacity of the Secretariat. structural adjustment based on environment. Caribbean expertise and experience. With the experience of the stagnation of Positive effort resumed with the appoint- the integration process fresh in mind, the e 1979 to 1989 period represented, on ment of Barbadian, Dr Kurleigh King, a Region seemed more determined to tackle balance, for the integration process and Director in the CDB and former Head of the challenges from a Regional perspec- the Secretariat, an era of rebuilding and the Industrial Development Corporation tive. ey were given a window by the consolidation. It required persistence and of Barbados, as Secretary-General in ascendancy of the more liberal and self-effacing diplomacy which fitted the October, 1978. Secretary-General King socially conscious Jimmy Carter to the character of Secretaries-General King and was a systems and organisational Presidency of the United States in Roderick Rainford. management specialist. He set about January, 1979.

34 CARICOM VIEW www.CARICOM.ORG

GRAND ANSE TO CSME • Charge particular Heads of Government ere were other decisions made at e Heads of Government Conference in with responsibility for specific areas of that 10th Conference with strong Grenada in July, 1979, had a major the integration and cooperation processes implications for the work of the declaration and three decisions which had such as external economic negotiations, Secretariat such as the support for significant implications for the integra- the CSME, Health, Agriculture and work on Small Island Development tion process and the work of the Secre- Cricket. Prime Ministerial States (SIDS), the establishment of an tariat. ese were: sub-committees, which had to be serviced, `Assembly of Caribbean Parliamentar- were soon established in many cases: and ians’ and the need to create a mecha- • The `Grand Anse Declaration and Work nism for disaster management and Programme for the Advancement of the • Develop a Charter of Civil Society. response. Integration Movement’; e Conference later admitted the e work of the CSME was given very • The establishment of a Commission (The Dutch-speaking Suriname and French- high priority by the Secretariat and, West Indian Commission) under the speaking Haiti to the grouping. e for several years, was the issue around Chairmanship of Sir Shridath Ramphal to decision stipulated that the official which the work programme of the promote the purposes of the Treaty of language would remain English but there Organisation revolved. Chaguaramas and to report before the was a new challenge for the Secretariat conference in 1992; and the integration movement to e Heads of Government also took communicate with and integrate the several decisions at their Annual • The establishment of a committee under populations of these countries into the Conferences in 1990, 1991 and 1992 the coordination of Jamaica to work process. and at their Special Meeting on 28-31 towards the establishment of a CARICOM October, 1992, in Trinidad and stock exchange and also for Jamaica to e Conference sought to strengthen the Tobago, and where they considered coordinate work on a CARICOM Invest- Secretariat by: the Report of the West Indian ment Fund; and (a) Making the Secretary-General a Commission which further magnified member of the Bureau and the workload of the Secretariat. ese • The acceptance of the decisions of decisions included agreements to: Ministerial Conference on the Environ- (b) Purporting to give the Secretary- ment embodied in the Port-of-Spain General executive authority. • Establish a Bureau of the Conference Accord on the management and conserva- and a Community Council which had tion of the environment and for meetings In reality, the first created more work and to be serviced by the Secretariat; of Ministers responsible for the environ- the second was a mirage as the officials, in ment to be convened as necessary. seeking to give effect to the decision in • Create a Monetary Union; the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, qualified five of the seven functions to be • Promote the establishment of an performed by the Secretary-General by Association of Caribbean States; the words “as mandated”, “as required” or “with the consent of”. Better and more autonomous financing and more staff would have been much greater enablers.

In addition to the decisions of the Conference, certain hemispheric and global realities in the first half of the 1990s also called for responses and actions by the Secretariat. These included:

• The decision of the First Summit of the in 1994 to: (a) work to establish “A Free Trade Area of the Americas” and A meeting in session in the CARICOM (b) indulge in other areas of priority Secretariat interest such as finance and sustainable Conference Room, development. e last named was Turkeyen followed by a hemispheric Summit in Bolivia in 1996.

