Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett
Caricom Secretary General Irwin LaRocque has called for a review of the implementation of the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) and whether the approach to it was adequate to address the immediate concerns of member states.
“Just as we have agreed that the revised treaty must now be reviewed in order to advance our integration arrangements, we have to examine the role of the CSME in addressing the economic challenges of member states. I remain convinced, however, that the CSME is our best option for addressing our economic challenges,” LaRocque said during the opening of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) at the Princess Hotel, Providence, East Bank Demerara last Friday morning.
He said deliberations at the special session on the strategic direction of COTED should be informed by the recent judgement by the Caribbean Court of Justice which has cemented the community’s rules-based system.
According to Secretary General LaRocque, the judgement has far-reaching implications for decision-making and implementation, the nature and effects of community law, obligations of member states and the rights of community nationals. The judgement, he added, engendered confidence in community arrangements.
Collective action
In recognition of the challenges and limitations that faced member states, the secretary general said that the region had to collectively endeavour to put all member states on a sound footing to tackle the hard economic realities. For the community, he said, enhancing competitiveness and expanding trade were crucial elements to propel growth and improve the welfare of the region.
Meanwhile, chair of the meeting, Guyana’s Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett said the discussions at the session will be an integral element of the community’s agenda for change.
The minister said after 40 years, the integration movement continues to endure, “giving us cause for celebration in the midst of our reflection and introspection. And as any organisation which wishes to remain relevant to its members, we are engaged in seeking ways to improve the way we do business”.
She said Caricom is in the process of reviewing every facet of its operations and institutions, noting that heads of government agreed that it was necessary to examine the future direction of the community and to craft the requisite arrangements to govern the agreed structure.
Work has begun on the five-year strategic plan for the community. The Change Facilitation Team has been canvassing the widest possible range of views. A series of in-country consultations have taken place in 13 member states and one associate member thus far, providing an opportunity for nationals to influence the plan and therefore, the direction of the community. Sustainable economic growth is a recurrent theme in almost all of these consultations.
Rodrigues-Birkett said COTED’s agenda and deliberations must be more strategic as they seek to address the challenges faced by its member states and the work of the preparatory meeting of the COTED must be such as to allow the ministers space for strategic deliberations.
