-but Caricom credibility at stake
He wasn’t inscribed as one of the scheduled speakers for the opening ceremony but former Jamaican Prime Minister PJ Patterson galvanized the audience last evening at the National Cultural Centre when he warned that the disintegration of Caricom was not an option but that its credibility had been wounded by failure to implement solemn declarations year after year.
Minutes after he was conferred with the Order of the Caribbean Community (OCC), at the opening of the 30th Meeting of the Caricom Heads of Government in Georgetown, Patterson also made the long-argued case that an executive mechanism was needed to shepherd the implementation of Caricom decisions. The award – the highest within the Caribbean Community – was bestowed upon Patterson by President Bharrat Jagdeo, the new Chairman of Caricom.
President Bharrat Jagdeo (left) conferring the Order of the Caribbean Community on former Jamaican Prime Minister PJ Patterson. (Jules Gibson photo)
After receiving the award, Patterson underscored the importance of Caricom to the region and urged the current Heads of Government to do their utmost to protect the movement. During a presentation laced with similes and metaphors, he likened the Caricom movement to a plant, which needed to be properly nurtured if it were to survive. “After 36 years Caricom is still a growing plant which we must nurture. Unless we tend to the tree it will wither and eventually die”, he said.
The former long-serving Jamaican Prime Minister emphasised that the collapse or disintegration of Caricom was not an acceptable option and called on the Caricom Heads to make the institution matter to everyone. He urged the Heads of State not to abandon “the mission to improve the quality of life of the Caribbean people.”
Speaking about his own experience, Patterson said that pride and loyalty to the land of his birth have never deterred him from “becoming and remaining an unrepentant regionalist.” He said that that this particular meeting was an important one since it “is widely believed to be a meeting which will determine whether we swim safely ashore or drown separately in the Caribbean Sea.” He emphasised his belief that regional economic integration is imperative, especially if the region is to be heard globally. Patterson said that the leaders must not assume that the perpetuity of the movement is inevitable.
Patterson told the gathering that: “our own national self interest demands that we widen, deepen and strengthen the Caribbean Community, there is simply no other way out especially in these rough and perilous times”.
Patterson said that “the litmus test for effective governance is not measured by the decisions taken when heads meet, it is whether action follows.” “The greatest threat to the credibility of Caricom lies clearly in the failure to implement solemn declarations and decisions made conference after conference”, Patterson declared, adding that he himself could not be absolved of this flaw. Further, he stated that “mature regionalism will remain a pipe-dream unless authority is vested in an executive mechanism which is charged with full time responsibility for ensuring the implementation within a specified time frame of the critical decisions taken by Heads and other designated organs of the Community. For how much longer can a final decision be postponed on upgrading the institutional machinery if the community is not to become comatose?” This argument goes all the way back to the 1992 report of the West Indian Commission chaired by Sir Shridath Ramphal – who was in the audience yesterday – where an executive mechanism was recommended.
While acknowledging that the Caribbean Community had achieved success in several areas, Patterson pointed out that the challenges currently facing the community are far more daunting that those which existed at the inception of the Community. He identified the challenges of the global financial crises which he opined no state is immune from. He said that the region was no longer benefiting from the special trading regimes and protective arrangements for its agricultural products, such as sugar and bananas which it once enjoyed. He opined that that the region is “gradually being squeezed out from those areas of opportunity which globalisation and liberalization of trade were purported to allow.”
Patterson said that Caricom cannot be blamed for the difficulties that came about because of the global financial crises and said that the answer did not lie “in retreating to insularity or parochial responses.” He urged the leaders to look beyond the crises and use this experience to fuel the process of economic integration through which the productive capacity of the region is enlarged. He argued that the opportunity could be used to provide greater food security, additional processing of agricultural raw materials , energy and mineral resources, information technology , tourism, culture, sport, entertainment and other areas.
“Let us exploit new and dynamic relations with nations such as Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa without disturbing our relationships with our traditional partners”, he said.
Meanwhile, Patterson expressed his optimism that this conference would see the implementation of several decisions which have been so long outstanding. He urged the Heads of Government to “make the Single Market a living reality as you work towards the creation of Single Economy.” He identified as imperative the settling of issues such as the competition policy, investment and government procurement which he opined can lead to “the danger of undertaking obligations or conferring rights on external groupings which do not exist between us.”
