Caricom forms new executive body

CARICOM leaders ended their four-day meeting Saturday night and confirmed the establishment of a new body with executive authority to implement their decisions, as they seek to generate the transformation of what is essentially a free trade and functional corporation grouping into a functioning Single Market and Economy. In fact, they appeared to be on the verge of an agreement in principle on the establishment of a Caribbean Commission with executive authority to steer CARICOM into the proposed Single Market and Economy. However, as expected, the leaders announced at a final press conference Saturday night that the official declaration of the group including depth and range of powers would be decided in November when the Heads of Government review the recommendations of a committee led by Dr Ralph Gonsalzes, Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines. They expressed that whatever is likely to be in place will require domestic legislation and in some cases constitutional adjustments. They however stressed that CARICOM will remain “A community of sovereign nations, and not a political union.”

The final communiques on the Summit and a Declaration of Montego Bay recommitting leaders’ resolve to create the Caribbean Single Market and Economy by the end of 2005, were issued Saturday night. The 30-year-old grouping had long been haunted by complaints of its failure to implement decisions — a move which some people are viewing the proposed CSME with cynicism. At the closing press conference Saturday night conference chairman Prime Minister Percival J Patterson warned his colleagues that they must take steps to create a mechanism “to make our decisions, declarations and commitments binding on all governments.” The Jamaican Prime Minister emphasised “We cannot continue to talk and fail to implement.” Like Patterson, Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur the man with lead responsibility for the CSME said it was critical that something be done.