Conclusion

• Author: Anthony J. Payne
• Profession: Professor of Politics, University of Sheffield, UK. He is the author of several books on Caribbean politics and international relations
• Pages: 281-286

Conclusion | 281

We have now arrived at an understanding of how the Caribbean

Community originated, how it operated in its first crucial years and

what has happened to the regional integration process in the Caribbean

over the last quarter of a century; we know what CARICOM is and

what it is not; we are familiar with its strengths and weaknesses; and we

have set out its successes and failures. The aim of these few concluding

pages is not to reiterate the various conclusions of earlier chapters, but

to attempt to bring together the threads of the preceding discussion

and to draw attention to the key paradox that sits at the heart of the

modern politics of the Caribbean Community.

Looking back across the years that have passed since the announcement

of the result of the Jamaican referendum in September 1961, one’s initial

impression cannot but be of the immensity of the change which has

come over the character of inter-island relations since that moment. Out

of collapse and disintegration has emerged the reality of a new

Commonwealth Caribbean community. Regional institutions exist and

function, ministers meet regularly in a variety of forums and just about

everyone is in favour of West Indian integration in one form or other.

Of course, there have been many arguments and recriminations between

member territories of CARICOM — sometimes bitter ones — but they

have occurred as between members of the same club. It is probably fair

to say that the achievement of these years has been to transpose the

conclusion

The Paradox of Regional

Integration in the

Caribbean