A new institutional framework for Caribbean institutions in the twenty first century
By Winston Dookeran, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
May 2015
Caribbean institutions need to be modernised. The current regional integration model that resulted
in the creation of CARICOM has served us well, however its preference for process over action
diminishes its ability to deliver the necessary actions needed to accelerate integration in this new
economy. A modern institutional framework in sync with the requirements of the new regional
and global economy is required if the region is to attain its most elusive goal, a single market and
economy. The new framework should provide incentives for a more dynamic decision making
processes which will integrate the countries of the wider region in a new Caribbean convergence.
Convergence as a process already in motion offers opportunities for the region in an increasingly
challenging global economy.1 As a response to the requirements for global efficiency, convergence
will facilitate complex interconnections of people, businesses and governments of the wider
Caribbean region. It goes beyond traditional concepts of trade and market integration to include
genuine formations of multinational socio-economic networks that are not restricted by borders.
The economic logic is that trade and markets should be buttressed by production, distribution and
competitiveness.”2
There is value for our countries in expanding production, trade and investments to the broader
Caribbean and beyond, especially to Central and South America. This is already happening,
judging by the different bilateral pursuits several of our countries are engaged in. What is needed
is an acceleration of the process as a region. Beyond simply accepting this reality, we need to be
able to put our commitments to action through implementation. A major problem that we face is
that our institutions have historically and inadvertently opposed the integration process leading to
what has been referred to as an implementation deficit.3 This will present challenges for
convergence, if instead of facilitating its evolution, it adds friction by not lowering or eliminating
barriers to movement of people and capital. Modernising institutions therefore imply identifying
and addressing CARICOM’s governance shortcomings.
The purpose of this note is not to present a detailed roadmap for the modernisation of Caribbean
governance and institutions – that is, it will not present a concrete modernisation proposal as there
is already one prepared in 2012.4 Furthermore, a modernisation proposal will require significant
additional background work. Therefore the main purpose of this note is to set the stage for the
reform process to start, a reform focused on increasing the implementation capacity of CARICOM
1
Dookeran, Winston. A new frontier for Caribbean convergence. Caribbean Journal of International. Relations & Diplomacy. Vol. 1, No. 2,
June 2013: pp. 5-20.
2
Ibid.
3
The term “institutions” is used to describe the rules of the game and the political and economic incentive framework that determines how
decisions are taken by CARICOM.
4
One such proposal is already on the table prepared in 2012 by Stoneman, Richard, Justice Duke Pollard and Hugho Inniss. 2012. “Turning
around CARICOM: proposals to restructure the Secretariat.” Consultancy to conduct an organizational restructuring of the Caribbean
Community Secretariat. Report prepared by Landell Mills Ltd. This report was mandated by CARICOM Heads of Government and was
contracted by the CARICOM Secretariat with the financial support of the European Union and the Member States of CARICOM.
1
by addressing the cumbersome decision making process, and to select a few high value-added
initiatives that will address priority problems and in doing reset the convergence process in motion.
It concludes with one main recommendation and four concrete actions that should be executed in
the short-term. The main recommendation in this note is the creation of a blue-ribbon committee
to update the 2012 proposal for reorganising CARICOM, and to also serve as basis for modernising
CARICOM institutions. Additionally, four concrete actions are offered for implementation
through a regional approach in the short-term. These were identified as priorities by participants
to the “Forum on the Future of the Caribbean” held in Port of Spain from May 5-7 2015. They
include: a regional air and sea transportation policy; cheaper energy and renewable sources of
energy; regional food security; and financial integration. With integration no longer an option, but
an imperative for the region, the region’s sustainability and survival depends on our ability to act
now.
Problem statement
CARICOM’s decision making process is a reoccurring problem. CARICOM leaders are aware of
the “implementation deficit” of the region.56 In October of 2014 Secretary General LaRocque
noted the region’s inability to make decisions it can implement.7 Over the years CARICOM has
identified priorities for action which raised expectations of change and reform, but seldom were
those promises fulfilled. CARICOM’s implementation record is disappointing according to
evidence presented by Paul Clement.8 According to Clement, the implementation deficit is mainly
due to: the tendency of CARICOM to present as imminent a complex and difficult set of promises
that reflect the good will of leaders but ignores the difficulties of implementation; and, the large
impact of domestic politics on the regional integration process.
