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By: Janelle Charles
But it is the crafting of the future shape of the Caribbean community which will dominate talks as regional heads try to arrive at a consensus on the direction the community should take in the coming decade. The question of effective sovereignty is bound to be a reoccurring theme.
The general direction CARICOM is moving towards is already clear as it prepares to establish a free market and economy, which in practice mean the unrestricted movement of capital and professionals among CARICOM member states. But does economic unification mean eventual political integration.
Prime Minister of St. Lucia the Hon. Dr. Kenny Anthony - "I don’t see political integration in the horizon. However we need to look at the arrangements within the OECS separately from the wider CARICOM arrangements." Decisions taken at CARICOM are done on the basis of unanimity but as it is no real sanctions can be imposed on countries that renege on implementation
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The 19th CARICOM Heads of Government Conference will focus on long and short
term plans of the Caribbean Community. Regional Prime Ministers will discuss their visit
to Santo Domingo in August to celebration of the establishment of the first city in the
region. The plight of volcano ravaged Montserrat and the protracted political crisis in
Guyana will also feature.
CARICOM Secretary General Edwin Carrington says, "the fact of doing
things as a group is not a denial of your sovereignty. It’s an exercise of your
sovereignty, to make you nominal sovereignty more effective."
Earl Huntley, Permanent Secretary
in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says, "If you are able to achieve full economic
union, you find yourself in a stage of having political union."