PAYING THE PRICE OF CSME SLOTH

This problem has its roots in long tradition, but the world around them is moving ahead in the interests of more ambitious and visionary societies.

On close examination, the majority of difficulties faced by Third World countries can be seen today as being within their power to minimise, if not eliminate, except for their inclination to resist change.

We make this point within the context of what is retarding progress for any sub-Saharan states, both when they supposedly promised dramatic advancement within the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), and more recently drew together as members of the African Union (AU) with its greater potential for common development.

Among the issues that bedevil such lofty initiatives is chiefly the states’ uneven levels of economic maturity as well as their inherent political disharmony. Countries which constitute the Caribbean Community (Caricom) are not altogether dissimilar in their failure to advance toward the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME).

However, 16 years since the Treaty of Chaguaramas was signed in Trinidad and Tobago, and despite much lip service being paid to closer regional co-operation, the natural step towards a CSME is yet to be achieved. And time is running out because too many have failed to implement new legislation in accordance with what is required to enable compliance by January 2006, under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas. The fact that they will miss that deadline is a sad reflection on their standard of governance and a cruel blow to the concept of regionalism.

Similarly, failure by some to sign on to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) does not speak well for those politicians who casually profess commitment to bringing this region fully into 2lst century judicial independence.

Heightened activity to embrace the CSME has been due less to voluntary efforts than to compulsion exerted by rules set by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and, as former Antiguan High Commissioner to London, Sir Ronald Saunders adds, the need to negotiate an economic partnership agreement with the European Union (EU), and pressure for Caricom countries to become part of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA).

During the past week 34 countries in this hemisphere met in Argentina to advance discussions towards the FTAA. This grouping of more than 800 million people would constitute the world’s largest trade bloc, easily dwarfing the EU’s 460 million.

Individual small states have almost no voice at these meetings. What influence they have derives from unity and their collective message that fair trade must be a condition of free trade. This is just one aspect of the advantage of a joint approach by Caricom countries that should have the will to demonstrate harmony among themselves through CSME and the further unification that is reflected in the CCJ.

Unfortunately, we see too much foot-dragging, dithering and shameless about-face. It is as though current and potential policymakers close their eyes to what is happening in the world around them, and to the efforts of those events on plans for our own people.

Editorial excerpts courtesy the Barbados Nation