CARICOM's historic steps towards integration,
conference in brief
Jamaica Gleaner
Kingston
Petroleumworld.com
07 09 06
Six
Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States countries
joined the CARICOM Single Market: Antigua and Barbuda,
Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis
and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. They join the
six countries, including Jamaica, who signed on
January 1.
The CARICOM Implementation Agency For Crime and
Security was established, as well as the signing
of a memorandum of understanding for intelligence
sharing between CARICOM members and a treaty on
security assistance.
A memorandum of intent was signed with the United
States for access to its Advanced Passenger Information
System, which will allow CARICOM immigration authorities
to gain information on airline and cruise ship passengers
before they land.
Teachers and nurses are being added to the categories
of labour allowed free movement with CARICOM. Higglers,
skilled labourers and hospitality workers are to
be added at a later date.
Visitors to the nine Cricket World Cup 2007 countries
(and Dominica) will be issued with a single CARICOM
visa between January 15 and May 15.
CARICOM leaders all but said "Yes!" to
supporting Venezuela at the vote for a United Nations
Security Council seat given the region's irreconcilable
differences with rival Guatemala, who the U.S. is
supporting for the seat.
A delegation of heads of government will visit Haiti
as part of efforts to assess the country's readiness
capacity to comply with CARICOM regulations. Heads
promised further assistance to Haiti including Trinidad
which promised access to its Petroleum Fund.
Heads agreed to the importance of the focus on migration
and development at the United Nations General Assembly
Special Session on September 14-15, given the significance
of both issues to the region.
Heads welcomed the opportunities provided by the
Conference of the Caribbean to be held in Washington
D.C., during Caribbean American Heritage month in
July 2007, and called for the U.S. to engage the
region more.
Jamaica
declined to participate in shared diplomatic representation
by CARICOM members in selected countries.
Heads agreed to begin a bilateral trade agreement
process with Canada, as well as are considering
one with the U.S. on the likely end of negotiations
on the broader North America Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA).
Heads reiterated the need to provide greater financial
assistance in light of the end of the Sugar Protocol.
They also agreed that political action was needed
support the African, Caribbean and Pacific group
in convincing the European Union (EU) that bananas
should be listed as a sensitive product as part
of what they said should be a collective approach
by CARICOM banana-exporting countries within the
economic partnership agreement being negotiated
with the EU.
Jamaica Gleaner/ Sunday | July 9, 2006
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©2006 Jamaica Gleaner. All Rights Reserved.
