A Revised Treaty of ChaguaramasRevised Treaty of Chaguaramas establishing the Caribbean Community including the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) was signed by the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community on July 5 2001 at their Twenty-Second Meeting of the Conference in Nassau, The Bahamas.
In 2001, the heads of government signed a Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas thus clearing the way for the transformation of the Common Market aspect of CARICOM. Part of the revised treaty includes the establishment and implementation of the Caribbean Court of Justice.
Membership
LocationCaricomII.PNG|frame|right|Caricom members and observers
Since March 2004, Haiti's participation in CARICOM was suspended by its interim Prime Minister, Gerard Latortue in response the visit of Jean-Bertrand Aristide (the ousted President) to JamaicaHaiti suspends ties with CARICOM. Haiti's membership had been effectively suspended though since February 29, 2004 as CARICOM refused to recognize the new interim government. In early June 2006, Haiti was readmitted as a full member of the CARICOM, and Haitian President Rene Preval gave the opening address at the organization's Council of Ministers meeting in July.
In July 1999, Anguilla once again became involved with CARICOM when it gained associate membership. Prior to this, Anguilla had briefly been a part of CARICOM (1974-1980) as a constituent of the full member state of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla.
In 2005 the Foreign Minister of the Dominican Republic had proposed seeking to obtain full membership status in CARICOM for his country; however, due to the sheer size of the Dominican Republic's economy and population size in comparison with the current CARICOM states, and coupled with the Dominican Republic's checkered history of foreign policy solidarity with the CARICOM states it is unclear whether the CARICOM states will unanimously vote to admit the Dominican Republic as a full member into the organization.It has been proposed that CARICOM may deepen ties with the Dominican Republic through the auspice of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) instead, which is an organisation that stops just short of the proposed political integration which will underpin CARICOM at a later date. Currently, the Dominican Republic also has a free trade agreement (from 2001) with CARICOM and also cooperates with CARICOM (since 1992) under the umbrella organization, Cariforum, in economic negotiations with the EUThe EU and Cariforum.
After the revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, CARICOM reorganised itself into a state like Government structure made up of the following branches:
The Executive
Comprising of a rotating prime ministerial Chairmanship of CARICOM (Head of CARICOM), the CARICOM Secretary General (Chief Executive) and the CARICOM Headquarters secretariat (Chief Administrative Organ). There is also a quasi Cabinet of individual Heads of Government who are given specific responsibility or portfalios for overall regional development and integration.Regoinal Portfolios of CARICOM Heads of Government
The Legislative
The Community Council: The Council consists of Ministers responsible for Community Affairs and any other Minister designated by the Member States in their absolute discretion. It is one of the the principal organs (the other being the Conference of the Heads of Government) and is supported by four other organs and three bodies.
Supporting Organs
The Council for Finance and Planning (COFAP)
The Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED)
The Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR)
The Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD)
Supporting Bodies
The Legal Affairs Committee: provides legal advice to the organs and bodies of the Community (related: CARICOMLaw)
The Budget Committee: examines the draft budget and work programme of the Secretariat and submits recommendations to the Community Council; and,
The Committee of Central Bank Governors: provides recommendations to the COFAP on monetary and financial matters
Standing Committee of Ministers - Ministerial responsibilities for specific areas,for example the Standing Committee of Ministers responsible for Health will comprise of Ministers of Health from each member state
The goal statement of the CARICOM Secretariat is:>"To provide dynamic leadership and service, in partnership with Community institutions and Groups, toward the attainment of a viable, internationally competitive and sustainable Community, with improved quality of life for all."|}
Three countries: Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago had originally set January 52005 as the date of signing the agreement relating to the (CSME), the ceremony had then been rescheduled to coincide with the February 19, 2005 inauguration of the new CARICOM-headquarters building in Georgetown, Guyana. But this was later posponed after a ruling by the London Privy council caused alarm to several Caribbean countries.
The prospect was that ten of the remaining twelve CARICOM countries would join the CSME by the end of 2005. The Bahamas and Haiti were not expected to be a part of the new economic arrangement at that time. The CARICOM Secretariat maintains frequent contact with another organisation named the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), which represents seven Full members and two Associate members of CARICOM in the Eastern Caribbean. Many of the OECS countries are seeking to maintain themselves as a micro-economic grouping within CARICOM.
On Friday, January 7, 2005, the Republic of Suriname became the first full member state to officially launch the new bloc "CARICOM Passport". The new passports boast having better security and are also machine-readable. The full member states of the Caribbean Community had agreed to establish a common passport in order to make intra-regional and international travel easier for their citizens. The passports are also thought to save additional costs for member states by using a similar cover design, the designs will also follow newly updated international standards on Passport design.
The second state that released the national CARICOM passport was Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: SVG began issuing the new CARICOM passports around April 2005. On 25 October2005, St. Kitts and Nevis became the third CARICOM member state to bring the CARICOM passport into operation, making good on its promise to launch it before the end of the year and began Issuance of the document to its citizens on 14 November2005St. Kitts and Nevis launches CARICOM passport.
Antigua and Barbuda had annouced that it would begin using the new CARICOM passport format by the middle of 2005.
Currently (as of mid-2006) five Member States have introduced CARICOM passports. These states are Suriname, St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Antigua and BarbdudaLesser Known Facts about the CSM.
The CARICOM passport creates awareness that CARICOM nationals are nationals of the Community, as well as a specific country.
The expectation is that all the member states will have introduced the CARICOM passport by 2008 when the stock of their old passports is depleted.
Jamaica is expected to institute the passport by 2007, having recently upgraded its passport to a machine-readable state.
The Co-operative Republic of Guyana had also announced that it would begin to use the new CARICOM passport format by the middle of 2005, but the introduction was delayed and the new target date is July 2006.
Trinidad and Tobago had annouced that it would begin to issue the new CARICOM passport in June 2006, but has now indicated that they will now introduce the passport in July 2006 along with GuyanaLesser Known Facts about the CSM.
In the case of Suriname, the Passport is adorned with the national symbols for the Republic of Suriname, as well as the CARICOM insignia on its cover. President of the Republic of Suriname Ronald Venetiaan received the first of these new CARICOM passports.
Antigua and Barbuda's design is to feature the country's Coat of Arms and country name as well as the CARICOM logo.
The passports for Suriname were created by the Canadian Banknote Company Ltd. (CBN) Under a five-year programme with a price tag of US$1.5 million. It is believed other member states of CARICOM will now soon follow with the introduction of their own branded version of the national 'CARICOM' Passport.
Future proposals
Airline amalgamation
Civil Society Charter
Currency Union
Freedom of Movement
Political Union(s)
Regionalised Stock Exchange
Free trade
From around the year 2000, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) states have placed a new focus and emphasis on establishing Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with local and international trading partners. This is particially done in collaboration with the Caribbean Regional Negociating Machinery (CRNM).
CARICOM - Canada: To be negotiated, after Canada finishes their CAFTA agreement.
CARICOM/CARIFORUM - European Union: On-going negotiation on the EPA ("Economic Partnership Agreement") *
CARICOM - Mercosur: Opened for discussions in May 2005
Note that the on-going negotiations with the EU over an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) involves all the CARICOM Member States (except Montserrat, which is not independent) plus the Dominican Republic grouped under the Caribbean Forum or CARIFORUM sub-grouping of the ACP countries. At the end of these negotiations (begun in 2002 and due to end in 2007) there will be a new Free Trade Agreement that will replace the Lomé system of preferential access to the European market for the ACP from 2008.Economic Partnership Agreements
"Caribbean Community"