THIS week’s regular annual summit of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (Caricom) is a most opportune time for a serious objective assessment of the state of the regional economic integration movement inaugurated in Trinidad and Tobago four decades ago.

Whatever the priority issues for their agenda, it would be most disappointing for Caricom citizens to learn that sufficient time was not devoted for a clinical assessment of the plus and minus factors in efforts to keep hope alive for realisation of the official commitment to building ‘One Community for One People”.

The founding fathers of Caricom have long ago passed away, but successive governments of what today represents a community of 15 member states must seize the moment for realistic stocktaking to determine how best to rescue the integration movement from prevailing sloth, cynicism and doubts in this year of its 40th anniversary.

There have been varying media perspectives this past week on challenges facing Caricom. Some reflected concerns ranging from an apparent lack of will to make a reality of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) promised seven years ago — after some 13 previous years of deliberations.

Others have been lamenting ongoing verbal clashes over intra-regional trade in a community that continues to move at virtual snail’s pace to achieve even 18-20 per cent of our overall volume of world trade while remaining significantly dependent on foreign imports of food, amid the incessant “talk” about the huge potential of the region’s vital agricultural sector.

Last week, for instance, came two perspectives of the Caribbean Community. First, an editorial in last Wednesday’s Jamaica Observer with the provocative title: “Is Caricom the bloc the builders rejected?”

On the following day, the Observer was reporting on a passionate reaffirmation in support of Caricom by Foreign Minister AJ Nicholson to an earlier plea for an end to the frequent quarrels over trade between Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.

The arresting question of the Observer’s editorial could have been misinterpreted, without careful reading, as being unsupportive of Caricom when, in reality, it was designed to spur the regional integration movement into taking positive initiatives for advancing intra-regional trade and economic development, as being done by other trading blocs.

Consistent with its policy in favour of regional economic integration and functional co-operation, the Observer was giving further space, the day after its biting editorial, to Minister Nicholson.

The minister was, at the time, reaffirming his earlier passionate public rebuke to Jamaica’s private sector’s recurring complaints against Trinidad and Tobago’s widening trade surplus to the disadvantage of the Jamaican economy.

The Observer editorial noted a painful factor among pressing issues that require some new and creative initiatives, instead of excuses that tend to flow, differently, from both the community’s political directorate as well from the private sector, among them well-established captains of industry and commerce.

The editorial reminded that “the facts show that intra-regional trade has grown in every trade bloc except (my emphasis) Caricom….”

Harsh reality

At this time of Caricom’s 40th anniversary, the harsh reality is that for all the welcome efforts being sustained to ensure meaningful functional co-operation among member states — one of the five pillars of the regional integration movement — there remain yawning gaps in the fulfilment of oft-repeated assurances in resolving some outstanding issues directly affecting citizens of the community.

Foremost among these would certainly include, despite official reassurances, the poor treatment — at times even hostile — experienced by community nationals from immigration services at ports of entry.

Unfortunately, instead of being oriented by their respective governments in being pleasant and co-operative when dealing with fellow citizens of the community, such citizens are often treated as intruders.

Worse, denied entry without being on a so-called “security list” and hustled out on the next available flight at a number of airports in the community whose decision-makers like to engage in the rhetoric, popularised by the Georgetown-based Secretariat of “One Community, One People”.

Such treatment in this second decade of the 21st century amid the rising cost of air fares can hardly endear affected citizens to the notion of “One Commnunity, One People”.

Air fares and the hassle over guaranteed scheduled flights are issues that are also expected to resurface when the Caricom leaders take some quality time to seriously discuss the recurring challenges of regional air transportation.

NOTE: I wish to take this opportunity to correct an omission in my column last Sunday in which I discussed the distinguished personalities of Caricom honoured by South Africa with the prestigious ‘Oliver Tambo Award” for significant contributions to ending the heinous Apartheid system.

While the recipients mentioned were late heads of state/government, living awardees also include two well-known, distinguished Caricom personalities — Jamaica’s former Prime Minister PJ Patterson and former Commonwealth Secretary General Sir Shridath Ramphal of Guyana.