- the need to enhance human resources and improve
the human condition to increase the region’s
competitiveness
- the need to place greater emphasis on a regional
and hemispheric security, including the protection
of the environment from further degradation, and
- the need to bolster the economic indicators of
growth and development, by placing emphasis on
strengthening the regional institutions, forging
partnerships for bio-fuels and other sources of
energy, fostering private sector growth, especially
through new trade and investment initiatives.
These themes suggest the elements for
collaboration which are embodied in the Declaration
from the Conference. But even the clauses of the
Declaration as pungent with action as they are, do
not reflect the passion of the debates, the candour
of the comments (and candour there was) and the good
will that prevailed in the forums.
Nor do they capture the congenial nature of the
consultations between the Heads of Government and
the various government agencies with whom we met,
namely –
President Bush
Secretary of State, Rice,
The Ways and Means Committee chaired by Senior
ranking Congressman Rangel, and
The House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Chaired by
Tom Lantos
They all yielded proposals that are likely to be
translated into positive results and mutual
benefits, given the satisfactory contents of the
Joint Statement issued by the White House.
Expanding Economic Opportunities
In the area of Expanding Economic Opportunities,
there is now a much better understanding and
appreciation by the USA on the urgency of the steps
that are required to expand the economic
opportunities for the Caribbean people.
There is also much better understanding and
appreciation of the efforts being made on the part
of the Caribbean to expand the service sector, in
particular the international financial service
sector as a prerequisite for economic
diversification and enhanced competitiveness.
It is for this reason that we have underscored the
importance of the renewal of the Caribbean Basin
Promotion Act and a revitalization of the Trade and
Investment Council. We continue to emphasise that
with Caribbean accounting for approximately 0.5
percent of total world trade, any concession
provided by USA is hardly likely to have any
significant affect on the global economy
We in the Community mindful of the need to level the
playing field among the participating countries have
established a Development Fund to provide assistance
for the lesser developed countries. This is targeted
as another possible area for consideration by USA
for partnership in strengthening the regional
enterprise.
Human Resources
We also believe that the dialogue has really
contributed to a better understanding on the part of
the USA of the deleterious effects of the brain
drain on the economies of the Caribbean and the
validity of the proposals for some form of
compensation from beneficiary countries like to USA
for the investment of training of professionals and
skilled labour.
The Heads of Government came to Washington D.C to
forge partnership and collaboration with the USA in
the areas of trade, reduction in the demand for
drugs, broker a policy of managed migration and
compensation for the export of our skilled labour to
the USA, on enhancement of human resources by
investing in education, science and technology,
disaster management, energy and research and
development among others.
Education
But the Caribbean Community also highlighted in its
discourse the many achievements on which it
continues to build a viable community of Sovereign
States.
The establishment of the Single Market in 2006, the
Caribbean Court of Justice in 2004, and the movement
toward the final phases of establishment of the
Single Economy by 2008 are all elements of
tremendous advances in the deepening of the regional
integration process that would have been conceived
as impossible judging from the skepticism of
regionalism rooted in the failure of the West Indies
Federation over 40 years ago.
The Caribbean Community brought evidence of the
institutional processes that have been consolidated
in the increase in the free movement of persons
accompanied by procedures for accreditation of
skills not only from tertiary levels but through the
creation of new certification models such as
Caribbean vocational qualifications. The trend that
is being established is one in which, through
cooperation among training agencies, an industry led
competency based approach is driven by occupational
standards. The emphasis here is on technical and
vocational education and school to work transition.
At the tertiary level, the Caribbean in the 1990s
had estimated the need for 15 percent of its
population to hold university certification. Since
that time the figure has been revised upwards to 25
percent in order for the Region to provide the
required skills to manage its development process
and to compete in the international labour market.
In this regard while we upgrade the facilities at
the Region's universities, we are aware of
Congressional support of the need for partnerships
with colleges and universities in the USA to assist
in the facilitation of access to tertiary level
educational opportunities through scholarships for
educators and students.
We were pleased at a proposal that emerged at the
Diaspora Forum for collaboration between USA and
Caribbean with experts in the field of Science and
especially since CARICOM has placed emphasis on
connectivity of its Universities and Community
Colleges through the Caribbean Knowledge and
Learning Network with the use of ICT to enhance the
sharing an upgrading of resources across the Region.
Health and HIV and AIDS
The Caribbean Community came to Washington to
pronounce that arising from the Report of the
Caribbean Commission on Health and Development,
chaired by Sir George Alleyne, it has identified a
major priority as the non-communicable diseases, and
for which a Caribbean Summit would be called in
September 2007 to identify policies to stem its
deleterious effect on our society and economy.
The Caribbean Community also came to Washington D.C
with a proclaimed international best practice in the
form of the Pan Caribbean Partnership in the fight
against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP). It provides a good
model of functional integration and has been able to
forge a viable response through the implementation
of a regional strategic plan.
