CARICOM LEADERS DID WELL
Guest Editorial
Guyana Chronicle
March 31, 2004
QUITE UNDERSTANDABLY, Haiti dominated a substantial part of the working hours of the 15th Inter-Sessional Meeting of Caribbean Community leaders in St. Kitts. But they, nevertheless, ensured compliance with other major agenda items to keep moving the process forward on issues of much importance to the region.
They worked long hours over two days from Thursday and into very early Saturday morning dealing with matters they simply can no longer postpone. Unless, of course, the Community as a whole is to suffer severe setbacks in efforts to win desirable advantages in negotiations with the international community in vital areas of trade and financial investment to boost economic development.
Not only did they labour to find common ground to hasten the arrangements for the inauguration of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) and the related Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).
The leaders demonstrated encouraging sensitivity to pressing people-focused issues like battling the HIV/AIDS epidemic as well devoting a session to revising plans for the 2007 Cricket World Cup series with a view to ensuring the most effective and rewarding arrangements in the hosting countries.
It is not that their caucus and plenary sessions were free from some tough talking and even strong exchanges, especially on the Haiti political crisis and intra-regional trade, fisheries, energy and air transportation.
However, our understanding is that the intensity of their discussions was very much intended on achieving and not retarding progress.
This is indeed encouraging to learn as it points to a level of political maturity and commitment by our political directorate that could easily be ignored amid the reports of deteriorating inter-personal and intra-regional relations among some Heads of Government and member states of the Community.
They avoided confusing their sharp disagreement with the external influences that resulted in the ousting from power of Haiti's Jean Bertrand Aristide with a stated policy to foster the best possible relations with the United States of America with which so much of this region's trade and economic relations are linked. But rightly insist on doing so with an awareness to maintain the region's sovereignty and dignity.
On the specific issue of the CSME, over which new concerns were raised in the wake of the fisheries and maritime boundary disputes between Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, Prime Minister Owen Arthur thought it necessary to remark in his own inimitable style that the extensive legal work being done, may not be "sexy news", but progress was definitely being achieved.
Altogether, therefore, though Inter-Sessional Meetings are structured more for reviews of decisions taken at annual summits and advancing the work agenda for binding decisions at their regular Heads of Government Conference, the leaders seemed to have a done a very good job, from all reports.