Trade Research Fellow blasts CARICOM SG's performance as "below expectations"

In a frank discourse on the “Fault Lines in the Caribbean: CARICOM, Venezuela and Regional Geopolitics in an Era of Fragmentation,” Trade Research Fellow at the Sir Shridath Ramphal Center for International Trade, Law, Policies and Services at the UWI Cave Hill Campus, Dr Kai-Ann Skeete, believes Dr. Carla Barnett’s performance as Secretary General of CARICOM fell below expectations during her first term in office.

Dr. Skeete said when Dr. Barnett was appointed Secretary General of CARICOM in May 2021, she was optimistic that Dr. Barnett would have taken steps critical to moving the region forward, but she said instead Barnett opted to fall in line.

The divide between CARICOM’s Less Developed Countries (LDC) and More Developed Countries (LDC) remains a sore area for the Regional Bloc and Dr. Skeete is convinced that not enough was done during Dr. Barnett’s first term to bridge that gap, and address other burning issues such as regional transport.

“I was hopeful that as a national from Belize, she understood the transportation woes of the Caribbean. To get to Belize you have to go through Miami or you have to go through Panama. I was also hopeful as a female, she would have been able to rally the troops and explain to them the need to be pragmatic and focus on regional goals, and visions. I was hopeful for Dr Barnett,” Dr Skeete said.

Dr. Skeete made her points while addressing the Centre for International and Border Studies Conference at the Herdmanston Lodge on Thursday.

Noting that Dr Barnett assumed the position as Secretary General of CARICOM with a wealth of knowledge and experience having worked at the CARICOM Secretariat, and having served as the Vice President of the Caribbean Development Bank, Dr Skeete said she was hopeful that Dr. Barnett would have employed that knowledge and experience to push for the issues plaguing the region to be addressed head-on.

She said instead, Dr Barnett stayed in her lane.

“Now in this space we need a region where we can lead and we lead based on principles and with visions and plans for this space,” Dr Skeete said.

Dr. Barnett was reappointed as the Secretary General of CARICOM in February during the 50^th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community in St. Kitts and Nevis. However, her reappointment has sparked major disagreement, with Trinidad and Tobago casting a shadow of doubt over the process used to reappoint her.

“But the question is who wins? Does procedure win, rules that we have maintained or do we say you know what, man give she a chance again, it has been five years. But for me I argue regional integration has to come first. Can you do the job of uniting this region? Deepening regional integration? As well as advancing our goals? If not, give somebody else a turn,” Dr Skeete said.

It was a majority decision that led to the reappointment of Dr Barnett, but Dr Skeete, who has spent time studying and analyzing the governance mechanism in the region, said in the Regional Bloc, things are done by way of “consensus.”

According to her, there must be full agreement, so there are no winners and no losers, and if there are, then it doesn’t bode well for regional integration.

Already this week, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar has stated that from August, her country will cease to recognize Dr. Barnett as CARICOM Secretary General.

Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar said CARICOM is free to expel T&T if it so pleases, but the Twin Island Republic will no longer recognize Dr Barnett after August when her first term in office expires.