However there is need for the USA to reconsider the
allocation of support for HIV and AIDS in the Region
specially to broaden the spread of its award of the
President's Emergency Plan for HIV/AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)
from support to Guyana and Haiti only, to include
PANCAP countries. This is justified by the regional
impact of HIV and AIDS through the provisions for
free movement of skills under the CSME. The point at
issue is that under the circumstances HIV and AIDS
is not restricted to the poorest countries but also
to those middle income countries like Barbados and
Trinidad and Tobago which in a single economic space
are likely to become targets for migration within
the Community.
A similar argument prevails with respect to the
removal of restrictions on grants from the Global
Fund for HIV and AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM) to
middle income countries. We urge the USA to support
us in removing this unfair condition which only
exacerbates the spread of the disease as a result of
mobility within the CSME.
We also came to Washington D.C with the successes of
operationalising a safe and secure CARICOM space
during the Cricket World Cup 2007. These included a
strengthened border security management system,
including an advanced passenger information service
(APIS), an intelligence sharing mechanism and a
common CARICOM Visa policy with similar features to
the Schengen Visa policies of the European Union.
The system which processed over 1 million passengers
during the six weeks of its application captured 400
illegal applicants, ‘wanted’ for various regional
and international offences.
The Community plans to extend the legacies of World
Cup Cricket and argues that since the nature and
scope of terrorism and illegal firearms do not
originate in the region it is fair to request the
USA to collaborate and support the
institutionalization of processes aimed at
increasing security. In deed since 9/11, the
escalating costs of implementing the security
requirements imposed by the USA have added enormous
economic burdens on the Caribbean.
We are pleased also that Haiti will be considered
for accelerated programme of support. Haiti is a
special case. It suffers from a protracted period of
economic decline and social disaffection. Its
reintegration into the Community means that it could
count on the political will of the Community. But
its revival requires massive injections of capital
beyond the scope of the Region. Hence the Caribbean
Community has expressed its willingness to work with
the USA in advancing an accelerated programme of
growth and development, conscious that one of
Haiti’s greatest challenges is overcoming the
enormity of the illegal drug trade and its
attenuated ills on its society and the CARICOM
Community as a whole.
Deportees
The hot issue of deportees or forced repatriation of
Caribbean nationals from the USA is posing a big
problem for the Caribbean. And the need to
collaborate on a programme to support the
reintegration of deportees is a necessary step for
the immediate future, which has been captured in a
positive way in Paragraph 15 of the Joint Statement
from the White House after our Government to
Government dialogue.
Diaspora as Valued Resources
You have heard from Professor E. Nigel Harris,
rapporteur of the People to People dialogue, what
valued resources exist in our Diaspora in the USA. I
urge you (Members of the Diaspora) to pursue the
initiatives that you proposed at your forum
yesterday as a way of investing in the CARICOM
Enterprise. This translates into:
Development of a Skills Bank
Creation of a Caribbean Centre for Policy Research
in Washington D.C as a think Tank that could help to
fashion policy on and for the Caribbean Diaspora
Strengthening the Caribbean Political Action
Committee as a Caribbean Lobby in the USA.
Conclusions
In conclusion, I emphasise that we have come to
Washington proud of our achievements since
colonialism.
We have identified the issues, challenges, setbacks
in our march toward our 2020 vision for the peoples
of the Caribbean, but we are determined to push on.
We have outlined our own efforts to achieve our
development goals, and with your assistance, over
the last three days, we have illuminated the path
that we must follow.
We have shared information and discussed ideas with
government officials at the highest executive and
legislative levels, and with Directors, managers and
top executives of the International Financial
Institutions (IFIs), which have been credible and
working partners in our development.
We have engaged in the process of people to people
dialogue that is unprecedented for its rigour and
intensity.
We have sought partnership, collaboration,
cooperation based on greater understanding and
appreciation of who we are.
And now, the fundamental question to be answered is
where we go from here? In moving forward, let us
establish permanent channels of communications and
structures that will allow for meaningful follow-up
to the proposals and agreements achieved as outlined
in the Forum Reports and in the Joint Declaration
from the White House. Let us ensure that we engage
and empower the youth to play an active role in
these developments. Let us recognize the role of
culture in re-enforcing values and strengthening our
Caribbean identity. Let us use this Conference as a
launching pad for sustainable relations with the
Government and peoples of the USA and indeed with
the Caribbean Diaspora. Let us walk together with
our Diaspora to achieve our great Caribbean dream -
A United and Viable Caribbean.
Finally, on behalf of the Heads of State and Heads
of Government of the Caribbean Community, on the
occasion of the Caribbean-American Heritage Month
and in conclusion of this historical Conference on
the Caribbean, we too pay tribute to the generations
of Caribbean-Americans who have helped shaped the
spirit and character of the United States of
America, and who continue to contribute to the
growth and development of the Caribbean.
Contact:
piu@caricom.orgp