Patterson also called on the leaders “to advance the protocol on contingent rights of skilled Caricom nationals, so that there can be greater freedom of the movement of Caricom citizens within the region.”
The former Jamaican PM also expressed hope that during this meeting that approval would be “given the Caribbean Court of Justice to do all the work which it was conceived and established and is so well equipped to undertake in providing justice for our people as the court of final jurisdiction.“ Only Guyana and Barbados have signed on to the CCJ as their final court of appeal. Belize is to join soon but Jamaica has been one of the key holdouts.
Patterson also highlighted an aspect of the Rose Hall Declaration of 2003 in Jamaica when he was PM. He said that this agreement “reaffirmed that Caricom is a community of Sovereign States but recognized from then that within such a framework, it was both legitimate and feasible for a group or groups of Community member states to forge such closer links among themselves as they collectively consider appropriate.”
The latter remark would be interpreted as approval of the proposed alliance between the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States and Trinidad and Tobago which has generated differences of opinion in the region.
Patterson, 74, served as Prime Minister of Jamaica from 1992 to 2006.
Eversince the Non Aligned Movement and the formation of Caricom, there has never been a single third world country that has emerged as a shining example of what development, progress and prosperity ought to be.
The reason for this is because those that controls the money controls the world and all of its resources. It was not in their interest to allow countries or blocks of countries to wander outside their (the moneymasters) sphere of influence.
They used destabilisation, propaganda, covert operations,military threats, war and murder to keep their sheep within the flock.
It is imperative for third world leaders to inform their countrymen that this world is still a dangerous place dominated by an ultrarich gang of loansharks and that’s the reason and only reason why no thirdworld country ever progressed. Control the money and you control the world, regardless of its laws.
Caribbean leaders need to dispel many of the myths that has been implanted into our minds for decades.Foremost among these are that third world countries are poor underdeveloped regions with begging bowl in hand. They do not have the necessary skills to produce anything. They need foreign consultants to teach them everything including the planting of peanuts. We believe these lies to be true so we sit back and wait for the foreigner to come to our rescue.
The fact is that many thirdworld countries along with China, Japan and the oil rich countries of the middle east has been carrying the weight of the USA like a drunken sailor, spending their money and using their resources with no intentions of ever paying back.
America is the most indebted nation on the planet. The USA stopped producing anything over thirty years ago. Its great wealth was produced by creating money out of thin air and selling debt to the rest of the world as an investment commodity.
What does all of this have to do with Caribbean leadership? Well they were told that they have to increase production in every economic sector, but those who were giving the advise was not following those srategies. They were taking our services and resources either directly or indirectly and “paying” for it with IOU’s. I’ll pay ya later with interest. Yeah right.
Caribbean leaders have got to stop meeting at these forums to orate grand visions, projections and plans of how they think things ought to be. They have got to start thinking and planning like the Shylocks who have placed the entire region into economic slavery and crony capitalism.
They have got to seek control of their own money either regionally or piggyback on the G8 nations plan to use their own currencies. It’s all about the money my friends.Nothing else matters.
Joe.
these bloggers think, the PHENCEE or ALLFEECEE will solved the problem, but like you said the world is control by a few corporations.
Well said joe, these leaders don’t know what they talking about, as long as the illumannati is in charge and control the world govts, no one can progress unless they say so.
I would still love to know why the government cleans up this city only when someone or many important people are coming to Guyana and I would also like to know why GPL removed the lamp posts lights on Norton Street to put in near the Cultural Center……Why are they so small minded????
I hereby nominate thee ‘Sir Joe’ for the most prestigious ‘common sense’ award ever to be offered. Too bad Joe, we’ll never learn, we’re quite set and plan to remain status-quo in our own small-minded way.
Tired of these conspiracy theorists who can only blahg and produce no evidence except for some internet sources like http://www.tweedledee/tweedledum.com or some book someone wrote after gorging on something indigestible.
I wounder if Patterson still flys around in his private jet.
You have said inter alia; Re: “Eversince the Non Aligned Movement and the formation of Caricom, there has never been a single third world country that has emerged as a shining example of what development, progress and prosperity ought to be….”
