Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM)
Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) : A Caribbean regional integration grouping which was established by the Treaty of Chaguaramas on 4 July 1973. Its objectives are, for: Economic cooperation through a Caribbean common market; Coordination of foreign policy among the independent member states; and Common services and cooperation in functional matters such as health, education, culture, communications and industrial relations. It has a membership of fifteen countries. These are Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. CARICOM can be seen as an outgrowth of earlier attempts at Caribbean regional integration, beginning with the short-lived West Indies Federation ( a political union), and leading to the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA). CARIFTA, the actual forerunner to CARICOM, was signed into existence in 1965 with its goal being: firstly the creation of a free trade area, and later to evolve into a Caribbean common market. The decision to transform CARIFTA to a common market was taken in Guyana in1973, when the Heads of Governments of member states signed the "Georgetown Accord" as a precursor to the Chaguaramas conference. In 1989, CARICOM member states committed themselves to: deepening the integration process and strengthening the Community for the challenges and opportunities in the global economy; Work towards the establishment of a CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) in the shortest possible time; and The free movement of skilled and professional personnel, as well as seasonal and contract workers. Successive decisions of CARICOM have resulted in a comprehensive "free movement" policy. This policy, aspects of which have been implemented, has as its main elements: The free movement of university graduates and other professional, skilled persons; Freedom of travel - elimination of the need for passports, facilitation of immigration points, and elimination of the requirement of work permits; and supporting measures - harmonization and transferability of social security benefits, establishing accrediting institutions for academic and other qualifications, compilation of a skills register, cooperation of social policy, and a public informational/ educational programme on the 'free movement' policy. To effectively execute its mandate, CARICOM has a network of institutions (councils and committees). Government Ministers from member states sit on these, and they are responsible for the formulation of policies related to cooperation in services such as education, health, labour matters and foreign policy. Additionally, there is the Secretariat which oversees the daily activities of the Community. Regional institutions associated with CARICOM are: Caribbean Development Bank (CDB); Caribbean Law Institute/Caribbean Law Institutional Centre (CLI/CLIC); University of Guyana (UG); University of the West Indies (UWI); Secretariat of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States
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