SECRETARY General of the Caribbean Community, Irwin LaRocque, is scheduled to have a “discussion” here today with invited media.
He is expected to address concerns as the regional economic integration movement continues to respond to various challenges, including intra-regional and external relations.
The Dominican-born economist has been in the SYG’s seat for less than four months after succeeding Edwin Carrington. Prior to that, he had served the community since 2005 in the capacity as Assistant Secretary General for Trade and Economic Relations.
He is, therefore, quite familiar with the functioning of the Georgetown-based secretariat, the criticisms often made of the need for a more effective and relevant administrative system to cope with the challenges of our time as well as the continuing rumblings over lapses in implementation of decisions unanimously taken in pursuit of major programmes.
The SYG would, for instance, be conscious of growing concerns over recurring splits in the vital area of Coordination of Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR).
These were clearly dramatised recently in terms of different “voices” among member states with regard to both the role of NATO in “regime change” in Libya and related death of Muammar Gadaffi as well as the subsequent surprising division over the historic decision by UNESCO to seat Palestine as a full member.
Since foreign policy is one of the so-called “four pillars” of the now 38-year-old CARICOM, and careful management over the years has ensured a consistent “one voice” approach in dealing with external trade, economic, cultural and political/diplomatic affairs, it is quite relevant for the citizens of the 14 independent member states to benefit from official explanations why, for example, some countries chose to abstain on Palestine’s UNESCO membership.
At least those abstaining states do have an obligation to explain.
Or, for that matter, why the variance in public statements or, worse, silence by others, over the manner of Gaddafi’s death?
What kind of message is CARICOM, as a community of sovereign states collectively ironed out and have been carefully implementing in the co-ordination of foreign policy objectives, now telegraphing to the people at this time when so much cynicism and disenchantment prevail about its future?
LaRocque may also wish to signal what progress, if any, has been made since the last Heads of Government Conference in July this year in new arrangements to advance sensitive areas of people-focused issues like intra-regional freedom of movement in relation to immigration and customs services as well as to better facilitate citizens with air and sea travels.
The Government of Barbados has just recently come out in favour of Trinidad and Tobago’s declared intention for the creation of an intra-regional fast ferry service. Perhaps, SYG may wish to give an update in this relatively new initiative.
We wish him well as he continues to provide leadership from his office at the CARICOM Secretariat.