What was the rationale for Caribbean leaders to name the late L. F. S. Burnham the “Caribbean Man” of the last century against all of the “destabilisation, propaganda, covert operations, military threats, war and murder to keep their sheep within the flock” which continue against the People’s National Congress (PNC) on a daily basis on this same Stabroek News forum (this same media that was under threat of survival from the current People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government led administration!!!
Dem tekking too long Manning to implement them things of the CSME. Wha are they waiting for? The people of Caricom want unity. We are all one. We gonna fight n cuss out but at the end of the day ALL A WE ONE FAMILY!
The real problem with Caricom is the insular thinking that still pervades this community after thirty years. Leaders say the right things but then do nothing to give credence to speeches and thoughts.
In a real community everyone is rowing in the same direction. In Caricom we still have selfishness and my country first. There is a rather stupid belief that all member states must benefit from Caricom decisions at the same time or those not doing so are being short-changed. We need leaders who can think regionally and not those who blame citizens from member states who are experiencing a rough patch.
When dictator Burnham died and Guyana escaped his clutches in abject poverty, what did Caricom do to help? It is only human nature to help those less fortunate yet Caricom failed that test.
If Caricom could not lend a helping hand when it was so clearly needed by a weak and exhausted partner, one has to be very sceptical about the future.
Jamaican Ex-Prime Minister Patterson emphasised that regional economic integration is imperative, especially if the region is to be heard globally and he is right.
Even now we are all aware of the coalescing new mega-team of Brazil, Russia, China and India to take on the US dollar/Euro zones; yet one gets the impression that Caricom is like the proverbial rabbit frozen in the headlights of the car awaiting impact.
There will be too many delegates who will leave this current meeting smug with the motto: I AM ALL RIGHT JACK. YOUR PROBLEM IS NOT MY PROBLEM.
to answer your question what did caricom did to help…..
they all were the same as banum de dictata..they stood by and watched a brutal dictata raped guyana and brought the guyanese nation to be half starved beggars, thus becoming the third richest primeminista in de world and the tenth richest black man on earth….caricom leaders never opened their mouths until it was too late where guyana became one of the poorest nations in the western hemisphere…they were and are still afraid of de big powas like u s of a and britain…they all knew that it was US and Britain put pee n see in powa and paid darely to keep it there for 28 long brutal years until it could no longer sistain de large apetite pee n see had for money..to the tune of 2.1 B US$$$$ debt…
How about Paterson the dictator??/ I lived through Burnham but Jamaica is worse than Guyana at her worst as u claim Burnham to be.
What I see in this picture is an abject failure in governance in Guyana putting a medal on the neck of a prime minister who sat on Jamrock governing it for 18 plus years leaving it in the miserable condition InI live in this day.
“Keep it “LIT”
dat is d Pinnacle fyahhhhhhhhhhhhhkey
Then Mr. Patterson, as an Elder Statesman of the Caribbean, pull David Thompson into a closed door meeting on a one and one basis and educate him to STOP his abuse, disrespect and disregard for Guyana and Guyanese. He is truly Johnny Come Lately.
If he wishes, send ALL the Guyanese home. His attempts at disrespecting Guyana and Guyanese has spread all over the World. We will not sit around and let him and his people continue to do this. Send the Guyanese home. Maybe Guyana does not need Barbados and Barbados does not need Guyana.
Whoa Sase ! Mr. Thompson is scared now. Nonsense. Don’t worry, the rest of the Caribbean is taking notes. Since when you want integration as the ‘ culture in Guyana is different from the rest of the Caribbean.’ You brought the indifference upon yourselves. Deal wiyh it.
Sase, you being small-minded.
Patterson address was not singular to and did not address movement of illegal immigrants.
The bigger business of CARICOM unity, which Joe understood perfectly, has been the tyranny of larger nations that the entire CARICOM is under the weight of.
Barbados is, and will always be committed to regional trade and movement of SKILLED people. Everyday Barbados does trade with Guyana. Stop this Barbados vs Guyana nonsense, please.
Because the issues at hand that holding back the CARICOM have more to do with how larger nations treat trade agreements with us, flooding Caribbean markets while closing off their own.
PJ welcome to the home of you children…..how the doing? PJ remember Manley said these same things now you are saying it.
Indeed some people will drop to the Caribbean sea bottom sorry to say. We all do understand the attitude of the breadfruit republics and small island mentality. Caricom leaders cannot change because when they hold on to power none of them want to let go all want to be their for life.
