Introduction

• Author: UWI-CARICOM Project
• Pages: 7-33

vii

Introduction

INTRODUCTION

The Papers presented in this issue represent a set of penetrating analyses of

aspects of the negotiations underway, as well as reform proposals and

adjustment processes to which CARICOM countries have been, and will be

subjected for the foreseeable future. Collectively, they consider the roles of

the political economist, small State diplomat, development journalist and

non-State actors. They look at options facing the countries in respect of their

role as commodity producers (especially of bananas and sugar); the possibility

of a novel approach to delimitation of the interlocking exclusive economic

zone (EEZ) in the Caribbean; and renewal of the agenda of political

integration.

While they all have an important bearing on the challenge of adapting

to the changing environment, there is, however, no forced uniformity in the

line of thought or emphasis.

In respect of trade in the new international environment, Ambassador

Edwin Laurent advocates ruthless prioritization of the national interest of

the small, single-product-dependent State and mobilization of the entire

national capacity of such States to ensure that they influence decision-making

of key governments and multilateral institutions so as to make proposed

adjustments to the “irreversible” trends of globalization smooth or acceptable

in their speed of compliance or unemployment impact, recognizing there is

no feasible alternative, ultimately, to diversification in bananas. He

emphasizes the need to manage the relative speeds of liberalization and

diversification to avoid economic decline.

Professor Clive Thomas challenges elements of the EU Reform proposal

for sugar, the portrayal of the Sugar Protocol as a handout, as well as the

viii CARICOM: Appropriate Adaptation to a Changing Global Environment

expectation that liberalization of sugar markets would be so advanced

worldwide as to expand, significantly, opportunities for exports of CARICOM

countries. But he acknowledges that numerous studies could not identify an

alternative to sugar in terms of resource use, employment, linkages and so

on. He also recognizes that earnings from the ACP/EU arrangement have

been vital to the success of the industry. However, he cautions against

investment, especially of loan capital, in the industry at this stage of

uncertainty. These views contrast with those of other industry analysts.

Jessica Byron calls for a realistic assessment of the results of the

COTONOU and FTAA negotiations and recognition, perhaps anti-intuitively,

that the former was the end, rather than the beginning, of a process with the

EU.

In respect of legal issues, Dundas calls for recognition of the lack of

capacity in the area of maritime boundary delimitation and advocates a

contributory regional arrangement paid for by Governments, which would

facilitate direct negotiations among Member States as against the more costly

third party settlements now in process for certain countries, thereby minimising

acrimony among Member States and advancing the time horizon for accessing

EEZ resources. Only eight of a potential forty-eight maritime boundaries

have so far been settled.

Farier reviews the machinery in CARICOM for compliance and dispute

settlement, anticipating that it would need to be reinforced in at least three

ways: by facilitating urgent maritime boundary delimitation needs; by

strengthening the reporting and institutional requirements for observance of

the Charter of Civil Society; by strengthening, in an appropriate form, the

Secretariat’s capacity to initiate action to hold up a regional frame of reference

in the case of disputes originating in intra-State political divergences, bilateral

disputes between States or disputes affecting fundamental interests of the

Community. The onset of the Single Market would make such adjustments

productive.

Judge Shahabuddeen examines the role, operating principles and

significance of international criminal tribunals, noting that such tribunals

could best establish that there is a place in the international community for

the promotion of humanitarian law and processes of accountability and

reconciliation in theatres of conflict. The Caribbean should appreciate such

processes as part of the effort to maintain the bonds holding together the

international community.

Professors Kari Levitt and Lloyd Best (the latter through Carey Fraser’s

review of a series of essays) see the value of creating space for independent