As the Fifth Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) came to an end in St Lucia on Tuesday, CARICOM ministers took the opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to the objectives of the Treaty of Chaguaramas relating to the coordination of the foreign policies of member states.
According to a communique from the CARICOM Secretariat in Georgetown, Guyana, the delegates confirmed the community's position to continue to be guided by a set of fundamental principles, which include the development and preservation of the Caribbean identity, democratic system and economic space; the sustainability of small states within the international community; continued adherence to principles of good governance; maintaining the peace, security and territorial integrity of the community; adherence to the purposes and principles of the United Nations; and adherence to Treaty commitments.
It said that in the context of the Single Market and Economy, and in accordance with the revised CARICOM-founding Treaty of Chaguaramas, greater consultation and coordination of the foreign policies of the region are needed.
"This would require an effective decision-making machinery, consistent and positive engagement in areas selected for priority action, and the capacity to deliver," the document stated. It said that in this regard, the ministers agreed to strengthen the operations of the bureau of COFCOR to enable the community to address issues in its interest on a timely basis.
Reviewing the global, political and economic issues in the region, the team focused its discussions on small states, terrorism and development assistance, democracy, poverty, HIV and AIDS, the environment and activities in the region's three major theatres of negotiation: the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) and the African, Caribbean and the Pacific/European Union process.
The ministers reiterated that the issues relating to the financing of the mandates arising from the summit continue to be of concern to member states and agreed on the mechanisms for further cooperation by the community in following up the summit process.
They recognised that there is a need for greater coordination by CARICOM in addressing the policies and work programmes of the summit partners' institutions. The ministers also welcomed the inclusion of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) in the implementation process of the mandates of the Summit of the Americas.
Touching on the issue of financing for development, the delegates acknowledged the many new concepts and competing frameworks in the follow-up process to the Financing for Development Conference.
"They noted that a number of issues had not been satisfactorily addressed at the conference, including cooperation on international tax matters; special and differential treatment for smaller economies; increased technical cooperation and the role of the WTO in the development agenda defined by the Financing for Development follow-up process."