In spite of the negative view of the pace of implementation, there are notable achievements.9 10
For example, the Caribbean Court of Justice, which is in place and building a Caribbean
jurisprudence that over time will strengthen its capacity to play a central role in the region.
Similarly, The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), the Caribbean
Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF) and Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre
(CCCCC) are all in place and playing important roles. As it relates to the pillars of CARICOM,
the Single Market core regimes are in place, and regional policies are being considered in
agriculture and food security, energy, industry, ICT and security. The Caribbean Public Health
Grenade, Wendy C. and Kai-Ann Skeete. “Regionalism among small states-challenges and prospects: the case of the Caribbean Community
(CARICOM). Published in Small States Digest Issue 1 2015, Commonwealth Secretariat.
6
Stoneman, Richard, Justice Duke Pollard and Hugho Inniss. 2012. “Turning around CARICOM: proposals to restructure the Secretariat.”
Consultancy to conduct an organizational restructuring of the Caribbean Community Secretariat. Report prepared by Landell Mills Ltd. This
report was mandated by CARICOM Heads of Government and was contracted by the CARICOM Secretariat with the financial support of the
European Union and the Member States of CARICOM.
7
Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, Secretary General Caribbean Community. Distinguished Lecture delivered at University of the West Indies Port
of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, October 3 2014.
8
Clement, Paul C. 2015. “Implementation deficit: why member states do not comply with CARICOM directives.” Mimeo presented at the
Caribbean Future Forum in Port of Spain from May 5 to 7 2015.
The data presented by Professor Clement is dated because there is no publicly available detailed data for any year after 2007. A relevant issue for
transparency and accountability of CARICOM is data availability, which unfortunately remains a problem.
9
Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, Secretary General Caribbean Community. Distinguished Lecture delivered at University of the West Indies Port
of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, October 3 2014.
10
Grenade, Wendy C. and Kai-Ann Skeete. “Regionalism among small states-challenges and prospects: the case of the Caribbean Community
(CARICOM). Published in Small States Digest Issue 1 2015, Commonwealth Secretariat.
5
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Agency (CARPHA), the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) and the Caribbean Vocational
Qualification (CVQ) are all functional and impacting our development.
We cannot however ignore our disappointment at the pace of reform leading to a single economy.
CARICOM leaders have, on many occasions, including at the Forum on the Future of the
Caribbean expressed their frustration with the pace of execution. Indeed, the common thread of
that Forum was “a call for action.” This call for action resonates strongly throughout the region
and is reflected in the interest for the modernisation CARICOM institutions to make them more
executive.
A new framework for policy making in the Caribbean
Integration, as has been noted, is no longer an option but an imperative for the region in this
multiplex world. Similarly, convergence, like a moving train, is already fast at speed, as states
increasingly engage in new forms of cross-regionalism. The question however is whether
CARICOM will be left behind. The region faces new challenges such as it did in 1989 when the
thread of diminishing preferences to countries in the region as a result of the creation of the
European Single Market led to the meeting in Grand Anse, Grenada, and to the aspiration for a
Caribbean Single Market and Economy Global forces at work are also related the lingering effects
of the world financial crisis which continue to negatively impact Caribbean economies as do new
vulnerabilities emerging from multilateral trading rules. The region must act now in the face of
these challenges and embrace this process of convergence as a the path to global efficiency
As noted by Ambassador LaRocque, the goals of integration as presented in the revised Treaty of
2001 remain relevant today.11 Similarly, the pillars upon which the integration arrangements were
designed also remain relevant today: economic integration, human and social development,
security cooperation and foreign policy coordination. The challenge is not in the definition of
goals and targets, but in the capacity of CARICOM Member States to execute. We must close the
implementation gap if these goals are to be realised.
The current institutional framework should evolve, recognizing the achievements of CARICOM
and addressing the challenges of the future. The report commissioned by the Heads of State in
2012 also concludes that for CARICOM to “survive and prosper,” it is necessary “a credible
reorganisation and strengthening of the CARICOM construct, including the Secretariat and
CARICOM institutions, focused on the management of implementation.
