MUCH TO THE surprise of many across the Caribbean, Baroness Scotland has been chosen as the new secretary general of the Commonwealth. After all, she had the known backing of only two countries in the region, her proposer Dominica and Barbados.
The candidate proposed by the majority of CARICOM members, Sir Ronald Sanders, simply did not make it. The outcome is no longer the issue in focus now, but rather CARICOM’s position on a number of foreign policy issues.
Understandably, every CARICOM member has the right to take an independent stand on foreign policy issues, but there are some matters on which we would expect a unified position. The territorial disputes between Guyana and Venezuela and Belize and Guatemala, support of regional candidates for top positions in hemispheric or international bodies and even the push to end the economic embargo against Cuba are but a few examples.
Unfortunately, CARICOM countries are not uniform in many areas of foreign policy and we have allowed economic weakness to dictate the positions taken over and above pragmatism. This was very evident following the recent flare-up of the dispute between Guyana and Venezuela.
We witnessed an aggressive outreach by Caracas to many of the regional states which are part of its Petrocaribe oil arrangement, evidenced by the presence of President Nicolas Maduro in various Eastern Caribbean capitals. It was noteworthy that when CARICOM leaders were gathered in Bridgetown at the end of July for their annual conference he could not make it.
The position of Belize, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines to recognise Taiwan rather than the People’s Republic of China is as bewildering as it is ludicrous. It is mind-boggling that “Caribbean progressives” can defend one position on Cuba and another on China. But chequebook diplomacy must count for something.
Equally disturbing is the failure of cash-strapped Caribbean countries to take a unified position to have one mission in places such as Beijing, New Delhi, Pretoria, Abuja, Bogota and Santiago. We need strong representation, but it should also make sense. Yes, having a unified mission, even if only amongst Barbados and the OECS nations, may disqualify political appointees from taking up top diplomatic jobs and coordinating quick and unified responses from various ministries of foreign affairs may also prove to be a bigger challenge it may seem on paper.
Little wonder then that the candidature for Commonwealth secretary general was unable to garner a unified regional approach. The truth is that Sir Ronald, despite the support achieved, was shrouded in controversy, given the issues that were resurrected on the eve of the election. It did not matter that his name had been exonerated in the region.
Each CARICOM state must extend congratulations to Baroness Scotland. She is in a position to extend a helping hand to this region and we must make the best use of it.