MARGARITA Island, the site of the 3rd ACS Summit on December 11-12, is a place where the insular and the mainland Caribbean meet.

Politically, it is part of mainland Venezuela, lying just off the coast of that country about 200 kilometres east of Port of Spain. But in geography and economics, it is very much a typical Caribbean island, with white sand, palm-fringed beaches encircling a lushly forested mountainous interior. Its size and population (350,000 people) would place it in the middle rankings of CARICOM’s island member states and, like most Caribbean islands, it depends heavily on tourism.

Margarita’s role in connecting the two sides of the Caribbean has deep historical roots. It was here that the 33 year-old Simon Bolivar landed in 1816 to prepare for his second - and decisive - military campaign against Spanish rule on the mainland that finally ended with the independence of what is now Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.

History records that Bolivar’s expedition of 250 men and several schooners had sailed from Haiti, where it had been equipped with supplies furnished by General Petion. Petion understood the strategic importance to Haiti of the abolition of slavery on the mainland that was an integral part of the Bolivarian mission. His assistance to Bolivar was one of the earliest recorded acts of pan-Caribbean solidarity in the cause of collective freedom.

Before reaching Haiti, Bolivar had spent seven months in Jamaica after leaving Cartagena de Indias on the Colombian coast. In Jamaica, he found the inspiration to write a visionary and prophetic document on the future of Spanish America, the famous Jamaica Letter. Today, a statue of Bolivar stands in Kingston, overlooking the burial place of Jamaica ‘s National Heroes.

Coincidentally, the ACS enterprise was also launched in Cartagena de Indias, for it was there that the Convention setting up the Association was signed at a meeting of Presidents and Prime Ministers of the Greater Caribbean in July 1994.

Since then, the ACS has come a long way. It has established a solid foundation for functional cooperation in its four focal areas of trade, maritime and air transport, sustainable tourism and the management of natural disasters. Besides its 25 members and three associate members, it has 16 Observer Countries and five Social Partners drawn from the private sector and the NGO and academic community. Puerto Rico and at least two of the French Caribbean Departments (now represented through France) have shown interest in joining in their own right.

Cooperation agreements have been signed with a number of regional and international organisations and several others are in the pipeline, notably with the OPEC Fund for International Development, whose President will be a special guest at the Summit.

In keeping with the Summit theme of Consolidation of the Greater Caribbean, one of its significant results expected is the signing of a Convention on Sustainable Tourism. This will provide an agreed legal framework by which the different tourist sub-regions in the Caribbean basin can cooperate in developing tourism along lines that are socially and environmentally friendly and generate widespread economic benefits.

This and other elements of the approved Plan of Action at the Summit could be a significant step in the evolution of an authentic community of the Greater Caribbean. But, as always, only consistent follow-up by governments and civil society can ensure that the potential is realised.

Prof. Norman Girvan is Secretary General of the Association of Caribbean States. The views expressed are not necessarily the official views of the ACS.