The framework should lead to recognisable goals established in CARICOM for many years now:12




Free movement of skills, goods, services, and capital including the right of establishment
Abolition of exchange controls, free convertibility of currencies
Aligning capital markets for the purpose of full integration
Convergence of macroeconomic policies
11
Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, Secretary General Caribbean Community. Distinguished Lecture delivered at University of the West Indies Port
of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, October 3 2014.
12
ibid
3


Harmonised company legislation, and more generally harmonisation of laws and
administrative practices
Focus on facilitating production convergence
To make these goals attainable, CARICOM now needs to focus on action. Action, in turn,
should be guided by the establishment of an institutional framework guided by the following
principals:








market and convergence based
problem identification and results oriented
institutions oriented, including the need for rationalising institutions when needed
partial integration approach is preferable to more comprehensive integration
approaches13
prioritising tangible outcomes14, or in the words of a report commissioned to propose
reforms to CARICOM: “targeting the delivery of a narrow range of specific, practical
and achievable benefits over a reasonably short time horizon”15
consider strengthening the Association of Caribbean Community Parliamentarians
(ACCP)16
focus on functional cooperation: the common provision of goods and services17
strengthen foreign policy coordination, especially by expanding CARICOM horizons
to the broader Caribbean and countries in Central and South America18
CARICOM should earn the respect integration efforts deserve, and leaders in the region need to
show the way forward by engaging in constructive negotiations to get things done. The list
provided in the note is a good start.
Concrete steps to move the process forward
The proposals presented in this section are consistent with the framework presented in this note,
and were inspired by the outcomes of the Forum on the Future of the Caribbean. Inspired by the
overwhelming call for action by participants at the Forum, this note proposes the creation of a Blue
Ribbon Committee to review the 2012 report commissioned by the Heads of State to restructure
CARICOM’s Secretariat and to prepare a road map for changing the governance structure to
facilitate decision making. The Blue Ribbon Committee would map out the current institutional
framework, and based on that analysis to make a recommendation on the modernisation of
Clement, Paul C. 2015. “Implementation deficit: why member states do not comply with CARICOM directives.” Mimeo presented at the
Caribbean Future Forum in Port of Spain from May 5 to 7 2015.
14
Ibid. Also the main recommendation that emerged from the Forum on the Future of the Caribbean held in Port of Spain from May 5-7 2015.
15
Stoneman, Richard, Justice Duke Pollard and Hugho Inniss. 2012. “Turning around CARICOM: proposals to restructure the Secretariat.”
Consultancy to conduct an organizational restructuring of the Caribbean Community Secretariat. Report prepared by Landell Mills Ltd. This
report was mandated by CARICOM Heads of Government and was contracted by the CARICOM Secretariat with the financial support of the
European Unio and the Member States of CARICOM.
16
Ibid.
17
Grenade, Wendy C. and Kai-Ann Skeete. “Regionalism among small states-challenges and prospects: the case of the Caribbean Community
(CARICOM). Published in Small States Digest Issue 1 2015, Commonwealth Secretariat.
18
Ibid.
13
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CARICOM institutions through changes in governance. The framework presented in the previous
section would guide the prioritisation of issues and the design of actions.
In addition, the Forum also called for leadership in finding solutions to regional problems. We
have to reconcile the need for political will and the constitutional procedures of our Member States
towards moving the Caribbean development agenda forward. It is within this context that this note
proposes the creation of four (4) working groups that would prepare by the end of 2015, regional
policies on:

air and sea transport; with a view to reducing the burden of travel in the region and creating
more market and business opportunities for Caribbean carriers through strategic alliances
and joint-action.
 energy; with a view to reducing high costs of use and to provide incentives for the
development of regional energy networks, and development of alternative and renewable
sources.
 finance; to facilitate a market making mechanism(s) that connects financial markets in the
region, through the alignment of capital markets, making feasible the creation of financial
markets that meet excess reserves with excess demand for credit.
 food security; with a view to reducing the region’s food import bill by integrating
development and production in the agricultural sector of the Caribbean as well as to ensure
good quality supply of food and at stable prices in the region.
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