Keeping faith with Caricom
by Rickey Singh
BARBADOS has developed a proud record over the years in its firm support for the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM), whether under governments led by the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) or the Barbados Labour Party (BLP), as is currently the case. With the conclusion Wednesday evening of the 20th and final CARICOM Summit for the 20th century, Barbados must now show an even greater commitment to make a reality of a single market and economy. Even, that is, if the signals and gestures of its Prime Minister, Owen Arthur, fails in the short and medium term to stimulate new interest in political integration, either at the subregional level of the Eastern Caribbean, or in the wider Community. Barbados, home base of the Regional Security System (RSS), a network of regional and international organisations and agencies – including umbrella NGOs, church, labour and human rights and media organisations – has no alternative to being constructively engaged with its Community partners in the collective search for a better life for the “one people” of “one Caribbean” . Making adjustments and concessions, settling for compromises and avoiding confrontations have been the experiences for governments of the Community over the past 26 years of CARICOM that remain eager for the creation of a single market and economy with the dawn of the new millennium. Prime Minister Arthur, who has the lead responsibility among heads of government for arrangements for the single market and economy, seems clear in his own mind that a regional single market is an absolute necessity for our survival in a fundamentally changed world from that when CARICOM was launched, with all of its shortcomings, in July 1973. No one Caribbean society, he has rightly argued, relying only upon the strengths of its domestic market and resources will be ever able to sustain the development which affords its citizens the prospects of an improving standard of living. At the just-concluded 20th Summit, Arthur himself pointed to the necessity for a “new model of governance” to fulfil the objectives of a single market and economy that will ensure freedom not just of goods, services and capital, but freedom of movement of the people and better foster a culture of “oneness” among us. Well, such a model must reflect structures that facilitate greater people involvement. One such structure or mechanism for the exchange of views on matters of importance to the region, was launched in Barbados three years ago but has not met since. It is the Assembly of Caribbean Community Parliamentarians (ACCP). A brainchild of former Prime Minister Erskine Sandiford, the Assembly was originally intended to be a forum not just for government and opposition parliamentarians but a deliberative body that includes representatives of civil society as well. CARICOM must tell us why this newest of its layers of institutions has failed to meet even once a year since its inauguration. We must also be informed about what mechanism, if any exists, to monitor fulfilment of the laudable ideas for good governance and democracy located in the CARICOM Charter for Civil Society. Further, we need to know of any new approach being devised for regular, structured dialogues between governments and civil society, and specifically with the so-called “social partners”. Now that another summit is over we shall continue to monitor new approaches to build greater involvement in the affairs of our Caribbean Community.
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