The Sixth Conference of Heads of Government of Commonwealth Caribbean Countries concluded its business tonight, (Friday), under the Chairmanship of the Rt. Hon. H.L. Shearer, Prime Minister of Jamaica. The Conference, which was opened last Monday by His Excellency the Governor General, Sir Clifford Campbell, discussed many important items affecting Commonwealth Caribbean Regional integration and cooperation.
The Conference adopted a Resolution on the “Challenge of Change in the Seventies”, and resolved:
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That the Commonwealth Caribbean Regional Secretariat shall take Immediate steps to convene Joint Consultative Committees to examine the present policies in those areas of economic development in which the interests of the people of the Commonwealth Caribbean are not secured.
That in carrying out this task the Secretariat and the Joint Consultative Committee shall:
That the Secretariat shall prepare its Reports with the utmost despatch and circulate them to the Governments of the Region for such consequential action as may be decided. |
The Resolution on Land Resources reads;
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RESOLVED that the Caribbean Secretariat take immediate steps to arrange joint consultation to coordinate policies on land ownership, subdivision and development by foreign interests with a view to establishing machinery to carry out national development of land resources in suitable areas of development with the national interests being secured.
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The Resolution dealing with double taxation reads:
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RESOLVED that the Caribbean Secretariat take immediate steps to arrange joint consultation to frame suitable double taxation principles which represent the fundamental views of the Commonwealth Caribbean countries to enable Governments to negotiate such principles with metropolitan Countries as a basis for concluding suitable double taxation Treaties, bearing in mind the need to protect the interest of those non-independent countries where the metropolitan power has been determining external treaties.
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The Conference dealt with the decision by the Canadian Government to discontinue sugar rebate payments to Commonwealth Caribbean sugar producing countries and adopted the following Resolution:
Be it Resolved that this Conference notify the Government of Canada that the Commonwealth Caribbean Governments represented at the Sixth Conference of Heads of Governments:
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Deprecate the unilateral termination of the 1966 Ottawa Agreement;
Do not consider the proposed Agricultural Development Fund a substitute for the rebates which accrued to the benefit of the Sugar Industry of the Commonwealth Caribbean countries; |
The Conference considered the Report of the meeting of Information and Public Relations Officers and agreed that the Regional Press, broadcasting systems and Agencies, should, as soon as possible, increase coverage of regional events and usage of regional materials. It was also agreed that a Working Party to be appointed from the Region should explore with the above-mentioned organizations, the possibilities of the participation of Governments and West Indian-controlled mass media in the Region, in the management and ownership of the Regional News Service.
The Conference adopted the following Resolution:
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“Aware of the vital role of mass media in the social and economic development of the Region:
Recognizing that the development of a Caribbean consciousness is significantly influenced by the policies pursued by such mass media; Noting that the policies of foreign or foreign-owned mass media have contributed little to the development of such consciousness; RESOLVES that all necessary steps be taken to ensure that mass media operating in the Commonwealth Caribbean Region pursue policies such as would facilitate the exchange of Regional News and information and broadcast material, and promote Regional aspirations; AGREES that steps should be taken towards the end of securing as soon as possible, increased coverage of Regional events and usage of Regional material; and the possibilities of the participation of Governments and West Indian-controlled mass media in the Region, in the management and ownership of the regional news service”. |
On the question of airline rates – Trans-Atlantic, and between North America and the Caribbean, the Conference adopted a Resolution in the following terms:
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That a Committee of experts should be appointed to enquire into all matters affecting the competitive position of the Tourist Industry of the Commonwealth Caribbean including an examination of air fares, hotel rates and other matters ancillary to the tourist industry;
Such Committee should also review air freight rates and fares charged for travel by nationals of the area within the area and between the area and outside; |
The Conference discussed a paper on: “The Metropolitan Presence in the Caribbean”, and recorded its support for the propositions contained in the Caribbean Resolution submitted to the Fourth Committee of the United Nations. That Resolution recognized that the Constitutions of the Associated States permit their people to proceed to independence (as separate States or in association among themselves or in association with other independent States in the Region) and recommended that the General Assembly should support any measures taken by the Associated States in exercise of these options to terminate their relationship with the United Kingdom.
The Conference noted a paper on CARIFTA, Caribbean Development Bank and the Less Developed Countries, and agreed, inter alia, that the CARIFTA Agreement should be made the subject of a deliberate and special study by the Secretariat with a view to giving greater opportunities for improving the position of the Less Developed Countries within the Agreement.
The Conference agreed to a proposal that the Secretariat should assume immediate responsibility for servicing the existing Common Services relating to shipping, meteorology, West Indies Schooner Owners’ Association, the Commonwealth Caribbean Technical Assistance Programme, the Conference of Caribbean Ministers of Health and preliminary work in setting up the Caribbean Examinations’ Council.
The Conference agrees that action should proceed with all practicable speed towards the establishment of a Caribbean Examinations’ Council, and the meeting of Ministers of Education and Representatives of the Universities of the Region should be convened in June this year to take final decisions on the Scheme for Regional co-operation in education with special reference to examinations and text books. It decided that the Bahamas and Belize Governments should be invited to participate in the Ministerial Meeting and at all future discussions.
Having regard to the extreme importance of shipping in the Region, the Conference agreed that the West Indies Shipping Corporation be authorized to carry out a feasibility study on the organization of an Intra-Caribbean and West Indies Overseas Shipping Service and the establishment of a permanent Committee and a permanent Research Unit within the Regional Secretariat to keep freight rates under constant review and to service the consultative machinery in the Region.
The Conference adopted the Report of the Special Meeting of the CARIFTA Council of Ministers on relations with an expanded European Economic Community. The Report included an agreed time-table for further action on this matter.
The Conference endorsed the proposals contained in a paper on the Oils and Fats Agreement together with a Draft Protocol and agreed that the Draft Protocol be referred to the June meeting of the CARIFTA Council of Ministers for detailed examination and settlement.
The Conference considered a paper on Territorial Waters, Legal Regime of the Sea Bed and Ocean Floor and Fishing Interests. It recognized the importance of these topics for developing countries in general and for small island states in particular, and agreed to the establishment of an Inter-Governmental Working Committee to formulate, inter alia, recommendations on the possibility of harmonising policies in these regards.
The Conference adopted specific proposals regarding the establishment of the Commonwealth Technical Assistance Programme and agreed to its administration by the Commonwealth Caribbean Regional Secretariat on a multilateral basis. It was also agreed that the Technical Assistance Agreement should be supplemented by bilateral agreements between donor and recipient Governments setting out specific terms and conditions governing each technical assistance project.
The Conference noted the recommendations of the Conference of Statisticians of Commonwealth Caribbean Governments and agreed that a Statistical Coordinating Committee for the Commonwealth Caribbean Region should be established with effect from 1st July, 1970.
The Conference discussed the idea for the establishment of a Regional Court of Appeal. A general but not unanimous view was expressed that it was desirable that Commonwealth Caribbean countries should move towards the termination of appeals to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. The Conference set up machinery for the consideration in greater depth of the proposal for the establishment of a Regional Court of Appeal.
The Conference approved the Secretariat’s Budget and Work Programme for 1970, and offered its congratulations to the Secretary-General and staff of the Secretariat for the preparation of a comprehensive, lucid and imaginative Work Programme.
