CARICOM Secretary General rings warning over CSME falling behind expectations

CARICOM Secretary General rings warning over CSME falling behind expectations

The 49th Regular Meeting of the Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government opened in Montego Bay, Jamaica on Sunday with the CARICOM Secretary General, Dr Carla Barnett challenging the Regional leaders to recommit to the full implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).

In her address to the Regional leaders, Dr Barnett said while CARICOM has delivered commendable results for the people of the Region, in human and social development, economic integration, foreign policy coordination, and security, there are still key hurdles to cross.

The CARICOM Secretary General said the Community continues to face numerous challenges in the implementation of important aspects of our integration project.

“The CARICOM Single Market and Economy, which is designed to facilitate the free movement of goods, services, finances and people, in the interest of increased economic and market efficiency, continues to fall behind expectations. We hope that this Meeting will see a recommitment to strengthening the implementation of the CSME, with a view to ensuring that all aspects of the regimes can be evenly and effectively implemented across the Region, as intended by the framers of the Treaty,” Dr Barnett said.

Notwithstanding those challenges, she said after more than 50 years as a regional integration movement, CARICOM is well aware of its value, and its potential as a catalyst for sustainable development, resilience, and global competitiveness.

“Together we have overcome many challenges that our small nations could not have overcome alone. We have faced military invasions by third states and tackled political instability in some parts of the Region. We guided our citizens through the COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating aftermath on our economies, especially the shipping disruptions which threatened food supply. In response, we have focused, with some success, on agriculture production, to enhance our food security. We have come together to deal with the overwhelming after-effects of hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and other natural disasters,” the CARICOM Secretary-General said.

She said in spite of existing challenges and often adverse circumstances, CARICOM should be proud of the successes achieved.

She said the Regional bloc’s victories are testament to its strength in unity, and provide a useful roadmap as it charts a path forward.

Citing the 2017 Report of the Golding Commission, which reviewed Jamaica’s relations within the CARICOM and CARIFORUM Frameworks, Dr Barnett said “the value of regional integration, notwithstanding the current wave of economic nationalism in various parts of the world, is as relevant and useful and, perhaps, even more urgent today than it was at its inception.”

Eight years later, that statement resonates even more, she said.

Pointing to the unprecedented global uncertainty, economic pressures, technological innovations that challenge the region’s capacity to keep pace and climate vulnerability, Dr Barnett said those issues compel CARICOM now more than ever to act collectively, with courage and with conviction.

“As much as we remain committed to the aims and objectives set out in the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, we must also remain cognizant that moving forward is more difficult for some of us. In the spirit of family, we should seek to address the concerns of all if we are to be a Community that benefits everyone in the Region. As several of our regional statesmen have been known to say, “If CARICOM did not exist, we would have to invent it,” she said.

She urged the regional leaders to let the Forty-Ninth Meeting be a defining moment in the history of the integration movement, where they stand resolutely together, supporting the hopes and aspirations of all citizens.

The 49th Regular Meeting of the Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government is being held under the theme – People, Partnerships, Prosperity: Promoting a Secure and Prosperous Future.

Within a period of three days, the regional leaders, under the chairmanship of Dr. Holness, will focus on consequential issues such as climate change and climate finance, external trade, food and nutrition security, the situation in Haiti and citizen security, including transnational organised crime, and cybersecurity threats.

The Jamaican Prime Minister has taken over the Chairmanship of CARICOM over from Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley. (Svetlana Marshall)

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