Georgetown : As is customary, and in keeping with the obligations of the Treaty of Chaguaramas, CARICOM Heads of Government will be meeting in Barbados, for what will be the 36th meeting of this regional integration movement, since the historic treaty signing ceremony at Chaguaramas, Port of Spain, July 4, 1973.
At this watershed event in the Caribbean history calendar, Prime Minister, Errol Barrow of Barbados; Prime Minister, Forbes Burnham of Guyana; and Prime Minister, Michael Manley of Jamaica, ushered in what has since been known as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The Treaty took effect as from August 1, 1973.
Conference as supreme organ; its functions
Its principal organ, the Conference of Heads of Government comprises the Heads of Government of the Member States. But it has been the practice, for a Head of Government to designate a minister or any other person, to represent him/her at such a high – level conference.
This conference is the supreme organ of the CARICOM Treaty, and is empowered to make policies and provide guidance on matters pertaining to the integration movement, and other pertinent issues. A critical aspect of its function is its mandate to enter into treaty obligations on behalf of the Community, as well as relationships between the Community and international organisations and states.
Such a grouping is the final authority on financial matters of the Community, therefore, and it will include decisions relative to finances for defraying the expenses of the Community. It is also tasked with establishing Organs or Bodies for achieving the objectives of the Community.
Other key functions of this pivotal organ of the CARICOM COMMUNITY are:
*Resolving disputes between Member States.
* Issuing policy of a general or specific character, to other institutions of the Community, for achieving the objectives of the Community.
*Consulting with entities within the Region, or with other organisations.
* Establishing mechanisms as it deems necessary.
*Regulating its own procedures, and may decide to admit non-Member States of the Community and other entities.
As a quasi-cabinet
In its actual framework, there is what is described as a quasi-cabinet, where each of the regional leaders is assigned to a specific portfolio. For every completed subject area, its information is transmitted to other CARICOM Heads, for implementation in Member States.
New arrivals
This year’s conference that begins its deliberations on July 1 and runs to July 4, will also welcome new Heads of Government in the persons of Brigadier (rtd.) David Arthur Granger, newly elected President of Guyana, since May 2015; newly elected Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Dr. Timothy Harris, since February 2015; and newly elected Premier of Montserrat, Donaldson Romeo, since September, 2014.
Other member states
There are 12 Member States of this regional constellation, for the current total of 15. These are – Antigua and Barbuda; The Bahamas; Barbados; Belize; The Commonwealth of Dominica; Grenada; Haiti; Jamaica; St Lucia; St Vincent and the Grenadines; Suriname; and Trinidad and Tobago.
It is expected that there will be matters that are critical to the well being of the integration movement, such as the recent European Union (EU) decision to blacklist a number of Caribbean island states, some of them CARICOM Member states, as non-cooperative tax jurisdictions; the state of the regional economies, security, and implementation issues that will be prominent on the four-day conference agenda. Of course, the Guyana – Venezuela border controversy will be discussed, against the background of the latter state’s claim to two- third of Guyana’s territory, and its recent decree of 1787, on May 25, announcing claims also to Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone(EEZ).
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