When he addressed the opening of the 23rd Heads of Government Conference held in Guyana recently, CARICOM Chairman, President Bharrat Jagdeo, reminded CARICOM leaders of the need to keep the people of the region informed of what their governments are doing and to involve them in the integration movement.

“The farmer in the village, the worker in the factory and the student in the classroom will never become engaged if the issues vital to our Community are conveyed in technical terms such as `derogation’ and `post-Cotonou agreement’,” the President said. He added that the people must be made aware of how impending measures and agreements will impact on them and the future of their children.

The Charter of Civil Society, a document that defines the roles of citizens and Governments in the integration process, has been described as giving normative moorings and qualitative character to the Community.

Based on the guidelines set out in the Charter, efforts are now being directed towards the greater involvement of civil society in the process of promoting regional unity and development.

During the encounter of civil society held on the eve of the 23rd Conference, representatives called for Governments to promote better heath care and education, more employment opportunities and comprehensive and adequate social services.

The focus for the Community now lies in strengthening the partnership between Governments and the private sector.

During his six-month tenure as Chairman of CARICOM, President Jagdeo will be responsible for promoting this partnership.

The focus of President Jagdeo’s tenure as Chairman of CARICOM

SEVERAL issues, which will either see a resolution to the problems facing the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) or enhance development, will be addressed during President Bharrat Jagdeo’s Chairmanship of the Community.

The President assumed Chairmanship of CARICOM at the opening of the 23rd Meeting of the Heads of Government of CARICOM countries at the National Cultural Center, Georgetown, Guyana on July 3.

A proud moment for Guyanese it was indeed to see its youngest Head of State ever to succeed to this prestigious position. Former President Dr. Cheddi Jagan served in 1986. Guyana was also host to the Regional Heads of Government Meeting three times.

Mr. Jagdeo’s assumption to the post comes at a time when the Region is facing severe constraints in various sectors including its economy.

At the opening of the meeting, the new Chairman cited several issues that will be prioritised during his tenure.

Among these issues are crime and insecurity, international relations, strengthening of democracy, the fiscal situation, agriculture, and greater involvement of civil society.

A common approach to the problems of crime and insecurity in the Region has to be formulated, as the criminal activities and the insecurity they engender are now holding citizens and economies to ransom, he said, pointing to the prevalence of arms and drug trafficking, violence, and new forms of domestic terrorism in the Region.

The Regional Task Force mandated to develop a crime-fighting plan was given a one-year extension to do so, after the Heads reviewed its report.

Criminal acts and may be considered as one of the most critical issues facing the Region.

The new Chairman said considerable emphasis would be placed on strengthening democracy in the Region during his six-month tenure.

This, he added is another area which affects member States’ abilities to attract investment, because there is the perception abroad of instability in some countries.

He called for a Regional instrument to mirror the Inter-American Charter, which is firm in its proscription of extra-constitutional measures to remove democratically- elected Governments. The sanction must also address the behaviour of Opposition groups and Civil Society whose actions threaten democratic Governments.

“Unless we do this, we will lose credibility in the international community and our image will be tarnished,” he warned.

According to the President, he is now pressed with the need to take the Community out of this declining trend in its economy. Only Guyana and Jamaica recorded positive growth rate last year; all the others were at an all time low.

A Common Agricultural Policy for the Region will also be formulated, as the Chairman of the Community has responsibility for Agriculture within the Region.

The Regional Transformation Policy on Agriculture has its limitations and most of the agricultural studies conducted have served merely to guide external trade negotiations, which are not enough for the full development of our agriculture sector from a production perspective, he explained.

Creating multilateral regimes for sustainable development is also necessary and one area which will be given support is the concept of the Caribbean Sea as a special area for sustainable development.

This would avoid controversy on issues of sovereignty and allow member States to proceed jointly in utilising resources for the benefit of all peoples, the Chairman explained.

In keeping with globalised trends, the functions of Regional institutions will be reviewed. This has started with all the Community’s agencies, including the Secretariat.

Many of them may have to be strengthened, some to be modified and some to be eliminated.

It was also proposed that more coordination should be effected in seeking help from multilateral financial institutions.

Additionally, in keeping with the Community’s commitment to involve civil society in the development process, a greater involvement of a non-partisan and an accountable Civil Society in CARICOM will be evident during the next six months.

According to President Jagdeo, the effectiveness of CARICOM and the success of one of its major goals, the establishment of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) is largely dependent on the promotion of a larger Caribbean sphere of influence and support.

“We can do this through our diaspora in the North. Belize has opened the possibilities in Central America. Guyana and Suriname can do this in South America. Our vast economic territory remains largely uncharted and offers many tantalising opportunities to CARICOM countries,” he said.

Guyana and Suriname can also play a vital role in this promotion because of their strategic location on the shoulder of the sub-continent.

“Guyana and Suriname can serve as an important gateway for the Community’s trade and economic relations with countries in the southern hemisphere,” he said.

One of the foundation factors for the CSME is the establishment of the Caribbean Court of Justice. A trust fund was set up and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) was mandated to give an initial US $100M to the Fund.