THE INTEGRATION MOVEMENT
 Explain the goals, motives
 Assess the achievement of each integration movement and their failures
Why Integrate?






Integration creates a greater weight as Caribbean region, in the diplomatic
arena there would be a larger voice
When it comes to trade it would mean pooling resources, creating trading bloc
Helping each other out, less developed economies helping out other
economies
There could be uniformity, standardization
Gain some advantage, make us more competitive
More self sufficient
Factors in Support of Caribbean integration




Common historical experience (exploitation), that means modern day we
continue to experience the effects of it and the challenges
Cultural similarities, integration easy
Geographical proximity
Common economic, political, social issues
Challenges to Integration







Lack of regionalism
Currency differences
Different stages of development
Language barriers
Political differences, statuses, different stages of de-colonisation
Immigration barriers (freedom of movement)
West Indies Federation (1958-1962)
Prior- Lee ward island federation (1671 ), then the West Indies Confederation (1876),
Montego Bay Jamaica (1958), All of the British west Indies territories except
Bahamas and Guyana. It contributed to individual independence. It determined
future attitudes towards economic partnerships and interactions. Economic
integration.
Goal- to hand the Caribbean independence, through the Federation, achieve
economic integration
CARIFTA 1963 (after independence)
Trade association, it included all the poorer regions, stimulate trade among member
states by removing tariffs and trade barriers (goods produced within the region),
mobilise labour in the region. Only integrates the economic aspect.
Assessment



It failed to increase production and trade
CARIFTA games,
Caribbean Development Plan
CARICOM (replaced CARIFTA, 1973 (Treaty of Chaguaramas)
Members include, Belize and Bahamas, Suriname, Haiti & Cuba (provisional
members)
Motives of CARICOM











Create deeper economic union through common interests (facilitate free trade
and a common market)
Integrate economic policies
Human resource (achieve functional corporation to things like education and
health)
To coordinate foreign policy to establish a free movement of capital services
and labour in the Caribbean
To establish regional security (RSS)
Regional Secretariat- coordinate and organise
Has both a political and economic goals
Improve standards of living
Provide full employment of labour and other factors of production
Increased production and productivity
Advance social and technological developments
Problems of CARICOM















Countries continue to trade with the US, Europe
Remain as distinct economic policies
Funding for Caricom
1976-1982 (government did not meet)
1980s boom (Trinidad), Jamaica (economic debt)
1989- economic integration the CSME (2006) is proposed as a separate
entity under CARICOM, revised Treaty of Chaguaramas
The Bahamas is not part of the CSME (economy is based of the offshore
banking)
Motives in 2015-2019 (be completed by 2024)
Sustainable economic growth and development
Sound environment policy (energy sources, st.lucia coral reef
management)
Technical and technological advancement
Strengthening governance (preferential tariffs and duties)
Extending free trade,
Establishment of the Caribbean Court of Justice
Common foreign policy towards non-member states
Have these goals been met?
Factor in the Covid 19.
CCJ- Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana
Launched Vision 25 by 2025, locally produced food using Sargasso weed for
fertilizer
*Politics- the management of economic resources
*Government -The body of people you elect to manage economic resources.
OECS (Formed through the lesser Antilles) 1978
Susceptible so similar disasters, volcanic eruptions
Their survival depended on integration
Motives




Promote the development of the sub region
Pool resources together
Rationalise development projects
Free trade and movements in that region

Economic integration
Achievements




A single currency (EC Dollar)
Single judicial system
Joint civil aviation authority
Central bank
ACS (Association of Caribbean States) 1984







Fourth largest trading bloc in the world, members are the wider Caribbean
(geographic definition)
Promote economic cooperation
Disaster risk reduction
Language trading
Caribbean Sea initiative- recognise that all the territories share the Caribbean
coast hence it will affect the other country, marine life, tourism
Updating building codes
Wider platform than just CARICOM