35 CARICOM VIEW A publication of the Caribbean Community

• The Agreement in 1994 to establish the From the humble beginnings in Colgrain • The Fairlie House Building in Kingston World Trade Organisation (WTO) and to House in 1968 to the third floor of the which housed the Directorate of Human bring trade in services under interna- Bank of Guyana Building, which became and Social Development for much of the tional rules through the General Agree- its postal address until 2005, accommoda- later period ment on Trade in Services (GATS); tion was a constant struggle and absorbed significant management capacity. During • CARIFORUM, Bel Air Springs • The concerted attack by the United those intervening years, the Secretariat States and the Latin American banana occupied, not all at the same time, no • CARIFORUM, Lamaha Gardens exporting countries on the European fewer than 13 locations across George- Banana Regime; and town. These included: The dispersion of the Secretariat made for less than optimum operation. There were • The convening by the UN of a series of • Bank of Guyana Building (the Third and significant inefficiencies especially in the global conferences on key social sectors Fourth Floors) which housed the Central duplication of services, transit time for and issues such as Population, Women in Administration and key services such as staff and documents and in arrangements Development, Housing and Settlement. Finance, Human Resource Management for consultation and coordination. (personnel function), Legal Services, All the above had tremendous implica- Conference Services and Documentation. The government of Guyana was respon- tions for the workload of the Secretariat. sible for and committed to providing a It responded to the increased mandates • American Life Insurance Building, Hinck headquarters building. A design emerged through a variety of strategies, including: Street (which housed the Functional from a Region-wide competition in the Cooperation Division for a long period). late 1970s/80s. Resources proved a • increasing the establishment where challenge. The idea was revised several budget permitted, re-organising and • Hinck Street (where Medicare Pharmacy times and several sites proposed. But it re-assignment of staff, and the expansion is now located) which housed the was not until early in the new millennium of functions of existing staff members; Technical Assistance Section. that a decision was taken to construct the headquarters at Turkeyen, Greater • projectising of activities, mobilising • Avenue of the Republic and Brickdam Georgetown. funding and in cases, locating project (which housed a number of project type units outside of Guyana while maintain- activities) The idea was to construct a building which ing control in Georgetown. would house the entire Secretariat, • The former Colonial Life Insurance including a conference centre. The new Examples of such project arrangements Building, Avenue of the Republic and headquarters building at Turkeyen has include Caribbean Export (formerly the North Road. come close. There is an annex in close Caribbean Export Development Project), proximity and access to a conference The CSME Unit, and the Regional • The Juman Yassin Building, North Road facility. Negotiating Machinery (now the Office of (opposite St. George's Church). Trade Negotiations). All of these named Opened in 2005 when most of the projects were located in Barbados for ease • The old United States Information pioneers of the 1970s had left, it might of communication and management: Service (USIS) Building on North Road just be that the wandering spirit has come which housed the Statistics Unit to rest in the new: • The use of ad hoc technical working groups. • The Eddy Grant Building, High Street • CARICOM Secretariat Headquarters, Kingston which housed the Directorate of Turkeyen The majority of the strategies deployed by Trade and Economic Integration and the the Secretariat to respond to the increas- Statistical Unit when the former moved • CARICOM Secretariat Annex, Turkeyen ing mandates required the accommoda- from the Juman Yassin Building. tion of additional persons at Headquar- Rest spirit but remember, even after 40 ters even for short periods. This placed • High Street, Kingston (two doors from years there is much more work to be done pressure on physical accommodation. Eddy Grant Building) which housed the to land this Caribbean integration dream. CARICOM Legislative Drafting Facility Many might say the vision needs to be IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PHYSICAL re-kindled. LOCATION OF THE SECRETARIAT • High Street, Kingston (one block away The expanding workload had implications from Eddy Grant Building) which housed for the physical location of the Secre- the Division of Foreign and Community tariat. The Treaty provides that the Relations and Technical Assistance headquarters of the Community “shall be Section. in Georgetown, Guyana.”

36 Caribbean Community (CARICOM ) Secretariat P.O. Box 10827 Turkeyen Greater Georgetown Guyana Tel: (592) 222-0001-75 Fax: (592) 222-0171 Email: [email protected] [email protected] www.caricom.org

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