The brain power in North America alone can be of great help at no cost. Take Guyana for exaample, Guyanese when home under Burnham lead administration, and Guyanese when home under the Jagdeo Adminstration. All return to America simply because no one wants to change. In Guyana race base politics is good for business and its hurting the countries development….this goes to some other Caricom nations like Jamaica and Trinidad.
How can Caricom countries apply the Rose Hall Declaration of 2003 when racial bias is the game of the day within some caribbean community.
Race base politics, teritorial control, and education reformation is the thing killing Caricom.
The History of the Caribbean should be revisited forge a true Caricom relationship may sound funny but I will not go into it just listen to the Mighty Alose and the the Bajan deporting he cousin.
Caricom need to examin sports and culture. This factor will bring the Caribbean together. Guyana has down played sports and Guyana Government only see cricket as the game. All other sport take a back seat.
Education is the big problem in the Caribbean. They will all suffer because the world is now a new place and people are changing to meet each other and North America and Europe Union has taken that high road using technology as the bridge while Caricom leades twiddle their toes.
Jamaica has NO RACE PROBLEMS. Her problems are lack of opportunity, poor literacy and education, lack of vision, police corruption and murder of the youth, total contempt by PJ’s rich cronies in parliament. Wonder what Bruce Goosling was thinking watching this charade?????
“Keep it “LIT”
dat is d Pinnacle fyahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhkey
This Stabroek News article is headlined “Patterson: collapse not an option”.
Why should Guyanese (with Guyana so richly endowed with natural gold and diamonds, bauxite, petroleum deposits, hydro-power and agricultural resources….) be soooooooooooooooo……… concerned if Caricom or Carigone collapses. In any case almost all Guyanese family have a relative who is a Citizen of the United States of America to which “They (People Around The World) All Come”!
Come one Guyanese – wake up and stop the eye-pass (of being treated as second-class and third-class citizens) from your small-island neighbors.
Re: “In any case almost all Guyanese family have a relative who is a Citizen of the United States of America to which “They (People Around The World) All Come”!…”
Prime example of what is being talked about here is to visit New York City’s Eastern Parkway on Labor Day and observe the “huge Caribbean cultural melting pot” boiling over.
“Are Ya All Ready – Now”!
Kaieteur, boy, you way off.
The US don’t give a care about Guyana, Barbados, Jamaica, St Vincent, etc.
It has a BIG upperhand with trade with any one of these nations. CARICOM’s unity depends on having a big enough voting block to promote favorable trade arrangements. Without that we will continue to be flooded with American goods with no tariffs, with no real market for West Indian goods without tariff.
Larger nations pushes all a we around daily and wunna want to draw card on illegal immigration solely?
A R A R E friendship, indeed, to the E N D.How T O U C H I N G.!!! There is certainly no intellectual compatibility here but commonality in the persuit of happiness and the cause.Enough said.
Mr. Patterson seems to have all the soluttions to the woes of the Caricom countries worked out on paper. Let’s see what transpires in due time.
Caricom, still remains an abstract institution in the minds of most citizens in member countries.
Unless, it concretely brings about the needed economic development, job opportunities, help to eliminate poverty and economic insecurity and fear of its citizens, play an active role in developing the mechanisms for accountable, transparent and democratic governments in the region; it existence will be pheripherial, superficial and vague to the people in the region.
If Caricom, remains a ‘talking shop’ for the heads of states of the region, its role will continue to diminish, ultimately, becoming absolute!
Already, a significant number of Caricom citizens have migrated to North America and other parts of the world, as a result of being fed up with the incompetence, mismanagement and corruption, of some of their governments in the region.
Congratulations are in order for PJ Paterson , a genuine Caribbean icon . On the issue with Barbados and the influx of caribbean immigrants , he said that it will not be fair to Barbados . President Jagdeo should consider employing PJ Patterson as his political advisor .
The only lasting legacy of this and other Caricom summits….flambouyant speeches, toothless declarations, nuff chicken bones and empty 10-year-old bottles
And some ‘appy ‘appy wabbins !
Guyana has a great deal to benefit from Caricom if they can secure markets for their agricultural and lumber products. Don’t be too hasty to get out Caricom.